Conference hips::uk_audioo

    Personally I'm sold on Grundig. We have the Ghia 59cm flat screen
    monitor style model. It cost around �600 but we've no regrets. It has a
    NICAM decoder, two speakers, stereo output for the hifi and all that.
    Sound quality is excellent for TV.
    
    It also has Teletext which I thought was a gimmick, until it saved me a 
    long delay on the M1 several times; then I was convinced. This is our
    second Grundig; the first never had the back off in 9 years. Picture
    quality is such that it's the first one we've had where it improves
    when I put my glasses on, rather than get worse! You can tell from its
    picture quality whether or not a broadcast is live, which is pretty
    good; the level of detail is so good it's almost 3D.
    
    We also have a Grundig 14" standard colour TV in the kitchen, about
    �300 at Comet. Good, but not in the same class as the big ones.
    
    Dave

    FASTEST is a variation on TELETEXT - it gives you four coloured buttons
    which correspond to four items along the bottom of the screen - useful
    for getting around the screens quickly - saves you entering the three
    digits required.
    
    Pete.

Teletext is good, Fastext (as 197.2 said) is invaluable. I mainly use Teletext
to look at what TV programmes are on.

What Video manufacturers could do, is have the capability to set the video
to record, say, East Enders whenever it is on. The Video just looks at a page
on Teletext, and starts the video, *when the program starts*

Mark.

I'd recommend my Ferguson 24" TV, rented for 16 quid at DER. Excellent picture,
though shadowmask has been magnetised by my Diamonds!

Whilst looking for a video (NICAM) version (see topic 37) I was also
looking for a TV too. However I didn't actually get a new one for several
reasons which may be of particular interest if you're looking to the future
ie. NICAM.

1. You don't actually need a NICAM TV for NICAM sound since the HiFi will
do the sound better fed from a NICAM video recorder.

2. The only advantage of having a NICAM video and TV is that you could watch
one channel in stereo whilst recording another in stereo. Normally the video 
will suffice.

3. NICAM TVs don't look very nice, with speakers sticking out of the side
or hanging off on wires.

4. At present all TVs seem to be large jet black objects which I don't find
aesthetically satisfying.

5. My 15 year old Sony Trinitron still works well and it'd picture is still
state of the art.

6. Money. It's more cost effective to put the money into the video.

As far as TVs go I'm a convinced 'Sony is best' type, having received truly
fantastic service from the one I've got (and it was second hand when I got
it). I would ensure however that the TV has SCART inputs to make the best
connection to a video and also Fastext is desirable. At present Fastext
only normally has 4 instant channels, it would be nice to have more than
that. NICAM would be a low priority since it's more effective to get a
video with this feature.

.-1>What Video manufacturers could do, is have the capability to set the video
.-1>to record, say, East Enders whenever it is on. The Video just looks at a page
.-1>on Teletext, and starts the video, *when the program starts*

There is a video that does this now. But it apparently makes mistakes and
worse still the TV companies don't always transmit when they say they're
going to.

-John

	I made my choice and bought the TV today. It's a Sony Trintron 16inch
with Teletext.
	I looked at a lot of different TVs but having seen several Sony's over 
the years I am sure that they consistently have a better picture than others.
	I didn't want a bigger screen as our living room is only small and I think even a 
19inch would look out of place. It's not the screen size, I'd love a 27inch 
screen it's just that the large black sideboard sized object that surrounds the 
screen is simply too much.
	There aren't any NICAM equiped sets less than 21inch and in any case I
have a very good NICAM video which feeds the HiFi. I suspect that NICAM tuners 
will be more available in the future, of course at the moment it's not in the 
interests of the TV manufacturers to sell a tuner only, they would rather sell
a whole (large screen) set. I have seen an advert for an Arcam NICAM tuner
which appears to be aimed at the audiophile market but suspect that this will
cost rather more than the TV. 
	The set has got a SCART connector and the feed from the video is 
indistinguishable from the TV picture which was not true of the previous set. I 
had thought that the reception was not as good from the video but realise now 
that it was a case of the signal going through two RF stages.
	The picture is very, very good. The sound is surprisingly good from the 
single speaker which is rather oddly mounted pointing at the ceiling. You have 
to remember not to place anything over it e.g. ornaments, newspaper etc. I'm 
still getting to grips with the Teletext. I must say that I'm still undecided 
whether it was worth the extra �40.
	I rang around about a dozen shops who advertise in the video magazines. 
There was quite a spread of prices. I only phoned 'discount' shops so don't 
know what the RRP is but the cheapest was �30 less than the most expensive. I 
eventually got it from Tru-Fi in Aldershot, their prices are as low as 
Tottenham Court Road but it's a bit more convenient from Basingstoke. They seem 
to carry quite a good stock of video, HiFi, televisions etc This included what
was just about the largest number of different models of Walkpersons that I
have ever seen. They are a pile 'em high flog 'em cheap place. Might be worth a 
call if you definitely know what you want. Their number is 0252-26390.

Nigel

BTW I paid �320 for the set which was over twice the price of a cheap colour TV 
but as in all things I am sure that you get what you pay for.