Toshiba or Samsung?

[robrenz]

I bought a TV for my basement for very occasional movie watching. It is a generic Samsung 46" lcd 60 Hz 1080p tv for $599.00  no bells and whistles.  I have not opened the box yet and I can buy a Toshiba 50" 120 Hz with basically identical features otherwise for the same price. I have looked at online reviews and they are hopeless. Asking for the TV repairmen out there, does the quality of the Samsung make it the better deal or should I return it and get the Toshiba?

[fluxcapacitor]

The only tv review sites worth reading are the tv repair forums  .Toshibas are ok but dont have many firmware updates .Samsungs are ok but are plagued by bad PSU`s after a couple of years,but they wil quite often fix something out of warranty for free.Customer support is good.I know someone else will say otherwise though.

[thomieboy]

Hello,

If i was you, i would choose Samsung ! Their TV's are simply the best. The one in the living room (a 42" plasma), still works like it was new and it's 6 years old .

Regards Thomas

[TMM]

Samsungs build quality really isn't anything to write home about but atleast their support is good, they have reasonable looking panels and the software has something resembling features. I think most people upgrade before the psus die in the arse so it tends not to hurt the brand image.

I have a Samsung 46" LCD purchased in 2011 and its still going great guns. A mate bought the same model and it smoked on week2. Samsung may release firmware updates reasonably often but mine still has all the same bugs that it had out of the box...
 

[Oscilloscope]

I'm no TV repairman but was on the TV hunt for the past few weeks, so here's my 2 cents with the extensive research I've done:

In the TV world, brand name really does matter. The top 3 names are Panasonic, Sony and Samsung. Period. Below these are names such as LG and Vizio. A very good rule of thumb is to buy the TV for quality over size. For example, if you have the choice between a 32" Samsung or a 46" Dynex (Arbitrary), with very little exception, it would be worth your money to purchase the Samsung for it's quality. With that said, if I was in your position, I would keep the Samsung.

As for myself, I went with a 50" Panasonic S64 plasma. The S64 is the same as the S60 model with the addition of anti-glare technology and it is a Costco-only model. I was able to snag the last S64 - and last plasma TV in the entire Costco, for that matter for $599. I highly suggest it if, of course, there are any Costcos in your area. There are many reviews for the S60 - take a look for yourself. It is worth noting that I purchased this TV for gaming, sports watching and movie watching (As if there is anything else to watch on a television )

P.S. There are many common misconceptions with current-era plasma TV's. I'd be happy to explain what I know and have experienced if you (Or anyone else) is interested. Good luck with whatever TV you choose.

[Hydrawerk]

My grandmas have Panasonic (2012) and Sharp (2011). They are OK. I've heard that Sony TVs are nowadays manufactured by Foxconn. It it true?? I am not sure if I would buy a Sony TV today...
http://www.slashgear.com/sony-planning-lcd-hdtv-outsourcing-to-foxconnwistron-18108472/
http://www.displaysearch.com/cps/rde/xchg/displaysearch/hs.xsl/collaboration_between_sharp_chimei_innolux_and_foxconn.asp
http://www.supplychainmovement.com/sony-sells-slovakian-lcd-factory-to-foxconn/
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2010/10/sony-to-outsource-high-end-lcd-tv-manufacturing-to-foxconn-and-wistron/

[thomieboy]

I'm no TV repairman but was on the TV hunt for the past few weeks, so here's my 2 cents with the extensive research I've done:

In the TV world, brand name really does matter. The top 3 names are Panasonic, Sony and Samsung. Period. Below these are names such as LG and Vizio. A very good rule of thumb is to buy the TV for quality over size. For example, if you have the choice between a 32" Samsung or a 46" Dynex (Arbitrary), with very little exception, it would be worth your money to purchase the Samsung for it's quality. With that said, if I was in your position, I would keep the Samsung.

As for myself, I went with a 50" Panasonic S64 plasma. The S64 is the same as the S60 model with the addition of anti-glare technology and it is a Costco-only model. I was able to snag the last S64 - and last plasma TV in the entire Costco, for that matter for $599. I highly suggest it if, of course, there are any Costcos in your area. There are many reviews for the S60 - take a look for yourself. It is worth noting that I purchased this TV for gaming, sports watching and movie watching (As if there is anything else to watch on a television )

P.S. There are many common misconceptions with current-era plasma TV's. I'd be happy to explain what I know and have experienced if you (Or anyone else) is interested. Good luck with whatever TV you choose.

I want to know it.....

[ijchan223]

not a tv repair man my buddy owned a shop and never saw a Toshiba in there, but again it isn't as popular down here ( most supermarkets don't carry it )

[pickle9000]

I have both Samsung and Toshiba. The Toshiba gets worked very hard I did change the caps on the power supply last year because of a slight bulge on one (I was cleaning it and took the cover off to get all the dust out). The Samsung has not been worked hard and it failed just after warranty (power supply caps no big deal). I like the picture on the Samsung better but in reality unless you put the sets side bu side you'd be hard pressed to see a real difference. They both cost about the same and are both 39 ish inches.

I'd say for reliability Toshiba wins easily. As for the Samsung the build quality is excellent but the caps blow chunks, it's a shame really.

[Oscilloscope]

I want to know it.....

Certainly.

Firstly, plasma televisions utilize many small cells containing phosphor/ionized gases which are used to produce the pictures/movies/etc. that we see. Now, when plasma TV's are mentioned, most people immediately think of the dreaded "burn-in". For those of you who don't know, burn-in is when a bright, still image is present on a TV for too long and causes it to be permanently "burnt" into the television display. For example, if you watched a Breaking Bad marathon, the AMC logo in the bottom of the screen may have the chance to be burnt-in. In which case, if you changed the channel to something like ESPN, you would still be able to see the AMC logo.

That was the past. Currently, burn-in is pretty much a non-issue (On most newer model plasma TV's) The issue now is "image retention". Image retention is basically the same exact thing as burn-in with the only difference being that image retention is only temporary. Now, with image retention most, if not all, new plasmas have a feature called "pixel orbiting", or something similar (Every TV brand name calls it something different, pixel-orbiting is on Panasonics) Pixel-orbiting slowly shifts the pixels one-by-one in an attempt to combat image retention. From my experience with my TV, I have left pixel-orbiting on and have not noticed it working at all. Additionally, I have seen no image retention in the slightest, even after long GTA V sessions (Think of the GTA map and how long it stays on the screen).

It's important to know that plasmas (Just like all TVs) need to be broken in. Most say that the "breaking in" period for plasmas is between 100 and 150 viewing hours. Image retention/burn-in is most likely to occur during these initial hours and if you make it past this point, there is little need to worry.

Another common misconception is that plasma TV's do not last as long as LED/LCD TV's. Most new LED/LCD TV's will have an estimated lifespan of 100,000 viewing hours. My new plasma has the same lifespan of 100,000 viewing hours. It is true that at one time plasmas died before even reaching 50,000 viewing hours, but technology has advanced significantly and this is certainly no longer the case.

Finally, most people think that plasmas consume substantially more power/electricity than LED/LCD TV's. This point is true; however, in my opinion, it is not a concern. The average 46" LED LCD TV consumes roughly $16 worth of power/year based on 3 hours/day of viewing. My 50" plasma consumes roughly $40 worth of power/year, also based on 3 hours/day of viewing. This is a valid argument, but I'm fine with paying $24 more for the great picture I get.

Of course there are pros and cons and another person may tell you that plasmas are not the way to go. Plasmas may not be as bright as LED TV's (Although mine is plenty bright) but they have the deepest blacks and the best contrast for viewing. Just some of what I've learned. Please feel free to ask any questions or comment.

[robrenz]

Thanks everyone for your input. I am going to keep the Samsung and see what happens.

[true]

I work with many TVs every day.

Keep the Samsung. Set it to Movie mode, set backlight to taste, decrease color saturation a couple notches and you're set.

Just curious, which series? (at that price would guess 5 series? there is a noticeable improvement in PQ with the 6 series and above, with the 6 series looking damn good for the F year models)

[tom66]

Newer Toshiba low end TVs (<46") are re-badged in the UK and I believe the same is in the US (they are basically Vizio sets.)

Therefore, you might as well buy the Vizio, as it'll be cheaper! The Vizio and Samsung would have approx the same reliability (Vizio have tons of main board problems, but only a few power board problems; Samsung have tons of power board and main board problems. Though it may be more related to sampling size.)

[urbis]

If it's anything like the UK, most Toshiba are now Vestel manufactured (in Turkey).

They're not bad, but they're also not great.

You'll find Vestel manufacturing many of Sharp's budget sets too, along with all the cheap supermarket brands.

[robrenz]

Just curious, which series? (at that price would guess 5 series? there is a noticeable improvement in PQ with the 6 series and above, with the 6 series looking damn good for the F year models)

Model# UN46EH5000F

[algorath]

is samsung still using those ultra low life caps. samwha or what´s them called

[thomieboy]

I want to know it.....

Certainly.

Firstly, plasma televisions utilize many small cells containing phosphor/ionized gases which are used to produce the pictures/movies/etc. that we see. Now, when plasma TV's are mentioned, most people immediately think of the dreaded "burn-in". For those of you who don't know, burn-in is when a bright, still image is present on a TV for too long and causes it to be permanently "burnt" into the television display. For example, if you watched a Breaking Bad marathon, the AMC logo in the bottom of the screen may have the chance to be burnt-in. In which case, if you changed the channel to something like ESPN, you would still be able to see the AMC logo.

..............

Of course there are pros and cons and another person may tell you that plasmas are not the way to go. Plasmas may not be as bright as LED TV's (Although mine is plenty bright) but they have the deepest blacks and the best contrast for viewing. Just some of what I've learned. Please feel free to ask any questions or comment.

Thank You! I didn't know those things. 

[fluxcapacitor]

Plasmas have a realy good picture but use more power,although theyve improved quite a bit over the last few years.First choice for plasma s panasonic,but like all brands of tv there can be a few lemons,its best to read as many reviews as possible before commiting to buy.
I agree with other comments about samsung ,sony,and panasonic as being the best choice.