Soniq E48W13A 48" Full HD LED-LCD TV $399 Pick Up
.48"/122cm Screen
.Full HD 1920 x 1080 LED Backlight Panel
.Super-PVA Panel make the darkest black and ultra-high contrast ratio
.HD Digital TV with PVR
.USB Host 2.0 for Time-shift; PVR and Multimedia content Play
.24p professional Film mode
.Four 1080p compatible inputs (3 x HDMI; 1 x Component)
.Efficient energy saving mode
.USB
Have the 40" version and it is surprisingly good quality. At the time we compared it to similar Sony and Samsung tvs and there was very minor difference.
Yup, the 32" with IPS panel I got from the $299 deal a few years back is still going like a champion, nice PQ & viewing angles too, especially for the money! :)
Does your 40" occasionally glitch (cut out) the sound - no longer than a second or two. Seems to happen about once an hour or so. Minor point. The bigger one is the EPG which doesn't let you see what the shows coming up are - seems to be a bug. Still an excellent 2nd TV for the price.
I own a few Sony, Samsung and Panasonic LED/Plasma TVs.. I also own a few Soniq and Palsonic that run 10hrs a day in a retail setting and I can tell you that they are still going strong after years of punishment. These TV don't have "branding" power, but if you're looking for a good reliable TV, do not pass them up as "cheap" cr*p. People always assume that cheap is crap, but it's not always true. This is why suckers still pay $5000 for a "branded" handbag that can be bought for $100 at a store.
This is why suckers still pay $5000 for a "branded" handbag that can be bought for $100 at a store.
Wrong. The $100 product is not the same as the $5000 branded product purely because it isn't branded. Sometimes people buy things for their aesthetics or perceived social value rather than the functionality.
Sometimes people buy things for their aesthetics or perceived social value rather than the functionality.
Yes, these people are called suckers! :)
Wow - negs!
Must be some Soniq fans in here.
From my experience of looking at TV's side by side in retail stores, there is a remarkable difference in the picture quality between some TV's. Some people are perfectly happy with an average display and that's why they are getting quantity over quality and at a bargain price!. They are also perfectly suited to applications where optimal picture (and sounds) quality doesn't matter.
I agree with you there. I had a choice between a 40" Samsung at $580 or a 48" Soniq at $399 and took the Samsung because the PQ and sound quality was so much better. This is in addition to the superior TV Guide, OSD menus and the better media player compatibility.
That being said, there is a time and place for this screen and I would happily take it as a secondary display for my sister or gaming room.
not really a good comparison as a 40" has more pixel density than a 48" panel
I got a $20 rebate from the Victorian Govt for this TV (E48W13A) at-
http://www.easyrebates.com.au/GetRebateForTelevision
I clicked on the E48S12A-AU model, sent them a scan of my invoice from JBHiFi and they sent me a $20 rebate in about 5 days.
Other States might also provide a cash rebate.
How would the picture quality of this compare to a Sony KDL40XBR (40" 100Hz LCD from ~2006)?
The tuner has died in ours and 40" is getting small for the room. Thinking this might be a good interim one until can afford a decent TV.
I know the power consumption would be insanely better (which is a major factor) but given the improvement in panels over the years, would it be comparable?
My experience is that the picture quality on Soniq is horrendous.
If it was me, I would be using the Sony even if it is 8 years old until you get a new TV.
Just no use forking out the $399 now when you already have one - just wait it out with your Sony and use the $399 saved toward a nice TV when the time comes.
Reviews seem pretty good for this tv, the odd problem that's fixed with change of settings.
Keep in mind that most people reviewing cheap TVs have often not had experience with higher end models and as such have limited basis for comparison. I realise this sounds snobbish but it is largely true.
@d3ft: Lol I'm sure they have seen better TV's at say their friends houses of family members houses?
I paid $3500 for a Samsung TV I bought at JB. I also happen to have the same sized TV with one of these "cheap" brands. Picture quality is perhaps 15-25% better, BUT most people will not be able to tell the difference unless they are compared side by side. In addition, my Samsung TV has a BUNCH of "internet" and other smart features that I hardly ever use.
Why is 000lynx getting negs? He/she was just offering his/her own personal experience. No need to neg.
No idea :(
Just trying to share the fruits of my weeks of research from my recent TV purchase.
Cheap Soniq lovers methinks.
i bought this from JB in the last sale. For watching normal tv, gaming and high def 1080 movies, the quality is ok. Watching 720 movies and the Red colouring will show up extremely clear especially in dark scenes. Almost unwatchable because the face colour changes to almost dark reddish colour. Tried changing the built in default settings and hardly made a difference. My 3 year old soniq 32 " was better than this.
Did not bother returning it since it is a 48" upgraded from my dead 32" and I learnt to live with the colouring. It is value for size but if it is quality you are after, look for something else
You really need ot look at the model, more than the brand.
Especially for the likes of Soniq, where two similar sounding models may come from different factories with very different panels.
Look back at previous postings and you might find some decent feedback or reviews about this particular TV https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/soniq-e48w13a
I'd suggest that the jump from 40 to 48 inch would be good, but if you use the TV a lot then I'd save my pennies a bit more and look at getting a 55 or 60 inch job from a 'brand' name like Sony/LG/Samsung/Panansonic or maybe even TCL. They are starting to come in around the $1k mark…..
http://tvcalculator.com/index.html?7a1930bf30b7e04d01bfaa556…
http://tvcalculator.com/index.html?8cf757971f2fcbc84336eb3f4…
I would tend to agree to some extent regarding size…but if you still want bang for buck, then I absolutely wouldn't rule out brands like Hisense & TCL.
I'm currently in the market for a 65+cm TV, and I've been checking out the UHD/4k units from both of the aforementioned manufacturers, which are now coming in under the $2k mark for 65cm! The TCL even uses the LG WebOS for it's smart functions! They certainly look fine to me…if I can get the purchase past the finance minister, I may just bite! ;)
Agreed - not sure about Hisense, but have been looking at the larger UHD sets from TCL with the 65 inch 65UH9500 apparently to be released for around the $1299 mark in the US…. just don't know what the price will be when it gets over here…
@PlasticSpaceman: Just a quick heads-up, Appliances Online is currently doing the TCL U65E5691FDS for $1980 with a $200 in-house gift card…so effectively $1780: http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/tcl-l65f3500fds-65-inch-1…
FWIW, the Hisense 65XT880 looks just as good IMHO, but all things being equal, the $200 gift card & standard 4x pairs of active glasses included, tips the balance in favour of the TCL for my money! ;)
[edit] Plus it seems you're also eligible for two free gold class movie passes & entry in the Melbourne Cup competition at TCL too…sweet! https://secure.edgepromos.com.au/tclgoldclass/default.aspx :D
Had this for over a year now. Would definitely recommend! Purchased for $580 but im still happy with it.
Nice dark blacks and the colours are not too bad after a little adjustment. Media player inbuilt seems to play anything without problems. (I usually use BRRIPS in .mkv format)
Sound as usual with these are shit but pick up a budget sound bar for $100 and you're laughing! ha ha ha…
Also, turn off the visual effects in settings and it runs so much smoother.
edit; Quality is much better than the old 32" LCD. Had one of those and these are at least 5x better.
Also, there are 4 USB ports
Nice review and hints Divitini. Just to clarify, which 32" are you comparing it too, also a Soniq, which model? Are there really 4 USB ports on this TV? Looks like it has 3 x HDMI inputs though which is good.
edit; My tv is a slightly different model. Just noticed, sorry.
Not sure on the model but it was the one with the wide boarder, not the E32W13A/B
I have 3 USB devices plugged in at the moment and im pretty sure there is another underneath. Although, I could be wrong.
Yes there is definitely 3x HDMI ports. Also has an SD card slot that can be used to play media.
The TV does not require you to format and drives for recording tv either. So that's a plus.
Very nice price, and great reviews. Need to stop buying just because it's cheap
Anyone getting "Sorry. Checkout currently unavailable. Please check back soon"?
Nope
Ok, seems that it's been fixed now.
This Tv s problem is the lack of the 3.5 mm output(no headphones or speakers).The optical cable is the only way to delivery the sound out.
Use the HDMI Out and Connect it to a home theatre
So if I wanna use my hedphones I need to buy an hometheater?Thats it not really convenient ,isn t?
Well you can use the money you saved from not buying other 48-inch TV to buy a home theatre. Problem solved :)
Omg people use heaphones connected to a TV, Are we living in the 80's?
Elderly and other people with hearing problems. Parents with young children in small houses or apartments. People in apartments with neighbours who like to complain. Lots of good reasons.
@fatal: I hope you know why they do this. Imagine a big screen and you don't want anyone to hear anything..and you're home alone..
Meh, only problem for people who are planning to connect audio out with a 3.5mm cable.
Have seen people mention they run XBMC on this, if anyone could comment on how I would love to know?
also optimal picture settings, I found them on whirpool once, if I can find them again I will post here.
I run XBMC on this TV, and its pretty damn good. Everything works out of the box.
The biggest issue I have with it is the reds (which are much better when your adjust the colour settings but still a little annoying) and that there is some light bleed on the left hand edge on my tv.
The sound is woeful, but I use an external amp so that's not a problem.
Even with the colour and light bleed its an amazing value tv for $400.
Yes there are tv's with way better picture quality out there. Those TV's are not $399.
TLDR: Its a great TV for the price to run XBMC as long as you have a set of speakers.
please explain how you run XBMC on this out of the box, it does not even have network? :S
Through a PC bro…
FWIW, a lot of the guys talking about running XBMC on these sets are actually talking about the smart models, which run Android OS, so you can run XBMC for Android natively with varying success it seems.
@d3ft: Exactly what I suspected, since I could not think of a way it would be possible with this TV. But if that's what original commenter meant well the comment really does not mean anything, it's like saying you play PS4 on this TV out of the box. The PS4 is just an input as is your XBMC so it's not really "out of the box".
The confusion happens when you can actually get XBMC as an app on Android TV's and run it, the question then becomes if the TV's processing power can run the program and files (useful information to have before purchasing).
So your comment about running XBMC really just creates confusion and is unnecessary unless your suggesting TV manufactures need to start advertising their TV's are ready out of the box for PlayStation's and Xbox's etc. as a selling point. Then it would make sense to tell people its also compatible with XBMC "out of the box" :/
Compliments of Evo @ Whirlppol
Service Menu
Picture mode
Brightness – 130
Contrast – 128
Colour – 21
Sharpness – 15
Tint – 50
W/B Adjust
User
Temp
R – 94
G – 99
B – 107
Offset all @ 1024
Special Set
Dynamic Backlight – 90
Panel Function – Ti Bit 10 (no idea about this??)
Overscan
All set to 0
Normal User Menu
Picture Mode – User
Contrast – 80
Brightness – 50
Colour – 22
Sharpness – 15
Noise Reduction – Off
Energy Savings – Normal
Colour Temp – User
All set to '0'
I have this.. The colours (red) are just wrong no matter what amount of tweaking you do.. and dark scenes are very poor.
But hey it is $399.
Read whirlpool
Yeah some a couple say they find that but most say they don't
This was my previous post about it on ozbargain —-> https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/153287#comment-2124703
Don't say we didn't warn you guys :)
I think the upshot is that most people are going to go into a store to look at the PQ before they buy anyway; so whilst it is great to have your feedback since you own one, and we do appreciate it, most folks won't be going into the purchase blind. Just my $0.02 worth. :)
Yep agree. I mentioned in that post too that I wouldn't buy one of these given a second chance. The red in dark scenes is really bad. Skin tones don't look natural no matter how much tweaking (though can improve picture quite a bit). SD channels, 720p and below downloads, and Netflix can be awful - even family members who aren't fussy about picture quality comment about the reddish picture… that tells you something.
After much tweeking, I've fixed the Red tint with the following settings (to reduce the red tint even more, raise the "Tint" level to 85+ or more (TINT setting below 50 raises the red colour)-
In the normal service menu, set the following -
Normal User Menu
Picture Mode – User
Contrast – 50
Brightness – 50
Colour – 50
Sharpness – 100
Noise Reduction – High
Energy Savings – Standard
Colour Temp
Red = 0
Green = 0
Blue = 0
Then close the normal service meun.
Click "Source" button on remote.
While in the "Source" menu, type "200912"
This will reveal the hidden Service Menu.
Picture mode
Brightness – 137
Contrast – 104
Colour – 50
Sharpness – 100
TINT – 81
W/B Adjust
User
Temp
R – 108
G – 132
B – 140
Offset all @ 1024
Special Set
Dynamic Backlight – 100
Overscan
All set to 0
Colour Temp – User
All set to '0'
On TV channels that broadcast 1080, this Soniq TV is now even better than my $6,500 Sony 240 Hz TV! You'll be amazed at the result!
Yes the tint setting fixes it somewhat.. But the problem is it doesn't keep the setting when you change channels or inputs.. goes back to "50".. not sure if the firmware update (mentioned on whirlpool) fixes that issue though
bought one. returned. buy a TCL 50" (we did for $697. yes more expensive but probably a dozen times better for the extra money. panel is a samsung and v good.
That is not a good price for TCL, I wouldn't pay over $500 for a 50" tcl, especially after those hisense 50" ones for $596 earlier this month https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/hisense-50k370pg
Depends which model. I am very happy with my 40" TCL from this deal (it has dropped in price somewhat since).
My mate has that Hisense and it is hands down the worst TV I've ever had the displeasure of watching. Horrible input lag, a tonne of ghosting and really bad backlight bleed. Maybe he got a bad set but watching it makes me want to throw something at it.
Agree that TCL makes decent quality TV's for what you pay. They are starting to make higher speced models, hence the premium depending on what model range you go for. Had mine for 2 1/2 years and has not missed a beat. Decent sound quality too, close to my mums $2000 Sony.
Funny, my bro has a 55" hisense and it works great
@TRENT86: I haven't seen a bad Hisense set. We picked up the 50K20P model from GG for $497 for the in-laws & it's a fantastic TV, especially for the ridiculously low price!
Like a lot of brand snobs, d3ft is just talking out of his arse…
We bought this back when it was previously at this price, and have been very happy with it so far. After having a Samsung break on me after 13 months, and their customer service being amazingly useless, I personally can't justify spending on the bigger brands anymore. I'd rather buy something like this and spend another $60 on an extended 3yr warranty. If it lasts 4 years, then you've got your moneys worth. If it breaks, you'll get your money back or a new unit.
This might be the perfect panel to use in my virtual pinball project.
Would be good for a bedroom tv?
Ps4 and casual TVs and movies.
Yeah better suited to a bedroom than a living or lounge room I would think
cool. grabbing this tomorrow.
buying my first tv. wooooo
Make sure you read the suggestions above about tweaking settings for better picture :)
Got mine delivered to my remote WA mine site by JB for $35. Awesome service right there. The TV is perfectly fine for watching TV and to my amazement when I plugged in my WD 2TB HDD into the USB slot it could play everythng on there natively. I've yet to find a media file it can't play and it's handled every 720p and 1080p DTS MKV, DD MKV, M4v, MP4 video i've thrown at it. Very impressive for $400
For those who appreciate quantity over quality