Coby Electronics is a newer brand in the HDTV market. It is a United States company that has manufacturing facilities in various parts of the world including China and Mexico.
Coby is an up and coming name of audio/video equipment. As far as TV’s go, the primarily focus on the small ranges of LCD TV’s – everything from just a few inches wide to 30+ inch LCD TV’s. Their line-up includes standalone LCD HDTV’s, portable televisions, TV/DVD combo’s and more.
Coby competes with many of the other budget brand TV companies like AOC Envision, Insignia and Element. There appears to be a big market in lower cost TV’s that have a decent picture and can be sold in big box stores like Wal-Mart, Target and other places. Coby TV is renowned as the best option in home theater but may be worth considering if you are not concerned about the top of the line picture quality or if you are maybe just looking for a second TV that can be viewed in other areas of your house where basic quality and options are suitable.
Coby TV Brand Review
In the world of HDTV’s and home theater equipment, the old saying “you get what you pay for” is true to a certain degree. There are also some well-known brands that are higher quality and more reliable. Coby is trying to make a name for itself but definitely falls in line with the other budget brands. The common trend with these TV’s is that they have a decent picture. If you’re upgrading from a tube TV, you’ll be impressed but it doesn’t quite compare with some of the true HDTV brands.
Coby HDTV Product Quality
The biggest question people have when they come across an HDTV brand that they’ve never heard of is “how good is the quality of the TV” and “is this thing going to last very long”? Both are definitely good questions for most of the budget brand TV lines. HDTV shoppers need to keep in mind that these massed produced, cheaper TV’s obviously are cheaper to produce and quality issues tend to be a little more frequent. Unfortunately, it can be a little hit and miss as to who has problems. You may purchase a budget brand TV that lasts for 20 years and others will die within 1 year, Overall, Coby TV’s are worth considering so long as you know that there is a greater chance that you’ll run into picture issues, sound problems or potentially even a dead TV set than some other brands.
Coby TV Pricing & Value
We have focused on Coby’s pricing throughout this review because it really is the selling point of a Coby HDTV. People are attracted to them based on their competitive pricing, not because they are so blown away by the image. The truth is, Coby HDTV’s should be in consideration if pricing is your #1 concern, if you don’t plan on this being your primary TV or if you aren’t a big TV or movie watcher but need a TV in the home for off occasions.
Coby Customer Service
Similar to some of the other lesser known brands, we haven’t received much feedback on the customer service experience from Coby. We always recommend reviewing the warranty materials and researching other things online if you’re concerned about the customer service process. Our expectation is that due to the low cost of the TV’s, most people don’t bother calling into customer service once they are outside of their warranty. At that point, it’s probably common for TV shoppers to move on to a new set and throw their old TV out.
Overall Coby Rating
By now, I think we’ve made our thoughts on Coby HDTV’s pretty clear but to restate: Coby TV’s are on par with other budget brands so if you are considering some of them, take a look at Coby, compare the features, specifications and price and choose the HDTV best for you. These TV’s are great for specific uses but we don’t recommend them if you’re big on getting a great HD picture for watching sporting events, TV shows or movies. However, Coby TV’s are a great option for simple, basic uses and the price is definitely right.
