Best Buy to exclusively sell low-end TVs under Sharp brand name

This is either brilliant or incredibly shortsighted depending on your point of view...
http://www.twice.com/news/tv/best-buy-licensing-sharp-brand-direct-sourced-tvs/55021

 

It's a great idea provided that the quality control is kept in place.

I bought a Samsung monitor several years ago that never looked as sharp and clear or color correct as it should have. I found out later that it was not a Samsung but made by another company when Samsung was behind on orders. It was not the real thing and looks so much worse because of it. All floor models sent out were the real thing, stock on shelves were not.

 

Sounds like a bait and switch. The attorney general where you lived should be contacted. But it maybe too late to do anything about it now.

 

Most of Sharp's low end smaller size sets are already outsourced, as are most brands. The whole point of value for Sharp is that even if they are outsourced, the OEM uses Sharp panels from their plant outside Osaka, Japan, otherwise, it is collecting very small royalties. Sharp needs that panel plant to be full to make money. TVs are just icing on the cake.

Sharp's biggest problem with LCD TVs is not 'quality' or picture quality, but their inability to make a TV that has decent motion handling without large amounts of judder. Maybe they fixed this in the 2014 models, but the last couple years' models have been awful and well documented, unless high end Pioneer/Sharp Elite models.

 

How did you find out it was not a real Samsung and do you have any tips for those of us trying to avoid having that type of thing?

 

I read up on my model which had previously had stunningly glowing reviews, and I saw complaints. The at end of serial numbers there is an S, A and C. The A and C were "said" be be fine but required user to calibrate in order to get proper picture. I tried to follow the online instructions and could not do it.

A few years later I decided to try again and looked up that known issue. Then I saw more info about how Samsung finally admitted that A and C were made by two different panel makers, lower end ones. The A was not so hot and the C even worst in tests. Only the S version was a real Samsung.

Here is a quote from the page detailing the scandal. But this page tried also to state that it really is not a biggie in the end after calibration. My monitor does not calibrate with the instructions given, it says "not available" for some of the features I am to adjust. I gave up.

quote:
So there were few orders in the beginning. Then in February, as Samsung promised, the situation returned to normal and clients finally received their screens. However, almost immediately a wave of discontent hit forums. A new version had appeared, recognized on the back of monitors by its sticker. Some were S series (those which we tested, « S » meaning whose panel’s origin was Samsung), other A series – for AU Optronics, a current competitor. The reputation of the « A » only got worse and the witch hunt began.

http://www.behardware.com/art/imprimer/667/

here they are saying even with the bad panels, the monitor is better than the reast, so no don't cancel your oders. This is pure B.S it is a ratty looking monitor, and they even mention going into motherboard setting trying to make the picture look acceptable with these fake Samsung monitors

Should we regret having bought an A version and would another screen have been better? No. The 226BW, whether it’s an A or S, is still above the rest.

This sentence about is just pure utter sheesust.

 

how deceitful! they should be ashamed...

 

A business ashamed? Not likely.

Though Hari Kiri of the executives concerned would be indicated

 

FWIW.....Black Friday units are usually not the same as the standard models, they have less if not only 1 HDMI input and other things are compromised as well, but they try to sell them as a specific model when they are really something different.

 

Samsung watchers have known about the differing panels they use for a long time. When I got my latest panel, I looked at every box on the floor, knowing what code to look for, and got the last Samsung made panel the store had. The salesman thought I was nuts.

 

To the extent possible, consumers must do their homework, be alert and aware; outsourcing for many manufacturers is more cost-effective than adding capacity, but is misleading for consumers buying a specific brand and model for a purpose.

Absent a class action or immediate recognition of the problem, unlikely, recourse is limited by the expense of doing so and the stone-wall limited and likely clueless effect of their Customer Relations alternatives, if any.

You should get exactly what you paid for.

 

I saw a story on this in TWICE last week and was shocked. For those of us who sold Sharp video projectors in the 1990s, they always stood for quality. Now they just are a name to be marketed. Talk about selling your soul...

This is really, really sad. The OP asked if this was a great short term move or a lousy long term one. I vote for the latter.

 

Source?

 

thanks for the info.

 

Not illegal, maybe not even unethical, but still sucks. The entire purpose is to allow BB to play the outsourcing game to minimize price and cost, while also allowing them to use the Sharp brand name to maximize profits. It will likely dilute the Sharp brand, but Sharp probably doesn't care since AFAIK so much of their business these days is as an OEM for flat panels anyway.

 

I agree that what Best Buy and Sharp are doing is not illegal.

But what @quicksrt describe happened to him seems to be illegal. It is a classic bait and switch. Advertising and showing one model but then selling a different - substandard - one.

 

I really wanted to avoid being cynical and suspicious of everything as I got older. I wanted to trust proven name brands. Where I really screwed up is not returning that dang Samsung after one day of use.

My plan is to buy my flat panels used from now on. I think I like the old Gateway screens now. No need to have them be brand new, I have another used screen that looks wonderful. Samsung does not want my money obviously.

 

Indeed!

 

Illegal? Virtually every Samsung TV model made in the past 10 years has had a panel sourced from multiple origins. Yes, even AO Optronics.

This is also the case with your iPhone/iPad or Android device. Any big manufacturer uses several sources for LCD panels and other critical components.

 

I've had a 40"Sharp Aquros 1080 HD TV for several years now, and the picture quality is excellent.
Using a DVD consumer test disc, I tweaked the settings ,and to me, it's great.

This set was around $900. list at the time. I bought it at a pawn shop for much less when it was about a year old.
I have remarked several times of late at how much the price had dropped on HD TV's since I got mine.
But it appears a drop in quality along with price is part of the deal.

Edit: I just re-read the article and see that Sharp says the Best Buy sets are separate from, though complementary to, the Sharp Aquos open line of small- and midsized premium LED TVs.

 

This should be illegal.

I remember in the 70's GM was putting Chevrolet 350's in Buicks, Oldsomobiles and got in some pretty nasty legal stuff.

 

The difference with GM is that while they own all of the companies in question, so it is still GM, however, a Chevrolet 350 is a different engine design than a Oldsmobile 350, and others etc. rather than the same engine design made in another plant. As long as they disclose that, seems like it is OK to me.

 

I guess companies are free to damage their reputation, and with the internet the damaged rep will travel much faster, and hurt their bottom line more severely, and quicker. If they are fine with that, then I'm fine. I'm going used with my next computer monitors since I live in a big city where finding one will be no biggie.

I think Samsung for help me to save hundreds, and helping me to learning the curve on monitors. I would have never bought used had it not been for them showing me a good reason to.

 

Well, Sharp America has sold out to Hisense, so the race to the bottom continues...
http://www.cnet.com/news/hisense-to-buy-sharp-america-in-23-7-million-deal/