Our fellow countrymen seemed to have been trading their fat-assed CRT TVs for the thinner flat panel TV at an increasing rate according to a research done by GfK Philippines. In addition to this, 6% (37,000 units) of the total flat panel TV sold in the country are Internet-enabled TVs.
Although 6% isn’t exactly a desirable figure to get manufacturers excited to bring in more Internet-enabled idiot boxes to our country, that’s actually a dramatic increase of almost 300% over the same time last year. The research firm’s General Manager Mr. Benny Villanueva believes that if this trend serves as a forecast to the future of Internet TV in the country, then Internet connectivity may very well be the next sought-after feature for Filipino TV buyers in the coming years.
According to GfK, one of the main reasons behind this increase is the aggressive strategy of retailers and manufacturers in cutting the down the price of such TVs by around 20%. As a result, the price difference between traditional flat panel TVs and Internet-enabled TVs narrows down to a point that both TVs almost have the same price, making the latter a more practical buy than the former. In fact, some online retailers offers Smart TVs with a sub-Php20K price tag.
Another factor that the research firm believes to have contributed to this rapid growth is the flexible payment options such as 0% interest installment plan which makes it easier for consumers to own one of this fancy TVs.
The research also suggests that apart from choosing a TV with internet connection over a plain TV, Filipinos also prefer the 32†models over other size offerings. According to GfK, one of every three Internet-enabled TVs sold in the country has a 32†screen.
We expect that the number of Internet-enabled TVs sold in the country will continue to increase as we inch closer to the holiday season because retailers will surely offer promos and discounts on their products.
thanks for the review, i was considering buying an internet capable samsung tv but the salesman told me that you need at least a 2.5 mbps connection. and having a subscription for such speed isn’t cheap.
now i’m considering instead to for an ordinary led tv from samsung or sony; and install a cdr king internet box for my internet tv streaming fix.
i already tried it with my 32 inch changhong lcd tv, and it’s good and it’s android too. check it out!
@Che @vhangell – I am curious with the Android STB, do you guys know where I can buy one? Is it expensive? and the TV that I will be using, does it have to be an Internet TV or a regular TV will do? Gusto ko sya try, thanks.
@kamote see the cdr-king internet tv box P2880, hdmi connection wifi / lan connectivity. ayaw ko lang post yung link baka bawal. google mo na lang.
wala ka nang mabibiling walang internet feature eh..
hindi mo rin naman gagamitin yang internet feature na yan eh… after all may ipad ka na, may iphone ka na, may laptop ka na, may desktop ka na, may android ka pa.
babayaran mo siya as ‘feature’ pero di mo naman gagamitin…
no choice…
Ive got mine for monthly P1300 Sony 32 inches CX520, integrate with wdtv HD player and cable tv with broadband . My Kids prefer the YOutube app watching unlimited DIsneys and Barbies and educational channels.. Used it to contact my kids at home with skype… Im planing to have dlna media server later for offline streaming.. hehehe
Internet connectivity speed is definitely a determining factor to the success of Smart Tv. A 2mbps connection on Samsung’s Smart Hub does the job for most SD content, but lags with HD content.
If money isn’t an issue, definitely go with Samsung LED TV. Its color reproduction is unrivaled. Although Samsung goes upto series 8, series 5 will suffice since 3D imaging isn’t that practical or mainstream anyway.
Here’s an extensive review on Samsung’s Smart TV including its features (social network integration, 3rd party devices and 3rd party content providers):
http://manilagawker.blogspot.com/2012/09/samsung-smart-hub-and-viki-premiere.html
Mine is 22″ Sony KDL-22EX423 Internet TV bought a year ago. OK ang specs, EDGE LED, good color contrast, internet-enabled. it has its own html browser but it doesn’t support flash sites. Facebook and Twitter widgets can be embedded while watching TV pero ang hirap mag type sa remote pero there’s a remote app for iOS and android users for easy typing and para macontrol mo ang smart tv mo through your fone provided your phone and TV are on the same network. But why facebook on the TV using the remote app when you can actually facebook on your phone, di ba…
ang pinaka-useful na nagamit ko ay yung YOUTUBE app ng TV, i’ve got a good connection kaya maganda mag youtube sa internet TV, ang laki ng screensize.
mine is SONY EX420 model Internet TV bought a year ago. ok ang features ng TV, top of teh line… pero so far sa internet capabilities nya, YOUTUBE lang ang nagagamit ko. ang hirap kaya ng online games tapos remote lang gagamitin, may facebook and twitter widgets pero sobrang bagal ko magtype sa remote hehehe!
Just bought mine 2 weeks ago by LG. And i also got an android cloud tv stick for my led tv to convert it to an internet enabled tv from groupon. Both work great.
As far as I remember, the last time I use internet on my LG 42LW5700 was on the day I bought it and then never again! Still underpowered and needs at least a stable 5mbps to get you through. Such a waste of money!
isang malaking CHECK!
Try mo youtube sa lg 42lw5700. After ng firmware upgrade. No lag, 1.5mbps speed dsl ko. Yun lang ang nagagamit sa internet tv.
samsung’s having a sale this october 16. but sony’s promo-discount deal plus freebies is much sweeter,(free ps3, xperia s etc.)available now.
is there anywhere local that sells android stbs? tried greenhills yesterday and didn’t find anything…
Having a hard time deciding on 2 models. Samsung 32es5300 or LG 32ls5700. Any advice yuga?
Just get an ordinary LED/LCD TV then attach an android stb. Its the cheaper option, plus you can get a higher sized screen.
Isnt it selling more because of Price?
I mean I think the lowest internet TV Size is 32 and all the other ones are higher