Which is the best 40-42” flat Smart TV for Thailand?

[laislica]

Which is the best 40-42” flat Smart TV for Thailand?

We have a 32” Samsung smart tv in the bedroom, which is OK.

We want to move the 32” normal TV to the guest room and get a 40-42” flat smart TV for the living room.

I read that there is no standard for smart TV’s and that they change them at least once a year.

That the operating system is a big consideration etc.

In Spain, we just bought the same model of Samsung TV but they had changed it.

That one cannot have a mouse or keyboard plugged into the USB ports.

It has to have a Samsung specific Bluetooth keyboard with touchpad.

However, all the reviews I have read are UK based so features like a Freeview HD tuner or BBC iPlayer are of no interest to me (I think?).

Price is not the first consideration.

Good viewing, don’t care about 3D

Will be supported for OS upgrades etc.

Cheers

[pgrahmm]

We have a LG smart TV in the living room.....It's been a good unit and is about 2 years old.....Good picture quality that compares well with our Samsung plasma we use in the karaoke/gym/movie room.....The LG has not had any problems & performed

well.....Info might be aged for what the OP wants.....

[AlexRRR]

You can do what i did and thats go to one of the stores and just look....my consideration only was for good clear screen in 2012 it came down to samsung and sony, also size, 55, 60 or 65.

I dont stream or use the tv as a pc, but if i wanted i could use apple tv for that, also i use a media player to play downloaded movies and a playstation for bluray DVD if i want, in the end i chose sony and the 65inch and I've been happy ever since though samsung was cheaper.

TV screens have improved since then so today LG might come into it, in the end it depends how particular you are, if you want quality get Japan built.

[steve187]

we just bought a 4k lg smart tv model UF 690, well pleased with it and the ' magic ' remote makes it easy to use. they do a 43" version.

[konying]

There is no best, its all good,

Just get LED fully digital smart TV from any of the major brands like LG and Samsung and you will be happy with it.

All have automatic software updates

If you want to get latest, get the 4K resolution

Do not bother with curved, its just a gimmick, it does not provide better picture or viewing angles to justify the price

[laislica]

Thanks everyone, great advice.

The Samsung's that we have say that they learn as we use em but they don't!
They seem to expect that there will be an antenna and always complain that there are no Channels - why doesn't it offer the things we use most: YouTube and USB?

What's with a freeview decoder built in?

The living room does have a sat feed, can we do away with the sat box?

Cheers

[SpokaneAl]

We just bought a new LG 48 inch smart television because we liked the picture quality.

I do wonder if anyone besides us rarely or never uses the smart features.

[fang37]

I would up the anti a little - Samsung 50".

[georgemandm]

LG it is the best tv for the money I have own 6 of them and no trouble with them the smart one I have now is great have 2 in thailand and 2 in my country and had 2 in the last 10 years and love them all .

[catman20]

don't get a Sony I did and it wont play anything downloaded from the internet it just rejects anything that is not Sony . my Samsung plays anything I download.

[Patanawet]

What is important is to look at the TV in person. Walk around -- make sure the picture brightness or colour dosen't change when you're off centre (or up and down).

Plasma was once considered by proffessionals as best picture quality but after a year or so the brightness slowly faded (burn-in).

Now, I would go for an LED, preferably a D-LED if you can find one to give rich shadows.

I am confused by 4K! What 4k source is there to feed into it?

Make sure you have at least 2 HDMI inputs or you will have to keep plugging and unplugging between TRUE (?!!) and DVD or whatever.

As to brands, I would stick to well known brands and stay away from cheaper Thai or Chinese makers.

Oh, and make sure that there is a good service (guarantee) arrangement that includes collection from your place.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Patanawet

[Don Mega]

got a 55" UHD Samsung smart in the bedroom. works awesome and the wifi connection is a godsend. the magic remote took some to get used to but surfing facebook or watching my favs on youtube is easily navigated.

[Sutty]

Depends what you want to pay bought 2 40 inch Samsung and Sony both exellent one Samsung 9500 one Sony 6500 from tesco lotus 4 days ago KK one sale

[Patanawet]

Depends what you want to pay .........

But you didn't tell us what you paid?

[Whitson]

Smart TV is a waste of money! Buy a standard TV and add an android box! Much more sense, saves money, faster, more facilities and best of all it is easily removed to another TV to turn it into a 'smart tv'.

[gandalf12]

Go for Samsung, they are the best overall. Dont go for 4K as there are no transmission in Thailand complying with that standard. If you do you are paying for nothing

[laislica]

LG it is the best tv for the money I have own 6 of them and no trouble with them the smart one I have now is great have 2 in thailand and 2 in my country and had 2 in the last 10 years and love them all .

Thanks everyone.

We bought an LG UF69, 43".

Connected it to wifi and the first thing it wanted was to update the OS and the apps.

Sat TV comes via HDMI from a separate box.

Everything worked fine but there is now no sound on the HDMI ?

I rechecked it on the old TV - all good.

Any ideas please?

Second difficulty is creating an LG account.

Entered email and password it said I will recieve an email to confirm the account - everything is in Thai! OK, I clicked the button as directed and that takes me to a website, again all in Thai with no where to change the language.

So I changed the region to UK but I am not allowed to sign in to a region other than Thai!

I signed in using the email and password I set on the TV and all looks OK except that the TV still asks for a verification email.....

As you have so many LG's, perhaps you can help me please.

[Sutty]

Smart TV is a waste of money! Buy a standard TV and add an android box! Much more sense, saves money, faster, more facilities and best of all it is easily removed to another TV to turn it into a 'smart tv'.

smart and android waste of time for me in village have 3bb which is good for emails this ect not good enough for stable tv watching

[Sutty]

LG can sometimes need hdmi from sat box to be connected to hdmi 1 which on LG should say arc as well

[MeHere]

I bought an LG (not smart) 5+ years ago and has been great, price was very reasonable. I'd just make sure I have a USB input for all my downloaded movies, but that might be redundant since streaming has become popular.

[laislica]

LG it is the best tv for the money I have own 6 of them and no trouble with them the smart one I have now is great have 2 in thailand and 2 in my country and had 2 in the last 10 years and love them all .

Thanks everyone.

We bought an LG UF69, 43".

Connected it to wifi and the first thing it wanted was to update the OS and the apps.

Sat TV comes via HDMI from a separate box.

Everything worked fine but there is now no sound on the HDMI ?

I rechecked it on the old TV - all good.

Second difficulty is creating an LG account.

Entered email and password it said I will recieve an email to confirm the account - everything is in Thai! OK, I clicked the button as directed and that takes me to a website, again all in Thai with no where to change the language.

So I changed the region to UK but I am not allowed to sign in to a region other than Thai!

I signed in using the email and password I set on the TV and all looks OK except that the TV still asks for a verification email.....

Eventually, the TV advised it had found a problem with the OS update and it did it again.

Sucess, have sound on the HDMI port.

Now to check if the verification worked and it fails.

Have switched the TV on and off several times with a good few seconds at off.

New one, How to create a favourite in YouTube?

Cheers

[Stevemercer]

Our smart TV (Samsung) sometimes looses sound from the satellite box. You have to rescan/reset the satellite box to get the sound back.

I must admit I haven't used the smart features. I usually torrent what I want from ThePirateBay, load onto a memory stick and plug that into the TV to watch. If the movie is too big (in terms of memory) to load onto a memory stick I just plug the computer into the TV and watch it that way.

Recently we got broadband and I've started watching Netflix (Thailand) which has some good programming. I guess I should try and use the Bluetooth connection to do away with the computer cable link.

[JHolmesJr]

If you're given to bouts of hanky lanky in front of the tv, Samsung has been known to secretly deploy the camera to record "viewing habits".

I don't see whats so great about a smart tv….all that counts is HDMI connectivity and picture quality.

[laislica]

Smart TV is a waste of money! Buy a standard TV and add an android box! Much more sense, saves money, faster, more facilities and best of all it is easily removed to another TV to turn it into a 'smart tv'.

Indeed, that will probably be the solution for the old TV when installed in the guest room.

I'm not sure what apps give the same popular Thai sat TV channels.

Given easy app selection between Thai sat TV / YouTube and a browser, that would be perfect.

What Android device would you recommend?

[laislica]

Our smart TV (Samsung) sometimes looses sound from the satellite box. You have to rescan/reset the satellite box to get the sound back.

I must admit I haven't used the smart features. I usually torrent what I want from ThePirateBay, load onto a memory stick and plug that into the TV to watch. If the movie is too big (in terms of memory) to load onto a memory stick I just plug the computer into the TV and watch it that way.

Recently we got broadband and I've started watching Netflix (Thailand) which has some good programming. I guess I should try and use the Bluetooth connection to do away with the computer cable link.

Aye, in this case the sound from the sat box was verified by putting the old TV on.

Then the LD did the update again and all was well - Until.....

It was switched off and left for half an hour.

On again - no sound on HDMI.

Back to the shop - Samsung here we come.....

YouTube is great and supplied via wireless.

My wife uses it to watch Thai stuff when we are in Spain.

Cos of the time difference, it's not practical to watch anything live.

[laislica]

If you're given to bouts of hanky lanky in front of the tv, Samsung has been known to secretly deploy the camera to record "viewing habits".

I don't see whats so great about a smart tv….all that counts is HDMI connectivity and picture quality.

Where would that camera be then?

[Don Mega]

Smart TV is a waste of money! Buy a standard TV and add an android box! Much more sense, saves money, faster, more facilities and best of all it is easily removed to another TV to turn it into a 'smart tv'.

lol @ waste of money.

By adding smart tv's to my house I have been able to remove 1 desktop PC and have not need to constantly "fiddle" the misus' tablet.

I reckon they are a godsend.

[White Christmas13]

Well I guess you should be asking the BIB which TV they watching

they are experts

[laislica]

I just tried to contact the LG support Guy.

To start a chat one is required to enter credit card details and if you are satisfied with the answer, pay 33 quid.

Outrageous - another reason to dump LG!

[laislica]

I just tried to contact the LG support Guy.

To start a chat one is required to enter credit card details and if you are satisfied with the answer, pay 33 quid.

Outrageous - another reason to dump LG!

So I had a temper fit and tantrum - Did you hear the naughty words he he.

Had a Leo and calmed down.

Hit settings>General>About this TV,

There I selected Reset.

Then I went through the whole setup - you see the man in the shop thought he was helping to make some settings for me, but once that initial setup was cleared there is no way to later define the set top box......

Therefore, I have correctly defined the set top box.

The magic controller now controls the internet apps and the set top box - Result.

The OS is still at the upgraded version 40.0.0.40

Google showed a number of LG TV's having a sound loss on HDMI.

Perhaps the solution is to reset the TV and start from scratch?

All good for now, will see if it has sound loss again.

If so return it.....

In the next days must check the USB ports.....

Jetlag says bed time he he