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How to tell if my Toshiba 40" HD TV is a cheap 'Vestel' re badged?? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 164
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How to tell if my Toshiba 40" HD TV is a cheap 'Vestel' re badged??
If anyone could advise, I would be very grateful.
I recently bought a Toshiba 40LV 40" HDR 1080p LCD TV with built in Freeview I got it from Tesco Direct (online), the exact model no. & description from Tesco Direct is in italics above, if this helps someone who knows about TVs identify it. Price - £499 I am asking because I always thought Toshiba was a good make but have recently read on this forum quite a few mentions of Toshiba buying cheap TVs that are really 'Vestel' brand but rebadged by Toshiba, I guess I am a bit concerned about this, hence my asking. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
Posts: 41,794
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At one time all sets below 32 were Vestel or Beko, above 32 were Toshiba - 32's were possibly either. According to reports on here Toshiba have now reverted to making more of their own sets, but I can't confirm that - like much of the trade we stopped taking Toshiba TV's as we lost all confidence in them.
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Yorkshire Dales
Posts: 6
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Don't worry the 40LV comes from the Toshiba production lines, it their entry level 1080p range, stripped of a few connections, resolution plus, and FreeviewHD tuner. worry not.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 164
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Quote:
Don't worry the 40LV comes from the Toshiba production lines, it their entry level 1080p range, stripped of a few connections, resolution plus, and FreeviewHD tuner. worry not.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Peterborough
Posts: 37
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Could anyone advise on this model?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-37RV.../dp/B001TUYQ50 I am very happy with it, even if it is a Vestel, I find the picture quality through HDMI to be excellent and don't really use the Freeview aspect very much. |
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#6 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Yorkshire Dales
Posts: 6
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Don't worry it's a proper Tosh, at launch (April'ish) it was more or less a Tesco exclusive model, but now it's available from all Toshiba main dealers.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5
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hi, are toshibas still rebadging vestels in 2013? i'd like to know about this model "Toshiba 39L4353DB LED HD 1080p Smart TV, WiDi, 39" with Freeview HD" (john lewis)... spec is here:
http://www.toshiba.co.uk/television/...h-freeview-hd/ thanks. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
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Quote:
hi, are toshibas still rebadging vestels in 2013?.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DAVEVILLE, Daveshire DA1 1VE
Posts: 33,621
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The smaller sets are still Vestel, yes. One of my neighbours bought a 32inch Toshiba last month for their bedroom, and the menus and EPG are decidedly Vestel, with some minor changes.
But they also bought a 47inch Toshiba for their livingroom, and that doesn't appear to be Vestel. It is vastly superior in picture quality, the menu system is completely different and the EPG is Toshiba's rather messy one that squeezes too many channels into the guide. Not sure about the 39inch model though, as it's probably right in the middle of where they change over. Can you download the manual?. That might give you an idea if it has diagrams of the EPG. |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5
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Quote:
The smaller sets are still Vestel, yes. One of my neighbours bought a 32inch Toshiba last month for their bedroom, and the menus and EPG are decidedly Vestel, with some minor changes.
But they also bought a 47inch Toshiba for their livingroom, and that doesn't appear to be Vestel. It is vastly superior in picture quality, the menu system is completely different and the EPG is Toshiba's rather messy one that squeezes too many channels into the guide. Not sure about the 39inch model though, as it's probably right in the middle of where they change over. Can you download the manual?. That might give you an idea if it has diagrams of the EPG. http://www.toshiba-om.net/LCD/PDF/En...h-Specific.pdf not sure what to look for though? (picture of EPG on page 67, is it "vestelly"?). |
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#11 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,482
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Quote:
i found the manual online here:
http://www.toshiba-om.net/LCD/PDF/En...h-Specific.pdf not sure what to look for though? (picture of EPG on page 67, is it "vestelly"?). http://mos.techradar.com/art/televis...EPG-420-90.jpg That's the EPG Toshiba developed themselves (although it is quite heavily cluttered). |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,708
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I wouldn't worry about it. My parents have a 27" Wharfedale TV that is supposedly a rebadged Vestel, yet the picture quality astounds me every time I see it. The natural colour and clarity is something I can't possibly match on my Toshiba Regza. You would honestly think that even the regular BBC programmes are in HD and you can even see the screen at an acute angle.
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,006
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I hate to say this, but I have it under good authority that the model you describe is actually a rebadged Dixons "Saisho" model from the 1980s.
I hope this doesn't spoil your enjoyment too much.
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#14 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,482
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Quote:
I hate to say this, but I have it under good authority that the model you describe is actually a rebadged Dixons "Saisho" model from the 1980s.
I hope this doesn't spoil your enjoyment too much. ![]() |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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Quote:
I remember that they were sued for claiming that Saisho was Japanese. A bit like inferring Sandstrom is German.
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#16 |
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Derbyshire
Posts: 41,794
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Quote:
Same with Matsui and Logik
![]() I've been trying to remember who made the set in the picture, but I'm damned if I can remember ![]() From what I can remember they weren't bad sets though, no matter what the badge on the front - and I repaired a lot of different named identical sets. I'm just wondering if those were made by Hinari?, or was that a different set?. |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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Quote:
I remember that they were sued for claiming that Saisho was Japanese. A bit like inferring Sandstrom is German.
Quote:
Same with Matsui and Logik
![]() As for Sandstrom, the name's apparently Swedish and the link above states that Dixons claim it's "Inspired by Scandinavian design [and] designed to combine aesthetics with performance". You'll note they don't actually *say* the products are Swedish (I'm assuming they're mass produced in China or South East Asia like everything else) nor even that they're actually *designed* in Scandinavia. What they say- using the adman's current favourite weasel phrase- is that it's "inspired by Scandinavian design". Quote:
From what I can remember [the Saisho TVs] weren't bad sets though, no matter what the badge on the front - and I repaired a lot of different named identical sets.
Yeah, it was a cheapass music system, and never remotely audiophile (nor realistically "Hi-Fi"!), but by the standards of the price point at the time, it was acceptable, so I can't criticise Matsui on that count. Despite the cod-Japanese name, though, it was actually made in Turkey. (*) Matsui was originally meant to be Currys' own-brand, and Saisho was Dixons', though both stores shared the same parent and Matsui ended up as both stores' brand. |
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#18 |
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Quote:
Despite the cod-Japanese name, though, it was actually made in Turkey.
Quote:
(*) Matsui was originally meant to be Currys' own-brand, and Saisho was Dixons', though both stores shared the same parent and Matsui ended up as both stores' brand.
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#19 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Has anyone come up with a Chinese sounding brand... for stuff made in the UK?
To disguise it's origin of course. /cynical ------------ I wonder if they have £1 shops in China full of British made tat? Not £1 shops of course, it would have to be ¥150 shops... full of British made tat. Like ASDA Basics curry, or ALDI Liquiroice Allsorts or DVDs of Steve Coogan Live! |
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#20 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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Quote:
As it's just a badge it could be any make, and made anywhere, with no two products made by the same company.
The fact remains that Dixons clearly chose the name to give the *impression* that Matsui's products were Japanese... and, er... this wasn't. Interestingly, when I later noticed (that it was made in Turkey) I considered this quite unusual. Turkey wasn't a country- or even in a part of the world- I'd have associated with electronics back then. Nowadays, of course, Turkey is a major manufacturer of consumer electronics and white goods, and it's been a massive economic success for them. It's still nowhere near Japan, though. ![]() Interestingly, one of Dixon's earlier pseudo-brands, the European-sounding "Prinz" was apparently used on cameras that *were* built in Japan! That was back in the 1950s when Japanese goods were still perceived as cheap and low-quality, though. Quote:
We never distinguished between them, as far as the trade were concerned they were the same company
![]() I even vaguely remember Dixons had a Saisho system that- apart from the cosmetic difference of a different printed design on the fascia- was clearly related if not identical to the Matsui one I ended up buying. |
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#21 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
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Quote:
Interestingly, when I later noticed (that it was made in Turkey) I considered this quite unusual. Turkey wasn't a country- or even in a part of the world- I'd have associated with electronics back then.
Nowadays, of course, Turkey is a major manufacturer of consumer electronics and white goods, and it's been a massive economic success for them. Nadir returned to the UK three years ago and was jailed last year. |
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#22 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
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Quote:
Has anyone come up with a Chinese sounding brand... for stuff made in the UK?
To disguise it's origin of course. /cynical ------------ I wonder if they have £1 shops in China full of British made tat? Not £1 shops of course, it would have to be ¥150 shops... full of British made tat. Like ASDA Basics curry, or ALDI Liquiroice Allsorts or DVDs of Steve Coogan Live! But it does have its own Tower Bridge!http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-landmark.html |
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#23 |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 5,008
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Quote:
I wonder if they have £1 shops in China full of British made tat? Not £1 shops of course, it would have to be ¥150 shops... full of British made tat. There is plenty of tat on sale in China, but it is all their own tat.¥150 by the way is over £15!! |
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#24 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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At the time of [the Polly Peck] collapse it owned the Sansui brand name, Russell Hobbs and also a thriving Turkish electronics manufacturer; Vestel.
Even today, I wonder if the man on the street realises how big Turkey is in electronics and white goods. |
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#25 |
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Even today, I wonder if the man on the street realises how big Turkey is in electronics and white goods.
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But it does have its own Tower Bridge!