Event Coverage

PC Show 2013 - TVs, Projectors, Media Players, Speakers & Headphones Buying Guide

By Team HardwareZone - 7 Jun 2013

TVs

PC Show 2013 Buying Guide

PC Show 2013 is currently taking place at the Singapore Expo, Halls 5 and 6. The show is on from June 6 to 9, and is opened from 12 noon to 9pm each day. A total of 600 exhibitors will be displaying their wares which will range from notebooks, tablets, televisions, cameras, and much more. As always, great discounts and freebies are to be had. As usual, admission is free!

As usual, there are literally thousands of products at the show, so in this buying guide, we'll be giving you some tips and tricks on what to look for when buying a particular product. And of course, we'll tell you some of the great deals we've uncovered at the show floor. So be it a new TV or a new pair of headphones, remember to read this before heading out to PC Show 2013. But before we begin, here's a video highlight of the top 10 new gadgets from the show floor:-

 

Buying Guide Index

 

 

HardwareZone PC Show 2013 Portal

For more on the PC Show, including maps, brochures, and Twitter updates, click on through to our PC Show portal.

 

TV Deals at PC Show 2013

For TVs, the best deals come from Samsung, due to the absence of other TV makers. Here are our top two TV picks from the Korean CE giant:

Samsung F7500 LED TV (55-inch)

The Samsung F7500 is a full HD 1080p TV that uses the company's Ultra Clear Panel. It has a Clear Motion Rate of 800Hz, and is equipped with a quad-core processor to ensure a smooth user experience when switching between apps, online services, and TV channels. With a metal finished stand, it's a beauty even when the screen's off.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $3,998 (Usual Price: $4,399)
  • PC Show Promotion: Free StarHub TV Anywhere, SingTel mioTV Play, HW-F751 Wireless Soundbar worth $1233.50, and more
  • Brochure

Samsung F6400 LED TV (32-inch)

If you're looking for a 32-inch TV that can do almost anything, the F6400 is it. It's a full HD panel, Clear Motion Rate of 400Hz, built-in 10W stereo speakers, supports micro dimming, and is capable of 3D. It comes with a pair of 3D glasses. Being a Smart TV, you also have access to apps and social media networks.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $829 (Usual Price: $899)
  • Brochure
Location

Hall 6, Booth 6011

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6011

Samsung F4500 LED TV (32-inch)

If paying $800 for a 32-inch, full HD Smart LED TV is still too much for you, the 32-inch F4500 can be had for a little over $500. But take note that it has a resolution of 1,366 x 768, and isn't capable of 3D. Other features include a Clear Motion Rate of 100Hz, and a dual-core processor. It's Smart TV functions too. In all, it makes for a decent bedroom TV.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $529 (Usual Price: $599)
  • Brochure
 

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6011

 

 

PC Show 2013 TVs Portal

 

TV Buying Guide

If you're buying a flatscreen TV today, chances are, it'll either be an LED TV or a plasma TV. Truth be told, an LED TV is actually an LCD TV. The main difference is that the former uses LED backlights (hence the name LED TV) instead of CCFL backlights. This has resulted in improved picture quality as a whole, and it also allows manufacturers to engineer slimmer housings.

A few years ago, we recommended that those on a shoestring budget to consider LCD TVs using CCFL backlights; but now, LED backlight-based LCD TVs are as affordable, so there's no real good reason to buy their older and thicker predecessors. That said, those who watch movie content a lot, and want a TV that can produce super-deep blacks and super-high contrast might want to consider a plasma TV. Many of the higher-end plasma TVs are also equipped with very fast refresh rates that often process motion better than similarly priced LED TVs.

 

TVS TODAY

Besides LED TVs, the other two buzzwords you tend to hear in advertisements or see in brochures today are Smart TVs and 3D TVs. Simply put, a Smart TV is an Internet-enabled television. It enables users to surf the web, view free or pay-per-view video streams, share networked content, as well as engage in interactive media such as social networking applications on a single platform. The latest trend on the Smart TV front is all about the remote control. Many high-end and midrange Smart TVs come with a Wii remote-type, often voice-capable remote in addition to the standard longish candy bar-type remote.On the other hand, a 3D TV, as the name implies, allows you to watch 3D content. Technologies used on a 3D TV can be complicated to explain in a matter of a few paragraphs; but in a nutshell, a 3D TV usually uses one of these two technologies: active 3D or passive 3D. While many TV enthusiasts love active 3D TVs for their 'better' image quality, those looking for cost effectiveness are often drawn to the passive 3D camp due to its use of lightweight, lower priced polarized glasses.

LED TVs

With shrinking prices and the fact that all TV makers have long shifted their production focus to LCD TVs using LED backlights, chances are, an LED TV is what most new TV buyers are likely going to end up with then they're shopping for a new TV today. The other good piece of news is that you no longer need to break the bank to afford a full HD set.

Plasma TVs

While there are only a handful of plasma TV makers left in the market now, the ones that remained have continued to churn out products that took our breaths away. To compete with LED TVs, plasma TV makers have mostly focused on improving what the technology does best, mainly black levels and motion control. Hence, when it comes to picture quality, many TV experts still prefer plasma TVs over LCD TVs.

Smart TVs

LED TVs and plasma TVs are so named because of the technologies (panel, backlight type) they're based on. On the other hand, Smart TVs (which also go by other names such as Connected TVs and Internet TVs) are so named because of the smart features they possess. A modern Smart TV is usually accompanied by widgets, apps, games, and a web browser. The important thing to take note here is that Smart TVs are powered by each brand's own proprietary software. So don't assume that a Smart TV feature on a Samsung TV is also present on an LG Smart TV, and vice versa.

3D TVs

Both active and passive 3D TVs have similar price range, but the latter have a slight price advantage because they use glasses with simple polarized lenses, as opposed to active glasses that have more electronics and run on batteries, and are thus heavier and more expensive to deploy in scale. And for the uninitiated, if you've a 3D TV, you also have an HDTV capable of displaying high-def 2D content. But be aware that the ability to convert 2D signals to 3D on the fly is usually a feature found on premium 3D TVs. And even when you've bought a 3D TV, you still need 3D content (e.g. a 3D Blu-ray disc) and a 3D source (e.g. a 3D-capable Blu-ray player) - thus the investment may be greater than you initially thought.

 

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HDTVS, SMART TVS & 3D TVS?

Have we aroused your curiosity and you now wish to learn more about the workings of HDTVs, Smart TVs, and 3D TVs? If so, check out our HDTV Buying Guide Essentials, Smart TV Buying Guide Essentials, and 3D TV Buying Guide Essentials.

In any case, before we dive into some of the top TV deals at this year's IT Show, here are some reminders:

  • A 3D TV isn't necessarily a Smart TV, though most of the time 3D sets do come equipped with Smart TV features.

  • Don't assume that apps found on UK or US Smart TV models are available on app stores here as well. This applies to video-on-demand services in particular. If you're keen on a specific service, check with the manufacturer if it's available locally.

  • If you foresee yourself spending more time on the web browser rather than multimedia apps, be sure to try out the Smart TV's browser when you're at the show. Some models have less responsive web browsers, while others do not support certain plug-ins like Java or Flash.

  • To stream high-definition content, it's best to have a broadband speed of 10Mbps and above to avoid video stutters or intermittent buffering. For optimal wireless network performance, we'd recommend using a wireless N-router at the very least.

  • Don't purchase a Smart TV simply because you feel compelled by consumer trends. Most TV vendors offer a cheaper 'non-Smart' alternative under their HDTV line-up if you prefer a more traditional display set. The same goes for a 3D TV. Do you really need a 3D TV? Have you thought about where you're going to get 3D content from?

Check out the latest TVs at our HardwareZone TVs Product Guide.

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