best buy and Hitach....... up yours

[bow slayer]

Well my 1 year old 50 inch LCD projection TV died last night. I paid 2000 for it plus another 400 for bEST BUYS PSP COVERAGE. Well guess what ,useless, the bulb went and the warranty won't cover it and a new bulb cost about 500 bucks. So now I have a 1 year old tv that needs another 5oo dollars spent on it . Then what another 500 next year and the next. What a freaking joke. I have a 20 year old tv in my room that has never needed anything. Why is everything they make these days junk.

 

Take this advice tell the best buy guy to shove his PSP coverage when tries to sell you one,the most important stuff is not covered. And stay away from Hitachi TVs.,complete junk just check consumers report. So i guess I need another new tv. Any suggestions? Who has a TV that is at least 2-3 years old and still loves it.

[tonyb]

That's a shame, I am surprised that the extended best buy warranty doesn't cover you. Sounds like the fine print gotcha this time...

 

I bought a Toshiba 42" Rear-projection TV for around that same price about 5 years ago and it is still going strong...but I can't hang it on the wall like you can with an LCD or Plasma...

 

If you are going to buy another TV, do lots of research...I have heard that Phillips makes great Plasma TV's though...

[Canuck2fan]

You might be surprised at how cheaply you can buy a replacement bulb and install it yourself.....

 

I found several for under 250 with just a quick search on google.

[Stoty]

Geesh, that really sucks. Sorry to hear about that.

 

I have a 3 yr old 50" Sony LCD, which is excellent. When it comes to higher-end electronics, you cant go wrong with Sony.

They might be a little more expensive than other brands, but you get what you pay for when it comes to technology. My family will always buy Sony. We have always dealt with G&G Electronics in Scarborough for all our electronic needs, and they have been nothing but top-of-the-line.

[PERCHER]

I bought a 50 lcd rear projection Sony hd.It has been trouble free for well over a year(KNOCK ON WOOD).

It was bought at future shop and when we bought it I declined their extended warranty.All in all I like Sony products and in all the years I have owned Sony I have NEVER had a problem with them.

[Gerritt]

Unfortunately DLP TV's do require bulb replacement... and because it is a consumable product (think Ink cartridge) it is not covered by warranty...

 

a tough pill to swallow for sure..

 

 

but you can get deal on replacement bulbs however...

 

G

[Gerritt]

www.deadlamp.com

[Gerritt]

LOL then you need glasses! HD is a completely different world compared to non-HD content..

 

G.

[Joey]

I was looking at TV's and contemplating buying one recently so I'll take you advice, thanks.

 

Someone told me that Sony is really the same as Samsung and it mostly made up of Samsung parts, but that Samsung is cheaper to buy in a TV. Has anyone else heard this or know if its true? I did note the prices were lower for the Samsung.

 

Joey

[2 tone z71]

got a 50 inch Samsung lcd flatscreen no problems friends got a 50 inch Panasonic Plasma and swears by it both great tvs,im suprised by the Hitatchi troubles they make awesome power tools

[danc]

I have a 3 year old DLP and a future shop 5 year extended warranty. My bulb went last summer (2 1/2 years). I did read the extended warranty when I bought it and I was aware that the bulb was not covered. Bottom line. Read and understand what you are signing.

[Gerritt]

As far as I am concerned.. sometimes extended warranties are worth their weight in gold... I have the 56" Toshiba I have now BECAUSE of the Product Service Plan..... trust me they do work..

 

G

[wuchikubo]

True.

 

I also find that the Audio systems available today (High End) are overkill as the weakest link in the whole thing is the human ear. We can't even hear the sounds being reproduced.

 

Hmmm, sounds like there may be an hearing issue there. The human ear at best would hear between 20-20000 Hz (at birth) starting off with about 15000 hair cells in each ear, but over time some of the inner ear's hair cells will die (that short ringing in the ear that goes away, that's one hair cell saying bye-bye) and spots in the frequency spectrum will not be picked up, the more dead cells, the more "dead spots". Usually, one will not notice that gradual loss and will tend to leave checking their hearing until it starts to irritate those around them. I'd recommend that most should have their hearing checked out at least one every two years after hitting 40 or earlier if you work around excessive noise (>85 dB), get it done by an Audiologist or Hearing Instrument Specialist (we all do the same basic testing).

 

And for your hearing's sake, turn down the volume on those MP3/i-pod thingys (try not to exceed 1/2 volume). Give your ears a rest regularly don't keep blasting them!!

 

As for the reply to this thread, Sony and Toshiba are the only ones we'll get. All of the ones we've had have all exceeded 10 years before needing replacement. (Unless someone physically damaged it).

Edited January 7, 2008 by HearingFish

[charlied]

DOH...I also bought a 50 inch Hitachi last year....no problems yet...hope mine doesn't go, as my tv is turned on alot !!!

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

We have a 57" rear projection Toshiba that we bought in 2002....we just had to replace some board due to an irritating zig-zag on the screen but it only cost us ~ $300 (that includes the part, labour and travel time to come out to the rural area we live in)...I figure that's not too bad given that this TV is 6 yrs old

Edited January 8, 2008 by TroutnMuskieHunter

[silveradosheriff]

I love my Hitachi 51" HD Rear Projection CRT!

 

Oldschool.....sort of.

[bigbuck]

My brother has a 5 year old Sony dust collector. He can't get either the tube or the bulb for it, Sony doesn't make a replacement. So he's out 4 and a half grand. I'm happy with my 12 year old Panasonic 27 incher, I turn it on and it works fine.

[mistyriver1]

Toshiba all the way. Got one that is 17 years old, never had a problem.

 

Bought a Toshiba LCD for the basement .....aka "Mantown". One year old, excellent TV.

[douG]

Responding to HearingFish, I train my staff regularly on hearing protection. The exams are fine, but they do squat in protecting you. Your employer provides the gear, it's up to you to wear it.

 

If you have to speak up to be heard in your work environment, you need plugs or muffs. Do you want to be able to talk to your grandkids or wha'?

 

As for wearing your mp3 or Ipod for hours every day at full blast, you are wrecking your ears little by little, causing damage that cannot be fixed. Hearing aids are not the answer.

 

 

Thanks for listening.

Edited January 8, 2008 by douG

[mistyriver1]

I train my staff regularly on hearing protection. The exams are fine, but they do squat in protecting you. Your employer provides the gear, it's up to you to wear it.

 

If you have to speak up to be heard in your work environment, you need plugs or muffs. Do you want to be able to talk to your grandkids or wha'?

 

As for wearing your mp3 or Ipod for hours every day at full blast, you are wrecking your ears little by little, causing damage that cannot be fixed. Hearing aids are not the answer.

Thanks for listening.

 

Didn't see Hearingfish's comment, I was trying to see the relation to TV's

Edited January 8, 2008 by mistyriver1

[Gerritt]

I know I should talk to an audiologist... asking people to repeat themselves all the time becomes a real pain... I find this especially with background noise.... Blame the years of machinery and power tools...

 

Sooner is better then later I suppose...

 

Sorry to hijack the thread..

 

G

[Greencoachdog]

Shop around online, you can find those bulbs for cheaper than that. Prolly around $250

Edited January 8, 2008 by Greencoachdog

[bassboy]

I also find that the Audio systems available today (High End) are overkill as the weakest link in the whole thing is the human ear. We can't even hear the sounds being reproduced.[/color][/size][/font]

 

 

All depends on what you consider high end.......if you are talking best buy and future shop high end.....well.....they arent even high low end. Last year I went to purchase new audio equipment......and all the affordable stuff I listened to did not compare to the 25 year old mid fi Sansui system I got in my late teens. That system cost me almost $3000 back then, and it was by no means hi end. Unless you spend $5000 for a Bryston 875HT or something along those lines, well.....you arent getting your moneys worth IMO. And yes....you CAN tell the difference. My wife could hear the difference between her 5 year old JVC $1200 unit, and my 25 year old middle of the road unit. So what did I buy? Believe it or not I scoured Epray for another 25 year old Sansui, though a higher end unit at the time. And you can tell the difference between the 2 25 year old units.....in fact the differences are quite stark even though they are from a similar era. All boils down to how much money a manufacturer wants to spend on the technology, and these days, its not much.....most of the affordable audio nowadays lacks any tonal warmth of the equipment of yesteryear. And if you want to go one step further and talk Vaccum tubes thats a different beast altogether......hit one of the rooms at Bay Bloor radio one day and see.....you will be amazed. And since I am in a very noisy environment 9 hours a day (Steel fabrication shop and yes, I wear hearing protection 29dB's worth LOL) and I can still tell the difference, I would LOVE to see the what the difference is if my ears were good LOL

Like I said......all boils down to the outlay the manufacturer wants to put into manufacturing and components.....not very often you see equipment thats manufactured like this any more:

 

 

Not just applicable to A/V stuff either.....seems there is an epidemic of 'throw away' stuff any more.....drives me nuts!!

 

Anyway.....sorry for the rant :blahblah1: ......just wanted to add my 2 cents worth.......cant help out much in the video department, though the 33 inch Sony CRT we bought last year is fantastic, even if it does weigh 175 pounds and we almost couldnt get it through the door

 

 

 

Bill

[TennesseeGuy]

Hey bassboy, I got the Sony CRT 34" (194 pounds) November 2006 and got a second one three days later. I'm pleased with both and they came with a two year warranty, which I read. Close out prices were good also. I thought a CRT would be good to get at a time when they should be perfected.

 

As good as they are, they can't make Ohio State University look good against L.S.U. right now.

[bow slayer]

well searching around and talking to a repair tech these bulbs usually last about 1-2 years normally something about using all the gas inside the bulb..Funny how the best buy sales guy never mentioned that,spending 3-400 every 18 months on a bulb.

Also there is a class action suit against Panasonic for this very reason. It seems there bulbs are needing replacing every year or sooner. Nice spend 2500 on a tv and then spend another 400 a year to keep it working. It is almost like the manufactors want the TV industry to go the way of the small appliance industry. Make cheaper products to the point where it is cheaper to buy new than repair. Just imagine the landfills in 20 years full of microwaves,toasters,dvd players and now maybe tvs.

I wish I couild buy a 50 inch old school tube.