Preparing for my impending move to my new apartment, I decided that a TV was in order. I have proven to myself that I can survive without a TV for the past three years, but there’s so much internet viewing and DVD viewing on my standard 13.3″ screen that I can bear.
Not a TV addict like the rest of my family, I have missed some of my favourite shows like MasterChef, Dexter and Family Guy. And also watching movies on the big screen. I have severely missed that. So off I went to my local JB-HIFI store to check out the selection.
There was only one TV that stood out for me. It was the new Samsung LED (LCD) TV. Only 3cm thin, this ultra-flatscreen LCD TV had EYE POPPING colour, incredible contrast and deep blacks. Admittedly, it was playing a demo video that was encoded with Blu-ray technology.
After shopping around for the best prices, I settled for one that was selling for $700 off the RRP ($3699 RRP) (or $100 off the best price). So I promptly plop down the 10% deposit to hold onto one of the 40″ (101cm) series 6000 (the ultimate base model). Apparently the TVs have been selling themselves and not many retailers will have stock till October. Most of the retailers had these LED LCD TVs on prominent display in their showrooms and I have a sneaky suspicion that Samsung have been pushing these new series (6000, 7000 and 8000) quite aggressively to retailers.
I went to showrooms that were brightly lit and dimly lit, and the TV had considerable advantage over conventional LCD screens and even made the plasma displays pale in comparison. I have noted that in my new apartment, it faces west and will receive the afternoon/evening sun. As well as the new energy laws in place for new housing, it has a lot of natural light. Thus I had to change my notion of owning a Pioneer Kuro plasma (R.I.P.) with beautiful blacks and rich deep colours and settle for a bright LCD screen with unnatural colours and dull blacks. But with LCD technology becoming cheaper and more energy efficient, this has worked in their favour to alter my attitude towards LCD (“computer monitors”) TV.
Once I take delivery of this stunning piece of technology, I will write a full review.
Now with my brand spanking new TV, I needed a decent sound system. Here is my dilemma. I love movie watching. No, wait. I LOVE movie watching. If I could have a home cinema experience, I would have it (barring money and room!). Especially with a beautifully flatscreen LED LCD TV, the sound system had to match it.
The problem is that my room is rather small. Effectively a 3.8 x 4.5 m. Essentially a 4 x 4. My God. And you suppose to fit a dining room in it as well. No thanks. I will make it my entire living room. When this fact was mentioned to the sales assistants in several retail shops, they all suggested a 2.1 (stereo) system or have a room cluttered with wires and the traditional 5.1 surround sound setup. I didn’t want wires and I didn’t want the traditional 5 speakers. Newer models offer wireless rear speakers, wireless subwoofer and “slim” speaker towers. But upon visual inspection of these model, I wanted to throw up. I was visually nauseated. With such a small room, I couldn’t have the best cinematic experience with a kick ass 5.1 surround sound system.
One alternative was to purchase a soundbar. These involves a traditional 2.1 setup but with sophisticated software to replicate or mimic a 5.1 surround sound setup. Long rectangular blocks of speakers line the bar at different angles to bounce the sound off the surrounding walls to create a virtual surround sound. Initial reviews were positive, but user reviews painted a different and somewhat disappointing reality. Yes, it could create the virtual surround sound at some instances, but it still leaves you feeling it’s just plain “stereo”.
In came my brilliant plan. BOSE. I recalled that this premier audio brand (I recently discovered that their claim of being “high-end” could be disputed by severe audiophiles) had small speakers that you could conveniently place throughout the room and have a discrete setup. My father and I walked into one of the two BOSE stores in Melbourne and were literally blown away with the quality of the setup. Unlike conventional satellite speakers (tweets) and a subwoofer, where the mid-range tend to be flat and lost, the satellite speakers contain no such thing and the subwoofer had two drives that provided the mid-range quite effectively.
I eventually walked away with their Lifestyle V20 home theatre system that contained 5 x dual speakers and a media console (the receiver) and a media display for $500 off the RRP including a pair of speaker stands for the two rear speakers. This stand and their respective speakers are ultra discrete and does not take up much room. Once again, a full review will be posted here once the system is delivered.
