You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
My elderly neighbour's TV has gone pop so needs replacing. Her current one is a Sony which has been pretty dire - slow and unreliable (freezing, corrupting recordings).
The requirements are:
= small (32" preferable, up to 40" at a push)
= Full HD (1080p)
= Freeview Play (seems to be the easiest way to catch up on missed programmes)
= Reasonable screen
= Easy, responsive interface
= Reliable
Looking for real-world experiences - reviews are few and far between and don't seem to offer much beyond spec listings.
Something to consider possibly - on the easy interface front. TV's are increasingly full of bloatware, pre-installed apps for various streaming services etc which can make the steps from 'on' to 'watching Foyles War' require too much navigation and creates a cluttered remote- Mine comes with a big 'Netflix' button in prime position on the remote, which I don't subscribe to, but if you accidentally press the button is quite slow and frustrating process to exit again.
Possibly look at a Freeview boxes as the interface if the TV itself doesnt have a clear enough menu system, that might get a tidier navigation and a better laid out remote.
My parent's ended up getting a 32" LG TV.
We bought in-store so the choice wasn't great - I think it was between a few JVCs which had awful picture quality & the LG.
There are more options looking online.
It's fine for them - the menu & the TV guide loads slowly though - it's fine once it has opened and they don't seem to be bothered by it, but I find it quite frustrating.
The menu is about as easy to use as they get in my experience.
Possibly look at a Freeview boxes as the interface if the TV itself doesnt have a clear enough menu system, that might get a tidier navigation and a better laid out remote.
My elderly mother has a Freeview box and it's a nightmare of slow confusing shite. The sort of thing where you press a button and 5 seconds later it carries out the command leaving the user wondering if it's worked at all and pressing the button repeatedly - which then ends up with the user being 4 sub-menus in once the system has caught up.
Maybe newer ones are better...??
@maccruiskeen that's exactly my concern and hence the thought of Freeview Play as it seems to bypass the need to use individual streaming apps (terrestrial is the only requirement).
My elderly mother has a Freeview box and it’s a nightmare of slow confusing shite.
Maybe newer ones are better…??
A FreeView box is a consideration but previous experiences (Humax) haven't been great.
Has anyone got a TV with Roku TV built in? The screenshots of the interface look quite basic (in a good way).
There does seem to be a gap in the market for a TV with simple interface. I went through this with my parents and couldn't really find anything. I ended up getting them a decent Sony and replaced the remote with a simple All 4 One type remote tuned to their TV. This helped quite a lot for ease of use, but not really an ideal solution.
Whereabouts? I've an old but perfectly functional Panasonic plasma 37" that's doing nothing, free to a good home. Nothing smart about it though so it'd need a box.
Bought a new LG tv last winter, although it has all the apps it starts up in Freeview mode on whatever channel you were watching previously. The TV guide loads up quickly enough, not sure how good it would be on a smaller TV as I'd want as big a screen as I could get away with, my eyes aren't getting better the older I get :D. I can also plug a usb stick in for recording programs.
Anything but Samsung. My mum has a cheaper one that's only a year old and it's awful. The home screen shows ads, and it's so slow to respond to button presses you end up overshooting what you want.
LG is definitely the easiest.
Be aware you'll be the on-site TV engineer, so pick carefully. Had no-end of issues with MIL and Sky after FIL passed away, plus his dodgy cabling to get it in the 'back room'. We got rid of Sky when we realised the Sky remote was full of dust and asked MIL how 'she got it' - she picked up the TV remote.
We got her a new TV with SMART features, but never enabled them. If 'recording' with freeview, you may need a Hard drive shoved into a USB port on the back.
I'd suggest testing a few out in the shop to see what's easy.
Picking up an LG 32” telly this week, there appears to be scant choice for small full HD TV’s. From my minimal research LG is the better of a fairly mediocre bunch. Obviously can’t comment on how good it is / isn’t until I get it!
MIL got a small Panasonic from John Lewis, does the job !
My father had a cheap TV. It was slow and confusing.
He's now got a smaller LG with Freeview and a Google Chromecast. He watches live on Freeview, and has the apps for watching catch up.
Small (well, 43") Panasonic here. Freeview Play does indeed make it a bit simpler. Open the guide, hit the left button and you are looking at the previous day's TV schedules. Pick something and it opens whatever catchup app is needed and plays it. No need to navigate the different interfaces in all the catchup apps.
Thanks for all the feedback.. it's hard not to get stuck in a loop of picking a suitable candidate and then getting put off by a handful of negative reviews.
@johnners - thanks for the offer but I'm trying to avoid going down the separate box route if possible.
Anything but Samsung.
Ha, this is what makes it difficult to make a choice - e.g. my last 2 TVs have been Samsung and I've been more than happy with them. I guess there's so much variation within the range from the same manufacturer..
Be aware you’ll be the on-site TV engineer, so pick carefully.
I already am tech support for most things (and happy to do so) but if I can buy well to keep issues to a minimum it benefits both of us. Hence the (maybe over-)procrastination!
A couple of votes ^up there^ for Panasonic and I'm leaning towards one of these. Plenty of good reviews knocking around, hopefully a bit more responsive than the rock-bottom sub-£200 segment and 5 year JL guarantee. Online purchase too so if it turns out to be not suitable it can go back.
there appears to be scant choice for small full HD TV’s
This is another issue with elderly folk though, they grew up in the days when a 14" B&W was considered a big TV.
My Mum had a 26" and when that broke, I gave her my old 32" (when I changed to a 40"!)
She was initially very dubious about it, saying that it was far too big, she didn't want it taking up the whole corner. Truth is she could easily have a 50" screen in that room and it'd still be barely adequate.
She still sits in the armchair closest to it peering at the picture.
@crazy-legs - I think she would benefit from a larger screen but they are old cottages with small rooms. I have a 43" and it does rather dominate the room!
Just a quick update.. after finding a couple of video reviews of the specific model which showed a responsive UI we eventually went with an LG LQ6300.
The Freeview Play is a little fiddly in terms of navigation (but will get used to) but other than that works well - once you've signed up to all of the individual streaming providers!
Over all I'm pretty impressed with it so far - especially considering it was only £175 in the end (offer on at the time).
Something to consider, and a possibl dilemma for you as a neighbour....
How is their hearing? Tellies seem to have terrible sound quality now. My 90 year old dad has an LG and is fairly deaf. He has managed to blow up the speakers on it turning it up up up! I pity his poor neighbours. I'm now in the bizarre position of getting amps and speakers for a 90 year old to watch telly!
I find the sound quality on our tv such that to hear dialog clearly you have to turn it right up. With the soundbar though (not an expensive one) it's way clearer and no need to turn up so much so that might be all he needs.
Or perhaps one of these next to his chair?
SRS-LSR200 | Wireless Speaker For TV | Sony United Kingdom
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/televisions-speakers-speaker-grilles/srs-lsr200
On aside note - it seems funny, to me, that a 40" TV is "small".
My 1st TV when I moved out was 23" and it was considered very nice.
I do now have a scratters 75" 4k TV.
My 1st TV when I moved out was 23″ and it was considered very nice.
When we got married, Mrs_OAB and I rocked a hand me down 16" black and white set with (IIRC) 6 channel buttons.
And we thought ourselves lucky.
/FourYorkshireMen end.
Edit: one of these bad boys:
I would not like to be an elderly CRT-familiar person trying to use a modern ‘Smart’ TV.
Even as a reasonably tech-savvy geek I am frequently annoyed at things not doing what I want when I want in the way I want.
However ‘small’ - useless. Big f&@£-off TVs of 120cm+ are effective. Old? No need for 4K, 1080P will be enough. Otherwise, any old [quality] brand will do. Even Samsung.
Has anyone got a TV with Roku TV built in? The screenshots of the interface look quite basic (in a good way).
Opened the thread to recommend a Roku TV. Reasonably priced and the interface can be tailored to display the services you actually subscribe to/use. Also has nice simple interface.
I’m now in the bizarre position of getting amps and speakers for a 90 year old to watch telly!
Wireless headphones perhaps?
(Or, y'know, hearing aids...)
I’m now in the bizarre position of getting amps and speakers for a 90 year old to watch telly!