SONY, PANASONIC, SAMSUNG, LG, TOSHIBA the list is endless but which is best???

when buying a TV there is a minefield of choice.  one of the first big decisions for any buyer is which brand to go for?

so which is best?  what are the pros and cons of each competitor? and probably most importantly which is best value for money?

PANASONIC

You could read every review under the sun and there is one brand that will top pretty much every poll, Panasonic.  everyone loves Panasonic in the TV world and so they should they are brilliant. as long as you're talking about plasma's and by plasma's I mean the high end ones.  for me if you want the best and money is no object then a good Panasonic plasma is the way to go.  but there are plenty of the Panasonic range that get a good run for their money, and i don't feel that in the case of good quality LED's and with the internet features of a lot of TV's now Panasonic have some work to do in the next range and looking at things thats exactly what they are doing.

SONY

Sony are another brilliant brand that has a massive following and again you pay a premium for this brand in general, however unlike Panasonic they have an ace up there sleeve in their most recent range of TV's.  Sony Bravia internet video an awesome feature that has the same menu as the PS3 dashboard, allowing access to BBC i player, you tube, Facebook and love film. however as described in the 3D TV blog there are reasons to avoid the higher end Sony TV's.

SAMSUNG


Samsung are the design leaders in the TV market, and without doubt their range is consistently the best looking, always sleek, clean, crisp in design.  if you want a lovely piece of furniture not just a high quality TV then there will surely be a Samsung that takes your fancy.  With a massive range of LCD, LED and plasma's from entry level models to the outstanding Samsung c9000, there is definitely something for everyone.  I don't speak to many people that aren't impressed with the colours, and vividness of Samsung TV's and why wouldn't they be, not the most reliable brand in the world, but value for money I definitely think they're up there with the best of them! there are definitely a few Samsung TV's that I would choose over some of its main rivals.  always marked down for sounds quality, which is fair as Samsung even admit they don't focus on their speaker quality as a key selling point, but they have a pretty solid argument, in that why focus on the speaker quality in the TV when you can always add surround sound, and external speakers to give you that better quality.  But your TV is all about the picture quality, and design.  and thats what you get with a Samsung, great picture quality and brilliant design.

LG


Another brand that gets very good reviews right across the board,  however there are definite downsides to LG, although they continually tick boxes and like Panasonic LG does have its fans as far as clear cut quality goes I think they're lacking something. now don't get me wrong value for money is fantastic with LG you certainly do get a lot for your money, I should know I've got one, and all in all its good it could be better but for what I paid for it and for what I expected its not bad.  but that for me seems to be the problem with LG they don't push my buttons.  they're picture quality doesn't strike me like that of a Samsung, they're plasma's aren't a patch on Panasonic, the features don't jump out and wow you like Sony and i just don't think they have anything other than price to determine why they are better than they're rivals.  Again don't get me wrong why not buy a TV that is much cheaper than another brand when on paper they're the same thing? all in all they're definitely a strong runner up in the market but for me they're always going to be a runner up to the bigger brands.

Toshiba, Sharp, Sanyo, and retailers own brands.


Toshiba are a really good TV brand, that like LG continually get good reviews but don't and never will have the brand dominance of Samsung, Sony or Panasonic.  The same with Sharp, the quattron range is brilliant, it really is, but are they the best TV's on the market? no definitely not.  I personally think with sharps quattron range they've fixed something that wasn't broke.  there are plenty of people that have bought into it and I can see why but for me there are without doubt better TV's on the market.   retailers own brand's well where to start for the money you pay and the quality you get, there is definitely somewhere that you could get a branded, much higher quality product for just a few extra quid, and you wouldn't regret spending it!


Bar the odd really good offer, you get what you pay for, but do your homework make sure get all the features you're looking for!