If you are in the market for a cheap LCD or cheap plasma TV, you may be wondering what you can compromise on. Some of the name-brand plasma TVs can be quite pricey, and the no-name cheap TVs are very tempting. At often half the price of a name-brand, these television sets boast similar image quality, features, and viewing experience as the major brands. However, their claims may not match their performance.
No-name brands will argue, obviously, that their cheap televisions low prices make their products far superior. They say that big companies don’t actually produce higher quality products. Much of business spending, they say, is spent on advertising, executive bonuses, and maintaining a “brand.” Cheap TV companies, on the other hand, don’t worry as much about these things.
The fact is that a company brand is extremely important. It’s about more than advertising and making money – its about making sure that one’s products are top-notch and excellent as often as possible. If you have never heard of a cheap television company, you will have never heard of any of its mistakes or any of the negative reports about its products. All the advertising in the world cant turn a mediocre product into a great brand.
With any deal you think is great, you usually end up paying for it in the end. Cheap plasma and LCD TVs don’t last as long, are prone to breaking down more easily, aren’t as easily repaired, and don’t have very good warranties. Furthermore, they can be energy hogs and their parent companies may utilize unethical labor or engage in other unsavory business practices.
Cheap plasma televisions can have images which seem disturbingly “washed out.” In addition, cheap plasma TVs use far more electricity than brand-name plasma TVs. That energy usage could end up costing you more, on average, with your cheapest plasma television than if you had just bought the brand name. Finally, plasma TVs tend to “burn in” images onto the screen after a certain amount of time. Big brands last longer before the burn-in happens, but cheap TVs may only last up to a year before you have to buy another.
No-name cheap LCD television screens often suffer from pixel failure, which basically means that pixels stay “frozen” red, green, blue or black. Also, the quality of the colour black in the cheapest LCD screens is often much lighter than that of more expensive screens, which can ruin the mood of a great programme. Finally, cheap LCD TVs tend to lose their brightness quickly. What looked like a stunning display in the store can soon become 50% or even 25% of its initial lustre within the first couple years of watching.
Quite simply, when you are buying a better television, whether it’s plasma or LCD, you’re buying a warranty, potential for support, and an invisible guarantee. Television repair people are going to be much more familiar with the big names, since the big names have much better customer support and training networks for their products.
If you’re interested in an answer to this dilemma, it’s this: don’t immediately buy the cheapest television on the shelf, whether it’s plasma or LCD. Use your best judgment and do your research. The thing cheap TV companies want is for you to be wowed by the price, make an impulse buy, then regret it a few months later when the picture quality is fading. The name brands are, generally, better investments.
Tom Verdi is a well known author and has written articles on TVs, Hifi, Home Cinema, online shopping and many other subjects. For extra details on cheap lcd and plasma tvs and where to buy main brand cheap televisions click Cheap LCD TVs or Cheap Plasma TVs