The cheap Panasonic/Vestel deal has ended - every 2016 DX model is made by Panasonic.

TBH I don't really see the problem with entry level TV's being made by Vestel - they probably aren't any worse than the Sony, Samsung etc. equivalents, you largely get what you pay for.

If the OP wants a TV that punches above it's weight then perhaps look at the Hisense range as they are decent TV's with excellent built-in sound. They aren't that great on the Smart TV side of things but if you don't need all that garbage then why pay for it?? Plus they offer a 2 year warranty unlike the other big manufacturers.

Even worse of Panasonic to do that, definitely cost cutting in any case.

Good to know, although i'm never going to be in the need for a small TV.

I have a lot to learn about TV's but just like the industry I work in, people think they are buying a John Lewis brand and expect it to be the best, but in reality the brand doesn't exist, it's just a name.

Another example, the newer Zanussi products will never be as good as the older ones, washing machines especially. The tub design is different and less serviceable, making it more likely to be BER when the bearings fail.

Before it was possible to tap the bearings out and replace them, these days the material used is so different that it's likely you will crack the tub and the bearings are not available separately from the manufacturer anyway.

It's the very reason why I am very reluctant to let go of my older Zanussi washing machine. It'll do everything I need it to and all the time it works there is no need to replace it with one that is marketed to look good with fancy programme settings and inferior parts.

They certainly are worse, FAR worse, both in performance and reliability - not helped by Vestel ignoring good design practices and building in known obvious failure points.

Bear in mind, you're paying Panasonic prices for the cheapest crappiest TV you can find, better off buying the identical set from a Supermarket for a much smaller price with a different badge on the front.

Suggest that the OP shows his love and affection for his parents by making his own decision and buying it for them with his own money.....!

P S Brands can be confusing. I have a superb Panasonis camera, crap Panasonic phone and I am not over excited by my Sony TV either. Maybe as my late father used to say, buy cheap buy twice.

Would that be a cordless home phone?, we've sold many of them over a great many years, and they have been absolutely amazingly reliable - all other makes we sold (such as BT) have been really crap.

I have a Panasonic phone, DVD recorder, Bluray player and TV and am extremely happy with them all. The TV is a Freesat version used for watching Astra 1 (German, etc) and of course Freeview. Mind you it is a few years old now and only 37" but did cost over £800 at the time.

KX TG2522 - Crap screen, crap buttons, crap logic, crap ringtones, crap answering system. I could go on! You even have to reset your CPR call blocker.

I do however like Panasonic cameras and televisions. Sony TVs seem comparatively less flexible (a bit like Apple products) for additional connectivity.

Bizarre

As far as I'm aware Panasonic cordless phones are the world leaders, and for very good reasons - just sounds like you personally don't like them for some reason?.


In what way?, Sony's TV's are usually better equipped than most - and even still provide a SCART socket.

The problem is these things aren't going up in price.

I've said it before - when I was selling back in the late 80s / early 90s a 21 " branded (Sony / Panasonic) mono TV cost you about £ 400. Wind forward 20 years a £ 400 buys you an infinitely better set from either of those brands - yet £ 400 today is relatively much less than it was then.

Same goes for washing machines - people still expect to pay £ 300 - 400 for a Zanussi or Bosch machine, which is what they did 20 years ago - the only way they will is for the machines to be built to a price.

Nothing personal Nigel. I just don't like poor design, poor build and poor functionality. I also like to be able to read the screen in all lights too but maybe I'm just being picky.....

And it's no wonder so few TV shops exist nowadays! while we all love things to be cheap as possible, the manufacturers seem hell bent on out doing one another at getting cheaper and cheaper until they're all making massive loses, like most of them are now.

Perhaps?, because no one else has ever complained, we sell lot's of Panasonic phones - and I've had two lot's myself - I've currently got a four handset version, and I gave my older two handset version to a friend.

But mostly your complaint seems to be all your personal preference?.

That's part of the problem - but the product's changed as well.

Go back 30 years and you had to have your TV delivered - mainly because it weighed a ton - and had to be properly set up.

Nowadays a fit & healthy adult can easily carry a 40" set and probably a bigger set than that. And the whole set up routine is a simple 'plug and play' which it never used to be.

You are wrong. All the OnDigital boxes handled the split NIT perfectly. The split was in the origional DTT specs and if the other manufacturers had followed the specs the problem would never occurred.

Just because you don't use certain features of a set is no excuse for them not to work.

Quite, different people have different opinions on products, if the o/p is expecting his parents to buy the product I can only repeat what I said earlier.

It is for your parents not you. Take them somewhere that gives a cheap or free five year warranty and let them pick the one they want, ensure that they check the ease of use of the set's remote control, and make sure they are happy with the sound quality.

Because nothing else matters.

The well known issues with PLT is off topic for this thread.

If your not going to use those features what difference does it make anyway, they may as well not work.

No, you are wrong.

This page has a list of the On Digital boxes

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITV_Digital

And this page has a list of devices which couldn't handle split NIT

http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/freeviewobsolete.html

And guess what - all of the boxes listed as On Digital are also listed as unable to handle split NIT.

Not for the first time, Winston, you accused somebody of being wrong when in fact you are. Would you like to admit a mea culpa and apologise?

Yes you're right about that, people never used to like taking home a 26" CRT home in their car let alone anything bigger. Now it's a relative piece of cake. I don't miss the TV trade though, not one bit

NO Iam not wrong and you are the one who should apologise.
Your second link refers to equipment not working after DSO due the the change to 8K, nothing to do with the split NIT which occurred before DSO and which OnDigital boxes handled perfectly.

You may sell it on to someone else who would expect them to work.

Equipment sold must be as described and fit for the purpose for which it was sold so legally those features MUST work.