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When it comes to shopping for a new television, there are more choices than ever before. Long gone are the days when you simply shopped for size and quality. Seiki Smart LED TVs are here now!
Today televisions, or displays as the industry is more apt to call them, feature everything from built-in streaming services to multiple inputs/outputs and sizes that will fit snugly in the kitchen or feature prominently in a cinema-inspired media room.
More than that, there are dozens of television manufacturers. Some are well-known brand names like Sylvania and Vizio; some are less so like Element and Funai Electric. All are trying to keep up with the competition and attract your business.
In this article, we turn our attention to Seiki and its line of high-definition TVs. By the end of this article, you should have a clear view of what Seiki is, the TVs it sells, what customers think of those televisions and which one to choose if you find yourself in the market for a Seiki TV.
What Is Seiki?
Seiki Digital’s headquarters is in Diamond Bar, California. Though it is an American company, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tsinghua Tongfang Company, headquartered in China.
The company began with a focus on providing customers with high-quality televisions at a competitive price: what it calls a “best value” TV. In recent years, it has expanded its offerings to include small appliances and other consumer electronics.
Its parent company is based in Beijing. Tsinghua Tongfang is primarily a software company but also deals in consumer electronics. Its offerings are expansive, however, and include information and application systems, and environmental and energy technology.
It sells televisions under the Seiki brand as well as the Element Electronics and Westinghouse Digital brands.
What Types of Televisions Does Seiki Make?
Consumers will find three types of televisions in the Seiki line: Ultra High Definition (UHD), Full High Definition (FHD) and High Definition (HD).
All have LED (light-emitting diode) displays, and each comes in a smart version. To get a better sense of what all that means, let’s work through some explanations and examples.
Resolution
A resolution, when talking TVs, refers to the number of pixels that compose a picture. A pixel is little more than a tiny dot on the screen – a discrete picture element, as some call it. 720p TV consists of about one million pixels.
Ultra High Definition provides viewers a picture with a resolution of 3840x2160p or more than 8 million pixels. It is sometimes referred to as 4K. Full High Definition delivers a 1920x1080p resolution or a little over 2 million pixels. High Definition is your basic 720p resolution.
The high resolutions like UHD exist so that television viewers can sit closer to the television without the picture losing its definition. Manufacturers most often use UHD in larger displays, above 55 inches in most cases.
Smart TVs
A smart TV is a television with an internet connection. Almost all smart TVs are Wi-Fi compatible or have a port that will allow you to connect the set to the web. Most smart TV viewers use television to easily access streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.
Several include apps you might find on AppleTV or Roku like YouTube or SlingTV. Shop around and you may find a smart set with a camera and a connection to Skype, Zoom or other video conferencing software.
Top 3 Best Seiki Smart LED TVs
The largest Seiki television clocks in at 65 inches with the brand’s LED smart UHD displays. The smallest and most affordable is its 32-inch LED HD television. Each has its own unique features.
The Seiki Smart LED TVs UHD
Seiki’s top-of-the-line television offering gives consumers 4K resolution at a middle-range price. The company offers the display in three sizes: 65-inch, 55-inch, and 49-inch. Each set comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity.
Out-of-the-box apps include Netflix, YouTube, AccuWeather, VUDU, Pandora and more. It can support everything from 480i to 1080p, and with the right HDMI, 4K2K and 4K2K 60 Hz.
Professional reviewers call Seiki’s UHD offering a good starter set for those looking to dabble in 4K. It’s color accuracy is good, and that is important when shopping for a 4K set.
As you will learn, an FHD or 1080p display with better contrast ratio and color accuracy will look better to the naked eye than a 4K display with average contrast and color. Contrast and color accuracy always catch the eye more than the number of pixels on a screen.
Most are not fans of the price, however, since the always-affordable Seiki sometimes sells for more than bigger brand names or affordable competitors like Vizio that can also provide displays of somewhat better quality. More technical critics call out the set’s lackluster HDMI ports, which they say are not of the quality one would expect in a UHD display.
Seiki Smart LED TVs UHD Reviews
Customers on one retail site give Seiki’s UHD television positive reviews overall. More than 60 percent of reviewers give the display four or five stars. Only 18 percent rank the TV with one star.
Those who gave the UHD TV high marks said the display does what it’s meant to do, which is provide UHD resolution at a low price.
“There are no fancy bells and whistles here,” one reviewer writes, “but rather a mid- to high-quality” television. Many also find the display used for gaming and programming.
Consumers critical of the television dislike some of the latency rates and bemoan the effectiveness of the set’s remote control (it works intermittently or not at all after a short distance).
Others complained about the HDMI ports much like the professional critics, having to plug and unplug the cable to get the proper feed.
- WIDESCREEN: 32” HD Ready LED TV
- BUILT IN: Built-in Freeview T2 HD and Digital Freeview Channels
- DVD READY: Built-in DVD Player
- HDMI: 3 x HDMI inputs for your external devices and consoles
- Buying a British made Cello TV you have peace of mind that help and advice is just a phone call or email away, because our friendly customer service team is located at Cellos head office and factory in Bishop Auckland County Durham and available on 0333 433 0312 or consumersupport@celloelectronics.com.
The Seiki Smart LED FHD & Standard LED FHD
A step down from Seiki’s Ultra High Definition offering is the company’s Full High Definition or 1080p display. The 40-inch set is available as a smart television or simple FHD. Similar to its UHD version, the FHD comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity.
Stream shows and video from Netflix, YouTube, VUDU, Pandora and more with the smart version. The display supports 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p content.
Like Seiki’s other offerings, the 40-inch display is pretty bare bones. Beyond its advertised resolution rate, the display offers a trio of an HDMI port and nothing more.
Consumers looking for an inexpensive full-HD television with no plans to do any gaming or use the display as a monitor should be happy with their purchase, though.
Seiki Smart LED FHD Reviews
The majority of people who have purchased Seiki’s 40-inch television are happy with their choice. More than 70 percent of customers on one retail site gives the display four or five stars. Reviewers applaud the picture which they say is as good as more expensive brands.
One reviewer believes only professionals could really tell the difference between picture quality, and they would have to look hard for that difference.
Setup is simple, write some reviewers, though expect to adjust a number of settings to get the picture just the way you want it. A number of users say the set works fine for gaming. Still, others say this display is for TV lovers on a budget.
Complaints, even in five-star reviews, center on sound quality. While the picture is crisp, the set’s audio leaves a bit to be desired for many consumers. Another big red flag among low scorers was longevity.
The display quit working for a number of consumers less than a year after purchase. Others had video display issues they could not resolve.
- RCA 32" Smart TV: Your RCA 32" HD LED TV has a slim and lightweight design that saves you space and is perfect for your kitchen or small lounge.
- Roku Smart TV: Your RCA TV is equipped with Roku operating system, which provides rich content. With built-in apps like BBC, Netflix, Freeview Play, Disney+, you can explore your favorite shows and movies.
- HDR Technology: HDR technology enables an ultra-wide color space to display images with a high dynamic range, allowing you to enjoy more picture detail.
- High Quality Sound System: Dolby Audio on your RCA TV simulates surround sound without additional loudspeakers, allowing you to enjoy rich stereo sound and immersive virtual surround sound.
- Various Extension Interfaces: This compact and portable RCA TV has 2 x HDMI port, 2 x USB port, 1 x RF Input, 1 x RJ45, 1 x Optical. Various interfaces allow you to expand more devices on this TV.
The Seiki Smart LED HD & Standard LED HD
If you are in the market for a simple high-def television, maybe for the bedroom or a kitchen nook, Seiki offers its smart and standard LED HD displays. The HD version comes in a compact 32 inches.
Like its sister displays, the HD’s smart version comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity. Connect to Netflix, YouTube, VUDU, Pandora and more directly from the display.
Consumer response to Seiki’s smallest set is much the same as its larger displays. Reviewers are generally impressed with the image quality and color accuracy for the TV’s price point. It is a bare-bones product, however, so buyers should not expect bells and whistles.
While many reviewers eschew the display for gaming and computing, many customer reviews give the set high marks for just that.
Nearly 75 percent of customer reviews on one online retailer score the set with four or five stars. About 12 percent think the TV should be in the bargain bin. Most five-star reviews out the little set’s picture quality.
Note that many reviewers write that the quality is not perfect, but for the price – some sets sell for less than $100 – it is better than expected.
Those who gave the TV one star encountered various problems, from sets that would not turn on to difficulty getting a replacement for a defective purchase. The overall theme was the same as the five-star reviewers – picture quality – of which one-star reviewers felt there was none.
- Amazon Exclusive Model
- HD: Hisense HD TV presents crisp and clear images by analyzing the content coming in, reducing the noises and minimizing image distortion. It offers crisp and clear content for viewing
- Natural Color Enhancer: Natural Color Enhancer optimizes color reproduction, which can distinguish between the smallest differences in the input signal, and compensate to produce a final result that is uniform and realistic. Whether it's soaps, docs or movies, you'll enjoy colors the way they were meant to be seen
- DTS Virtual X: Enjoy an immersive audio without the need for height speakers, the bass perception engages you into the center of a performance
- VIDAA U5: An easy, smart and intuitive OS, simply access to rich contents and global applications (Disney+, YouTube, Netflix and Freeview Play etc.), making your TV more interesting
How Much Do Seiki TVs Cost?
Seiki Smart LED offers what it calls “best value” televisions and the price point on its models matches that description. In the list below, you will find examples of brands and models comparable to Seiki.
65-Inch Smart LED UHD Televisions
Seiki Smart LED 65-Inch UHD Smart LED TV – $699
Sony 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV – $3,798
Samsung 65-Inch 4K UHD 8 Series Smart LED TV – $1,297
LG 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV – $804
40-Inch Smart LED FHD Televisions
Seiki Smart LED 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LED HDTV – $299
Samsung 40-Inch Class FHD Smart LED TV – $399
Hisense 40-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV – $349
Vizio 40-inch Class FHD Smart LED TV – $315
32-Inch LED HD Televisions
Seiki Smart LED 32-Inch Class 720p 60 Hz LED HDTV – $189
TCL 32-Inch 720p LED TV – $179
RCA 32-Inch 720p LED HDTV – $168
LG 32-Inch 720p LED TV – $176
How To Pick The Right TV
Whether you decide to select a Seiki television or another brand, you should consider a few things before you make a final decision. If you are looking at Seiki Smart LED
TVs, to begin with, you may be on a budget, so don’t think you have to follow all these suggestions. Use them as thought starters and questions to ask salesclerks on the floor.
First, if you can swing it, consider buying a TV with UHD or 4K resolution. This will help you get the most longevity out of your set since the content will eventually move to 4K. The TV should also have a 120 Hz refresh rate.
Quality bargain UHD TVs tend to fall in the $500 to $900 range for 50- to 65-inch sets. Keep your eye out for HDR-compatible TVs, too. HDR stands for high dynamic range and expands a display’s contrast, making images feel deeper and more textured. It enhances color, too, creating a vivid moving image.
Most experts say leave curved TVs at the door. They are more fad than tech enhancement. Not a fad are smart TVs, but don’t let a salesperson – or price tag – suggest this is a fancy feature. Also, don’t fret the set’s sound quality. As displays grow thinner sound is sacrificed. To combat this, consider investing in a soundbar.
Conclusion
Seiki’s mission of delivering “best value” televisions seems to hold true after comparing prices for similarly built displays and reading through dozens of customer reviews.
Therefore, consumers need to understand that purchasing a Seiki Smart LED set is buying a simple product that delivers on a shortlist of promises. The company’s TVs are not high-end media machines.
If you are on a budget and your expectations are simple, Seiki TVs may be the one for you.