Can I really buy an LED television for Rs 34,000, or should I stick to the regular LG, Samsung or Sony?
I have been asked this question many times recently, which has prompted me to write this piece to help people make the right choice for themselves.
If you browse through the available options, you’ll realise that not all of these brands are known for their prowess in making TVs. But the cost of an LED TV today is much lower than what we’ve been used to all these years, and even the number of options that one can choose from right now is higher than before. Don’t believe us? Take a look for yourselves.
Brands Selling LED TVs in India:
- Intex
- Micromax
- InFocus
- Panasonic
- Samsung
- Sony
- LG
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch; the lower cost also means a shorter shelf-life.
This practice was first seen with smartphones. One can easily get a quality phone for around Rs 10,000 that is usable for a year or two. This way you don’t have to spend over 40K to own a phone anymore, but it’ll become obsolete much sooner.
In the case of TVs, it may be early days right now, but gradually we’re seeing the trend where people are more than comfortable in changing their sets within a couple of years, if not more.
So, before you take the leap and buy an affordable LED TV, here’s what you should know.
They Are Affordable Because...
How many times have we seen people bringing big-size LED TVs along with them from Thailand or Taiwan? The big reason for that was it cheaper to buy LED TVs from abroad than within the country.
However, if you’re looking to buy an LED TV made by Intex, Infocus or a Micromax, make sure of what you expect from them. The TV panel is ordinary at best, and the colours are really dull compared to the Super AMOLED quality of a Samsung LED TV. The full-HD 1920x1080 pixels resolution of the display isn’t exactly what we have become accustomed to either.
Review: InFocus 50-Inch Full-HD LED TV Is Big Screen on a Budget
The build quality doesn’t offer much encouragement. Safe to say that you’re signing in to the aforementioned reality once you buy these affordable LED TVs. Most of the TVs that the likes of Intex, Infocus are selling in the market are identical to each other.
From the way they look, to what you get inside the TV as the interface to use it, one might find it hard to differentiate between these brands and their TVs. Looks like they’ve made someone really rich out there in China!
It’s a TV and Not At All Smart
The other thing that these LED TVs are not, is smart. This means you cannot connect your house WiFi to the TV and stream on YouTube, or Skype with your close relatives or friends.
This may not matter much to a lot of people but still, people looking for such features shouldn’t be heartbroken in the first place.
The Good Thing Is...
Even though it’s not a smart TV, that doesn’t mean you can’t convert it into one. You get connectivity options like HDMI or a USB 2.0 port that ensures you can connect your laptop to the TV screen. This way, you get the best of both worlds – watch movies, live-stream your favourite Netflix shows, or enjoy YouTube videos on your TV.
Price vs Quality
This dilemma will always be a matter of concern: Do you choose the value factor or go for an LED TV with assured longevity? We’ve given you the options, now it is up to you to decide which one is worth your time and money.
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