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-   -   A commentary on the TV scene of India (2024-25) with a special focus on the Big 3 brands (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/291956-commentary-tv-scene-india-2024-25-special-focus-big-3-brands-2.html)

Nice informative thread, and I wish it had been available last year when I was doing my research for a TV purchase.

During my visits to offline stores, I noticed that most retailers paid very little attention to TVs smaller than 55 inches. If you are looking for a smaller TV, like 32 inch or less, you will hardly find 4-5 options in most shops. Most of the attention is given to 55 inch, 65 inch, or larger models. I wonder if most Indian homes can accommodate such large TVs, or maybe it is now normal to have a big TV regardless of room size?

Another point is the cost of some huge TVs these days. I wonder if it is worth paying more than 1 lakh for a TV?

We have a TCL TV at home, and I would put it in the MEL category. I checked TVs across shops and compared side by side. I hardly noticed any difference in picture and sound quality between TCL and other brands. Anyways, I am very happy with my purchase.

QLED is just a type of LED, slightly improved. So a FALD QLED> FALD LED, Direct lit QLED> Direct lit LED.


55 incher has definitely become a norm when it comes to the upper middle class. Also, do check out the size guide I posted in my opening post. Compare this to some guides available 10-20 years back. TV size recommendation for the same distance has changed with time due to the increased affordability and availability of bigger sized TVs.

Other than the affordability factor, I guess it is down to priorities. A similar question could be, is it worth paying more than 15L for a car?

My experience of buying the Samsung Q70R changed my eyes completely. I thank my dealer for advising me correctly.

When I was in the market about 4-5 years back, I was sure about the size - 55 inches. Anything more will not have fitted. Budget was generally not defined but had an idea of about Rs 1 lakhs.

Particularly in Samsung, I learnt that Q series is superior, but there is not much difference in the 70, 80, 90/95 versions in Q series for a normal joe. However the cost increases dramatically when you go to the higher number version. Higher the number, greater the cost.

The next digit (in my case Q70R) is the Model Year of the TV. So R was corresponding to 2019. and T was 2020. Link -
Now technically there is not much difference in the R and T model years. Some technology names will be changed, Like Iphone 15 and Iphone 16 are very similar. Not dramatically different to a normal person. However purchasing the R version in 2020 was giving me lot of dealer discount and Samsung discount. I managed to grab the Rs 145,000 TV at the cost of Rs 91,000 at that time. Mind you, I was comparing the latest version of the UHD TV of Samsung at that time, whose cost was coming in the same range. So latest UHD had lesser discount but a 1 year old Q series model year had larger discount and both were comparable.

The numbers 70, 80 etc decide the features in the TV like glare on the screen when direct sunlight falls on the screen, or performance in the dark. But most importantly the specification of sound system changes. Particularly the wattage of the sound system increases as the number goes up. The dealer advised me that no need to go for 80 series and 70 series will be sufficient. I am glad that I did not go to the 80 series as 70 series has a nice and sufficient punch in the music. Dealer also informed me that Q70R was the last batch of having that particular music system in place and in the later 70 models, they downgraded the music systems. This made the Q80 series more desirable as compared to Q70 series.

For all practical purposes, my TV supports 4K and good internet speed and the sound system is very good. The TV comes with reasonable glare defense etc.

So my advise to anyone will be, you may consider a previous model year for any TV which will give you great discounts. Ensure that the music system in the TV is good so that you will enjoy and it has a high speed internet and 4K support for good streaming experience. I believe this criteria works for 90% of the people.

My 2 cents.

For me, a TV is simply an appliance for consuming content, so the quality of the display isn't a major factor in my decision-making. Instead, I prioritize choosing a model that’s widely available, ensuring that parts and repairs are easily accessible. Price isn’t a significant concern, unless I were to purchase a TV on my own. So far, all the TVs we've had have either been gifts or won through lotteries.

I would suggest to avoid TCL, Hisense, Kodak and low end brands since customer support is usually by same company and almost non existant and service executives suggest you to throw away tv since panel would cost more than TV. I was told this same thing for two TCL 55" led TV's that developed fault. I was able to fix one TV from youtube DIY's. Stick to big brands like Sony, LG and Samsung. Also I presonally like my TV without android.

Hi Ayp,

Pretty interesting analysis. I too was in the market for a tv around the end of 2023 and ended up getting a 75" Samsung Neo QLED ( the 85QNC - 2023 model ).

I guess that would fall in the LHE bracket. I did a little research in that bracket and comparable models between Sony and Samsung. Not a fan of LG's interface and their remote controls tend to fail. My research was mainly focused around inputs from the sales advisor backed by google / youtube reviews.

Between Sony and Samsung, the price and features of the Samsung NEO Qled .

For the features and price, Samsung NEO QLED was a better proposition than its cousin from Sony.

Looking at the subject line, my original thoughts were that the article / thread would dwell deeper into the technical aspects of the tv screens and stuff that you don't see on youtube videos.

Kodak is definitely a low end brand, just like Blaupunkt and Thomson but TCL and Hisense are good brands, just behind the Big 3.

Of course, being a good brand doesn't necessarily guarantee good service. We know that VW is a good brand and so is Tata but on an average, their service experience is atleast a notch below Toyota.

Keep in mind that while the input source allows for up to 120Hz, the panel itself can't do more than 100Hz. Very few consumer TV's do high refresh rate. In the general sense, it isn't needed.

Honestly, there isn't a bad TV these days, in terms of picture quality. What I find is that at the lower end of the price spectrum, the Big 3 (LG, Samsung, Sony), over price their TV's. Thats when you start to consider some of the lower tiers Brands such as TCL, VU and the like. At this stage, it starts to become more of the software experience. The Android Eco system owns this space and the TV's that have poor internal processing hardware tend to struggle with this as time moves on. The Sony that I have faces this issue. The interface struggles likes an old Android phone. No updates either so I'm stuck on a version of Android that won't support the Apple TV App. I can plug in a Apple TV or Amazon Fire stick to resolve the issue. I don't want to. At the heart of the matter that is picture quality, No complaints. Its what you get to enjoy over a long term, when you buy a good TV.

Mom's VU has outlasted our Sony and Samsung. She gingerly switches it off from the mains while not watching. Now It has suffered a fall during relocation and has a Centimeter wide crack.

I'm hunting for VU 32 inch, not finding it. Not worried about service as it requires none :)

TCL and Hisense offer 4 year warranty and they also cost half of the Big 3 TVs.
Disposing a faulty TCL at 5th year and then buying the latest one works out to be cheaper.
Sony and Samsung with one year warranty, I have not found them lasting more than the Chinese brands. More expensive to repair as well.

Can you please provide a source for this?

Which TV is this? What Android version?

Well I have the following set-up:

Sony X95L 85 inch Mini LED with Bose 900 Sound bar and Bose 700 Bass module.

After this set-up, I have stopped going to Theaters and everyone who have seen/experienced is amazed/stunned by the picture quality and Sound effect.

I think this is one of the best set-ups to get a home theatre kind of experience with out burning a really big hole in your pocket.

Scroll down to Picture (Panel) section.
Sony

Oddly, the spec for India does show 100/120 hz

I believe in the opposite, never buy a TV for the flashy apps it comes loaded with, chances are down the line no one is going to be maintaining it. My Sony, bought a decade back, came with a nice Youtube App that stopped working after some years. There were however 4 HDMI ports, so I never had to worry about the source. I have over the years connected ChromeCast, SetTop, Amazon TV Stick etc.

Always evaluate the picture-quality, sound quality, durability and the service availability of the TV. Just make sure to have adequate number of HDMI ports. Use your favorite dongle, for they will be supported.

Is there any TV you can buy today that does not come with flashy Apps pre loaded? Thats non existent.

There is no use in comparing or bringing in a TV launched 10 years ago. Its understood that the software can't be maintained for something that old. Heck even Apple don't support their products so far behind.

99% of folks who buy a TV use it with the native software eco system. Not plugging in external hardware that overrides what the TV can do. That happens for the remaining 1% like yourself. The software eco system must be built robust enough to support several years of us. I am sure I'll get another 3 years out of my Sony, even though its a bit clunky. Maybe longer. It may not run the latest Apps. For what it can't run, I can consider plugging in an external device like an Apple Tv. I have not reached that stage. Yet. I am quite happy with the picture quality and thats all I care about.