Sight Specific

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday January 12, 2009

Nick Ross and David Flynn

SAMSUNG SERIES 9 117CM LCD TV

Price $5499 Rating 3.5

samsung.com/au

Prices of high-definition televisions have plummeted over the past year but you still pay handsomely for the best. This 117cm (46-inch) model costs $5499 while its 140cm big brother hits you up for a heftier $6999.

Both have unique features and promise to deliver the "best picture ever seen on a television". But those features will be either useful or gimmicky, depending on your requirements.

There's a socket for you to plug in a computer network cable so you can connect to the internet. Doing so lets you display everything from stock prices to the weather forecast on the screen. It also enables you to play video directly from your computer.

Other features include inbuilt artwork displays, games and stories for the children. However, these take a long time to load and look a bit clunky and cheap. Some may find the exercise routines useful and those who, er, cook in the living room will like the onscreen recipes. But, then again, this screen is probably big enough to see from the kitchen.

It's picture quality that really counts and the Samsung is a hit and miss. When displaying high definition, whether from broadcast TV or from a Blu-ray player, the quality is simply stunning. The special LED lighting system means that blacks are black and detail is excellent in light and dark areas. Colours are great and you can tweak the settings extensively. However, watching standard-definition (SD) digital television is a real disappointment. Even from across the room, the picture looks soft and fuzzy. Sony's mid-range televisions have a much better SD image.

But sound quality is good all round. The onscreen menus are comprehensive, if a little slow, and the set looks good with its glossy black finish. If you're only going to watch HD, then it's great. But most broadcasts are still SD and performance here is mediocre.

Nick Ross

TRAVELSIM

Price $50 Rating 4

travelsim.net.au

Holidaymakers and jet-setting business travellers have few options when it comes to using their mobile phones overseas.

Either you sign up for a pre-paid SIM card from a local carrier or continue using your Australian SIM card and get slugged with a hefty global roaming bill at the end of the trip.

Now there's a third way: a SIM card designed expressly for overseas travellers. TravelSIM slashes dramatically the mobile call cost in 150 countries. Calling Australia from your TravelSIM-equipped mobile phone in Britain will cost you just 83c a minute - far less than Optus, Telstra or Vodafone, whose rack rates run from $2.74 to $3.19 a minute. Receiving calls is also cheaper: Britain is one of 50 countries where incoming calls are free. There are also no tricky flag-fall or connection charges.

However, the savings aren't always so clear-cut. In Singapore, calling Australia or even dialling a local number via TravelSIM is more expensive than any of the Australian carriers, so you should use the TravelSIM website to check the rates for each country you intend to visit.

The site has an excellent and easy to use tool that also compares its own pricing against the rack rates for the leading Australian mobile carriers.

The TravelSIM comes with its own number and country code. It's especially good value if you're visiting several countries, because you don't need to buy a SIM card at each stop-over destination.

Making calls with the TravelSIM is a little different to the norm because it uses a "call back" system. You dial the number and wait for a few seconds until your phone rings. When you press the answer key your call is connected.

Like all pre-paid cards, TravelSIM gives you a pleasing measure of control over your spending. The $50 TravelSIM Starter Kit includes $5 of call credit and you can boost your balance any time via the internet.

The only caveat is your mobile phone can't be locked to a local carrier.

David Flynn

© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home