[Sibeber]

I see that Which magazine have doen a scathing report on the reliability and quality of Supermarket and Argos own brand tv's ..The Bush got a reall hammering

[Orbitalzone]

No surprises really, I guess the same is true of budget Toshiba's, Sharps, Hitachi's and other 'brands' that use Vestel to make the TV

[mac2708]

Report here on running costs
http://conversation.which.co.uk/tech...running-costs/

[AlanO]

5 hours viewing a day is probably a bit above average.

You can get around the 'standby' power consumption by actually switching the set off.

And it makes no meaningful comparison against a CRT set - which is what most people are replacing - so will still benefit from lower running costs compared to what they had before.

Incidentally - I didn't see a 'scathing report on the quality and reliability' on the web link given - it majored on the running costs.

[1andrew1]

I've just had a read of this report - it's in the February 2012 Which? magazine. Reliability is not covered. The own brand TVs covered included John Lewis, Bush from Argos, Technika from Tesco and M&S. It recommended none of these. The key areas of weakness on these brands were appalling sound, poor remote controls and hard-to-use EPGs. Other issues were thicker cases, higher energy use and picture quality limitations.

In another issue reviewing PVRs, Vestel-made models sold under the Luxor, Digihome and Hitachi brands were all best buys.

The Which? July 2012 report covered TV reliability. The top four brands listed were Panasonic (98%), Sony (98%), Samsung (97%) and LG (96%).

[evil c]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

The Which? July 2012 report covered TV reliability. The top four brands listed were Panasonic (98%), Sony (98%), Samsung (97%) and LG (96%).

What got me was the sample sizes for each manufacturer: Panasonic 1,477, Sony 925, Samsung 442, LG 225. The reliability would be more valid if the sample sizes had been the same. Which? do this all the way through the article. If only they contacted all the members when they carry out research, instead of their favoured group.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by evil c

What got me was the sample sizes for each manufacturer: Panasonic 1,477, Sony 925, Samsung 442, LG 225. The reliability would be more valid if the sample sizes had been the same. Which? do this all the way through the article. If only they contacted all the members when they carry out research, instead of their favoured group.

Which reports and reviews are usually pretty useless, it makes you wonder how they are done, and what their agenda is?.

It's long been a source of hilarity in the trade

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by evil c

What got me was the sample sizes for each manufacturer: Panasonic 1,477, Sony 925, Samsung 442, LG 225. The reliability would be more valid if the sample sizes had been the same. Which? do this all the way through the article. If only they contacted all the members when they carry out research, instead of their favoured group.

The sample sizes don't all need to be the same, if they did then much epidemiological research would be invalid.

Obviously the larger the sample size then the better and if they were looking at say failure then they would need a large enough sample size to get a reasonable failure rate in the time studied.

I have no idea how Which do their research so I'm not defending them just commenting on the differing sample sizes.

[peter_sharp1uk]

Had a Bush lcd tv catch fire a couple of years ago.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by peter_sharp1uk

Had a Bush lcd tv catch fire a couple of years ago.

To what degree?, TV's are normally 'self extinguishing' - which doesn't mean it has a built-in fire extinguisher, but that the components and plastics used won't sustain a fire.

[evil c]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Which reports and reviews are usually pretty useless, it makes you wonder how they are done, and what their agenda is?

I think the reviews are OK, Nigel, and I don't think they have an agenda, it's just the sample sizes. I don't know how many subscribers there are, but I have been buying Which for a couple of years now and have never been asked to participate in any of their reports.

I don't understand what's stopping them emailing all the members, especially on TVs, where surely 99% of us have at least one. They don't seem to be all that keen on subscribers participating, when to me, that's the whole point.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

Which reports and reviews are usually pretty useless, it makes you wonder how they are done, and what their agenda is?.

It's long been a source of hilarity in the trade

Agree, they even had the cheek to rank Sony as more reliable than Samsung!

[peter_sharp1uk]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

To what degree?, TV's are normally 'self extinguishing' - which doesn't mean it has a built-in fire extinguisher, but that the components and plastics used won't sustain a fire.

Started to see a flame out the back, but i managed to get the tv outside pretty fast. Although as you said it did not get any worse when it was outside, Nasty smell of melted plastic though.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by peter_sharp1uk

Started to see a flame out the back, but i managed to get the tv outside pretty fast. Although as you said it did not get any worse when it was outside, Nasty smell of melted plastic though.

Like I said, they are self extinguishing, so it 'probably' wasn't as bad as you might have thought.

You did the right thing though, getting it outside.

Way back in the 70's I happened to be passing through the shop as they plugged a new Sony TV in (on a display shelf about shoulder height). It instantly burst in to flame - so I just grabbed the TV, ripped the wires out of the wall and threw it straight out the open front door

[Quackers]

Originally Posted by AlanO

5 hours viewing a day is probably a bit above average.

Really? If anything i would have thought below, of everyone i know i there TV will be on from when they get home to when they go to bed unless they are out that night. Plus on in the morning to.

[Lee Morris]

Hi! All
While I consider Which a very good magazine and my Dad subscribed to it and I enjoyed reading it, at the end of the day it is a matter of opinion as I found that Which did not feature Tevion televisions of which I have bought two one of which I have been using for at least 3 or more years now and I am very happy with it.

It is a 32" HD Ready television and touch wood seems to not be affected by the Digital Switch Over which I am happy about, I have got it on my bedroom wall and have my computer plugged into it I am really happy with the clarity of the picture as I can really notice the difference between an HD broadcast and a non HD broadcast as I also have my Sky+HD box plugged into it.

I bought it from Aldi as well as the other tv which is a smaller size and which I have not unpacked yet as it is for when I come to move which I will be at some point, but it has the USB record function which I am looking forward to using when I get it working.

Also in our kitchen we have an Technika television which we bought from Tesco which I am very very happy with, it is an LED television and has a good picture and sound on.

So I would say that by all means take notice of Which in what it says about televisions but do not dismiss buying a television from Tesco's or Aldi as well as Argos etc. Further to that and who has got one of these Home Bargins Argos discount stores/warehouses in there area?.

We have a television in our conservatory which we bought from our local one and have been using it for at least 2 or more years and I am really really pleased with that, I think it is a Bush.

But I would say to use Which as a guide.

[Caxton]

I have a 19" Luxor TV from Asda, it was bought as a cheap TV. It is what it is — a cheap TV. The picture is adequate and viewable, I have it in my workshop mainly for the news when I am pottering about in there, but it falls very far short on my other TVs in my house a Sony and Panasonic both in features and picture quality, but then they were very much more expensive and that is to be expected. I would not want a TV that cost several hundred pounds in my workshop. As far as the Luxor TV is concerned for the job I want it to do it is great.

It depends what you want and expect from a TV. No way do I believe cheap TVs show such a good detailed picture as the more expensive ones

[Deacon1972]

Originally Posted by Caxton

I have a 19" Luxor TV from Asda, it was bought as a cheap TV. It is what it is — a cheap TV. The picture is adequate and viewable, I have it in my workshop mainly for the news when I am pottering about in there, but it falls very far short on my other TVs in my house a Sony and Panasonic both in features and picture quality, but then they were very much more expensive and that is to be expected. I would not want a TV that cost several hundred pounds in my workshop. As far as the Luxor TV is concerned for the job I want it to do it is great.

It depends what you want and expect from a TV. No way do I believe cheap TVs show such a good detailed picture as the more expensive ones

You say workshop, is this outside in a garage or shed, if it is how is it connected? I assume the TV's in the home are connected via HDMI and the TV in the workshop isn't, could be why the PQ falls short of the other TV's.

We have a 19" LCD by Daewoo in the kitchen, this is connected via HDMI, HD is very good, if you compared this side by side with something from any of the four main manufacturers I doubt you would tell them apart.

Increase the screen size considerable then differences start to show up, but I find it's mostly in the quality of the SD pictures.

[Caxton]

Originally Posted by Deacon1972

You say workshop, is this outside in a garage or shed, if it is how is it connected? I assume the TV's in the home are connected via HDMI and the TV in the workshop isn't, could be why the PQ falls short of the other TV's.

We have a 19" LCD by Daewoo in the kitchen, this is connected via HDMI, HD is very good, if you compared this side by side with something from any of the four main manufacturers I doubt you would tell them apart.

Increase the screen size considerable then differences start to show up, but I find it's mostly in the quality of the SD pictures.

Connected to what with HDMI? It is connected to an aerial, like the other TVs in the house for Freeview reception, all have built in Freeview, so I am comparing like with like with SD reception. Yes I have Sky HD in the house, but I am just comparing like for like with HD Freeview reception on all sets.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Originally Posted by Deacon1972

We have a 19" LCD by Daewoo in the kitchen, this is connected via HDMI, HD is very good, if you compared this side by side with something from any of the four main manufacturers I doubt you would tell them apart.

Connected to an HD source via HDMI, there's usually little real difference in picture quality - it's mainly for SD that the better sets give far better results, as they use later generations of scaling technology, and better quality scalers as well.

[alanwarwic]

Originally Posted by evil c

What got me was the sample sizes for each manufacturer: Panasonic 1,477, Sony 925, Samsung 442, LG 225. The reliability would be more valid if the sample sizes had been the same. Which? do this all the way through the article. If only they contacted all the members when they carry out research, instead of their favoured group.

What rubbish. Its a sample and that is what has been declared in ownership.

If they were the same then things would surely be decidedly dodgy.
Which always have a reasonable sample set as it weeds out the more careless and dishonest owners.

[howard h]

Three years ago I bought a 28" LCD Bush from Argos which dad now uses. It's absolutely fine, and sat in his room the picture on SD looks clearer and sharper than my 32" LG on HD! (Can I have it back, please Dad....??)

But the LG has all the interweb connectivity so I have youtube, iplayer and all the other gubbins that the Bush didn't.

You get what you pay for and if you are lucky then great!

[Martin Phillp]

I still use CRT's here, a 28" widescreen Beko in the living room and a Sanyo 14" in the kitchen with Dion Freeview boxes. I know eventually both sets will need replacing, especially if HD becomes more commonplace, now while I'd be happy to buy a supermarket/Argos portable for the kitchen, I don't feel comfortable buying a non-descript brand to replace the main set.

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by Martin Phillp

I still use CRT's here, a 28" widescreen Beko in the living room and a Sanyo 14" in the kitchen with Dion Freeview boxes. I know eventually both sets will need replacing, especially if HD becomes more commonplace, now while I'd be happy to buy a supermarket/Argos portable for the kitchen, I don't feel comfortable buying a non-descript brand to replace the main set.

Why would you not be happy buying an unknown brand when - at least where TVs are concerned your Beko is a non-descript brand?

[emptybox]

I watched a bit of Argos TV yesterday, and they were advertising a Bush 40" Full HD LCD for £250 or something stupid.

The presenter said that Bush is a well-known British make, so you know you are getting quality with that brand name.
She didn't even have her tongue in her cheek either.