LG v Samsung TV. Which is better?

paultf

Last minute TV purchase for the parents before the switchover. At the moment all they want is Saorview.

Narrowed it down to either a LG or Samsung 32", HD Ready and 50Hz.

Anyone any ideas which brand/TV is better? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Spec for both seem similar. Google can't seem to tell me which is better. Local shop says Samsung is better. Another online store says the same.

Richersounds seem to think LG is better. I was told although Samsung have been around longer, LG have made a lot of progress over the last few years. LG make the main parts of the TV themselves and that Panasonic, etc buy LG parts i.e. LG are reliable. He said they have LG in the store and picture & sound is good. They don't have the Samsung model in store to check but from past experience Samsung wouldn't be as good as LG for picture & sound.

LG 32CS460
http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-12-32CS460&brands=LG

Samsung LE32D403
http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-12-32D403&brands=SAMSUNG

Arciphel

Samsung all the way. Retailers make bigger margin on LG products. Samsung are the only manufacturer who make their own panels.

coylemj

Arciphel wrote: »

Samsung all the way. Retailers make bigger margin on LG products. Samsung are the only manufacturer who make their own panels.

Why should the punter care about the profit split? What you're saying just means that the store will push LG more than Samsung, it doesn't make Samsung the better value buy for the punter if the two products are technically similar and have the same sell price.

If Samsung make the panels it just means they make more profit than LG for the same trade (wholesale) price. If the end price to the consumer is the same and the technology is the same, there is no reason to prefer one over the other.

I did the research a few years ago when looking to buy a 42" LCD, my short list was LG, Samsung and Philips. I eventually went for Philips but only because the Richer Sounds lads were giving a discount to boardsies and I got a four year warranty, otherwise it was a toss-up between LG and Samsung, I couldn't separate them on price or technical features.

bridster007

According to that spec the Samsung is not a Freeview HD model and no indication from that advert that it is Saorview approved.
Nor is the LG

Arciphel

I agree coylemj, The punter shouldn't care about the "profit split" but they should understand that a retailer who is asked a question like "which of these televisions is better" is not going to necessarily have the consumers best interests as the only factor when they answer, they will also take into account the profit margin on different televisions, what models have been around for a long time and what they have been told to shift by their manager that morning.

If you went to buy a 32" LED TV and the retail price of both was €500, but you found out that one cost the retailer €350 to buy from the manufacturer, and the other cost €250, which one do you think would have the better build quality and reliability?

The reason that it is important to know that Samsung make their own panels is that they are the only manufacturer who can design firmware to take into account what each individual panel can do, as they understand the technology better than anyone.

Samsung make all the panels for Sony TV's, but do you think Samsung share all the information with Sony so they can create firmware that makes the Samsung panel look better in a Sony TV set than a Samsung one?

In my experience, Samsung tend to stand over their products with superior service and for longer than LG. That's just my own experience. I won't tell you what I think of Philips :pac::pac::pac:

Arciphel

bridster007 wrote: »

According to that spec the Samsung is not a Freeview HD model and no indication from that advert that it is Saorview approved.
Nor is the LG

Powercity have that Samsung for €299 at the moment, and they say it is Saorview approved but I'd check it out with them just to be sure.

http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-12-32D403&pages=1&prod=32D403&brands=SAMSUNG&image=

They have the LG one for sale for €299 as well. You're spoiled for choice...

http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-12-32CS460&pages=1&prod=32CS460&brands=LG&image=

I notice the Samsung one is a bit more energy efficient too, but if that was a concern you should really look at LED rather than LCD screens and the price jumps by a good €100 or thereabouts straight away...

paultf

bridster007 wrote: »

According to that spec the Samsung is not a Freeview HD model and no indication from that advert that it is Saorview approved.
Nor is the LG

Sorry, yes you are right, the links for the TV descriptions were misleading.

Both TVs are Saorview approved.

I have changed the links in the OP to Powercity but will be buying from a Euronics shop.

(The Richersounds website gives a good list of the spec.)

coylemj

Arciphel wrote: »

I agree coylemj, The punter shouldn't care about the "profit split" but they should understand that a retailer who is asked a question like "which of these televisions is better" is not going to necessarily have the consumers best interests as the only factor when they answer, they will also take into account the profit margin on different televisions, what models have been around for a long time and what they have been told to shift by their manager that morning.

Agree 100%, it's why I wouldn't dream of asking a store assistant for guidance when buying technology because all they're thinking about is the profit margin.

The store manager makes sure that all of the staff know which models to push this week based on what margins/kickbacks/bonuses are on offer from the various suppliers and distributors.

Never ceases to amaze me when I'm in (insert well known electrical retailer here) and I see an innocent punter listening to the bullsh1t sales pitch they're getting from the sales staff about why one model is better than another.

Tony Soprano.

paultf wrote: »

LG 32CS460
http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-12-32CS460&brands=LG

€256 with free delivery on amazon.

Tony Soprano.

^Richer Sounds will do a price match (policy) with amazon. Richer Sounds are brilliant with returns etc.

FREETV

paultf wrote: »

Last minute TV purchase for the parents before the switchover. At the moment all they want is Saorview.

Narrowed it down to either a LG or Samsung 32", HD Ready and 50Hz.

Anyone any ideas which brand/TV is better? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Spec for both seem similar. Google can't seem to tell me which is better. Local shop says Samsung is better. Another online store says the same.

Richersounds seem to think LG is better. I was told although Samsung have been around longer, LG have made a lot of progress over the last few years. LG make the main parts of the TV themselves and that Panasonic, etc buy LG parts i.e. LG are reliable. He said they have LG in the store and picture & sound is good. They don't have the Samsung model in store to check but from past experience Samsung wouldn't be as good as LG for picture & sound.

LG 32CS460
http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-12-32CS460&brands=LG

Samsung LE32D403
http://www.powercity.ie/?par=10-12-32D403&brands=SAMSUNG

According to the experts online Samsung are better by design and more reliable. They often look nicer also. I would go with a Samsung anytime over an LG unless there was a better LG with a higher specification for the same amount of money. Other brands are overpriced for the same quality.

danjo-xx

Arn't Samsung and LG both South Korean companies. Its hard to believe that not many moons ago Samsung was looked down on as not good quality etc.

How times have changed, have a couple of LG products myself and found them excellent. I wouldn't beat myself up over one or the other.

STB

Samsung has a massive hacker/modders community called Sammygo.

My TV now supports stuff it was never meant to!

coylemj

danjo-xx wrote: »

Arn't Samsung and LG both South Korean companies. Its hard to believe that not many moons ago Samsung was looked down on as not good quality etc.

A few moons before that, anything that came out of Japan was considered junk and usually was. In the 1960s, the ultimate insult you could throw at something was to describe it as 'Made in Japan' wherever it happened to come from. That was before any Japanese cars arrived in Ireland.

sesswhat

Tony Soprano. wrote: »

€256 with free delivery on amazon.

I found they would not deliver this to Ireland.

jaggiebunnet

STB wrote: »

Samsung has a massive hacker/modders community called Sammygo.

My TV now supports stuff it was never meant to!

Any stuff that you find useful? Find it hard to read what it actually offers other than connecting and accessing drives etc through the network.

Tony Soprano.

sesswhat wrote: »

I found they would not deliver this to Ireland.

Richer Sounds should price match it.