Ultra-Cheap Flat-Panel TVs... But Are They Any Good?

Tue Dec 5, 2006 12:53PM EST

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2006 is the year of the great deal on flat-panel TVs, with big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy offering deep, deep discounts on flat-panel televisions, all part of a major price war that could be the final nail in the coffin of the CRT. In fact, as I write this, walmart.com has a 42-inch plasma on sale for $988 (sorry, they're all gone now), and even better deals can be found if you're willing to hunt for them.

But are these TVs any good? With names like Visco, Viore, and ilo, most of these budget sets are brands that seem to have emerged in the last couple of weeks. The only one of these I could even find by searching the web was Viore, which describes itself as "a leading developer and manufacturer of technologically advanced audio, video and home entertainment products." If you say so...

The problem is that these sets are so new that no professional reviews of the sets have been written, and in fact, they're unlikely to ever be written. (If you can't even find the company, negotiating a review unit can be tricky.) Fortunately, those who have taken the leap of faith in purchasing some of these units have written user reviews on various web sites. Epinions has some coverage: Viore has been soundly trashed, and the consensus on ilo is hardly positive. And when you do see positive reviews for these products, it's hard to know whether they're legitimate or simply shills for the company.

So this takes us to the real question: Should you buy a TV from a no-name company if it means you can save 50 percent on the price? That's a question only you, and your eyes and ears, can answer. But here's my advice: Don't do it, at least not sight unseen. If you can compare, side by side, a no-name LCD with a quality one (like a Sharp or Samsung), and the difference isn't too glaring, then you might consider buying the cheap one. Make sure you listen to the audio, check out the connections, and get a sense of the sturdiness of the unit with your own hand. I'd never buy a no-name set online unless I'd already become familiar with it in person.

This isn't to say that all off-brands are of poor quality. I've reviewed Vizio plasmas (no relation to Visco, mind you), and they rank among some of the best I've seen. Sure, there are ultra-luxe brands that trump Vizio, but for the prices Vizio's sets command, it's worth a hard look.

Did you jump on an ultra-cheap flat-panel TV? Let's hear what you bought and what you think of it in the comments section.

Previously on Yahoo! Tech:
Wal-Mart's Woes May Mean Good HDTV Deals
Picking Out - and Pricing - Home Theater Equipment
Determining the Right HDTV Fit for Your Needs

Comments on Ultra-Cheap Flat-Panel TVs... But Are They Any Good?

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  • 46 Posted by brian40004 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    My name is Brian and I bought a polaroid 32-inch TV at Walmart about nine months ago. I paid like $899 for it and paid $50 more for the extended two year warranty. About a month ago it totally quit working with no power at all. I called the 1-800-# and they said they would take care of it as quick as they could. I'm still waiting and feel like a fool for buying it. My opinion on a cheap TV is pay for what you want, but you buy cheap you get cheap. Get the more expensive one, because it can cost you in the long run!!

  • 47 Posted by russell_pearson@verizon.net on Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    I purchased an ilo plasma set from Wal Mart (mainly because the price was right). The picture quality is very good but the sound was a disaster at first. The problem is that the speaker is in the back of the unit and if you turn the volume up loud enough to hear across the room your neighbors anywhere outside hear better than you! The problem was solved by setting up a surround sound system and turning the TV volume off. Now I am reasonably pleased with the unit.

  • 48 Posted by favordes on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought a Sanyo 42" plasma for $800 at WalMart. They put 6 or 7 on sale one day and 48 hrs later they were all gone. I love the picture. I'm not so much of a audiophile that I can tell the difference between my tv and ,say, a Sony. Its such an improvement over the tube that I won't be complaining not to mention the ridiculous price I paid :-0 Jeff

  • 49 Posted by di_jos2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought the"Thanksgiving Special" 37" Viore Widescreen LCD HD-Ready TV at Office Max for $699. Was a fan until last week when it started having diagnal white lines across the screen. And all of the menu options are now big neon blobs that can not be read. The warrenty was only 60 days on this TV, at least that is what the web site said. Has this happened to anyone else? Or do you know how to fix it? What a piece of crap. I can't even watch the TV anymore, it has gotten so bad.

  • 50 Posted by lgbnut1975@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    I HAVE A 37" WESTINGHOUSE LCD TV, AND LET ME TELL YOU SO FAR I AM VERY IMPRESSED. IN THE STORE IT DOESN'T COMPARE BUT WHEN YOU GET IT HOME ITS PERFECT FOR MY NEEDS. IT MAY ONLY BE A 1000:1 CONTRAST RATIO BUT THATS ALL YOU NEED THE PICTURE IS CRISP AND CLEAR, I HAVE SEEN NO SIGNS OF BLURRING ON FAST VIDEO, AND I HAVE TESTED IT WITH STAR WARS THE LAST ONE MADE AND IT WAS GORGOUS. THE ONLY OTHER THING I CAN SAY THAT MAY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IS I AM USING A HARMAN KARDON DVD47 DVD PLAYER. I WILL BUY ANOTHER ONE SINCE MY PARENTS WANT ONE, ONLY THIS TIME I AM GOING TO BUY THE 47" 1080P FROM BEST BUY FOR UNDER 2 GRAND. I HAVE ALSO SEEN THE VIZIO 47; SOLD AT SAMS CLUB AND ITS A NICE MODEL TOO. TO BUY A SONY OR A SAMSUNG IS A WASTE FOR THE AVERAGE BUYER, ITS A WASTE OF MONEY. BUY A CHEAP ONE GET THE EXTENDED WARENTY FOR POWER SURGES AND ENJOY. I LOVE MY TV IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY,AND ALMOST HALF THE COST OF AN LG 37", AND LET ME ADD A COUPLE MORE THINGS. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT LCD TV'S FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS AND FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT WHAT LOOKS GREAT IN THE STORE IS OVERKILL IN THE HOME. AND I ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT JUST BECAUSE MY TV IS CHEAP DON'T BE CHEAP ON YOUR CABLES, AND HOME THEATER EQUIPMENT, THE TV PERFECTLY MATCH MY HAMRAN KARDON RECIEVER, DVD, AND BOSE SPEAKERS. ALL OF WICH CAN BE FOUND CHEAPER AND WORTH EVERYPENNY THAN IN THE BIG STORES.

  • 51 Posted by don_guissippe on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought the Viore 37" last year on Blck Friday and it is fantastic. HD looks great, also have a computer hooked up to it and used as a monitor for MLB.com baseball package. Everything is great about this TV. I want to get another.

  • 52 Posted by nkfd140 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    My Vizio is outstanding. I recommend Vizio to anyone who wants a great hd picture at an affordable price. I got mine at sams club.

  • 53 Posted by ttg517 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought a 42in flatscreen ilo from wallyworld 2years ago .the tv its self is amazeing.Pitcher quilty is beyound belife.the sound quilty on the other hand leaves somthing to be desired,but thats an easy fix. all and all I give the ilo 41"flatscreen a 7 out of 10

  • 54 Posted by got2g8wings on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    Last year (2006) on Black Friday we purchased a 32" or 37" (not exactly sure how big) Protron LCD HDTV for our family room. It has taken a year of HEAVY usage....X-box, DVDs and regular TV watching. We were very impressed with the high-def. It is still going strong and has moved to the Master bedroom as it was replaced by a 46" Sharp Aquos snagged for $999 at Sears this Black Friday. Never heard of Protron, but the TV is certainly worth the approx. $500 we paid for it!

  • 55 Posted by kyjhill on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Can anyone give any feed back on this model : Olevia 542i 42" LCD TV. I have seen this on newegg.com and on pricegrabber.com. I would like to know if this is a model that is going to be worth my money. thanks for the input.

  • 56 Posted by dada1111 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought a 47" LCD Olevia TV in November for $989.00 from Circuit City and I love it. It has a great picture and the reviews are great for Olevia. I almost bought a Polaroid at Hog-mart but the reviews were terrible. I am very happy with what I bought.

  • 57 Posted by lamma33 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought this TV Viore PDP42V18HA from eCost a month ago,the TV is awesome,more dark and more bright.But...one thing i was so disappointed,it was missing a remote control,i never know how's function for this TV,eCost not respond and somethings was funny is,when i call the Viore they tell me i have to buy a remote for $147.00 (including shipping and handling) deo you believe that? so far i only swtiching from the front control panel.speaker was in the back,audio was a little bit weak.pictures even better than Toshiba.but don't buy from eCost,the customer service was terrible.pushing you like a ball.

  • 58 Posted by ivanator_email on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    I paid 499.99 for a 32" OLEVIA LCD HDTV, and I have no complaints. There's some ghosting in action scenes or porn, but it beats the 32" CRT it replaced. At least I can lift this one without an assistant.

  • 59 Posted by rletourneau1947 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought one of the first generation Vizio 32" at Walmart in July of 2006. I found reports that it was a good buy. I AGREE! I have it in a fifth wheel and we are full time RVers. I have more inputs than I need and use Direct TV, Air and park cable hook-ups along with a VCR and DVD. Very happy with this choice. At the time, I also bought a protection pkg that includes on site service but haven't had to use it.

  • 60 Posted by jimmyconisgod on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    insignia 42 inch lcd is unbelievable for less than 1000

  • 61 Posted by bethss9 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought a 42" 1080i Olevia from Office Depot for $849 about a week ago, and it's great! The picture is very sharp, colors are bright and I love it! I've seen it next to much more expensive sets, and the Olevia picture beats their quality in color and sharpness.

  • 62 Posted by kevinco1965 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    I purchased a "Viore'" 52" DLP from walmart. Never having heard of the brand I was amazed once I hooked up the Playstation 3. The picture, Awesome! And less than a $1000. I had just purchased a 32" LCD for the same money a couple of months previous. While I love my LCD it has been banned to the living room and the bigger DLP has the place of honor in my newly built home theater. I liked this set so much I built it into the wall. And watching racing on Fox has never been better. Hi def with rabbit ears, so cool. So has Kenny Schrader would say 1 and 1/2 thumbs up.

  • 63 Posted by rstarre on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    Bought an Insigmnia 50" Plasma from Best Buy for $1100. I had heard it was made by LG I asked the people at Best Buy and they said LG makes Insignia for Best Buy. The TV's picture looks fine to me and I saved a lot of money.

  • 64 Posted by frenchee_male on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    Contrast Ratio and Resolution both!!!!! After searching the aisle's at BestBuy etc for months before buying, I found the semi hidden factor in what makes the quality of the picture and the price difference in the low end and the higher end. They sure point out the Resolution to you (i.e. 720p, 1080P, 1080i) but they never tell you that if you UP the contrast ratio (like to 5000:1 or higher in LCD's.. I bought a Panasonic Plasma with 10,000:1) along with the Resolution, THATS where your true picture quality increases!! And so does the price..... so if you bought a cheapy... you probably have a 1200:1 or less. which means your colors don't have nearly as much contrast between the light and dark OF that color! The other thing is, the measure Contrast ratios with two different methods and some report the higher number some lower... go figure! So look at your resolution and CONTRAST ratio together and you'll be a much smarter buyer... I found the low low end manufactur's dont ever get much above about 1500:1!!

  • 65 Posted by nathancraddock@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought the 50" Viore from walmart last year for $900 no complaints, it rocks. Its not all that bulky thanks to the DLP technology. Took awhile to find codes to program the universal remote for the HD receiver to work with it. Had a buddy buy the $1700 42" Samsung jewel and his remote was the exact same one as mine. Looked up Samsung codes and BOOM I found a match.

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