Sansui LED-LCD 1080 -- What's the quality word?

[BonzaiDuck]

For years now, I've tried to reduce "impulse buying."

We're trying to cut energy consumption in the house. Mom's old MGA TV is now about 20 years old, but just keeps on ticking with a stellar (analog) picture. She leaves the TV on all the time -- forgets to turn it off when retiring for the night.

Meanwhile, I'd finally put myself firmly in the HDTV - Media Center - large-screen consumer-group. Great success with a 42" LED-LCD LG model and a SiliconDust HomeRun PRIME. The silly-cone and cable-card now makes it possible to give mom HDTV with the spare (and only) HD-cable-box. The other cable-boxes are SD-digital.

Mom's "room" is the family den -- a pretty small room. She is absolutely insistent that the new HDTV must fit in an oak cabinet which has a "TV" shelf 28" wide. So I started looking for a 1080p LED-LCD HDTV that is either 24" or 26" -- (32" just might not fit . .

There are fewer offerings for smaller HDTVs, and among the few -- only a smattering of brands you might feel comfortable with -- for instance, Samsung and Toshiba. I settled on a Toshiba which had bad reviews for "tinny" audio, and planned to get a cheap 2.1 speaker system for it.

Went to WalMart where the Toshiba was supposed to be in inventory. It wasn't there. The floor salesman directed my attention to a SANSUI LED-LCD 1080p 24" unit. I was surprised at the picture clarity, and the audio was quite acceptable. I found later that the audio was touted in the few customer-reviews I was able to locate.

Sansui had been a top-shelf maker of hi-fi and audio equipment back in the '80s, maybe earlier. I think they started producing low-end TVs back in the '90s, and their orientation was a "mass-market." The TV at WalMart was $10 less than the Toshiba model I mentioned.

Got it home; set it up. Everybody is happy with it in that little room. Of the maybe 10 reviews I could find, the reviewers are also "mostly happy" with the unit.

I'm wondering if I should worry about the unit's lifespan or longevity. If there are warranty troubles or the warranty expires, the $180 I spent is not a major loss -- provided I can find a BETTER 24" or 26" unit to replace it. On the other hand, these small unit options seem to be shrinking.

Sure seems like a nice TV, though . . . . for the room in which it's located and its usage . . .

 

[NutBucket]

Honestly, Sansui has been nothing but a name since the 90's. You are correct that their audio gear in the 60's, 70's and 80's was top-notch. Now, its just a name slapped on generic Chinese electronics.

In other words, if its cheap and you're satisfied with the PQ/sound then go for it. Just don't expect it to be as good as mainstream brands. Honestly I'd rather spend my money on a Vizio.

 

[saratoga172]

Vizio makes some really good TV's for the price. I heard at one time the sams club version was a notch above the walmart ones. Not sure if that holda true now.

Curious why you are set on 1080 for such a small TV. I'm assuming it's being viewed from 4-5 feet in which case a 720p TV will look every bit as good and likely be a bit less.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Vizio makes some really good TV's for the price. I heard at one time the sams club version was a notch above the walmart ones. Not sure if that holda true now.

Curious why you are set on 1080 for such a small TV. I'm assuming it's being viewed from 4-5 feet in which case a 720p TV will look every bit as good and likely be a bit less.

You may be right about that. Skeptic that I am -- we continue to be impressed by this little unit. If it takes a licking and keeps on ticking, it could justify a similar purchase for another small room in the house. Maybe my sense of uncertainty is unfounded, I can't say.

It even has a possibility to serve as a DVR by plugging in a FAT32 USB drive -- or possibly a flash drive if the speed exceeds 40 mb/s.

If I didn't already say, we have four TVs in the house. Otherwise, we'd spend more for a second unit and look at makes with a longer track-record. But with something like this -- you could provide color HDTV in a bathroom . . . . if willing to do the necessary wiring, that is . . Who wouldn't smile at the thought of watching "The View" in that warm, quiet place?

UPDATE for VIDEO NEOPHYTES LIKE ME:

Here's a link to an article that explains your SD and HD video specs . . .

http://reviews.cnet.com/hdtv-resolution/

The 1080p vs 720p question is shown to be inflated or exaggerated -- for most purposes. Thus -- mostly no big deal in shortcomings for a 720p choice, or not the top decision-factor for purchase.

Heck. I haven't even bought a Blu-Ray player/burner for my computer yet. These aren't pressing issues for our day-to-day life-style.