Dear Samsung, Sony and LG – please start paying attention to cheap TVs as well as OLEDs

[What Hi-Fi?]

Flagship OLED TVs are cool, but I can’t remember the last time an affordable TV wowed me.

Dear Samsung, Sony and LG – please start paying attention to cheap TVs as well as OLEDs : Read more

 

[NOldrini]

Agree completely. Two generations of the family have always bought Sony TVs ever since my dad brought home the first Trinitron. Sony's high-end products have always been stunning but lower-end have always been excellent value for the discerning but not-obscenely-rich buyer. Now, for the first time ever in over 40 years, my parents have had to deviate because Sony have completely priced themselves out of the market. We'd like to go 4K and increase size as subtitles are becoming difficult to see for some members of the family but, again, there is no way we can justify the ludicrous prices Sony are charging. You mentioned that there is no trickle-down of features to the budget end of the market but perhaps the problem is that there is no stability in the technology: new and frankly unnecessary "features" are being added at such a high rate that models simply don't stick around as long. That must make it difficult to achieve economies of scale that used to be available.

One of the older "features" they could do with bringing back is a decent set of speakers...

 

[Stevy68]

Still, finding a good budget TV still is easier than finding great content to watch on it these days.

 

[BrokerMan]

I bought a Panasonic tx32et5b over 10 years ago and was the best purchase made ever. Built back in the day when 3D content was all the rage it had a 100hz panel which could upscale to 200hz for 3D content and provided a perfect picture regardless of what you were watching. 4HDMI ports completed an excellent spec. It lasted just over 7 years before the panel failed and as with most things no replacement parts were available.

When looking around for a replacement, there were nothing but 50hz panels available with a couple of HDMI ports (3 if you were lucky on LG) and very poor picture quality.

Had to settle for a 43 inch Sony with a 100hz panel bit is too large for my living room and has dubious picture quality and buggy software.

It is about time the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG had a rethink and provided quality LCD/LED panels at the smaller end of the market (40 inch and smaller) instead of thinking we all have living space to accommodate their 55 inch and bigger monstrosities.

 

[Geoff-W]

I also agree completely. The cabal of Samsung, Sony and LG seemingly want us to buy huge TV's at massive prices. Not everyone, myself included, can accommodate anything bigger than 48" despite having a large lounge. Wall mounting is not an option for me. My other bugbear is the downgrading of specifications in the smaller sized TV's, whereby a smaller TV will be less bright, have a slower processor and a generally poorer performance overall.

 

[Corpus_Chain]

It's pretty confusing to hear that TV picture at the low end has got worse. How on Earth does that happen?
This is one of the things that confuses me about technology. Why not have low end TVs simply be older designs that have trickled down from previous high-end models, or simply use old low-end designs? Are you really telling me that if I spent £400-500 on a low-end TV, I'd have a worse picture than my 15 year old Philips LCD?

 

[A_l_O]

The pertinent question is what is "affordable" - if you're looking at a £ 400 TV.

Not so many years ago (early 1990s) a branded 21" mono TV from the likes of Panasonic or Sony would have set you back £400, a 25" with NICAM stereo from the same brands would have given you a bill of nearer £ 600.

Now that £ 400 of 1990 is £ 1139 in 2024 terms, and the £ 600 is £ 1709 in 2024.

The £ 400 of today was about £ 150 back in 1990 and that would have bought you a 14" colour portable, or just maybe an basic, remote control, 'own brand' / unbranded set.

So the complaint that "oh £ 400 TVs aren't very good" is a bit wide of the mark - you're looking at over 40" LCDs with Smart functionality on board for the real terms cost of a basic portable TV 30 years ago.

To look at NOldrini's point - Sony have made a conscious decision to abandon the lower price points. The profit simply isn't there on £ 300 / £ 400 TVs at the quality they want to produce. Perhaps it's unrealistic to expect a Sony quality of product for so little money ?