Neon C2469FHD > Reviews (1)

For a recent birthday present I decided to ask for a new TV for my bedroom. I am a regular shopper in my local Morrisons supermarket, and with access to a 10% discount in the store I decided to take a look at their range of televisions during the weekly shop. In the past I have had just had the old TV from the living room when we replace it, but I decided I wanted something new of my own, and didn't want anything too large. I took a closer look at the Neon C2469F as it boasted a 24" screen and built-in DVD player. Although I were aware Morrisons stock mainly obscure brands of electrical equipment I were happy to trust the quality of this one as from the experience of a member of staff within the store they hadn't had many of them returned due to faults. Normally I would opt for a brand I could trust, but on this occassion I were satisfied that this one would be up to the job.

First impressions

The television was well packed, with thick polystyrene casing to hold it in place and protect it from damage in transit. The acessories were also neatly packaged, with a remote control and power cable completing the package. Each item were wrapped in plastic for further protection, and overall first impressions were positive, topped off by the informative text on the box which included the key product features and ease of use. The first thing I did were to put the batteries in the remote control, I were surprised when i realised this remote control is exactly the same one as we have for a Crown branded television we have elsewhere in the house, perhaps this is a universal remote control(?). I then proceeded to set the television set up.

Set up

Although I am very good at setting things up in our house, whether it be flat-pack furniture, an alarm clock or a new games console I am always the first person that my family turn to. However, I were still surprised at just how simple setting the Neon 2469F was, and even though technology is apparently getting more complicated I still find 'auto set-up' more and more popular among modern technology.

Once I had positioned my TV in the desired location I were ready to plug it in. Immediately I noticed how sleek the design is, with a clean finish to the glossy black border around the screen itself, and a perforated strip along the bottom of the screen which is where the speaker is located. The Neon branding is simple and also features just below the screen, and overall I am already pleased with my purchase. The base of the TV is sturdy and is also in jet black. I have never had any issues with the rigidity of this, and am pleased with the build quality both in the appearance and feel.

The supplied power cable is simply slotted into the 'AC Power In' slot to the rear of the TV, and you are ready to go. Upon turning the TV on you are met with an 'auto setup' screen, and by following the extremely simple instructions you can soon be watching your favourite channels. The supplied instruction manual gives an explanation of all the controls for the remote control, though for now you need to just understand where the 'OK' and directional buttons are.

The C2469F will then automatically search for the TV channels by finding the strognest signal for each one, and hey presto! you have a fully programmed television!

The picture quality wasn't completely first class at first, though I bought a single amplifier which simply connects to the TV on the panel to the left of the screen. Once I used this I found the picture and sound quality to be much clearer and by re-tuning the Tv I found more channels were available to me. If you have a TV aerial socket which connects to an outside rooftop aerial then I imagine you will achieve the best picture quality available to you.

Product information

The diagonal measurement of the screen is 24", though including the screen frame this is probably closer to 28". The C2469F boasts a 1920 x 1080 pixel display resolution, with a 16:9 screen format. This flat-panel TV is quite slim, though not quite as impressive as some other (more expensive) TV's I have seen in the past. As far as LCD TV's go I am more than impressed, and this is before I discuss the price. The HD compatibility is certainly a positive feature of this budget 'set', and overall the picture quality is impressive.

Sound quality

As I mentioned previously we have a strip speaker to the bottom of the screen frame. My bedroom isn't the largest, though it does give good quality sound and I always have it on the lowest setting as far as volume is concerned, so it packs plenty of punch and would satisfy the requirements of those with larger rooms to fill. The sound quality is crisp and do find it adequate for my needs. I cannot fault the Noen C2469F in this department at all.

Connections

Located to the left side of the TV we have a connections panel, which will accomodate the following connections.

AC Power In
Coaxial Out
Headphone In
Audio L/R In
Video
Scart
VGA In
PC Audio In
HDMI
YPbPr (video connection)

To the top of the TV we have a panel of buttons which can be used to control the TV without using the remote control. These are as follows;

Menu
Channel-
Channel+
Volume-
Volume+
TV/AV
Play
Eject
Power

I havn't used this panel, other than to try it out. I find it works fine, but I use the remote control so have no use for it.

Additional information

It is worth noting that this TV can be wall-mounted as we have fixing points and the base can be simply unscrewed. Controlling the DVD player is very simple as I can just press the 'Source' button on the remote control, select 'DVD' and then put a disc into the slot to the right side of the screen. The instruction manual is very easy to understand and is not full of 'techie waffle'. There is just enough information without going into detail, and with such an easy setup process you will struggle to fail to be able to set this TV up.

Price and availability

I paid around £150 for the Neon C2469F in my local Morrisons store, though I see it is available on ebay for £164.97 under the 'Cello' brand. This is exactly the same product but just under a different name. I am unable to find it elsewhere, though the Amazon website have a seller offering a refurbished one for £130.

Final thoughts

day to day I don't have any issues with the Noen C2469F. Navigation through the various menus is effortless, and if I am in doubt over anything I can simply refer to the instruction manual for the solution. Although I am surprised they are hard to find for sale online I still think they are worth hunting out. At this price they are very reasonable, and although the Neon C2469F is lacking a well-known brand it is still a good quality TV. As a value for money alternative to the big brands toe Neon C2469F is worthy of the full 5 star treatment as it meets my needs fully and although we only have one scart socket this isn't a huge negative as adaptors can be bought if you need them.