How bad is Sinotec actually?

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Jonno2343

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So, still in the process of finding the best screen for the least amount of money, I've come across two options for me.
1: The Samsung LN40D550 - 40" 60Hz LCD screen. On special at Makro for R4999
2: Sinotec MP-47HU27 - 47" LCD Screen. Also on special at Makro for R5499

My uses are (in order of most important / often):
  • TV Shows from an Atom PC (max res of 1280x720 anyway)
  • XBOX Gaming and other related things
  • DVD's
  • Blu-rays

I am still open to the idea of getting a Plasma as a lot of the content we wach is <= HD-ready but am scared that this will affect Blu-ray and XBOX experience negatively.
For a Plasma it would have to be a big screen size (>42") for the same kind of price.
We do not watch any sport, so that's not a big deciding factor as it is for many others.

The average distance from the screen is 3-4m and we are getting a Kinect this week so that is another important factor.

I would rather get the Samsung just based on quality of panel, software, etc. but 7" extra is a huge reason to go for the Sinotec. Could anyone help me out with my decision?

My max budget is around R6000, so any alternatives would be great.

Thanks!
 
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The 40" will be fine, it's big enough (depending on the size of your room obviously).

/waits for the plasma fanboys to attack.
 
Honestly, go view the two TV's together and make up your own mind, asking for advice is all well and good. But at the end of the day it is your own money and eyes.
 
Lupus said:
Honestly, go view the two TV's together and make up your own mind, asking for advice is all well and good. But at the end of the day it is your own money and eyes.
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Yeah, definitely planning to do that. Just want to find out what is actually wrong with them (stuff you can't see).
 
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My almost 3-year old Sinotec 42" is still chugging along merrily, but their later panels seemed less of a good proposition from what I read over the years... much of it on here, it must be said.

My eyes do water when I think back to what I paid for it, and what I could get for the same money today...
 
Game stopped selling Sinotec because of the amount of TVs that died during the warranty period
 
Your heart and your wallet will make the right choice.

(Mine says don't go near Sinotec)
 
LN40D550 no question. Sinotecs have cheap panels, cheap engines, high input lag, flashlighting, low response times, few settings.

A lot of people talk about their experiences and how they put their R0.05c next to a Sony and they looked the same. Don't buy their crap, they're most likely just trying to make themselves feel better about their bad purchase. True, the panel in those cheap brands aren't as bad as they used to be and a still image may actually look almost as good as a good brand but that's where it ends.

Think about it. Sinotecs are produced in China by a huge budget manufactuer. Sinotec specifically only exists in South Africa, elsewhere these TVs are marketed as PRIMA or under some other name. So firstly do yourself a favour and read some reviews about PRIMA TVs... If you're still keen think about the following: Samsung/Sony/LG etc sell millions of each respective TV model each year. The more you produce, the lower your production costs, its called economics of scale. This allows the big brands to acquire good quality input materials at low prices. The result: a better quality TV at a price which a small manufacturer could never match.

Now how many TVs do you think Sinotec sells compared to the big brand? A tenth? A 100th, maybe less. In order to be competitive budget brands have to undercut the premium brands. How do they do it: cheap inputs and less functions. The result: much less quality for a smaller price. If you compare the value for money however, nothing will beat your premium brand TV. Even their entry level models use quality inputs. Some people realise this so brands like Sinotec need to give the consumer further incentives to buy their TVs; that's where the 5 year warrenty comes in.

Next consider the money premium brands spend on and have available for R&D. Premium brands have an experience in producing TVs that budget brands will never be able to match. All the budget brand does is copy the big names. Copying, however, will only get you so far.
 
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mmmig said:
My uncle Sinotec TV packed up and because they couldn't replace the tv he got his money back
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and that led you to the conclusion they stopped selling Sinotec - wow your powers of deductive reasoning are astonishing :wtf:
did you consider they no longer stocked the particular model he brought back and he didnt want another sinotec so they gave him his money back or more likely when you take omething back to game (Makro to from past experiance) instead of swaping the product, they give you a cashback voucher so you can decide if you want to get the same product or something else or even your money back.

any way m going off topic, i have a 37 'sinotec and its ok for the price, i do notice a bit of bluring if you look at the screen from an angle at a bit of a distance
 
i really wish i had an HD cam corder the other night :/

to finally put the sinotech fans to rest ;) Had a 42" sinotech next to a 40" sammy and a 40" Sony (xbox night FTW) put it this way, no one wanted to play on the sinotech, and this is just fifa, not even proper full HD. The colours were washed and the players were blurry to say the least, and running on full brightness it looked dimmer than the other two on half brightness. Sinotech guy said it was just that xbox wasn't "designed" for it (WTF?). So we fired up a good ol Bluray movie, and there it failed even more dismally ( 3 screens side by side finally we can compare ), its not even close! the sammy and sony it becomes like, this ones a little more vibrant, this one has slightly better blacks etc, which to average joe means nothing.

Its your choice, like my mom can't see a difference ( i think old people have bad sight :P) but to me there are massive differences.
 
I would say with the current low prices of Samsung, there is no need to look at other brands. Will be getting a new 40"/42"/32" (undecided) screen in a months time and I see no reason in saving R99 on buying a Sinotech vs a Samsung when I'm getting only half the quality - was a different story last year when Sinotecs where half the price.
 
4cer said:
Its your choice, like my mom can't see a difference ( i think old people have bad sight :P) but to me there are massive differences.
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Lol. And that's exactly the reason people buy them: some people can't see a difference because they don't have the best eyes, have untrained eyes or simply don't care. I ould guess that many of the people defending Sinotecs on here are in the same boat as your mom, bad or untrained eyes or just don't care...



@Jonna, look if you already go through the trouble of opening a thread and reading peoples opinions as well as reviews the Sinotec won't be good enough for you. Don't be fooled by bigger screen size and longer warrenty, get yourself a quality panel.
 
Also with the Sammy you can play your full hd files via the USB :) - use the Atom elsewhere
 
paul5186 said:
Also with the Sammy you can play your full hd files via the USB :) - use the Atom elsewhere
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Not just that :-). Hook it up to your Wifi and share your photos/videos/music directly from your phone or tablet wirelessly. Really awesome when your showing pictures to friends! Really love the DLNA feature
 
Ok, thanks guys - definitively made up my mind then. I figured there would be no comparison in image quality, just wanted to double check. Definitely want to get the best for my money.
Anyone know how much that WiFi adapter is and the best place to get it?
 
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Tim182 said:
/snip
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Sheesh, Tim... why so angry?

Much of what you say makes sense, but I'd moderate it slightly...

From back when I bought mine, my research revealed that the Sinotec wasn't nearly as horrid as brand-sluts loved to claim. The panels where the same as found in many branded sets (if I recall, one of the bigger global producers of LCD panels was a shareholder), the scaling engine was a Faroudja - regarded as the best in the business back then, the construction was subjectively better than many LGs and Samsungs with comparable features, and I had every conceivable type of input available - multiple instances of some. And, most importantly, it cost a fraction of any other 42" set back then.

The single time the TV acted up, their after-sales service was also exemplary.

I don't think I'd buy a Sinotec today - better products can be had for not much more money - but they certainly made it possible for me to get a biiiiiiiiiiiig screen television years before I'd otherwise have been able to. As an aside, they're branded Sinotec here because Prima Toys came a few decades before. ;) Of the 'budget' brands, it's probably still the best option - 'budget' just isn't such a huge consideration any more.
 
Jonno2343 said:
Ok, thanks guys - definitively made up my mind then. I figured there would be no comparison in image quality, just wanted to double check. Definitely want to get the best for my money.
Anyone know how much that WiFi adapter is and the best place to get it?
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Ebay or Amazon, around $50. They'll generally rip you off in local stores. If you find it for less in SA please let me know as well. The TV has a LAN port though so you can connect it via LAN cable to your Wifi Router. So if you don't mind that extra cable and have your TV close to the router there is no point buying it.
 
mmmig said:
Game stopped selling Sinotec because of the amount of TVs that died during the warranty period
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Oh balls! Someone better phone their advertising agency and tell them they messed up by advertising Sinotec FHD LCDs in Game's brochures this week... :wtf:

(It was my morning bog reading material this morning, so I'm pretty sure it's up to date)
 
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