NEVER BUY SAMSUNG LCD TV LA40B530. Review on Samsung LA40M81B

You all might have read good reviews about samsung LCD TVs. I also read them and decided to buy only Samsung LCD TV due to its perceived 'Value For Money'. But little did I realise that I was in for a huge disappointment when I bought a high end Samsung LCD TV model LA 40 B 530 ( 5 series Full HD TV) paying whopping 61K Rs!!. This review is not aimed at giving details of features of the LCD TV, but to enlighten the prospective buyers of Samsung LCD TVs about is extremely poor quality control in its production lines. So, read this review and decide whether you still would like to go for Samsung LCD TVs.

I bought this model, LA 40 B 530, a 40 inch, full HD LCD TV with all the latest features, paying 61 thousand rupees at Bangalore. Got the delivery on 8 Jun 09. As I read in some other review, everything was good, an SMS immediately after I gave a call to its Customer Care Center for demonstration, prompt arrival of the technician, etc. Everything was good till he installed the TV. Immediately after installation , the technician switched on the TV.

Within 5 secs, the picture went off but audio remained on ( I had given the Set Top Box (STB) input through AV in). The technician could not explain the phenomenon and switched off and on the TV. This time the picture came and remained. He promptly attributed the fault to the loss of signal from STB. Since the problem didn't repeat again that evening, I also thought the same. That evening was a happy evening at home with the new big TV and a newly bought sony component home theatre.

The next morning, when I switched on the TV, same thing happened again, no picture, but only audio. this time, even after switching off and on, it happened again, Also I found that, before the picture went off, the backlight flickerd dangerously ( LCD TVs use backlight for screen projection whereas the Plasmas use tiny gaseous pixels). After about 5 switch off and on, the picture 'held'. After observing the problem for 2-3 more days ( by now the switch off and on increased to 15-20 times before the picture held on), I reported the problem to customer care center. An engineer arrived the next day and as expected, initially attributed the snag to the Hathway STB. But when I told him that the backlight goes off, he thought that it may be some loose connection of strip cables inside the TV.

He opened the TV ( imagine how it feels to have your brand new high end TV being operated ruthlessly infront of your eyes!) and reconnected all the strip cables. To my horror, when the TV was opened, I found the strip cables not properly taped (to avoid loose connection). He could do only that much because, there is no other part inside the TV which he could finger, everything is sealed. he switched on the TV, but only to see the screen going off again in 5-6 secs. He agreed that the system was defective piece. He had to, because everything else was perfect, power supply without fluctuation, supply to the TV through V Guard stab and spike buster multi plug extender, etc. I was thoroughly disappointed.

Next day when I rang up the service center, the manager promised me that the set would be replaced with a new one, but I need to give them the copy of invoice voucher. I promptly gave it with a detailed explanation of the snag. But the manager said that the approval has to come from the company headquarters at Delhi which may take anywhere from 7-10 days. Already 5 days have passed, let me see how good is this 'reputed company' in its customer care.

At this moment, here I am, sitting in front of this beautiful looking brand new high end TV, which doesnt function most of the time, gives me heart attacks whenever functions because of its dangerously flickering backlight!!.

This shows that, even the 'so called' reputed consumer durable companies have very ordinary production line quality control. If this can happen in a latest model high end LCD TV, imagine what will be the quality of a cheaper product. At least, I had this problem immediately after I bought the TV, so that the fault is covered under warranty. But imagine having such problems immediately after one year when the warranty lapses! I asked the engineer who came to my house for repair, what would be the repair cost if the same problem comes up after lapse of warranty period. He replied that it will cost about 70% of the cost of the system ( about 40 thousand Rs as they have to fully replace the LCD screen!!). With such kind of poor quality control in Samsung anything can happen any time!!!

So, my friends, decide whether you want to take chances by purchasing Samsung LCD Tvs for the benifit of few thousand rupees lesser price or go for truly reputed products such as Sony or Panasonic. I should have gone for Panasonic Plasma which I had initially zeroed on. But my wife craeted a huge noise for going against the people's common trend of going for LCD TVs.So, here I am , regretting my two decisions, one of going for this lousy Samsung Tv, other of listening to my wife!!

Moral of the story: never buy Samsung Products, never listen to your wife. !!!