TV buyers in Thailand beware !

[manarak]

4 years ago, I had bought a 50" Panasonic Smart TV - it was rather expensive, 25k baht.

Some days ago, one of the LED backlights burned out.

I had the repair guy come in and he told me that the backlight isn't a fixable part, so they would have to replace the whole panel for the price of 25k baht + labor.

Of course I refused.

 

I bought Panasonic because I thought it would be better than the chinese crap.

But the repair guy also told me that all TVs, regardless if high end or cheap had horrible fail rates, he said a lot fail before 3 years, they are all crap.

 

I notice the TV models sold in Thailand all have slightly different references than those sold abroad, for example in Europe.

It wouldn't be a big leap to assume the quality isn't the same.

 

In Europe, they couldn't get away with selling crap with a life expectancy of just 3 years, or they would be torn to pieces by reviews and not sell much anymore.

 

So this time I bought a TCL, 4k display with all the smartness there can be, for 16.000 baht. comes with 3 years warranty.

this Chinese company has grown to become the third largest TV manufacturer in the world and currently has something to prove, as it tries to conquer US and EU markets.

 

let's see how long this one lasts.

Edited May 31, 2018 by manarak

[balo]

I bought a Philips TV in 2011 in Bangkok and it was still working fine when I sold it in 2017, so I think your just been unlucky. Also own 2 Samsung screens and no issues so far.

[manarak]

31 minutes ago, balo said:

I bought a Philips TV in 2011 in Bangkok and it was still working fine when I sold it in 2017, so I think your just been unlucky. Also own 2 Samsung screens and no issues so far.

I'm just trying to make the forum members benefit from what the repair guy (from a well known company) told me.

[Crossy]

My only young failure (less than 5 years) of a TV was a - TCL (twice, again after repair).

 

Never going to buy another.

[Rc2702]

Coming up to 4 years for the Samsung in the lounge but it has never been used that much.

[manarak]

of course the reader will have a hard time to decide between second hand perceived statistical information and first hand anecdotical information.

[petermik]

7 hours ago, manarak said:

of course the reader will have a hard time to decide between second hand perceived statistical information and first hand anecdotical information.

as clear as mud sorry..............

[impulse]

Don't dismiss the possibility that a lot of the premature failures being attributed to different brands are actually due to poor power quality. 

 

That would also explain why some guys have great luck with any brand, and others don't.  Someone at the end of a wienie 50km power line, sharing it with a few industrial users who run 100kw motors intermittently will probably have more problems than someone connected to a stiff system in the middle of town. 

 

I've got 2 TCL's, a Samsung and a Toshiba TV and they haven't missed a lick.  (Knock wood)  But I'm in the middle of Asoke in BKK.

 

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by impulse

[MoD1977]

@manarak

I'm sorry to say but 25k for a TV is a low range Product, no matter witch Brand.

My TV (LG 60") was 75k 4 years ago and is only a midrange Model, still working fine.

Repairing a lowrange product isn't worth the hassle because as long as it isn't a dead fuse it cost more as a newer model in the same range.

On most of the LCD TV's you can repair the Backlight but the problem is that there is a good chance to break the panel when dismantling it.

Because of that only very experienced Technicians doing it, the Part itself cost nothing.

 

The main Problem with the high failure rates here in Thailand is as @impulse said, poor power line condition.

It's very important that you have proper surge protection here, but that's not the reason of the failure in your TV.

 

Electronics these days are not as robust as 20-30 years ago and is not needed anymore because of the fast developing technology.

I would say 95% of the people (well trained customer ? ) change their TV after 4-6 Years because they want a newer shinier one and the industry telling them they need a new one.

 

The last passage are just my thoughts!

 

[BritManToo]

5 hours ago, manarak said:

I notice the TV models sold in Thailand all have slightly different references than those sold abroad, for example in Europe.

It wouldn't be a big leap to assume the quality isn't the same.

55" Samsung  4kUHD 6103 is only 16,900bht delivered from Lazada

The slightly different model numbers are usually to indicate the different regional 'over the air' broadcast decoders inside.

Just got my Samsung 32" out of storage in Thailand, nearly 10 years old now, still working.

(I was looking for an excuse to buy a newer, bigger one)

Edited May 31, 2018 by BritManToo

[observer90210]

Many years back, I purchased my first Apple MacPro computer. 1 year later, the graphics card went down. Was replaced with no hassles from Apple. Few months later, again, the same issue. Once again replace with no questions. Few years later, despite having the guarantee expired, again it goes down and despite having no guarantee, one single letter to the Apple HQ in Cuppertino/USA, and the European Customer service gets back, replaced.

 

Last year, bought a macbookpro. 3 months later, keyboard failure. Replaced with no issues. One month later graphics card failure, again replaced with no questions asked. This was in Europe however.

 

The point here is that no matter what the brand, if you are in Europe or Asia, in todays world, the paces of production are drastic. This undeniably leads to issues.

 

I always liked Apple and still will carry on with their goodies.

 

What now makes a difference is not the brand apparently, but the the after sales and customer service. As nothing technological in todays society can be considered flawless, no matter which brand or where you purchase it.

 

This is of course my sole and humble experience, and of course many others would have never had any issue with either and I'm sincerely glad for them.

[manarak]

44 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

55" Samsung  4kUHD 6103 is only 16,900bht delivered from Lazada

The slightly different model numbers are usually to indicate the different regional 'over the air' broadcast decoders inside.

Just got my Samsung 32" out of storage in Thailand, nearly 10 years old now, still working.

(I was looking for an excuse to buy a newer, bigger one)

okay... that Samsung is just 50" and comes with 1 year warranty vs. 3 for the TCL though.

but some sellers indicate 3 years from 18k baht up...

cheapest series 6 Samsung 55" 4k TV is 19290 baht on Lazada.

Edited May 31, 2018 by manarak

[manarak]

25 minutes ago, MoD1977 said:

@manarak

I'm sorry to say but 25k for a TV is a low range Product, no matter witch Brand.

My TV (LG 60") was 75k 4 years ago and is only a midrange Model, still working fine.

Repairing a lowrange product isn't worth the hassle because as long as it isn't a dead fuse it cost more as a newer model in the same range.

On most of the LCD TV's you can repair the Backlight but the problem is that there is a good chance to break the panel when dismantling it.

Because of that only very experienced Technicians doing it, the Part itself cost nothing.

 

The main Problem with the high failure rates here in Thailand is as @impulse said, poor power line condition.

It's very important that you have proper surge protection here, but that's not the reason of the failure in your TV.

 

Electronics these days are not as robust as 20-30 years ago and is not needed anymore because of the fast developing technology.

I would say 95% of the people (well trained customer ? ) change their TV after 4-6 Years because they want a newer shinier one and the industry telling them they need a new one.

 

The last passage are just my thoughts!

 

lol, if 25k is low range, what is then 16k baht for a 55" 4k ??

 

yes, technology changes, but I expect from TVs that they last longer than just 3 years AND be easily repairable.

TV technology doesn't leap that fast.

My average gaming computer usually lasts me for about 5 to 8 years because I am careful in choosing upgradable technology and because I can replace every part myself. Sadly, they don't have a modular approach for TVs.

 

A minimum of 5 years should be adequate, with average lifespans of 10 years. many households have secondary TVs, if a new main TV is required, the old one can serve in another room.

 

in Europe, governments start thinking about consumer protection and repairability of electronic devices, compulsory availability of spare parts for a given number of years, etc.

I hope they make progress.

 

[MoD1977]

well that is what i call entry level what i would put in a kids room.

 

But you can see the point don't you?

 

My midrange 60" Full HD TV was 4 years ago a midrange product.

now you can get 4k at a similar size for a fraction of the cost.

Now think again about the fast moving technology.

 

[manarak]

12 minutes ago, MoD1977 said:

well that is what i call entry level what i would put in a kids room.

 

But you can see the point don't you?

 

My midrange 60" Full HD TV was 4 years ago a midrange product.

now you can get 4k at a similar size for a fraction of the cost.

Now think again about the fast moving technology.

 

I don't need to think again, full HD displays will be sufficient still for the years to come, because digital TV here is broadcasting at below even 720p, there are no interesting 4k contents for me to stream here in Thailand, and even with my (domestic) 55 Mbps the international bandwidth is not good enough to stream even just 1080p.

Most of downloaded content is 720p, some rare movies 1080p.

I also don't expect current compression algorithms to become obsolete in less than 5 years, I'd say they will still be supported for a long time.

There is no point in getting something better than a full HD smart tv for at least 5 years, and probably be ok for 10 years.

 

I went for the 4k because it was just about 1500 baht more than the full HD and I want to see the result when I connect it to my gaming computer.

Edited May 31, 2018 by manarak

[impulse]

9 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Many years back, I purchased my first Apple MacPro computer. 1 year later, the graphics card went down. Was replaced with no hassles from Apple. Few months later, again, the same issue. Once again replace with no questions. Few years later, despite having the guarantee expired, again it goes down and despite having no guarantee, one single letter to the Apple HQ in Cuppertino/USA, and the European Customer service gets back, replaced.

 

Last year, bought a macbookpro. 3 months later, keyboard failure. Replaced with no issues. One month later graphics card failure, again replaced with no questions asked. This was in Europe however.

 

The point here is that no matter what the brand, if you are in Europe or Asia, in todays world, the paces of production are drastic. This undeniably leads to issues.

 

I always liked Apple and still will carry on with their goodies.

 

What now makes a difference is not the brand apparently, but the the after sales and customer service. As nothing technological in todays society can be considered flawless, no matter which brand or where you purchase it.

 

This is of course my sole and humble experience, and of course many others would have never had any issue with either and I'm sincerely glad for them.

 

Stumbled across this one day when I was bored...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUaJ8pDlxi8

 

[impulse]

9 hours ago, manarak said:

I went for the 4k because it was just about 1500 baht more than the full HD and I want to see the result when I connect it to my gaming computer.

 

I like my 4K  TCL's on Excel because it's like working on a big sheet of paper.  The text and borders are so crisp that it actually reduces eye fatigue when I'm working for hours and hours, even though the refresh rate drops.  I didn't expect that unintended benefit of 4K.

 

I can't tell the difference on graphics because I don't do any gaming, 4K video content is so rare, and what is available takes forever to download.

[Lacessit]

I've had problems with Panasonic too - the switch gear on two airconditioners keeps failing. The service guy said to leave them switched off at the switchboard as well, no idea why that would prolong switch life. I'm in an area that isn't prone to power surges.

[NetJunkie]

15 hours ago, manarak said:

I bought Panasonic because I thought it would be better than the chinese crap.

 

About 40% of your internals on your Panasonic are Chinese "crap"

 

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/06/who-made-your-name-brand-tv/index.htm

[BritManToo]

11 hours ago, manarak said:

okay... that Samsung is just 50" and comes with 1 year warranty vs. 3 for the TCL though.

but some sellers indicate 3 years from 18k baht up...

cheapest series 6 Samsung 55" 4k TV is 19290 baht on Lazada.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/samsung-uhd-4k-smart-tv-55-ua55mu6103-i220920595-s337043057.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.9.62062355xhDNvl&search=1

 

 

[balo]

Prices on TV's have fallen down like a rock . 

 

In 2011 I payed 45k for a 40" Philips , and that was a promotional offer! 

 

I think there's no point in paying more than 20k today unless you always want the best on the market. 

 

 

[BritManToo]

53 minutes ago, balo said:

Prices on TV's have fallen down like a rock . 

In 2011 I payed 45k for a 40" Philips , and that was a promotional offer! 

I think there's no point in paying more than 20k today unless you always want the best on the market. 

I agree, but I'm not sure you can do better than the Samsung 55" 4kUHD ..... you can only get bigger.

I'd like the 65", but it's over double the price of the 55", so I can wait.

 

400 quid for a 55" 4kUHD Tv is an amazing price.

[SteveK]

Most electronic stuff sold in Thailand is garbage.

 

I've had fridges break within a year, a Samsung TV stop working after a few months. A friend of mine bought a high spec gaming laptop here, despite me telling him not to. You can guess what happened.

 

Luckily he is computer savvy so salvaged what he could.

 

It doesn't matter what you buy in LOS. You simply will never get the service you get in the west.

 

I built a computer recently and the PSU turned out to be faulty so the computer could not power up or post. I called the shop and they said that because I didn't want them to test it in the store, that it was my fault.

 

Another 1000+ baht which I put down to being an idiot and expecting stuff to work in Thailand.

[balo]

1 hour ago, pr9spk said:

I built a computer recently and the PSU turned out to be faulty so the computer could not power up or post. I called the shop and they said that because I didn't want them to test it in the store, that it was my fault.

 

Why didn't you return it to the store? I can understand their reaction when you refused.  That's how things work here, just bring it to them . 

 

And I do not agree that all parts sold in Thailand are bad, China parts same same as sold in Europe.  But the power lines are different here , can be unstable , then you have the thunder storms and sudden power outage. So lot's of other challenges that could influence on your electronics. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PPPPPPP]

JUST DONT BUY TCL TV ! 

I bought one TCL TV  last year and there was a problem with the Bluetooth connection. It was never solved.

I send numerous mails and phone many times  to the TCL after sales service during this past year.

They never send a technician to my home (my TV is big) and don’t even bother to reply me anymore.

So 5 years guarantee is just a pure lie. 

Dont buy these TCL TV it’s my advice !

[madmen]

6 minutes ago, PPPPPPP said:

JUST DONT BUY TCL TV ! 

I bought one TCL TV  last year and there was a problem with the Bluetooth connection. It was never solved.

I send numerous mails and phone many times  to the TCL after sales service during this past year.

They never send a technician to my home (my TV is big) and don’t even bother to reply me anymore.

So 5 years guarantee is just a pure lie. 

Dont buy these TCL TV it’s my advice !

Same here, the audio out at the back doesn't work . Emails go unanswered , I guess they figure nobody is going the hire a van to transport these big tvs to their workshop. TCL are cheap for a reason

[killerbeez]

"4 years ago, I had bought a 50" Panasonic Smart TV - it was rather expensive, 25k baht."

 

I bought a Panasonic 44" TV in Bangkok in 2006. 44,000 baht. Still works fine.

 

"models sold in Thailand all have slightly different references than those sold abroad. It wouldn't be a big leap to assume the quality isn't the same."

 

The quality IS the same. The difference is because different builds of similar models are sold to markets because of climate factors. Bigger vents, higher tolerance to humidity, etc.

 

"In Europe, they couldn't get away with selling crap with... blah blah blah..."

 

In my experience, it's the Europeans that get the castoffs and older tech models in all aspects of electronics from phones to TVs.

[killerbeez]

On 5/31/2018 at 9:06 PM, observer90210 said:

Apple MacPro is God and I love Apple products, all my kids are named Apple...

They never miss an opportunity!

[XenZen]

bought two computers.  one horrible, done after 1 year.  one great.

two bikes.  one good, one had some strange problem (sold).

phones.  it's not good but whatever.  had 3.  maybe 2 bad.

shoes.  5 pairs.  4 bad.

you really never know but err of the side of horrible.  so if it will probably be bad, cap the price you will pay.  if mad at 25k, then maybe next TV set a price of 15k.  there are just too many factors that will destroy stuff...

[killerbeez]

At Christmas (5 months ago) I bought a 'PrizmaPro' TV for my bedroom.

49 inch, barebones, 7,900 baht from Macro! Cheap as chips.

Works fine and when it breaks I'll just buy another one.