What are the Worst TV Brands to Avoid?
Contents
There are several worst TV brands to avoid in the market. The main reasons behind the negative feedback are the drawbacks in their features and performance. Some of these are of well-known brands while the others are lesser-known. Let’s identify some of the TV brands to avoid.
1. RCA RTU4300
This is one of the cheapest 4K TVs and comes in sizes of 30 to 49 inches. However, it has average picture quality and has no local dimming. There are some additional reasons why you should not purchase this model.
Reasons to Avoid:
- Limited HDR support
- Average picture quality
- Limited viewing angles
- Improper port placement
- Absence of local dimming
2. Westinghouse
This brand of televisions comes in sizes 32 and 55 inches and adds a decent appeal to the house. It has a fairly good contrast ratio and also the ability to contact Alexa. But despite all these benefits, this has been regarded as one of the flat-screen TV brands to avoid. There have been many complaints about this brand in many customer forums.
Reasons to Avoid:
- No HDR support
- Lacking deep blacks in 4K
- Limited viewing angles
- Skewed colors
3. Hisense 50H8C
Hisense is a popular brand in the United States. It is a Chinese brand and an affordable choice for people looking for a 4K television with a low budget. It comes in 50 inches, and there are some disadvantages related to its product quality. Even though the television might appear attractive, there are some drawbacks you need to consider before purchasing this model.
Reasons to Avoid:
- Low-quality black levels
- Ineffective local dimming
- Limited smart television services
- Only two HDMI 2.0 ports are available
4. Sceptre – X515BV
This 4K television has such smart features and has a limited appealing nature. It also has a 50-inch screen and is a simple 1080p television. Even though it has a considerably low cost, there are many limitations in its features as well. The following are the reasons for being named as one of the TV brands to avoid.
Reasons to Avoid:
- No smart features
- No 4K resolution
- Low image quality
- Weak volume feature
5. Hitachi – 43R80
This is a simple 4K television of 43 inches, with no smart features. This has very low picture quality for both HD and 4K. Thus, it is listed as one of the worst TV brands. There are additional reasons for avoiding this brand.
Reasons to Avoid:
- Low sound quality
- An issue with the screen blinking
- Limited smart features
- Average picture quality
- Ineffective after-sale customer services
What are the most reliable TV brands?
Here are some of the highly reputed TV brands that are famous for their special features.
- LG TVs: Best OLED TVs for movies and gaming and affordable LED models for big groups.
- Samsung TVs: Ideal for bright rooms and unique sets.
- Sony TVs: High color accuracy and smooth motion for movies and sports.
- TCL TVs: Best smart TV platform offered at the best prices.
TV Buying Guide
Televisions are an essential feature in modern living rooms. With the increasing technological advancements, many competitive manufacturers are producing innovative models in the industry. So, many new television brands are being introduced to the market continuously. So, knowing the proper way of choosing the best product is essential. These are the main factors that you should be check for when deciding on the ideal product.
Price Range
Prices of televisions fluctuate depending on the regular economic situations of the countries. However, many television brands can be purchased for affordable prices. There are various ranges of prices depending on the quality of products. So, the most important factor is concerning your budget and affordability. Choose a product that gives you the best features for your investment.
TV Size
Most people go for bigger televisions, and it gives you better vision unlike the small TVs of old days. Larger TVs are also good in design, contrast, and picture quality. The most common television size is the 55 and 65 inches. Even though the 75 inch TV is also available, it is not much common as it requires more space. Smaller sizes such as 32 and 40 inches are ideal for small spaces.
The screen size also depends on how close you sit. Considering the pixel resolution, it is recommended to sit at a distance of more than 3 times the height of the HD screen and only 1.5 times the screen height of 4k UHD TVs. If you can see the individual pixels, then you are possibly sitting too close to the TV. You can determine the size of television you need, depending on your living space and distance of view.
LED LCD, LED, and OLED
Most televisions use LED LCD technology, where Light Emitting Diodes are used to illuminate the Liquid Crystal Display screens. This is advantageous as the screen can be extremely thin. A mix of light can be created by dynamically lighting up specific parts of the screen and dimming other parts. This is known as active or local dimming. These LED LCD televisions can be purchased for a cost of around $200, for a 32-inch screen and 90-inch TV would cost about $8,000.
An LCD technology of quantum dots is also getting popular among users as it produces a wider array of colors with increased brightness. Quantum dots are used as an additional layer or rail of differently sized nanocrystal dots. They light up when the LED backlights hit them.
Organic Light Emitting Diode TVs have the best picture technology with few dozens of lighting zones. A layer of organic LEDs is used in the place of a backlight to achieve absolute black color. These are controlled at the pixel level, and a highly attractive contrast is created through this. You can purchase an OLED model 55-inch TV for less than $2,000 and a 65-inch TV in the range of $2,000 – $3,000.
However, 4K LED televisions can also provide similar picture quality and provide a good viewing experience at a lower price. The best models of 4K LED televisions do offer similar smart television features as those of the OLED. So going for a 4K LED TV can save your expense.
TV Resolution
The resolution is the number of pixels available on the screen. This is the product of the number of rows and columns of pixels. When the resolution is higher, the quality of the image is better in terms of sharpness and fine details. There are two resolution types for you to choose from, namely HD and 4K UHD. The High Definition resolution consists of 1920 × 1080 pixels, and the Ultra High Definition has 3840 × 2160 pixels.
This shows that UHD televisions have 4 times the amount of pixels as that of HD resolution. Therefore, UHD produces high-quality images at a higher resolution. The most important benefit is that you can see sharper text and richer images with more life-like details. There are also 8K TVs in the market at a more affordable price.
They display quadruple resolution as that of 4K, offering a greater advancement in its picture quality. There are also no 8K movies available for purchase and, therefore, lacking content to match this quality. Since these are not much common in the industry yet, it’s better to hold off purchasing for some time.
HDR Compatibility
The High Dynamic Range televisions can generate images with respectively increased colors, more brightness, and contrast. For this, HDR content with additional luminance should be supplied to it. This wider color spectrum is known as the broad color gamut. It is supported by all HDR TVs at present. This is mostly an upgrade of 4K or UHD types but does not apply to 1080p HD sets.
Connections and Ports
Some of the additional connections supported by modern TVs are HDMIs, USB ports, and multimedia supports. It is always better to have more ports as they get used up quickly. The broadest compatibility is given by v2.0 HDMIs. So, make sure to check your TV for v2.0 HDMIs than v1.4 HDMIs. Having at least one HDMI 2.1 port is ideal if you need to play 4K games at high frame rates of about 120 Hz. So, check for these features when you are looking for your ideal TV.
Smart TV Platforms
The internet connectivity for smart televisions is provided through an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi access. So you can view anything from the internet, stream videos, run apps, and even Netflix using this feature. You can enjoy the benefits of 4k and HDR content with this feature. So if you are looking for such benefits, you can choose a television with added smart platforms. But sometimes, lower-budget TVs would offer the smart functionality without naming the actual platforms and hence often suffer from limitations. Therefore make sure to find more about the functions and features before you purchase.
Contrast Ratio
The range of brightness levels that the screen can display is given by the contrast ratio. Finer details such as subtle shadows can be displayed with higher contrast ratios. There are different ways in which manufacturers measure these ratios. Therefore you can’t completely rely on this. So, it’s always better to see it for yourself and observe the clarity of shadows, dark pictures, and hues. Select the movie or cinema modes of the television and check the brightness and other picture settings before you settle for a product.
If the televisions have deep, dark black levels, they are of high quality. If they have dark gray images where they should be glowing black, these are called “elevated black levels” and a common issue in less premium LCD screens. So ignoring the contrast ratio provided by the manufacture and checking the quality of visibility by yourself would be a better idea.
Manufacturer’s Warranty
You need to check the warranty before you buy a TV. Some warranties are shorter with fewer branded models. Most HD TVs are remarkably resilient and of good quality. They are also made with virtually shockproof LEDs. Most manufacturers offer a one-year warranty. Sometimes the credit card companies offer additional coverage on their purchases. So you can check this feature with your service provider.
Other Important Considerations
There are other important considerations related to televisions that you should figure out before purchasing a new TV.
Repairs and Reliability
Getting your television repaired when required should be easily accessible to customers. Most popular brands have authorized repair centers located nearby. They invest in parts and service networks to provide benefits to customers.
Televisions are generally rated as a more reliable type of product when compared with other devices at home. There are many household applications with unreliable brands, and hence you should avoid the worst brands when purchasing them. For more information on this, you can refer to Refrigerator, Washing Machine, Dishwasher, and Water Heater Brands to Avoid.
Privacy and Security
As smart televisions connect to the internet, more serious privacy and security concerns are important. As these TV brands collect consumer data, the caring and sharing of these details, how well they protect the information, and the transparency are also important concerns.
Does TV Brand Matter?
A good brand does not always guarantee that the product model you choose can be the best. Even the best brands have their low-end models, while even the less reputed brands can have high-quality products. Therefore, the most important task is to consider the individual model that you are planning to buy. However, choosing a good model from a popular brand has an additional advantage, as they are highly immune to bad models. So choose the best type of TV that suits your feature and performance requirements.
Conclusion
You can pick your perfect choice of TV by following this guide on the worst TV brands that exist in the market. You are also given sound knowledge on the factors to consider when choosing a proper TV brand. Make sure to avoid cheap deals that might mislead you to purchase products of low quality.
There are similar situations you might get misguided by appealing products in the market. So look out for Fake Olive Oil Brands to Avoid and Worst Tire Brands.