Best time to buy a TV

[Jlabute]

I suppose the goal is best picture quality and that’ll push up the dollars to achieve it. This rules out Hi-sense and TCL. As nice as they are, they are further from reference monitor quality than the top brands.

[Even Steven]

Hisense has some good models, and some less than adequate.

Hisense U8/U8K is a great model, but costs nearly $900.

Hisense U7K is also a good one, slightly cheaper, around $700.

But then you get into Hisense A6 - and it's cheap, like $500 ... but the quality isn't there.

What is the moral of the story? You get what you pay for.

[DANSPEED]

Hisense has some good models, and some less than adequate.

Hisense U8/U8K is a great model, but costs nearly $900.

Hisense U7K is also a good one, slightly cheaper, around $700.

But then you get into Hisense A6 - and it's cheap, like $500 ... but the quality isn't there.

What is the moral of the story? You get what you pay for.

At $500 the profit margin must be small for the manufacturer so to Hisense the purchaser is probably worth less than $150!

I don't think there is a best time to buy a TV. Pick a brand you like and a model in your price range and wait until the price drops. Usually that's just before a new model replaces it. If the price drops crazy low it's probably a dud.

[Urban Cowboy]

Hisense has some good models, and some less than adequate.

Hisense U8/U8K is a great model, but costs nearly $900.

Hisense U7K is also a good one, slightly cheaper, around $700.

But then you get into Hisense A6 - and it's cheap, like $500 ... but the quality isn't there.

What is the moral of the story? You get what you pay for.

At $500 the profit margin must be small for the manufacturer so to Hisense the purchaser is probably worth less than $150!

I don't think there is a best time to buy a TV. Pick a brand you like and a model in your price range and wait until the price drops. Usually that's just before a new model replaces it. If the price drops crazy low it's probably a dud.

That's exactly what I've always done. The TV I purchased was a 2022 model, but the 2023 models were out already, so there were great deals to be found on the former.

During model year changes the prices coming down doesn't mean it's a dud, it just means they're trying to unload them.

I'm not sure people are aware, but Costco more often than not has good prices on electronics such as TV's, because they bulk buy the models that are being replaced by newer ones. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but for those desperate to get their hands on the bleeding edge latest and greatest, it's probably not the right place.

Someone like me who doesn't mind waiting for the price to come down, is more the target market.

I'll generally have my model already chosen ahead of time, then will check the price on Amazon, at Costco, and at Samsung Canada. This latest one the best deal I found on a new, not refurbished unit, was actually at Samsung Canada. Got my cell phone there too for around seven hundred bucks less than the cell providers were asking and got double the memory to boot.

[Jlabute]

A price of under $1500 likely excludes OLED. Saying that, a 2023 OLED would be better than a 2022 OLED because the latest panel technology from LG has made its way through the system. Deuterium bonding rather than Hydrogen bonding significantly extends the life of the panels, available on all brands in 2023. So in some instances, the latest is better.

https://www.isowater.com/the-oled-industry/

I've seen reviews for the upper-end Hi-Sense and TCL TVs. They are duking it out adding more mini-LED zones and all sorts of stuff. They still do not come close to the faithful image reproduction provided by Sony and Samsung, and sometimes LG. If best image is the goal, you have to stay with the big brands. The UX8 is good as far as Hi-Sense goes, but they cut a lot of corners. Hi-Sense is in the list of worst TVs to buy and probably less reliable than other brands.

[DANSPEED]

I've seen reviews for the upper-end Hi-Sense and TCL TVs. They are duking it out adding more mini-LED zones and all sorts of stuff. They still do not come close to the faithful image reproduction provided by Sony and Samsung, and sometimes LG. If best image is the goal, you have to stay with the big brands. The UX8 is good as far as Hi-Sense goes, but they cut a lot of corners. Hi-Sense is in the list of worst TVs to buy and probably less reliable than other brands.

Last time I researched Hisense and TCL, Hisense had bought a Sharp factory in Mexico and had rights to use the Sharp brand on TVs in North America, they also had a major stake in a Toshiba division. TCL had built a HUGE factory and R&D center in Korea. According to TCL they don't outsource parts. Now I just read that Korea approves Samsung Display’s sales of LCD factory to TCL. Sounds like both companies are ramping up to be major players in the electronics market. I guess time will tell if product reliability and customer support makes them household names or not.

[Jlabute]

Last time I researched Hisense and TCL, Hisense had bought a Sharp factory in Mexico and had rights to use the Sharp brand on TVs in North America, they also had a major stake in a Toshiba division. TCL had built a HUGE factory and R&D center in Korea. According to TCL they don't outsource parts. Now I just read that Korea approves Samsung Display’s sales of LCD factory to TCL. Sounds like both companies are ramping up to be major players in the electronics market. I guess time will tell if product reliability and customer support makes them household names or not.

Hi-Sense or TCL a household name? We will see I suppose. Toshiba, and Sharp have been around for eons and have lost household name share if they ever had any. Upon heavy investment in display technologies, perhaps they can start taking a larger piece of the high-end pie. I think a major portion of a perfect display is software... and this is where Sony has most players beat, so far. Perhaps in 30 years none of this competition will exist once a perfect display panel comes and all the algorithms are pretty much done.

[BC Landlord]

I have four Hisense 55" TVs in my home, which I paid about $500 each at Costco. Honestly, I can't see any difference in picture quality between them and some higher priced brands. I can't see any pixelation, unless I'm looking from a few inches distance. Am I missing something?

[DANSPEED]

Hi-Sense or TCL a household name? We will see I suppose. Toshiba, and Sharp have been around for eons and have lost household name share if they ever had any. Upon heavy investment in display technologies, perhaps they can start taking a larger piece of the high-end pie. I think a major portion of a perfect display is software... and this is where Sony has most players beat, so far. Perhaps in 30 years none of this competition will exist once a perfect display panel comes and all the algorithms are pretty much done.

I used too repair TVs back in the 80s and 90s and you couldn't beat Sony for quality. They rarely failed. The parts they used were only top brand names, the circuit boards were works of art and the heatsinks were total overkill. Even their schematics were beautifully drawn and easy to read. Sony takes a lot of pride in what they make which is reflected in the sticker price. Do a price "high-low" and Sony is usually on top with RCA, JVC and Hisense on the bottom.

I have four Hisense 55" TVs in my home, which I paid about $500 each at Costco. Honestly, I can't see any difference in picture quality between them and some higher priced brands. I can't see any pixelation, unless I'm looking from a few inches distance. Am I missing something?

No your not, they probably outsource the screen from Samsung anyways. I'd be more leery about long term reliability, the warranty and customer support. Too be honest I've had a few bad dealings with Samsung's support in the past. I just don't know enough about Hisense and TCL to choose them over Samsung, LG or Sony.

[BC Landlord]

I used too repair TVs back in the 80s and 90s and you couldn't beat Sony for quality.

Oh, I remember those. They were called "Trinitron" back then, screens (tubes actually) curved only in one plane.

[Urban Cowboy]

I have four Hisense 55" TVs in my home, which I paid about $500 each at Costco. Honestly, I can't see any difference in picture quality between them and some higher priced brands. I can't see any pixelation, unless I'm looking from a few inches distance. Am I missing something?

The most dramatic improvement for me in going from 55" to 65" was the greater detail and definition. Both were Samsung QLED units but the new one is also a Neo which does better processing.

I opted for QLED because from everything I've read, the OLED technology is still prone to burn in which is a risk I don't wish to take.

[Jlabute]

I have four Hisense 55" TVs in my home, which I paid about $500 each at Costco. Honestly, I can't see any difference in picture quality between them and some higher priced brands. I can't see any pixelation, unless I'm looking from a few inches distance. Am I missing something?

You may or may not have to look close to see some differences. Most of the scrutiny is in movie playback


The mid-range Sony X90L, usually outperforms the high-end TCL and Hisense models... which is incredible considering the mid-range Sony is FALD rather than mini-LED. The Sony is more expensive but Sony has proven it can do more with less. With a better TV you get better gradation, better dynamic range, better shadow detail, especially in challenging scenes. Once again, it comes down to Sony expertise to always give the best picture. If one was to use the X93L instead of the X90L, the difference would again be night and day. If one were to pick the X95L rather than the X93L, the difference again is night and day - if you know what to look for. I recommend not looking for ;-)

So now we have TCL and Hisense competing with thousands of more dimming zones and brighter displays... but still can't compete. Gimmicks.

[Jlabute]

I used too repair TVs back in the 80s and 90s and you couldn't beat Sony for quality. They rarely failed. The parts they used were only top brand names, the circuit boards were works of art and the heatsinks were total overkill. Even their schematics were beautifully drawn and easy to read. Sony takes a lot of pride in what they make which is reflected in the sticker price. Do a price "high-low" and Sony is usually on top with RCA, JVC and Hisense on the bottom.

I agree. Sony is masterful in video and audio. They are the first in many technologies. I see they have just released the first full-frame global shutter camera, the a9 III.

I don't know if Android is the best O/S for a TV, but what-ever their processor is doing under the hood of my Sony is top stuff A-Ok.

[BC Landlord]

I've always had a problem with people trying to convince me that something is superior based on differences that either don't matter to me, or I can't see with my own eyes.

[DANSPEED]

I've always had a problem with people trying to convince me that something is superior based on differences that either don't matter to me, or I can't see with my own eyes.

I agree, like high fidelity sound from an expensive tube amplifier. I don't hear it, still sounds like Yellow Submarine to me!