Is There Such a Thing as a Good TV Brand? in Other Words Good for All of Its Models?

I've owned a lot of TV's. At the start I have cheap stuff Soniq, TCL, etc and every time I watch a movie half the screen is black and you can't see any details.

I had a Samsung QLED, its black levels were great and the first time I could watch a movie and actually see what is happening. The panel itself died after two years with some streaks across it.

I had a Sony with mini leds. I don't know whether it's supposed to be better or worse than QLED, but I could still watch movies and see what's happening in the dark. After two years something broke they had to replace the whole main board and then something broke again and the network didn't work and it just does not seem reliable.

I mean I thought these were nice mid level things.

Before this I had my TV for 10 years. I would love a TV that can last for 10 years.

This is our main TV for the living room for gaming and movies, is there anything that is reliable and good and mid range? Is it luck?

Comments

  • +5

    My Sharp Quattron is 13 years and counting. Nuts really.

    • mine also Sharp Quattron also 13 years but that's when it died

      • +1

        "He'll always be that age to me".

    • Yep sharp. Soooooo underrated. My 10+ year old one still going. Just got another from an ozb deal a year or so ago. Yes the OS sucks but attach fire stick and enjoy the lovely japanese made panel you paid nothing for :)

    • Sharp Quattron user here, going strong since 10yrs now

    • Sharp Aquos lasted so long I gave it to someone and its been the main TV for a combined for 14 years, but it was probably the last Sharp TV made in Japan, so no surprise there

      • Can still get panels made there

        • Yeah but often it's not the panel tgat goes

  • +20

    TVs from the past were designed to last as long as possible. Modern TVs are designed to stop working as soon as possible.

    • I have a 21" Thorn TV that I purchased in 1975 (when colour TV first started in Australia) that is still working, although the picture tube is suffering from low emission nowadays. The first run of Thorn TVs that came into Australia were built in Japan by Mitsubishi, and were ultra reliable. Then Thorn started making them in Australia, and those models were not so good.

      • +1

        The made in Australia Thorn TV's were made in the AWA factory and were actually good TV's, my uncle worked there so our entire extended family had them, some still going strong after 40+ years. I still have mine and it's not working but it only has a bad ceramic cap that needs replacing

    • +1

      But according to OP…
      Depends which movies you watch!

    • +2

      to stop working as soon as possible after the warranty ends

      • Our old TCL failed just before the warranty….

    • That's why all those old brands are gone.

    • -2

      Have you seen a modern 4K TV with good HDR? It may as well be a cinema screen compared to old CRTs. I'm glad TVs are seen as disposable now, we wouldn't have this kind of advancement if people kept their SD plasmas for 30 years.

      • -2

        Actually…I had the opposite.
        We have had a TCL MiniLED, LG G series OLED and an old Panasonic LED in the past 5 years - all calibrated btw.

        I went home and my parents 16 year old Panasonic Premium LED, playing a movie off an 1080p TV channel (SDR ofc)….looked better than the best bluray I have on the OLED/MiniLED with 4K and DolbyVision etc etc even our old Panasonic LED is the nicest picture in the house.

        Not to say that the new technological advancements aren't amazing - they are…but they're also all aiming to win the current market - which happens to be people too focused on the "potential performance". E.g. Dolby Vision = limited by panels not reaching the peak light output, Dolby Atmos = VERY few movies are actually mastered for this - a handful of new BluRays do this well.

      • +1

        On the other hand, if we nailed TVs and dishwashers that lasted a generation, there'd be less of a market and that would force innovation. We'd probably have hologram displays and sonic cleaners.

        • +2

          Modern dishwashers are very water and energy efficient.

          • @AustriaBargain: I meant washing machines. I heard a joke about a dishwasher which got my wires crossed.
            Maybe you've had better experience with yours than I have. It ended up being cheaper to buy a new one than replace a board.
            Not a problem now, have 2 commercial Maytags (coin-operated ones, but the coin slot cover is removed and I just flick a lever)

  • +5

    Sony Bravia KDL-40XBR2 still cranking away - purchased in 2006, so 18 years old.

    • He's looking for a company where any TV they make is decent though, and Sony also has some real stinkers. Like my Sony, which has abysmal "smart" features (Native YouTube app limited to max 720p on 55' screen), and 2 broken HDMI ports out of the box.

    • Yes! My parents have a 52” Sony Bravia from around that era. 2009.

      It’s still going strong to this day.

      Whereas my newer TVs fail after a few years. I’ve always had to get them fixed under warranties and sometimes with a few complaints and threats to go with consumer protection laws.

    • I have a 2016/2017 Sony Bravia that's still kicking, no issues apart from being slow, I've tried to remove as many apps and other things from the menu screen, but I just live with the slowness now, otherwise it works fantastically.

      • Have you tried a full factory reset? That may help with processing speed.

      • You have to enable developer mode and change some settings especially the animation.Google it. The menu will become more responsive.
        My 8 year old Sony X7000D got a fresh breath of life otherwise I was planning to connect a media player like googletv/firestick.

        Just bought a 65 inch Samsung S90C Oled and getting used to Tizen now.

        I might still connect a media player to the brand new TV if I need some specific apps.

        • +1

          Okay, I'll google around and try this, it's a decent TV apart from the speed.

    • im excited for you when you finally upgrade, what a difference you'll notice!

  • +7

    LG C (or G)1/2/3/4 series are great OLEDs!

    No idea about longevity, but my 42" LG C2 (purchased for $A995 ) has been used as a PC monitor for 8+ hours per day for the last 12 months without issue!

    • I had an LG LCD smart TV for 5 years before the circuit board died, the menu/smart features were slow as molasses and it's all proprietary so there was no way to add party apps to them.

      • +17

        Nobody should buy a TV for Smart features, the manufacturers never supports them past 5 or so years anyway :/

    • +5

      My LG 60” plasma lasted me over 10 years until I replaced it with an OLED in 2020. It didn’t die. I just found the brightness was low in its old age and wanted an upgrade.

      LG is great. Can recommend.

    • One year isn't any benchmark at all but pleased yours is still going. My 42" LG C2 used 10+ hours a day is also still going and it damned well had better stay that way for another few years.

  • +2

    You can just get unlucky with a vulnerable component failing at the lower end of its expected lifespan, but otherwise it's worth staying loyal to the high-reputation brands because you're likely to be satisfied over the long term.

    • +3

      Loyalty to a company and its shareholders is nonsensical.

      • Loyalty has its rewards which perhaps you’re unlikely to experience

        • Lol what are you talking about. Samsung/Sony/LG/Panasonic do not know who you are and will never ever reward you for your misplaced loyalty. They are companies, run for the profit of their shareholders - not for you.

          • @johnno07: Do you want a gift with purchase or something? Can you think of a successful business whether private or publicly listed that doesn't rate customers nor care about retaining them?

            • @sumyungguy: I'm confused - you're the one that said "rewards". What rewards have major TV manufacturers given you?

            • @sumyungguy: What are you talking about- how does being loyal to a consumer electronics conglomerate reward you?

              • -1

                @rumblytangara: Rewards and incentives aren't the same thing. Is raising children or owning pets rewarding?

                • @sumyungguy: Your entire digression here is almost incoherent, it's almost like you're using words in a way that nobody else does.

                  So, why is it worth staying loyal to certain brands?

                  How does loyalty work- do you think that these brands treat you any better because you buy repeated products from them? Do you think they keep special databases of speshul customers and send birthday cards or television miles?

                  I mean, I have a Samsung TV purchased overseas and it's been fine. As was the Panasonic before it is still running 15 years later. But given Samsung's reputation for terrible customer service in Oz, I would not buy another Samsung locally.

                  • -1

                    @rumblytangara: So you'll only repeat-purchase from a brand that offers you an incentive, otherwise you're heading elsewhere? I'm saying if I remain loyal to my favoured reputable brands by purchasing their products in preference to others, I expect my reward will be satisfactory and productive ownership. Camry owners are loyal to Toyota and would describe the reliability and longevity of their cars as rewarding (=providing satisfaction; gratifying).

                    • @sumyungguy: So this whole little digression is because you misuse the term 'loyal.'

                      It seems like you were trying to make the point "buy better stuff because it's higher quality." A point which is immediately obvious to even the most casual observer.

                      • -1

                        @rumblytangara: Quality of product or service leads to customer satisfaction, which leads to customer loyalty, which leads to profitability. Please explain how I've misused the term loyalty?

                        • @sumyungguy:

                          Please explain how I've misused the term loyalty?

                          You stay loyal to an entity, e.g. a specific company. Not to a group of companies that operate in the same tier.

                          With consumer electronics it might make sense to not go for the cheapest crap, but it makes little sense to be loyal to one specific manufacturer.

                          If I have Samsung, Panasonic, Sony and LG televisions at home, I am not being 'loyal' to any of those companies, I am just buying from slightly higher tiered brands than TCL or Skyworth.

                          And if I was 'loyal' to only one of these companies and thought they were higher quality than any of their competitors, I'd a very foolish consumer. This thread alone is a great example of why- people that they've had great runs with a brand where other people report continual problems with the same brand.

                          • @rumblytangara: So I'm only allowed loyalty to ONE friend/dog/sports team/apparel brand/restaurant/airline/hotel chain lest I misuse the term?

                            • @sumyungguy: Dude, this entire digression would never have happened if you knew how to express yourself properly.

                              "but otherwise it's worth staying loyal to the high-reputation brands because you're likely to be satisfied over the long term."

                              WTF?

                              "Buy better quality brands, more reliability FTW!"

                              It's that simple.

                              • -1

                                @rumblytangara: This entire discussion is about my inclination at times to engage in pointless banter with people who appear to be pathologically pedantic, righteous and opinionated

                                • +1

                                  @sumyungguy: I know what you mean by loyalty to an appliance brand. It can be described as "extended trust".

                                  It means in the event of a problem, you won't rage-quit and buy another brand. You will give the brand a second chance because of the many years where you didn't have problems.

                                • @sumyungguy:

                                  pathologically pedantic, righteous and opinionated

                                  Something, something pot/kettle.

  • +2

    I don't know how long they'll last you but LG OLED

  • +4

    my aldi/Bauhn 65" HDTV has been going strong for 5 years.

  • +1

    Got a Samsung LA75RU7100 2019 $1545

    The only issue has been the suicidal spider that we cant get out from behind the screen 🤷‍♀️🕷💀

    • can u send a pic? wtf

  • Before this I had my TV for 10 years. I would love a TV that can last for 10 years.

    Unlike 10y ago, these days TVs are like laptop, get out of date after 5years. I had a plama TV lasted over 10y ago and I had to get rid of it as it eat power and to keep up with tech.

    • +2

      "Out of date" is very subjective though. Does it still display an image of the same quality as when it was bought? Does it use as much power as it did when it was bought? If so, then it's fine. Not being able to do 8K (or whatever) doesn't mean it's out of date, just that those who wish to follow the ever changing fashions in AV might prefer something newer.

      Smart TVs might drop out of support, but that's a Smart TV problem. I've had a Xiaomi MiBox attached to my last two TVs. The current one is a Smart TV but I saw no need to change to its less functional interface.

      • I'm still using my 7 year old 4K Bravia, it's works perfectly, but the menu is really slow now, I'm planning to keep it for 10 years before replacing it. Picture quality is still as good as when I bought it, but it doesn't a few features that I would have liked to have now (I can wait though).

    • They only get out of date if the owners are so tech clueless that they rely on the crappy built-in apps. The panels don't go out of date.

      If you depend on the built in apps, then basically you're using like a giant smartphone, so of course it's disposable.

  • +7

    Didn't we already talk about TVs?
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/838842

    A Chromecast on your current Sony is a valid low cost solution to tv happiness

    • +1

      Just read through your link, it really sounds like user error…hard switch off at the mains every single night XD, getting tech over on a new tv to replace main board over a software issue. If he keeps up this behaviour, no tv will be designed well enough and every brand will need to send tech and replace internals.

      Funny thing is I have the exact same Sony x90h tv (not mini led). Sorted out so many problems over the last 2 years simply by reading through Google and following some advise on setting changes as well as recommendations on which firmware is stable. I don’t have to anymore as the tv is now perfect, great picture and fast performance with on board Android tv. No performance or wifi issues, only the very rare sound bar dropout that is sorted by a restart.

      • Funny thing is I have the exact same Sony x90h tv (not mini led). Sorted out so many problems over the last 2 years simply by reading through Google and following some advise on setting changes as well as recommendations on which firmware is stable.

        People have to sort out problems with TVs? In the past 20 years of TV ownership (which is 3 screens) the only things we have done is turn it on and turn it off, and change the volume.

        I guess this is one of the advantages of never using any of the 'smart' features.

  • +7

    Panasonic.

  • +3

    I would be using your consumer rights under ACL, epected life of a product etc

  • +2

    Panasonic was a great and reliable brand. Sadly they no longer sell TVs in Australia. Sony and Samsung are pretty crap quality these days. If you buy higher end models, they may last longer but I have never bought one so can't speak from experience

  • +1

    Main TV's.
    Currently have a TCL 1 problem after 2 weeks, crossing fingers it has rectified itself, after failure of one years ago.

    Sony LCD lasted 5 years.
    LG LCD lasted 5 Years
    Hitachi plasma lasted 10 years
    2 x Panasonic Plasmas are 15+ years old and still going strong.

    • +2

      My Sony LCD TV bought 10 years ago still going strong. I had to convince my family to upgrade to latest LG TV and moved the Sony to rumpus and kids can watch YouTube there.

    • +1

      Curious what the TCL problem was? I have a TCL that was turning itself off shortly after turning on once or twice a week. Seems to have rectified itself (hasn't happened in a couple months) but I am still nervous.

    • I’ve got a 18 year old Sony that’s still fine in the spare room. Bought another Sony 3 years ago with zero problems so far.

  • +1

    You've had every TV except a good one, a LG OLED.

    • OLED is out of price range, did have a LG QLED once I think tho.

  • +7

    It's just confirmation bias.

    Older TV's were just as susceptible to issues and breaking as today's TV's. Many plasmas had significant burn in issues for example which could completely ruin your TV within a year or two. My Panasonic plasma had random bugs with the hdmi input so from time to time it would just show static.

    People like to romanticise the past but it's about the same if not better now in terms of quality.

    Also, presumably your TV's broke and you had them replaced for free right? That doesn't sound like bad quality if they're committing to a long lifespan for repairing it.

    Also, many people just buy the cheapest panel they can and then complain their $500 Samsung/Sony TV doesn't work and is crap. But you get what you pay for at end of day. TV's of old weren't exactly cheap most of the time. If you compared like for like, I guarantee you a modern TV would be better quality than an old.

    • -2

      Planned obsolescence is a real concern, and as materials science data increases manufacturers will be able to pin point failure dates closer to the end of warranty.
      This is why things in the past lasted MUCH longer than things of today, they had to overcompensate in materials longevity so that failure rates where well outside of warranty.

      • I'd question whether things last much longer. I'm old enough to remember getting out first colour TV. It lasted maybe ten years, but only because my engineer dad was able to go to the library and get the circuit diagram to help him diagnose the problems that cropped up along the way (wish manufacturers still made circuit diagrams freely available). Without that capability it would have died in the 6-8 years that was more typical.

        We also used to watch TV way less those days. If you couldn't find anything on broadcast TV of interest then there was no Netflix to turn to. You turned off the TV and did something else.

        Planned obsolescence may be a thing (though it's far less of a science than you may think), but it's more "build to the minimum possible price". If a product costs 10% more to make it last 20% longer, it looks good on paper, but in reality your competitor will take a huge chunk of your sales. You need to demonstrate that it will last that long (and who'll trust a manufacturer's claim on future reliability?) and for your customer to not be driven by price. This web site is 100% people driven by price so it might not be representative, but it's pretty close.

  • +4

    Is there something wrong with the power at your house or something? We've never had a TV fail.

    2011 55" Samsung LCD still going strong
    LG 65" OLED still going (from 2016 I think from memory).
    2019 Hisense 55" cheapie also all good.

    Even my 42" NEC Plasma from I think around 2005 still fires up.

    I'm actually kind of shocked to hear all these new TVs failing so soon. Wow.

    • I'm also suspecting user error, or something here, I've had some crappy TVs here, but nothing failing before the 5 year mark, most last well past that and I end up replacing them before they die.

  • LG are the only brand worth buying these days.

    Sony and Samsung have very average quality power supply units in them and generally don't last very long - 2 to 3 years on average. Samsung are prone to lines developing on screen. TCL and Hisense are garbage with poor operating systems, wifi that doesn't work beyond about 2 feet from your modem/router etc.

    LG not without their problems either - prone to backlights coming loose in their LCD models and producing very bright spots on the screen. They can be replaced fairly easily though or glued back into position.

    • +3

      I must be extremely lucky then as all my TVs, or TVs I've recommended to my parents/in-laws are still working great. Can't recall all the exact model numbers but they were the mid-high end versions. Never has any issues with LG, Samsung or Sony.

      2013 40" Sony Bravia
      2017 55" Samsung
      2018 65" Samsung

  • +1

    I’ve been really lucky with Samsung. Had a Samsung 32 inch full HD LCD last 7 years. Cost $500 on sale. Current 55 inch 4K LCD is 5 years old and still going strong. Cost $1000 on sale. Still fast enough to run Netflix, Prime and Apple TV.

  • +2

    Sounds like you have bad luck or possibly unstable power that is killing your TVs. Sony and Samsung TVs usually last much much longer.

    • Power board failed on my Sony just after a year, I use a bellkin power board so doubt it was a spike.
      Repaired said it’s an extremely common problem.
      Pain in the arse to fix on an 85” TV though.

  • +1

    Had a Samsung for about 12 years which I eventually sold. No reason to believe it won't still be working for the new owner. Sony my daughter now uses 8 years and counting.

  • You're going to hit problems with older sets if used beyond taking their HDMI inputs.

    I had a Pioneer 50" plasma. It had a digital tuner. Except it was only capable of MPEG2 (H.262) decoding. The stations still broadcast their SD channels using MPEG2, but their other channels and HD channels use MPEG4 (H.264/AVC). It meant I could not tune into any of these successfully.

  • I've only used sony tvs and it mostly depends on bit of luck as well.. A friend of mine owns a 85" bravia tv that he spent a good $4k on brand new. Just so happens that the power board went out recently and the unit was just over 2 years and jb would not repair it. Meanwhile I've been using my first bravia tv for over 8 years without a drama and the second one about 5 years.

    I seriously hate the android software support that comes with it, but there are not many options without sadly. (what I don't like -> laggy / doesnt work well at times with av receiver and sound goes missing or display doesnt come on automatically .. etc)

  • No but at this point i wouldn't buy anything other than LG, Sony or Samsung. We have 3 LG's, 1 Sony and 1 Samsung in different rooms and can't fault any of them overall. There are a few points to nitpick on each of them (e.g. Would like NBA and MLB apps on the LGs) but most importantly, the picture quality of them all is amazing.

  • My RCA 630-TS still going strong! They don't make them like this anymore sadly.

  • Only TV I've had outright fail on me in the last 20 years was a 9 year old mid-tier Samsung, which seems fair enough really. A high-end 60" 1080p Sony developed an admittedly minor picture fault with some uneven dark grays. but Sony replaced with a new 65" 4K under warranty with zero hassle. It still works but as one of their very first Android TVs the chipset was pretty bad and UI became crazy laggy after a few years of updates.

    Oldest TV in the house is an 11 year old 32" Sony. Its rather pathetic smart platform (pre-Android) is pretty much useless now, although Netflix does still work. $9 FireTV stick solved that.

    My 65" 2017 LG C7 OLED had a recall/power board swapped out, but is still going strong, no burn-in or major issues.

    My 83" 2021 Sony A90J, which was bought off Sony's refurb store, is also coming up on its 3rd birthday without issues.

    I would argue that while higher-end TVs may not necessarily use higher quality components in terms of longevity on things like power supplies, it certainly makes it easier dealing with return/replacement under the ACL. A $4000 TV should absolutely last many years, a $400 Ffalcon not so.

    • return/replacement under the ACL

      This is a good point…

  • There is no brand that is consistently good across their entire range, even the best brands have some truly crap or unreliable models. Panansonic was always my goto brand in the past, sadly no longer an option. When my Panasonic plasma finally needs replacing I suspect I will go LG as seems their better models are a good balance of price and quality.

  • +2

    Seems like most modern TV's will die sooner rather than later.
    What everyone must do is stick to our guns and not let the Retailer and Manufacturer fob us off because its out of the pathetic 1 year warranty.
    Claim your rights under ACL.
    Complain and raise case if necessary against the retailer/manufacturer.

    If they succeed in fobbing us off they will continue to make short lived appliances.
    But if they are forced to repair or replace faulty devices even after the so called warranty is over they hopefully will make better quality products.

    • LG is rubbish with ACL in my personal experience. Consumer affairs yaps like a little dog and then says they can't do anything. So you are forced to take them to court.

  • Whichever brand that come with magic remote (the one you can use the remote as mouse cursor)

  • +1

    Nothing has lasted as long as my old fashioned CRT.

    I had a Samsung which had a good run for 15+ years.

  • No. Everyone makes crap.
    Some also make good TVs.

    I think this generally applies across all products.

  • +5

    Panasonic make quality TVs but consumers dont wanna pay so I suspect they no longer sell them in Australia.

    My parent’s 65inch Panasonic plasma ( made in japan) was purchased in 2008. Costs heaps of power to run and weighs a ton but the thing just wouldnt die at all. I wish it would die so they can justify buying a new one. Sometimes having electrical things last too long isn’t ideal as you do want the newer features that a modern tv brings.

    For example the older panasonic plasma doesnt have 4k resolution and smart tv features.

    • You suspect? They stopped selling TVs here four years ago.

    • funny I actually came to make a post about Panasonic - but even their LEDs last a lifetime (14 and 16 years for the two sets in our family).

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