Analyst warns against low-end HDTVs, says it could cost you in the end
By Darren Murph 
posted Dec 11th 2008 1:43PM
posted Dec 11th 2008 1:43PM
posted Dec 11th 2008 1:43PM
The number of televisions estimated that sit unused in closets.
The EPA estimates that nearly 100 million unused televisions are currently taking up precious, beautiful space. (source: EPA, July 2008)
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He represents the HTSA, a buying group made up of high end electronics retailers and custom installers. He most certainly IS referring to Vizio, and all the rest you alluded to.
While I agree with him, it's a little polite to call him an analyst. I'd say more like a "public relations person" with the obvious agenda of driving customers away from Wal-Mart, and towards high-end independent retailers.
Here's a listing of HTSA's brands their buying group offers: http://www.htsa.com/manufacturers.php
Not really, brands like Vizio have often out performed their class in pretty much every area, sometimes even outperforming models in the Higher End. This is partly why the company has become so popular. I'm not trying to dig on the top end Sonys or anything, but there are scores and scores of reviews out there to do your research on concerning this. There really are three "tiers" to perceive in the HDTV market these days. High End (Sony Bravia, etc), Middle (Vizio, Samsung, etc), Low End (Random brand you've never heard of that you see for $10 on Black Friday sales.).
He is talking low end here.
@ Pip
Are you seriously lumping Samsung in the same group as Vizio?? You've got to be kidding me, first off Samsung doesn't belong in the "Middle" end, they've been high end for quite awhile. Secondly Vizio doesn't belong there either, they are low end to the bone.
Yes I know that Samsung makes lower end (cheaper) models, but so does Sony. Those low end models are the only ones that the Vizio's can sometimes stand next to.
I have to disagree with him - I have a 32 inch Dynex(Best Buy's in-house brand), and it works perfectly fine several months into owning it. Not a single problem. Our 32 inch Vizio that we've had for well over a year is completely fine as well. You just have to find a brand that doesn't cut stuff that's important, I guess.
Well, not all "cheap" electronics are going to break. His argument is that cheap TVs perform badly compared to name brand equivalents, and that IF they break, they're often difficult, if not impossible, to get fixed.
And I'm sure I can find a few people that have a 1995 Ford Escort that's been a great car. But overall, they blow. Don't confuse anecdotes with evidence.
I agree with Shadowguitar. I bought a Vizio 32 inch quite a while back. I am extremely pleased with it. Plus why get a warranty on something like this. A Sony XBR was running around twice as much plus an extra 2 to 3 hundred for a warranty @BB. When I buy a TV I expect to last for about 3-5 years. I kept my cash and bought a 360 to go along with my "low end.HDTV."
I'm missing your point...who's talking about extended warranties?
I hope you never have to get warranty service on your Vizio...you'll be less than pleased. Here's a feature HDGuru.com did on the crappy standard warranties of discount TV manufacturers: http://hdguru.com/?p=107
Why would you only expect a TV to last 3-5 years? If you think in 10 years the resolution will double, I find that hard to believe given the available bandwidth. CRT TV's had a life span more like 10 years.
I read it as "respectable warranty for next to nothing" and thought he was talking about extended warranties. My view on extended warranties is skip it unless there are known issues with the maker (such as Sony and clouding).
My Vizio is a 720p. Doubling of the resolution would only matter if I could tell the difference in the current resolution vs. the doubled resolution. With the placement of the LCD in my house, 1080p would have been over kill.
I bought the Vizio for around 600. The Sony was around 1300 at the time. Now the same sets are 420 and 700. So I could purchase the Sony now (if I wanted to) and still be up one 32 inch LCD TV or I could purchase another Vizio and still be ahead. Makes "cents" to me.
I bought a Sharp 37" 720p HDTV in Feb or March of 2007 from Costco. It had tons of HDMI issues with my PS3 and also died in 14 days - yes that is 14 days. It won't power up. I returned it. It cost $1300 at that time. Two weeks later buy.com had the Hannspree Xv 37" for $685 free shipping. I got that and it has been 21 months and it is still doing great. Great colors. 3 HDMI inputs accepts 1080i and 1080p and scales them to 1366x768. Has QAM/ATSC/NTSC tuners. This is our living room TV. We have a 1080p Epson projector for our basement theater.
Thanks everyone for taking positions on this topic.
I would like to clarify some more, if I may.
First, the vendor list provided by TrentD showcases vendor partners of HTSA and as such are the vendors who support our distribution channel with products and opportunities that allow our independant members to compete with the larger chain stores.
Our membership does business with many other vendors who are not listed as vendor partners, but provide substantial product offerings and high quality services. They believe, as we do that like a specialist compared to a general practitioner, buying from an expert like this might cost a little more, but it's worth it!
Whether the brand be VIZIO, Panasonic or Pioneer Elite the result is the same; as products become less expensive, so too do they get cheaper. Nobody manufactures a cheap one and then says "what can we add to make it cost more!"
Instead they say "what can we do to make it cheaper, so more people can buy it!"
My contention is this:
People spend $20,000 and a lot more for an automobile. They will drive that automobile for maybe 500 hours per year. Nobody else in their family will drive that car. They will trade it every couple of years and it has to be maintained or serviced every few months.
In contrast these same people will work over 2500 hours per year. They will sleep over 1800 hours per year and yes, they will sit in front of some form of home entertainment system for 1500 hours per year or more. I know for a fact that it is on in my home at least 6 hours per day, as my wife and my daughter will also take turns watching their shows.
A home television or entertainment system will be operated by everyone in the home, will be in that home until it breaks and has virtually no maintenance cost associated with it. It will also not bve traded, yet consumers will try to be as cheap as possible and sacrifice on this purchase.
I want to help educate consumers to think a little longer about buying things right the first time and not throwing money away on justified purchases that aren't what you want or deserve.
my dad bought an HSN package about a year and a half ago of two Proton 32" lcd tvs and they are probably the worst televisions I have ever seen. they both have severe burn in on the top and show bars on the side from then the tvs were put in 4:3 aspect too long. Of couse the bar burn in could be prevented but the top of both screens looks like the picture is just fading away. the fam refuses to listen to me and then asks what is wrong with the tv when they want to watch something in hd. I have heard from a friend that bought a plasma from wal-mart that they have had no luck in the long run-played GTA for twenty min. and burn in from HUD
to sum up, please buy name brand like said in the OP. there is a reason why they are more expensive and those reasons are why you should buy them
Are you sure they bought a Proton? I believe Proton is a high end brand. I am not sure if they still have TVs or not. They might have bought a Protron.
to me Protron is not a high end brand. If is a lower end brand.
Like my Dell 42" Plasma that cost $2,999 or so when it was released? I paid $1650 for it two and a half years ago. Suffered burn in something awful. After 18 months it started reducing the picture to one line or the screen would go blank completely. I would tap the top of it to get the picture back. I ended up taking the back off the tv to see if I could find a problem and haven't had an issue since. So this guy is full of crap. " High end" usually means high prices. He is doing nothing but trying to convince people to buy high end. Almost like those realtor commercials that say the "its a great time to buy."
By the way, my parents $999 42" inch Sanyo works like a charm and it is 2 years old.
So to David Berman, I say: Whatever dude.
Back in the mid 60's Sansui was a well known brand.
Couldn't agree more with this post. I own two Westinghouse LCD's and I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. The reliability is terrible and the service and support is worse. I also own two Toshibas's and I've never had a problem.
There is always a potential to get a bad one, but buying from a reputable dealer and manufacturer should provide you with better customer service and more front side education.
I am sorry you had that issue with a Sharp product.
Well put