Ha! That's ironic - I bought mine from johnlewis.com and was wondering whether I would have been better off getting it from my local dealer instead data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
The Connect ID uses a Samsung manufactured panel.
BUT Loewe have started to calibrate their TVs at the factory and while it isn't full ISF calibration out of the box the colour is very accurate and natural. Makes a big difference to the picture quality.
And I really appreciate the slim and sturdy remote. Just feels much better than the usual plastic junk remotes most CE is shipped with.
Just had a call from Loewe Glasgow to say they are expecting a replacement set by the end of the week. Should be delivered next week!
I hope they thoroughly test it before sending it out.
For me, the main things are:
- integrated PVR functionality (when it works, that is)
- display quality
- sound quality
- DLNA/iPlayer support
I have replaced a CRT TV, digital tuner, TiVo, audio amplifier and external speakers (plus all the associated cabling and remote controls) with a single box with one remote. If/when I can get it to work properly, the wife acceptance factor is through the roof.
The thought of returning the TV and getting something else (eg a similar Samsung), with an external recorder, and probably a sound bar, is unappealing at this point, despite the issues I have had to date.
Sorry for being a bit late to the party. Not checked the thread for a bit.
As the panel seems to be a top end Samsung panel, there should be no difference in the picture quality, however, hopefully, Loewe have been checking the panels they put in their sets as Samsung owners have been reporting issues with theirs on the ES8000/7000. I would've added sound quality, though you seem to be sorted in that regard.
What has become very handy for recording HD stuff is the DRoption. After some initial issues - see my reply to another poster - recording has been excellent.
The TV can also play FLAC files from a media server (or something plugged into a USB port) which given the quality of the in-build sound, is extremely useful.
I'm happy with mine and would recommend the set without hesitation.
Regards,
Tony.
To re-affirm what others have said, other manufacturers quote the refresh rate including backlight scanning. It seems Loewe are just being straight with their customers.
Regards,
Tony.
I've had the first two along with a failure to complete a software update properly.
I cured mine by selecting the option for redoing the initial setup. I'm not at home now so can't tell you the exact name. Press "Media" on the remote then select the "Index" (I think) icon to go into the list of terms and stuff. It's one of the first few items on the list. It will be worth trying to do a software update over the network prior to this. Loewe's servers have a later version available than that on the "downloads" web page. If the update seems ,to be going nowhere, give it an hour then pull the plug. Do the fresh start after this. I also just set mine up for Freeview this second time - I had plugged a satellite feed in initially.
The last two issues may be resolved with a software update. Other sets have had issues on HD channels with sound dropouts. They were resolved on those with updates. At least one of the Loewe updates has been for DVB (digital video broadcast) stuff.
I've only had to power the set off once since and that was within a few days of the re-install. I surmised this was due to old EPG data expiring.
Also note you will need to reschedule recordings after re-installing though you should still be able to play existing recordings.
Hope this helps,
Tony.
Couldn't get mine to connect over wireless at all. Haven't tried since re-doing initial setup though.
To be frank I've had two Individauls the last 5 years. The first was so unreliable I ended up writing to the CEO and they replaced it FOC for the newer Led model. The picture and sound are good but the faults don't make up for that. Mine had an HDD and it frequently did not work ( and I am on the latest software). I've also had pretty frequent power off freezes and the EPG was slow. Added to that the iPad apps are a joke.
In Dec I got Fred up and bought a youview box and no longer use any of the TV features, it's simply a monitor.
I simply could not recommend any Loewe TV, nice design let down by very poor software.
Tried out the 3d stuff on the Connect ID last night. Very nice. Dredd 3d looked fantastic and I also tried Sine Mora on the Xbox 360.
Didn't see many signs of crosstalk but it was occasionally visible on bright highlights in a high contrast part of the picture. Like the light reflecting off the Judges helmet. Wasn't distracting though.
I was pleased to see the 3d playback seemed nice and bright with little difference over the 2d presentation.
By the way if you received a BluTech Vision 3D player with your TV there is a software update on the Loewe support site. Some of the menu options on the Dredd disc didn't render properly which prompted me to have a look. The update fixed the rendering issues. Don't know if it improved anything else.