Advice on a 40-42" Smart 3D TV

[Suspectedinfected]

Hey guys,

I'm upgrading from a Sony KDL32W654, a fantastic 32" Smart TV however I find it a little small for the room (sat 5.5ft away) and a friend has offered to buy it for a decent price so I feel it'd be a good time to upgrade.

I've decided a 40-42in would be more appropriate and would like to go 3D, having spent some time with a 3D Panasonic TX-L47DT65B.

For a budget of £500, I've narrowed it down to two TVs;
LG-42LB650V for £500
or
Samsung-UE40H6400 for £450

I'm stuck in the middle between the both, the Samsung is cheaper and has much more feedback behind it, being praised in reviews and having more of a good reputation whereas the LG is only a few months old and hasn't had nearly as much feedback aside from a handful of positive customer reviews.

Otherwise, the tech specs between the two are mostly similar except for a few areas where the LG is better, such as having an IPS panel, being 2" bigger, newer, a higher processing rate and having WebOS, which appears to be the premium of Smart TV interfaces.

When it comes to Active vs Passive 3D I'm completely new, having only tried Passive and reading that Active gives a better quality image at higher prices but being uncomfortable and Passive being less effective but better overall.

Can anyone help me out? If anyone has any other TV's on the UK market they'd recommend then please share!

 

[VincentP]

Samsung use a technology called PLS. It is very similar to IPS.
I don't think you will find TVs using TN panels because the viewing angles are not sufficient for a TV.

I have a 55" Samsung smart 3D TV. When I went to the showroom to compare models Samsung were much better than any of the competition. I think it is pretty widely accepted that Samsung make the best LCD TV panels and Panasonic make the best Plasma screens.

To watch true 3D content you need a 3D player and 3D media. 3D TVs offer 2D to 3D conversion, but it is rubbish. You also need everyone watching the TV to wear 3D glasses. It's not a feature you will use very much.

 

[Suspectedinfected]

Samsung use a technology called PLS. It is very similar to IPS.
I don't think you will find TVs using TN panels because the viewing angles are not sufficient for a TV.

I have a 55" Samsung smart 3D TV. When I went to the showroom to compare models Samsung were much better than any of the competition. I think it is pretty widely accepted that Samsung make the best LCD TV panels and Panasonic make the best Plasma screens.

To watch true 3D content you need a 3D player and 3D media. 3D TVs offer 2D to 3D conversion, but it is rubbish. You also need everyone watching the TV to wear 3D glasses. It's not a feature you will use very much.

Thanks for getting back to me!
I'll be going to the store later today to have a look at both models. The Samsung definitely has the better reputation, I did see the H6400 in a store the other day and was impressed by it's quality. What's keeping the LG in the running for me is the WebOS and that it's newer. Of course, I don't want to get duped into buying a sub-par TV because of that.

My 3D source is a PlayStation 3 for Blu Rays and a beefy gaming pc for 3D games but in all honesty, 3D isn't a huge factor for me. The main use will be watching TV and playing games, I'm mainly looking for a decent smart TV with an excellent picture. Sound is less important, as i'll be using an AV receiver most of the time.

 

[VincentP]

Samsung use a technology called PLS. It is very similar to IPS.
I don't think you will find TVs using TN panels because the viewing angles are not sufficient for a TV.

I have a 55" Samsung smart 3D TV. When I went to the showroom to compare models Samsung were much better than any of the competition. I think it is pretty widely accepted that Samsung make the best LCD TV panels and Panasonic make the best Plasma screens.

To watch true 3D content you need a 3D player and 3D media. 3D TVs offer 2D to 3D conversion, but it is rubbish. You also need everyone watching the TV to wear 3D glasses. It's not a feature you will use very much.

Thanks for getting back to me!
I'll be going to the store later today to have a look at both models. The Samsung definitely has the better reputation, I did see the H6400 in a store the other day and was impressed by it's quality. What's keeping the LG in the running for me is the WebOS and that it's newer. Of course, I don't want to get duped into buying a sub-par TV because of that.

My 3D source is a PlayStation 3 for Blu Rays and a beefy gaming pc for 3D games but in all honesty, 3D isn't a huge factor for me. The main use will be watching TV and playing games, I'm mainly looking for a decent smart TV with an excellent picture. Sound is less important, as i'll be using an AV receiver most of the time.

"3D games" usually just means games in a 3D environment (Quake was one of the first 3D games).
Games that support stereoscopic 3D rely on specific support from the graphics card and the monitor. You won't be able to run these games in stereoscopic 3D on a 3D TV.