Which JB Hi-Fi TV Should I Buy? ($800-$1500 range)

• 

  [Deactivated] on 10/02/2022 - 07:45

  +2

  Stay away from TCL whatever you do. They look great on paper, for the price the specs are better than all the similar televisions from the big four, and the reviews on RTings for them are top notch, but RTings use the North American models for their reviews that use completely different higher end components to what we get here in Australasia from TCL. In Australasia TCL are a low budget brand with low budget performance, if anything proves the old adage "you get what you pay for" a TCL television does. I'd rate them about on par with the Kogan branded televisions they're that bad.

  Try and look for anything with local dimming and especially stay away from edge lit displays if you want better black uniformity across dark scenes, local dimming costs a bit more but it makes a world of difference to the picture quality and HDR performance.

  And if you can hold off we should start seeing the 2022 televisions appearing on shelves from March onwards which should mean we'll start seeing some pretty good discounts on the 2020/21 models as suppliers and retailers run them out, of course the global chip shortage could always mess things up a bit but fingers crossed it won't.

  A little tip, in the stores most of the televisions will be set to either Store/Shop Mode or have auto-smoothing features turned on that create the "soap opera effect" which makes the picture look really awesome under the bright lights of the store but give you no idea what the picture will look like at home because you won't have those features turned on at home. So grab the remote off the salesperson and get into those menus have a play around and turn off those features, you can also use your time to see if there's any lag when you're navigating through the menus as well.

  • 

    Wakrak on 10/02/2022 - 10:09

    I was trying to figure out the local dimming for the LGUP81 TV. All I could find was that it has direct LED backlighting + "Smart dimming control and a pixel compensation algorithm improve contrast for better dark images."

    Hisense seems to be a popular brand over in Oz. TCL like you said, not so much.

    • 

      Alan6984 on 10/02/2022 - 10:11

      I haven't seen HiSense in NZ - not that I have gone looking. No idea if it is cheap trash or not?

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 10/02/2022 - 11:23

      I have no idea what the smart dimming control and pixel compensation means. It could just mean that the tv will darken or lighten the entire screen depending on the scene. I think your best bet is to ask one of the sales staff at JB if the tv uses any kind of local dimming and if they can't give you an answer then get them to find out from their LG rep.

• 

  Alan6984 on 09/02/2022 - 19:24

  +1

  Personally, I find it very hard to go past Panasonic and LG from a straight quality perspective.

  Samsung tend to be heavily specced (so may appear to be a better deal) but are a step down in quality in my experience. They are more 'disposable' I guess, with an expected life of mabye three / four years, whereas I think you can reasonably hope to get five to seven out of Panasonic and LG - there will always be outliers on all brands and in both directions of course). Given that almost no TVs get updates for more than a few years, maybe Samsung are just being more realistic, but I hate the idea of spending $1,000 on something to expect it to last four years - $250 pa, compared to, say, $1,200 for six years - $200 pa).

  Sony - I have never forgiven for installing root-kits on PCs from Audio CDs twenty-odd years ago, so they are out entirely (I had a PS1 in 1994 and have stayed in the PS eco-system ever since as we have a load of games already, but I hate myself for it!)

  No idea about TCL.

  Alan.

  • 

    Wakrak on 09/02/2022 - 20:52

    Leaning towards getting the LG UP81. We were pretty happy with the last LG we had as it suited our needs well. Quick and simple to use and this looks like an upgraded version of it. Picture quality of the UP81 is probably good enough. We have speakers so sound quality doesn't have to be perfect. Rate the stand being in the middle as it's much better for cable management. Store credit + $200 and we're good to go (for the 55").

    Might take wellydeal's advice as well. Pricematch if competitors have it cheaper in the near future.

    Have also been looking at the sony X85J which seems to be well rated at Rtings.com.

    Still keen to hear other suggestions. I'll go in-store at some point and have a closer look.

    • 

      toomanywises on 10/02/2022 - 10:39

      The X85J is pretty decent. I have a friend who is super happy with it.
      Are you in Auckland or Chch? Why don't you go straight to Sony? They price match (and if you're outside these towns, they ship free to you).

      https://store.sony.co.nz/television-4K-X8500/KD55X85J.html

      • 

        Wakrak on 10/02/2022 - 10:42

        In Hamilton unfortunately and ideally would like to use the $1000 credit JB gave me.

        • 

          toomanywises on 10/02/2022 - 10:43

          +1

          @Wakrak: Ah! Can't beat credit. Go hard :) But we have Sony (different models) and it's been awesome. Never had a problem. Just had a friend who bought the X85 and he loves it.

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  wellydeal on 09/02/2022 - 17:40

  To be fair, you could always look at TVs from other places, then get JB to price match..

  • 

    Bill on 09/02/2022 - 19:22

    +2

    It would still make more sense to look at jb's tv's as it needs to be sold there to price match

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  Joshyss on 09/02/2022 - 21:03

  I have to say, in my family’s experience, Panasonic have been by far the best for warranty. My near 3 year old LED 55” died one day and Panasonic told me to take it to one of their accredited repair shop to get checked out. Guy told me he would ring me to let me know what he finds and he said depending what it is, they may cover part of the repair cost. He phoned within 2 days and said Panasonic have given me a brand new replacement with new warranty! I was stoked. My mother and brother have both had Samsung’s fail not long after 12 months and told they had to fork out 100% of the cost, in one case TV was unserviceable.

  • 

    Wakrak on 09/02/2022 - 21:06

    Quite thankful my partner convinced me to get extended warranty for our last TV otherwise we'd have nothing right now. We were covered from April 2019 - April 2023. There's a few of you recommending Panasonic. Might do a bit more research on them.

    • 

      Alan6984 on 09/02/2022 - 22:38

      How old was the LG that had the issues? If you paid $1,000 and it was less than five years old, I would say the CGA would definitely apply regardless?

      • 

        Wakrak on 09/02/2022 - 23:00

        Purchased April 2019. Says:

        • April 2020 manufacturer warranty expires
        • April 2021 JB Hi-Fi Minimum voluntary warranty period expires
        • April 2021 Extended care agreement commences

        Also says:

        our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the CGA and exist independently of this extended care agreement. This ECA provides some benefits which are additional to your CGA rights as well as JB Hi-Fi's voluntary warranty. However, some of the benefits may overlap with your CGA rights.

        I guess it's the CGA but with better services?

        • 

          bigcheese on 09/02/2022 - 23:18

          @Wakrak: A manufacturers warranty means nothing in terms of the CGA.
          Goods need to be of ‘acceptable quality’ allowing for the price that was paid - I think it would be hard to argue that a $1000 tv is only good for a year.

          Stores will often try to sell extended warranty with a purchase - the margins are huge and generally not necessary.
          You do need to be prepared to put up a fight and stand your ground though when things go wrong as the stores will often refuse initially.

          • 

            Alan6984 on 10/02/2022 - 08:53

            @bigcheese: I agree with this. Most extended warranties are close to 100% profit for the retailer, since many, if not all, of the benefits they provide probably already exist under the CGA, so you are paying for something you already have.

          • 

            Foodie on 10/02/2022 - 22:29

            @bigcheese: Yup, it's to do with goods having a realistic life expectancy. It varies per product so a $50 no name microwave would have a shorter life expectancy than a $250 named brand one. It is a realistic expectation that a brand new TV would last at least 5 years.

            My plasma Panasonic has lasted a good 12 years but starting to miss new features. So heavy I wouldn't want to mount it on the wall. Not enough hdmi ports, no USB, no wifi, nothing smart about it

  • 

    huffboy on 09/02/2022 - 21:34

    not covered by CGA?

    • 

      Fragluton on 09/02/2022 - 23:57

      Would have been for sure. Sadly didn't know their rights.

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  ace310 on 09/02/2022 - 22:07

  My experience with Samsung is different. I am pretty happy with it. Even I know few people having decent life out of Samsung leds. 3-4 years and still going on. I have a 65 qled so not in the same price range but I would say I like the responsive UI on Samsung. I prefer that over lg. Though its a personal preference. I can't stand sluggish sony android tv(close friend have one and I don't bother touching the remote when I am visiting)

  Visit the store and check the tvs and play around. Good idea would be to play a non-demo video, possibly the same one on all tvs to compare.

  I would highly recommend extended warranty on tv.

• 

  Fragluton on 10/02/2022 - 00:03

  I have four Samsung TV's, always seemed to be best bang for the buck when I was in the market. That and two of them I got in the Firesale when Dicksmith went under. Both still going strong, so they are 5+ years old now.

  Don't buy extended warranty, whatever you do. A TV is expected to last many years. A "12 month warranty" means nothing, it's put there so that those who don't know their consumer rights think they have no cover after such time. Quite the opposite, CGA (google it) covers you for longer after that time. A friend had a fridge play up and it was 4-5 years old. I told them to hit Samsung up direct, turned out to be a bit terminal so they got a brand new fridge for their troubles. Obviously that won't be the outcome every time, sometimes it will be repairable and they will often supply parts at their cost. I had a Bosch dishwasher play up after 3 years, they sent out a service agent out and fixed it for nothing.

  Helps to mention consumer guarantees blah blah when communicating with them, as it cuts down the amount they'll try wiggle out of their responsibilities.

  If a TV fails and you go back to retailer you'll just be dealing with people that don't want to be there to start with and will have no interest in helping you.

  • 

    Alan6984 on 10/02/2022 - 08:55

    Just to note that I don't believe the manufacturer has any obligations under the CGA (unless they happen to also be the retailer).

    It is the retailer that has the obligations.

    Doesn't mean that the manufacturer won't come to the party, but they are not legally obligated under the CGA as far as I know.

• 

  Drcspy on 10/02/2022 - 07:10

  Y'know JbHiFi are being a bit cheeky. They can't corral you into using a store credit. If the tv is so screwed that it is irreparable or unusable then under the CGA they're legally bound to either replace tv with a current equal model or refund. It seems they're 'refunding' in essence but that refund is supposed to be CASH which you can spend anywhere . They're trying to ringfence you. If you're happy with that then that's fine but it's actually illegal for them to only offer a store credit.

  • 

    Senior Mouse on 10/02/2022 - 07:37

    Probably because they would have to offer OP this or cash: https://www.jbhifi.co.nz/lg/lg-nano80-series-nanocell-55-sma…
    I personally wouldn't accept the credit.

  • 

    Alan6984 on 10/02/2022 - 08:57

    I don't think it is 'illegal' for them to offer store credit. They can offer you anything they like - a truckload of avocados if they wanted.

    However, you are not obliged to accept store credit if you don't want to.

    What you will often find is that they will offer more than they might have to as store credit, than in cash.

    • 

      bigcheese on 10/02/2022 - 09:04

      Avocados might be worth a lot more with the price they go for sometimes!

      Under CGA, they can't just offer you store credit. If it's a fairly minor problem, they can choose whether to have the goods repaired or replaced. If the problem is substantial, you have the right to refuse a repair and request a replacement or a refund.
      The difficult part can be in determining what is minor and what is substantial as the law is particualrly vague in this regard.

      Here is a link for some common issues and your rights

      • 

        Alan6984 on 10/02/2022 - 10:04

        +1

        They can offer you anything they like - it is up to you whether to accept it. If you don't want to accept it, you can still assert your rights under the CGA, but nothing in the CGA stops the two parties coming to any agreement they like.

        • 

          Foodie on 10/02/2022 - 22:37

          @Alan6984: Bingo

      • 

        Wakrak on 10/02/2022 - 10:03

        You can all probably tell that I'm unfamiliar with this CGA, extended warranty space.

        I actually asked the JB Hi-Fi insurance representative what my options were and she basically said that store credit was THE option. Couldn't tell me what was wrong with the TV. Guess I should also point out that the extended warranty clearly stated that my product will only be repaired, not replaced. And since I completed the process through their extended warranty program, perhaps that is why another option wasn't offered? Didn't help that I had no clue as to what my CGA rights were.

        • 

          DigitalTeam on 13/02/2022 - 23:38

          @Wakrak: Sounds like their extended warranty offers less than what the CGA has already covered. They either repair or replacement, if not then full refund back to the original method of payment used at time of purchase.

• 

  33coupe on 10/02/2022 - 07:36

  Just a quick note to say if the lg comes with a wand remote then would be a strong contender if I was looking (I did last year, really gutted I didn't get one, got a cheaper Samsung instead).

  • 

    Wakrak on 10/02/2022 - 10:05

    Can you send me a link showing what this want remote looks like?

    • 

      CheapThingsAreNice on 10/02/2022 - 11:36

      not op, but looks like a normal remote with wii-mote like motion tracking / on screen cursor.

      Works really well. The remote also has a scroll wheel.

      https://youtu.be/hCRQ9IvggwE?t=275

• 

  wellydeal on 10/02/2022 - 11:00

  If you get a sony, or other Android based TV, you can use TVIRL to stream live TV if you dont have access to freeview

  • 

    Wakrak on 10/02/2022 - 11:01

    +1

    Was going to say, was sitting here for a good minute trying to figure out if you meant the brand Song or an actual song 😃

    • 

      wellydeal on 10/02/2022 - 11:03

      was an innocent typo, you must have spotted that quick as

• 

  CheapThingsAreNice on 10/02/2022 - 11:34

  Sony x80 and x85 are around that price and are both great Tv's. The former is an edgelit 100hz and the later a full array backlit (although with not the greatest number of zones) 200hz panel. Google TV on both, same guts so performance is great.

  Avoid JX600 and JX700 from panasonic. They're cheap and they're garbage

  • 

    Alan6984 on 11/02/2022 - 08:21

    Sony Backlit - Rhymes with… Sony ROOTKIT!

    :-)

• 

  Foodie on 10/02/2022 - 22:39

  Buying a tv nowadays is soo complicated.
  Seems like every brand has different tech names for everything

  • 

    Senior Mouse on 11/02/2022 - 06:30

    Totally agree! CRT are the way to go!

    • True blacks - just like OLED!
    • Weighs 30Kg - strong as a marine anchor with anti-thief tech!
    • Anti-aliasing with built-in blurriness - PS1 jaggies never looked go clean!
    • 100W to run, 10W idle - none of this eco-friendly standby stuff!
    • Attention-commanding presence with the "dun… fizzle fizzle" activation sequence!
    • 

      Alan6984 on 11/02/2022 - 08:23

      Trouble is, I used to only just be able to pickup our old 29" CRT from twenty years ago (there was a piece of glass about three-feet thick - give or take - in front of the screen), but I was twenty years younger.

      I see a possible problem!

• 

  Wakrak on 12/02/2022 - 13:44

  Just went in-store with the partner and had a look.

  It's between:

  LG UP81 Series 55" $1349
  LG Nano80 Series NanoCell 55" $1499
  Samsung AU9000 55" $1495
  Sony X85J 55" $1695

  Any thoughts on the above? X85J I'm guessing is the standout of the bunch. One positive of the LG UP81 is that we can get it for around $1100 (so just $100 for us).

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 20:25

    +1

    Like you say the Sony is by far the best one there, if you're not going to go for the Sony then go for the cheapest one because the other 3 are pretty much the same.

  • 

    Alan6984 on 12/02/2022 - 20:07

    What can you get the others for?

    • 

      Wakrak on 12/02/2022 - 20:15

      Haven’t had a proper look yet and in no rush. Will monitor the prices and do a pricematch if cheaper elsewhere. Just need to figure out which TV to get. Think I’m taking the Nano out of the equation.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 14/02/2022 - 07:42

  Just saw this if anyone is interested, Heathcotes getting rid of a display model 55" Sony Bravia OLED for $1999 down from $3200, it's designed more for watching movies than it is gaming - https://www.heathcotes.co.nz/products/kd55a8h-sony-55-inch-b…

  • 

    Wakrak on 14/02/2022 - 13:41

    Gone but did look at it this morning when I first saw your comment. Perhaps another reader thought it was too good to pass up.