The dilemma of a LED TV buyer. Why are there so many choices??

[hasantay]

Firstly,I'm Hasan from Visakhapatnam. I just joined the forum as a member yesterday. Have been an avid reader of the forum for the past many months.

After serving our family for 26 yrs our CRT finally gave up and left to a higher abode.:yahoo::yahoo:

So, when dad said "Go and look for a good LCD/LED. FIFA World Cup is coming" hyeah:hyeah:

Primary Req:

Budget: 25-30k

Screen Size: 32"/39"[If budget permits]

LED Tv [After much reading on this forum]

I thought I had it all figured out. But once I started researching. I was like :sad::sad:. I then thought about the usage of the TV.

Our(Family) usage is:

1. Mainly Hindi TV Soaps. Watching Arnab shutting up people on Times Now :lol:

2. Sports is watched heavliy.

3. Movies not much. Maybe once the TV arrives the situation might change. Personally I like watching movies with my V-Moda Headphones

4. SD or HD I'm not still sure about coz of the budget. Sports channels look a lot better in HD.

5. But definitely would like to go for a speaker set if the sound output is not good enough. Not Bassy but just crisp and clear sound. No space for 5.1 so a cheap sound-bar or standalone speakers to put beside the TV will be preferred.

Have already shortlisted some :

Logitech Surround Sound Speakers Z506-SG - Buy Online @ Rs.5494/- | Snapdeal

Philips MMS4040F 2.1 Multimedia Speaker: Amazon.in: Electronics

Sony SRS D9 2.1ch Multimedia Speakers: Amazon.in: Electronics

Philips DSP475U Sound Bar - Buy Online @ Rs.3999/- | Snapdeal

6.No need of Smart Features as I dunno how much time my younger bro and me will stay in Vizag. Others will not use it.

7. Warranty is imp. I see quite a few people suggesting Toshiba & Sharp. Cant extended warranty be purchased for other brands also?

Will go down for window shopping tonight. Then update. Any suggestions what needs to be done when window shopping.

I will be taking my USB drive with some SD and HD movies. Anything else.

 

[global rhythms]

One tip to give:



Don't carried away with the fancier terms like '3D' and 'smart'. I find no sense when there is not much 3D content available but people going for these 3D TVs. I personally am not a big fan of 3D content. And then who really has time to go online by connecting a TV to Internet. I have got a 32" Samsung 6000 series 3D Smart TV from the past one and a half year but never used the 3D and smart features till date and frankly I don't care a damn about it. What matters to me is it is a full HD screen capable of 1080 resolution with a good picture quality



Carry your favorite movie or a video clip in full HD in a flash drive when you go to a store to audition and then compare it on various models from different manufacturers. Don't rely on the set up that the store is trying to show you. They can definitely control the picture quality on models that they want to sell which will fetch them a higher margin

 

[haisaikat]

If people at your home are used to watching sports on CRT then they will never like watching fast moving sports (football) on TVs (LCD or LED) that have 50 / 60 Hz refresh rates so my suggestion would be to look for TVs with features like motionflow that extrapolates the framerate to 100 / 120 Hz at least. Usually Sony and Panasonic TVs from my personal experience have very good in built sound even for models which are lower down the line (for Sony) in ranges sub 15K.

Regarding buying separate speakers, if that is on future path I would suggest to buy a TV with optical or coaxial out and club that with a decoders like this Digital to Analog Audio Decoder Converter - Transfer: Amazon.in: Electronics since otherwise the surround speakers you have listed do not accept optical or coaxial rather accepts individual 5.1 channels separately in analogue format.

 

[hasantay]

@haisaikat

Thanks for ur advice and yes the speaker/sound bar is in the future.

What would u suggest for Sports watching.

After some more forum search I find myself drawn towards Plasma TV's. They would be perfect for viewing sports. But not really sure. Since from 2014 no more new plasmas, High power consumption, service issues.

When I went down for inquiring yesterday one sales rep was constantly pusing me to go for a new brand which I've never heard of "Skyworth 32E66" price: 23,400

It has an IPS panel and was actually looking quite good. Viewing angles were good and in comparision to the Sharp TV beside it was leagues ahead.

But after-sales service is my big issue with this new brand.

 

[haisaikat]

I would say stay away from skyworth for now since there is no indian service reviews of the same readily available http://www.hifivision.com/television/23234-advice-buying-skyworth-tv.html. Did you check the picture quality of the samsung or LG entry level plasma tvs, there are lot of references here http://www.hifivision.com/televisio...70-reviews-settings-features-discussions.html but in my opinion the entry level plasma may not offer you the best picture quality but worth taking a look in some showroom

Dont worry about power consumption. The rated power is the max power consumed when the entire screen is displaying white which is never the case. Just take 50% to 60% of that for normal running.

In case of LED, look at this option for demoing which are within your budget
KDL-32W600A : W600A Series : BRAVIA HD TV (LED & LCD) : Sony India (recommended)
KLV-32R402A : R400A Series : BRAVIA HD TV (LED & LCD) : Sony India

 

[ranejet]

Hi Experienced Users,

I have recently moved to my new flat The living room is 20 ft by 18 ft, Big enough. I have a Sony home theater music system GN1000D with 5.1 audio.Got the interiors done keeping the home theater in mind and is placed properly at the corners of the hall. Now I am looking to dispose off my CRT TV and Go for a LED TV. Viewing distance would be 12-14 feet.

Can someone suggest me a 40/42 inch LED TV which has the following features.

1) Full HD
2) Great Picture Quality minimal motion Blur
3) WIFi : As I frequently use youtube app to watch videos, songs /educational/ kids/news / cric highlights etc. and i have Wifi internet 12 Mbps Always ON.

4) 3D - not required
5) Audio output of 5.1 channel desirable but not mandatory
6) Warranty of all parts including Panel preferred
7) Extended Warranty- Prefer lower rates

8) VERY IMPORTANT : How about getting the suggested product from Refubrished brands Showroom like GREEN DUST . they give good discount with warranty on their prodcuts.

Friends All your comments will be very usefull to decide on the TV and then from where to Buy

budget between 40 - 55 K

Thanks
Ranjeet

 

[haisaikat]

Hi Experienced Users,

I have recently moved to my new flat The living room is 20 ft by 18 ft, Big enough. I have a Sony home theater music system GN1000D with 5.1 audio.Got the interiors done keeping the home theater in mind and is placed properly at the corners of the hall. Now I am looking to dispose off my CRT TV and Go for a LED TV. Viewing distance would be 12-14 feet.

Can someone suggest me a 40/42 inch LED TV which has the following features.

1) Full HD
2) Great Picture Quality minimal motion Blur
3) WIFi : As I frequently use youtube app to watch videos, songs /educational/ kids/news / cric highlights etc. and i have Wifi internet 12 Mbps Always ON.

4) 3D - not required
5) Audio output of 5.1 channel desirable but not mandatory
6) Warranty of all parts including Panel preferred
7) Extended Warranty- Prefer lower rates

8) VERY IMPORTANT : How about getting the suggested product from Refubrished brands Showroom like GREEN DUST . they give good discount with warranty on their prodcuts.

Friends All your comments will be very usefull to decide on the TV and then from where to Buy

budget between 40 - 55 K

Thanks
Ranjeet

Do not go for refurbs at least for flat panels, even news do not last more than 3 to 7 year. Seems you need an internet enabled smart tv, look for the samsung and sony model in your range.

One off topic, your existing hifi system is a good buy of its time but unfortunately it seems not to have 5.1 audio input Hooking Up Optional Components - Sony MHC-GN1000D Operating Instructions Manual [Page 76] or even digital audio input. So sooner or later when you would need 5.1 effect from you HD set top box or Blu Ray Player this will not work (only stereo input extrapolated to 5.1 will work)

 

[ranejet]

Thanks haisaikat ,

You are correct, GN1000D doesn't have 5.1 input. . Had never had to use this feature as I primarly used it for playing DVDs only..

Any particular models you can suggest for samsung , sony and Toshiba 40 '' LEDs so that I can visit the showroom and do the comparision before finalizing.

 

[tijokjoy]

Thanks haisaikat ,

You are correct, GN1000D doesn't have 5.1 input. . Had never had to use this feature as I primarly used it for playing DVDs only..

Any particular models you can suggest for samsung , sony and Toshiba 40 '' LEDs so that I can visit the showroom and do the comparision before finalizing.

Firstly,I'm Hasan from Visakhapatnam. I just joined the forum as a member yesterday. Have been an avid reader of the forum for the past many months.

After serving our family for 26 yrs our CRT finally gave up and left to a higher abode.:yahoo::yahoo:

So, when dad said "Go and look for a good LCD/LED. FIFA World Cup is coming" hyeah:hyeah:

Primary Req:

Budget: 25-30k

Screen Size: 32"/39"[If budget permits]

LED Tv [After much reading on this forum]

I thought I had it all figured out. But once I started researching. I was like :sad::sad:. I then thought about the usage of the TV.

Our(Family) usage is:

1. Mainly Hindi TV Soaps. Watching Arnab shutting up people on Times Now :lol:

2. Sports is watched heavliy.

3. Movies not much. Maybe once the TV arrives the situation might change. Personally I like watching movies with my V-Moda Headphones

4. SD or HD I'm not still sure about coz of the budget. Sports channels look a lot better in HD.

5. But definitely would like to go for a speaker set if the sound output is not good enough. Not Bassy but just crisp and clear sound. No space for 5.1 so a cheap sound-bar or standalone speakers to put beside the TV will be preferred.

Have already shortlisted some :

Logitech Surround Sound Speakers Z506-SG - Buy Online @ Rs.5494/- | Snapdeal

Philips MMS4040F 2.1 Multimedia Speaker: Amazon.in: Electronics

Sony SRS D9 2.1ch Multimedia Speakers: Amazon.in: Electronics

Philips DSP475U Sound Bar - Buy Online @ Rs.3999/- | Snapdeal

6.No need of Smart Features as I dunno how much time my younger bro and me will stay in Vizag. Others will not use it.

7. Warranty is imp. I see quite a few people suggesting Toshiba & Sharp. Cant extended warranty be purchased for other brands also?

Will go down for window shopping tonight. Then update. Any suggestions what needs to be done when window shopping.

I will be taking my USB drive with some SD and HD movies. Anything else.

Check Toshiba 39P2305 in Cricket series, I have been using it since 3-4 months now. I'm loving it. My main usage is watching TV, both HD & SD channels in Airtel DTH & Full HD movies This model is marketed in Asia by Toshiba & they market the cricket mode of ours as football mode in Singapore/Malaysia. The sport viewing experience has been good in this one. There is a dedicated thread going on the reviews on this TV. Check it out

 

[efernand1]

Hi

Basic links to understand TVs.

Plasma vs LED vs LCD TVs

LED vs LCD vs plasma TV - Which? Technology

Can LED LCD look as good as plasma? - CNET

CNET's guide to 3D TV: What you (still) need to know - CNET

Whats the Difference Between Active 3D and Passive 3D TVs? | eBay

4K TV vs. OLED TV - CNET

Now some real facts.....today's TVs don't last too long, big brands like Sony or Samsung have failed after a year of use so warranty is very important....Toshiba and Sharp offer 3 years and heard that Panasonic is too stepping up their warranty to deal with the competition.

A TV with features within budget would be Toshiba and if you can stretch a little (as you would have done for a SONY), you should consider the Quat series of Sharp which boasts of 4 colour technology and yes there is a big difference in PQ.

The higher the refresh rate , the better is the picture. As a Toshiba LED TV user, the USB plays all formats from a pendrive and even movies from my portable 1 TB hard disk. There is a Dolby decoder in the TV.

There are dedicated threads on Toshiba, Sony, Panasonic and Samsung on HFV, end of the day, you need to go to a store, do a side by side comparision with different brands, read reviews over the internet and decide on the model that appeals to your requirements in connectivity, features etc.
Any TV can be made a SMART TV, there are ample of devices available in the market that cost a few thousands...

Hope this helps.

 

[hasantay]

@efernand1

I've seen the 32" & 39" Toshibha and didn't feel very good about their PQ. Might be because there was an 50" LG top-end model beside these 2.

Also the Quattron models of Sharp I'm not able to find the price for those. Also Quat series has only 1 model without 3D and that too in 70"

Sharp

I only found one Full HD model within the budget. Unable to find any reviews for any model.

SHARP LC 39LE155M 39 inches LED TV - SHARP: Flipkart.com

But flipkart only delivers in 3 cities. Dunno if other showrooms will offer the same price.

 

[god2007]

@OP, did you buy your TV ?. If not:

Why you choose an LED TV ? As you said, you are watching a lot of foot ball, low end LED/LCDs may disappoint you. I would suggest to slightly increase your budget and go for a low end plasma by LG or samsung which cost around 35 K. These are 42 inch size and if the watching distance is at least 8 ft, is great for daily soaps and foot ball. Although they are not full HD, they are much better than 32 inch LEDs. Ofcourse please read other posts where lighting and plasmsas are discussed.

If you are still looking for LEDs go for HD ready LEDs with motion rate of at least 120 Hz, by reputed companies like samsung, sony, Lg etc.

 

[hasantay]

@god2007 : Thanks for your suggestions.

We still have not bought a TV. Today my dad came along with me to some showrooms and showed me how to bargain.

Until now in my search for our perfect TV I've been to Sharp showroom. Didn't like their 32' model but the sales rep was giving it for 25k with a Sansui phone free [Trying very hard to sell the TV]

Liked the Samsung F4100 and the sales guy offered it for 32,500 might go even lower. But the LG 42PN4500 was a better Plamsa TV, 35,000 in LG showroom.

A shop was quoting 35,000 for Sony W600A.

But the most surprising offer on a TV was for a Panasonic smart TV which was in a White/Silver[couldn't make out in the bright lights] . I was pretty sure it was a 32E6D
when I inquired about it the sales rep told it was Full HD, Smart. But I guess he got the model no wrong as he informed me it was 32E5D and price quoted was 32,000 [Unbelievable if it really is an E6]

Tried to convince my dad for a plasma but he is adamant about an LED.

Lastly one showroom showed us the Toshibha L3300 [32"] and it stood out from all the other TV's on display. Has good refresh rate 100Hz so thought will fit the req as Dad is also impressed.

Sales guy quoted 31,500 and dad convinced him for 27,000. [Said he will bargain even more tomo]

So please let me know if there is any other Silver/White model in Panasonic apart from E6D so that I can go for the one quoted for 32,000.

 

[aakashr]

if Sports is watched heavily, you should go for a plasma. You can get a bigger screen size for the same price. Have a look at :

LG 42PN4500 42 inch LED TV Price - Buy LG 42PN4500 42 inch LED TV Online at Best Price In India

totally worth it!!!

 

[hasantay]

At last bought the Panasonic 32E5DW from Inovations Showroom for a bargained price of 31,000 + 2000 for Extended warranty of 2 yrs courtesy Bajaj Finance.

Only issue is that this is the only model available in Vizag and its a display unit. Although the shopkeeper is saying that the model hardly in display for the past 1 month.

So I need to know how to check usage hours for this model. Will update more pics and review once the Panasonic engineers come for installation. I hope the TV has less usage hours.

 

[ranejet]

Another doubt , guys pls put some light:

what are the types of LED lighting in LED tVs , heard samsung's lighting is from sides , where as sony, toshiba, panasonic is from back (center). The sales guy said in due course over the years, the center back lighting may give some uneven picture on the side edges of the TV .

Samsung overcomes that problem with side lighting so there would be no unevenness of picture in long run too.

how much is this true??