Quality and reliability of Samsung TV’s, opinions wanted. (1 Viewer)

[Matt_Smi]

How would you guys say that Samsung stacks up as far as a quality T.V. manufacturer? I don’t really know why but I have never considered Samsung as a “good” brand when it comes to electronics (maybe because they are fairly new). I have always thought of Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic as the top brands when it comes to regular consumer level TV’s. And brands like Samsung to be about middle of the road. But now that I have a chance to buy a new 27” T.V. from circuit city only (see my thread below for details) I have to admit that Samsung has some very tempting TV’s that are reasonably priced. Since Circuit City does not sell Toshiba TV’s and the 27” Panasonic’s that they sell do not have 2 component inputs (a must for me) it pretty much comes down to me buying either a Sony or Samsung T.V. I do not really like any of the other brands they have there (Apex, RCA, Magnavox, Phillips and Zenith). I don’t really have any first hand experience with Samsung electronics, except that my parents have a cheaper 25” Samsung T.V. that is still doing pretty good after around 4 or 5 years. So I am looking to get some input on how reliable Samsung’s TV’s generally are and the quality level of them. And maybe to the point that it will disprove my stereotype of Samsung being a lower level brand, and make me feel confidant if buying one. And also if you want, you could check out the link to the page of 27" TV's that Circuit City has available. Thanks.


Link to my orginal T.V. Thread
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=194636


Link to CC's 27" TV's
http://www.circuitcity.com/searchres...pDept=null&m=0

 

[Steve Schaffer]

My ex's 12 year old 20" Sony died a couple of months ago and I talked her into a 27" flatscreen as a replacement.

We went to Best Buy and checked out all the sets there. They let you play with the remotes to your heart's content so I had a chance to adjust all of 'em to look their best.

I really wanted her to get the entry level 27" Sony Wega, but the one they had was hooked to a lousy signal and I couldn't make it look good at all. On top of that the line structure was more noticeable than on most of the other sets in the store.

We got to the entry-level Samsung and it looked really good, better than anything else at it's price point except for a kinda pasty/posterized look to fleshtones. I delved deeper into the user menu and found it had "digital noise reduction" turned on. After turning it off the set really looked sweet. She bought it and has had no problems at all with it. Geometry is not perfect but it's better than the vast majority of directview crt sets it's size. The pq on dvd is absolutely gorgeous, and this being the entry level model it does not have the 16/9 mode. Get the second from bottom model 27", it does have 16/9 squeeze mode.

Samsung makes the wildly popular DLP rptvs everyone is raving about, as well as some of the best HDTV tuners in the business. While early products may have been dismissable as WalMart junk, this is certainly no longer the case. Remember, Honda got it's start making motorized bicyle kits that ran on chicken manure.

 

[Wayde_R]

Hi Matt

As a former TV repair tech I can say that Korean company Samsung "three stars" in their native Hangu; has been making unremarkable TVs for over 20 years.

This is a good thing really. I was never buried in Samsung labels when I worked on TVs nor did I ever Go WOW what an awesome TV when I looked at a Samsung (until their recent line of DLP that is).

I'd almost agree with your assessment of good brands.

You said:
"Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic"

I'd personally toss out Panasonic and replace it with Hitachi. And of course Mitsubishi TV's have been unrepentantly smacking buttocks' for decades.

Sony of course is the "king" (yawn) but personally I think their new LCD projection TVs are an exercise in technology that will prove a dead end, easily outclassed by DLP and will be made irrelevant by LCoS. Okay, I don't like Sony, just cause, they're... they're Microso...Sony!

But that's just my $.02CND

The "27 you're looking at is probably a really good TV. Most of the analogue CRT TVs made today are better than ever for so much less.

If I'm shopping for a new TV I'm looking at:

How long is the manufacture warranty? Are there any authorized Samsung repair facilities in your area (besides Circuit City themselves)?

Pass on the in store convenience plan they'll try to sell you. Don't get mad a the sales guy for asking though, it's his job.

Don't get too caught up in 'features' like 3d comb filter etc. These are good but if you're using S-video inputs (which you should) you're not even using the TVs filters. The most important thing is the picture. Does it look bright and clear from a variety of sources.

Do you like Golf?

Watch a bit of golf on the TV before you buy it. It's the BEST way to judge a TVs picture. Green pitch is high contrast against the blue sky and when the camera pans with a long drive you get to see how it flows. Then switch over to the evening news to see how well the TV can do flesh tones, flesh tones are hard to make look real. Then the news ticker is a great judge of convergence.

Enjoy your new TV.

Wayde

 

[Matt_Smi]

So far it sounds like they are pretty respectable.

 

[Matt_Smi]

Wayde, since you sound very knowledgeable, could you also give me your opinion on Zenith TV’s? I have never really regarded them as a “good” brand, but for the features at the price I am also seriously considering the Zenith C27V36 HD set. Thanks for any other additional info you can offer! Also does anyone know if Playing Playstation 2 on a HD ready set such as the Zenith will look better than playing on an analog set like a WEGA.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Matt, current sets sold under the Zenith brand name are manufactured by LG in Korea. They fare well in magazine reviews as a whole, but the PQ edge generally tilts in favor of the Big Three: Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic. Sharp also is decent, and certainly Hitachi.

Wayde, despite all you wrote I still cannot tell whether you have a favorable opinion of Samsung's current direct-view wares or not. But one cautionary note I'd toss out there is that the remarkably low prices on the current Samsung direct-view line come at a cost. The power supplies on those $800 32-inch, HD-capable Samsungs are not the most robust in the business. Nothing at that price point is.

And skimpy power supplies bring up two issues: DC restoration questions (do the black levels in the picture "float" when the surrounding picture area is brighter?) and ultimate reliability (check out the other active thread about Samsung reliability in this section).

With those issues in mind, it is imperative that owners rein in the contrast and brightness settings and operate the sets conservatively as possible.

 

[Shane Morales]

I've had a Samsung DLP TV for almost a year now. Not even a hint of a problem. I've been stupid happy with it since day one. That's the limit of my experience...

 

[Matt_Smi]

Well here is what I have decided to do. For the summer I am going to use a 27” Sharp TV that me and my roommate bought for our dorm at college. For $200 it was a killer deal, it has a Component input, PIP, and a decent picture. So it will serve me fine for the summer. In the mean time I will wait and see what comes out. Honestly there are just no 27” TVs at Circuit City right now that really interest me. I have read about too many problems with the C27V36 and that a new model may be in the way. I have also heard of problems with both of those Samsung sets. The Sony 27FV310 would be nice, but I cannot see paying $500-600 for an analog set. That’s why I am still considering going for the model under it, the 27FS210 which CC sells for $450. But I think I would rather wait until late summer/early fall and see what comes out. And hopefully some of the new models will interest me more than what is out now. And maybe Sony will release a line of 27" HD ready WEGAs.

 

[Johnny_M]

sony tvs are overrated. My 27" buzzes all the time after about a year of use, it weighs a ton, and the quality is not any better than tvs at half the price. i upgraded to a 42" samsung widescreen and i love it! great quality picture on that baby! of course we are comparing to different technologies i guess, but i would go samsung on my next tv also.

johnny