Advice on LG / Samsung TV purchase

Hi there

Help a brother out? I'm buying a new TV. Our current TV is a 3-year old 40" Samsung FHD LED (no bells or whistles) but has developed those annoying horiznotal lines at the top of the screen and a random flickering (warrantly was only valid for 2 years, naturally).

I had though about getting similar sized 3D and/or Smart TV as a replacement, but after much research and mulling over I've decided to rather go for a bigger screen and get something like Apple TV or Chromecast to smarten it up later. But now our budget is limited. We can probably stretch to R7000 and after shopping around have narrowed it down to 3:

- LG 49" FHD (Model: 49LF540) at Makro on offer for R6999
- LG 47" FHD (Model: 47LB561) at Dion Wired for R6500 (spec looks a bit better than above except for slightly smaller screen)
- Samsung 48" FHD (Model: 48H5003) at Game on offer for R6990 (somewhat reluctant after previous Samsung experience)

Unfortunately, with these 3 all being at different stores I can't really go in and compare display models. So, I'm hoping somebody out there on the WWW has had some experience with any of these models that can throw a bit of light on this predicament.

There are some Sinotec and Hisense TVs that come in under budget as well, but I've been told that the quality of picture lessens as their screens get bigger. True or false?

Thanks a lot
Niall

LG 49"

I have a LG 47" 3D Smart TV (47LM6710) after also having started with an entry-level 40" Samsung LCD without any bells and whistles. I liked the Samsung's popping colours, but one can always adjust any set to your personal liking. Insofar as 3D and Smart features are concerned, I've only used these about a dozen times in the past 3 years. The most useful feature I use constantly is the WiFi capability of my TV, as I stream movies from my Android tablet or NAS to the TV over my home wifi. This particular feature may not come with the sets you've identified, but make sure you get one that fits YOUR use case/s. Check out the spec sheets on a site like http://www.rtings.com/ or similar and make sure you are happy with the feature set (or to be more particular, if you are happy with the features you WON'T be getting on your chosen TV). I've really enjoyed my LG and would definitely buy another again. Part of my consideration was also the design of the set - I went for the LG not only because of the features, but also because of its metallic finish, its cool stand and its teeny-tiny bezels. In my eyes, Samsung and Sony have fallen way off the back with regards to the aged design of their TVs. But like a car, these are all matters of personal taste. I can't speak for the overall quality of Hisense and Sinotec, but for the money, I'd rather go for established brands like LG or Samsung.

What model is the tv (exact model number)
I can see what the psu and board costs here in .cn for you, in case you want to fix it.

LCD TV's are easy to fix, the only really expensive part in there is the panel..