What's behind the cheapening of big TVs?
A large survey was conducted by CZC, the domestic number two (after Alza) in electronics sales, at the end of the first quarter of 2024 on more than a thousand of its customers. Why have Czechs started to replace their TVs in large numbers?
"First and foremost, many people reacted to the significant reduction in prices of TVs with larger diagonal screens and also to very attractive promotional offers," explains Vladimír Vyhnal, product manager of the TV category at CZC. The lower prices are said to have led to the fact that by buying a new device, Czechs have solved the still widely used uncomfortable combination of an older TV set and an external DVB-T2 box, although the Czech Republic will switch to the new standard in 2020.
"The wave of purchases was also driven by a shift in technology. QLED models have become very popular, offering the vast majority of customers the best price/performance ratio and becoming an attractive choice in terms of price and features," Vyhnal adds.
How much will you pay for a large-screen TV?
Of course, the price increases mainly with the diagonal size. On the comparison site Heureka.cz, the Samsung UE55CU7172 TV with a 55″ (138 cm) diagonal and an LED display is currently the most popular TV, which you can buy from CZK 9,890 to CZK 13,230.
Otherwise, according to Heureka's ranking, these two price categories are among the most popular TVs.
Quick note: These are always smart TVs with an operating system, Hbb TV extension (e.g. iBroadcast CT) and the ability to install apps like Netflix or YouTube.
The first category is TVs from about CZK 8,000 to CZK 12,000. For this amount you can have a TV with a large diagonal from 100 to 150 cm and a lot of smart features, which have already been mentioned. Of the brands, Samsung and TCL score the most points in terms of price/performance ratio. These TVs mostly use classic LED technology, which has high brightness and nice colours, but does not have a completely dark black.
The second category is TVs from about 15 000 CZK upwards, which offer just better colour rendering, including really dark blacks. Among the brands, Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL or Hisense score points. While the more vivid colours are mostly found in TVs with a QLED display, OLED TVs have no competition in black.
Otherwise, the range of smart features is virtually the same as the cheaper TVs, with one exception - the more expensive TVs can mirror from a mobile phone or computer via Chromecast (Google/Android solution) or AirPlay (Apple solution).
Tip! You can often find good-priced televisions in sale leaflets, just browse through them on the shopping guide Kupi.cz, where all the leaflets from supermarkets, hobbymarkets to electricals are in one place and online.
What do Czechs most often demand from TV?
According to the survey, less than 8% of families do not have a TV set at home today and they are satisfied with their phones, computers or laptops for watching audiovisual content. However, these do not provide such an experience.
The most common reasons for getting the latest TV set are, at 38%, the desire for a better picture, sound or other better technology. This confirms that people who use older LCD technology want a picture with stronger blacks, higher contrast and other features that improve viewing of sports or fast action scenes.
After what period of time is it ideal to replace the TV?
A user purchases a television for several years, so it is usually a larger investment. A total of 27% of respondents have a TV at home older than 5 years and 24% last bought a TV 3 to 5 years ago. However, 31% of the respondents wanted a new device and also bought one in the last 2 years, i.e. almost one third. This is also due to better affordability than before.
Source: kupi.cz
