Need a new telly..

[ajlelectronics]

I've always had good luck with Sony TVs. The vestel stuff @ajlelectronics mentions is dreadful, as I found out the hard way. JVC, Sharp, Toshiba and doubtless a few others all have the same guts and they are a rancid pile of foetid entrails. Other than that they are lovely...

Beware Sony nowadays too. No longer Sony or Sony quality (but not Vestel). I think they are Flextel now with very slow and buggy Android OS** in the latest ones. Then it is a question of whether you care about the Rootkit scandal or not.

** For example... Do a few Freeview scans and the OS throws a wobbly. This because the amount of RAM available for the directory is very small and doesn't wipe on a rescan. Eventually it fills up and falls off the edge and then it needs a factory reset.

 

[armalites]

That's fine as long as buyers go in with their eyes open. It is all too easy to choose a Panasonic, a Toshiba or any other trusted brand and think that is what you are buying. It is a badge and nothing more, which I think is tragic.

That's not entirely true though, whilst the physical components may be the same the user interface/software/firmware/support will be different. A few years back our Toshiba did an update and it stopped working, I rang Toshiba support, they sent out a card to put in the CI slot. It updated the TV and fixed it.

The massive IT corporation I previously worked would rebadge hardware as well as license hardware to other brands. Physical components exactly the same but different logo but the software/firmware different.

 

[ajlelectronics]

That's not entirely true though, whilst the physical components may be the same the user interface/software/firmware/support will be different. A few years back our Toshiba did an update and it stopped working, I rang Toshiba support, they sent out a card to put in the CI slot. It updated the TV and fixed it.

Real Toshiba sets were great, no criticism whatever.

The massive IT corporation I previously worked would rebadge hardware as well as license hardware to other brands. Physical components exactly the same but different logo but the software/firmware different.

True to say that the OS is tweaked to match the brand, but that is just "lipstick on a pig". I have now refused to sell any customer a Vestel even if they claim to be aware, it is just not worth the grief and so they are sent to Currys.

 

[maroon]

The likes of Toshiba, Panasonic are the intellect. They will be getting dollars out of any TV you buy through licenced patents of certain chips and designs.

They are the patent poachers.

 

[hermetic]

Have a look at Ebuyer online, they always have ex displayand clearance models and brand new sets that have been supeceeded by a newer model, this way you buy Samsung or LG at heavily discounted prices!
Phil

 

[Bullet2012]

Samsung here, currently 3 in the house, ranging from 24-47.
all have great picture and reasonable sound from the inbuilt speakers. Relatively easy menu as well.

 

[ajlelectronics]

The likes of Toshiba, Panasonic are the intellect. They will be getting dollars out of any TV you buy through licenced patents of certain chips and designs.

They are the patent poachers.

Have you missed my post above? Panasonic and Toshiba are now the same Vestel junk as a supermarket branded set.

 

[TEO]

The main thing to remember is that only LG and Samsung make their own TVs. Almost everything else is a rebadged Vestel (Turkish) so you get the same heap of junk regardless of the badge on the front. Remember to pay with a credit card because if you buy a Vestel, you WILL be making a claim under Consumer Rights Act 2015, it's just a question of when.
Don't be taken in by "Made in the UK" claims. They are the same Vestel junk shipped over in kit form and they assemble them here.

Is this the case for Sony TVs? My folks need a new TV but as time goes on they become less and less willing to move away from brands that they "know" & have had good experience with. The next one may well be Sony for no other reason than they have a Sony now & chances are the one before that was Sony.... Drives me nuts

Few yrs time & I'll be doing the same... If it's not already happening!

Just seen the stuff about Sony above so ignore that.
The stuff about turning into my dad (as admirable and lovely as he is) and being driven nuts remains true!

 

[ajlelectronics]

From AV forums. Source of info below, clicky.



HOW TO TELL IF YOUR NEW (or old) TV IS MADE BY VESTEL



There has been a lot of talk about the large previously high market brand names taking the easy way out and using companies like Vestel of Turkey to produce for them.

There are plenty of fallacies regarding re-badgeing or re-packaging. Vestel manufacture the complete product right down to the brand badge on the front and the branded carton that it comes in. Send Vestel a cabinet design and they will mould you up a cabinet and use their standard range of chassis according to the specification required.

Brand names such as Toshiba, Hitachi, Sharp, JVC, Bush, Alba and now, shock horror, Panasonic are using Vestel totally, partially or in the case of Panasonic just to service their lowest ranges. Others like TPV of Poland, a Chinese company, have been seen to produce for Philips, Toshiba, Sharp and Bush and also under their own brand name of AOC. For the UK Vestel is by far the largest player. Vestel also produce for a plethora of other brand names and own brands from chain outlets and supermarkets.

The brand names put the contract to build and supply TVs out to a number of, usually cheaper producers, Vestel is only one. Because the Technica you buy from Tesco is a Vestel one year you cannot rely on the Technica you buy the next year being a Vestel, it could be Chinese.

It is very simple to identify a TV produced by Vestel.

From the pictures below of the product labels attached to the back of the TV you will see a barcode with a series of numbers above it, about the centre you will see that four of these numbers have a black rectangle around them, this is the year and month of production eg; 1109 = September 2011.

Vestel product labels are always paper, never plastic and are the only manufacturer to box off four digits in this manner, if you see this style of label then it’s a sure thing that it’s a Vestel.



Here are a few examples,

For the non-believers, this is an inside pic of the TV above.

The Panasonic branded Vestels are the TX**A300B models (*insert screen size), there may be others. The label states “assembled” in Turkey, no lie, but it fails to state the truth that it is fully designed and produced in Turkey by Vestel using one of Vestel’s off the shelf chassis which may equally be fitted to an Alba. The 400’s appear to be Panasonic’s own product.

I hope this clarifies these issues around the use of Vestel by what were regarded 20 years ago as top Japanese Manufacturers.

 

[maroon]

Have you missed my post above? Panasonic and Toshiba are now the same Vestel junk as a supermarket branded set.

I don't know what Vestel is.
But the amount of patents they have in the chip world is surreal.

In terms of capacitors Panasonic are the boys.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Is this the case for Sony TVs?

Few yrs time & I'll be doing the same... If it's not already happening!

Post #21

 

[ajlelectronics]

I don't know what Vestel is.
But the amount of patents they have in the chip world is surreal.

Vestel is a Turkish TV manufacturer who supply sets badged according to the customer order. Their quality is world renowned, which is why I will only sell LG and Samsung. Toshiba and Panasonic have no connection with these sets, except for the branding.

 

[RonMig]

** For example... Do a few Freeview scans and the OS throws a wobbly. This because the amount of RAM available for the directory is very small and doesn't wipe on a rescan. Eventually it fills up and falls off the edge and then it needs a factory reset.

I think our new-ish Humax freeview hd recorder / DVR (fvp5000-t) has a similar problem... (?)
Mainly its OK but at least once a week it stops wanting to add programs to record.
Forum-found-solution is to unplug, wait 30 secs then plug-i /reboot, then its happy again for 4 or 5 days...
Our previous Humax DVR was about 12 years old and was fine until it blew 4 or 5 capacitors (which I replaced OK) - it's still in reserve in case this new one gives up the ghost...

 

[Onoff]

Anyone if Cello saying they make their TVs in the UK just means they're assembling bought in components? Then who are their suppliers?

UK Made TVs | Buy UK Made TVs | British LED TV manufacturer

Your journey, our mission: Learn more about Cello Electronics and our commitment to quality.

celloelectronics.com

 

[ajlelectronics]

I think our new-ish Humax freeview hd recorder / DVR (fvp5000-t) has a similar problem... (?)

No, Humax are independent and generally high qualtity and reliable. Freesat pulled manufacturing licences a year or more ago from everyone, in favour of their own (at that time not in production) product.

Mainly its OK but at least once a week it stops wanting to add programs to record.

I would suspect HD errors. Short term, try a factory reset and reformat.

Forum-found-solution is to unplug, wait 30 secs then plug-i /reboot, then its happy again for 4 or 5 days...
Our previous Humax DVR was about 12 years old and was fine until it blew 4 or 5 capacitors (which I replaced OK) - it's still in reserve in case this new one gives up the ghost...

Great idea. You will be disappointed with the new Freesat branded receiver which is now the only one available. It is very "Vestel" like, with known software bugs and pecularities. As they have a monopoly now, they can stick two fingers up at buyers!

 

[ajlelectronics]

Anyone if Cello saying they make their TVs in the UK just means they're assembling bought in components? Then who are their suppliers?

UK Made TVs | Buy UK Made TVs | British LED TV manufacturer

Your journey, our mission: Learn more about Cello Electronics and our commitment to quality.

celloelectronics.com

Vestel. They send kits over, Cello build them.

 

[qwakers]

anything by LG.

and a fire stick or similar over a smart tv, rather replace a £30 fire stick than a £300 tv when the software goes out of date.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Anything by LG.

and a fire stick or similar over a smart tv, rather replace a £30 fire stick than a £300 tv when the software goes out of date.

Good advice. The manufacturers have no control over third party apps.

 

[Fraserb]

We had to buy a new one in a hurry 2 years ago, got a 65" hi sense from Ao and its been fine.

 

[Hitch]

Ours is a cheapo £300 Toshiba, purchased from AO.
Works, can watch tele on it.. plug all the other bits in... fire stick, games console etc..

Built in tv guide is a load of rubbish, and menus can be hard work. Mainly use the smart functions through firestick.

First one went wrong about 9 months in, right at the start of corona... Swapped over in a strange exchange from the length of my drive away, by guys in disposable suits from AO, after it was disinfected.