Are Cheap TV’s Worth It?

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Image by Alehandra13 from Pixabay
Image by Alehandra13 from Pixabay

There are some fantastic bargains out there!

I don’t know about you, but I love a bargain, especially when it comes to technology. But there are some items that I believe it is worth spending more money on, especially if you plan to use them as your main device.

In this article, I will share the reasons I think that cheap TVs are worth it and the reasons I don’t.

So without any further ado, here are my thoughts on cheap TV’s…

Why Cheap TVs Are Worth It

I wanted to start this article by sharing the reasons why I believe that cheap TVs are worth it.

The obvious benefit of cheap TVs is that they are affordable, which makes them a great option for people who don’t watch TV often or for anyone looking to buy a second TV for the bedroom.

You can get a small basic TV for under £100 in the UK. Having a look online at the time of writing this article, I can see a basic 24-inch for just under £100. While it’s just a basic TV with no smart features, for many people that is more than enough.

Having a more in-depth look online, I found a 32-inch TV by TCL for just under £130 at the time of writing this blog post. I think that it has some pretty good features built-in, such as FireTV, it’s Full HD, and it works with Alexa. I feel that this is a perfect example of a TV I would definitely consider buying for the bedroom.

Moving up in price, you can pick up a pretty decent 43-inch TV for under £200 at the time of writing this article. So if you are looking for a living room TV, but you don’t want to spend too much on it, you can find some great bargains!

As an example, I’m looking at a 43-inch TV from a brand called Bush, and not only does this TV contain smart features, but it’s 4K, and the customer reviews look superb.

You can get some amazing TV’s with fantastic picture and sound quality, as well as smart TV systems that work really well. But for many people, these features simply aren’t necessary, especially if they are looking to buy a second TV for the bedroom or if they don’t watch TV often.

Why Cheap TVs Aren’t Worth It

A cheap TV can be a great bargain, but there are a few things you need to be aware of before making that purchase decision.

Firstly, while you can buy a cheap TV with stunning picture quality, not every cheap TV will have it, and sometimes it’s noticeable. The same can be said for the sound quality. But the sound quality can sometimes be fixed by buying a sound bar, whereas it’s not that easy with picture quality.

Second, the TV may have a poor smart TV system, or it may not have one at all. But the good news is that you can always buy a Roku Stick or FireTV Stick. I currently use Chromecast with Google TV on all the TVs I use, as I think it works great for my needs.

As an example, a few years ago I bought a Toshiba TV for the bedroom. I think that both the sound and picture quality are decent for the price I paid. However, there are two things that frustrate me: the smart TV system, which I’m just not getting on with, and the remote.

The remote does its job, but I find that it’s far too big and that it feels uncomfortable to use. On top of that, it doesn’t seem to work well with the TV unless I point the remote right at the TV or if I get really close to it.

The TV may also have limited smart features and support for software updates. I’ve seen it in the past, where apps just stop working on TV’s because they haven’t received updates in a long time.

The build quality of cheap TV’s can also be an issue. From poor quality TV stands to burn-in issues on the actual screen. I once bought a small TV where the stand didn’t even click or screw into place. The TV was just sitting loose on it.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Cheap TV

To begin with, I recommend having a think about how you plan to use your TV. Is it your main living room device? Is it a bedroom TV? Is it a TV for the kids room or even for the kitchen?

A cheap TV is perfect for using as a secondary device or a device for background noise or casual viewing.

While you can find some fantastic deals on cheap TV’s, you need to be aware that they will often come with slow or outdated systems. If you are planning to use it as your main TV, I recommend investing in a Roku stick or something similar. You can usually pick up a Roku Express device for under £30.

From personal experience, I don’t think the brand you choose is an issue. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you can find some great deals from big brands like Samsung or LG, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that smaller brands are bad.

I mean, I have a TV from a brand called Luxor that I’ve had for at least 14 years, and it still works!

My recommendation is to read both product and customer reviews, as they will enable you to paint a better picture of the product you are buying. It’s also worth looking at the returns policies before purchasing.

If you can, it’s also a good idea to visit a physical shop to have a look at a display unit, as that allows you to actually see and use the device before making a purchase.

Final Thoughts

With the Black Friday sales and Christmas coming, you may be considering a TV, I mean, why not?

As someone who’s had and tried several TVs at different price ranges, I wanted to share my thoughts about cheap TV’s.

While there are a few things you need to be aware of, you can still pick up some fantastic bargains.

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