Consumer electronics....what has happened

Jono8

Jono8

Jono8

Caporegime
Joined
20 May 2007
Posts
41,053
Location
Surrey
Is it just me or is the quality control for consumer electronics absolutely awful these days?

I have never had a problem until the past couple of months when i have tried to buy a few things.

First was a TV, i bought a Panasonic Plasma but it had a dead pixel and a louder than normal buzz which was very intrusive and easily audible over whatever you were watching if you had it on low. I then decided to opt for a Samsung LED model instead and i tried two of these...both had awful backlight clouding issues so i gave up on the TV idea for a bit.

Then, more recently i have bought a Galaxy S4. I went through three of these and ALL had horrible pink tints to a certain part of the screen and the latest one had a horrid buzz when it vibrated(sounded like something was loose in side).

Today i saw a good deal on a Panasonic TV in Tesco when i was shopping so took the plunge and bought it. Screen uniformity on the backlight is impressive BUT it has a dead pixel and upon plugging it into my computer it is very obvious that the right side of the screen is quite a bit duller than the left (very noticeable on white backgrounds like the google homepage!)

I am at my wits end with taking faulty electronics back and i'm starting to think that either i am incredibly unlucky or that generally, modern consumer electronics are just ****

I guess some of you may think i am being too fussy, but i don't think it is a lot to ask for things to just ....work. Dead pixels and uneven brightness/colouration on screens is just so distracting when watching or doing anything on them that i can't cope with it.

:mad:
 
Modern electronics are very complex, I'm not surprised there are problems and issues. Stuff that you notice someone else might not be bothered by.
 
To top it off my virginmedia broadband has been dodgy as he'll all evening.

1st world problems yo
 
I agree, I absolutely hate the dead pixel thing, it's why I generally buy second hand t&cs/monitors to ensure they're good. Three dead pixels is not acceptable, thank God for DSR, no need to give a reason.

In fact pretty much everything I buy is second hand, I don't see the point of paying a premium.
 
^ or if you buy new keep taking them back and get another one until you are happy.

I went through two to get one I was happy with, wiped Richer Sounds out of that particular model. First one had red and blue lines, I think, down each side, and the second had a scruff mark on the bezel.
 
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I think a large part of the problem is that as a rule of thumb they're made as cheaply as possible. They're not rare luxury items any more and competition has increased, so manufacturers are under pressure to get more power/features at a lower price than each other, which requires cutting corners on everything that isn't a selling point in terms of performance or features, and that means reduced build quality. Since the devices are sold in the expectation that they will quickly be replaced by newer versions, longevity isn't enough of a selling point to offset increased cost.

"Our phone is no better than our competitors and it costs 20% more than theirs, but it'll probably still be working in 5 years time" isn't going to get mass market sales. It wouldn't be used even if it would get mass market sales, because they don't want you to use the same phone for 5 years. They want to sell you another one next year.
 
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