Updated Monday July 30, 2007-Now Includes Olevia HDTVs
Flat panel TV bargains abound these days. With prices dropping 30%-40% from 2006 to 2007 (confirmed this week by LG US CEO Michael Ahn) one can easily be tempted by the leader pricing of the “new brands (called tier two and tier three by the consumer electronics industry) that undercut top panel maker prices by hundreds of dollars.
What the enticing, price driven TV commercials and their dealers don’ tell you is that Westinghouse, Polaroid and other tier two and three set makers add costly charges during the one year warranty period and buyers may incur substantial service charges after their warranties expire. In fact, two companies surveyed don’t support service at all after the one-year warranty expires!
Polaroid’s HDTVs, which sell mainly through Circuit City, would seem to be bargain-priced compared to the “name brand competitors. Polaroid’s 1080p 42″ LCD Model number PLD 4241TLXB, for example, sells for $1149.99 at Circuit City, while Toshiba’s 42HL167 goes for $1699.99.
The Polaroid set seems like a good deal until you find out what the Circuit City and Polaroid websites fail to disclose, which is that Polaroid HDTVs cannot be repaired after the warranty period expires!
The HD Guru visited his local Circuit City and asked the salesman what to do if a Polaroid required out of warranty service. He didn’t know. The next day the HD Guru called Circuit City’s customer service (CS) department. The representative did not have a clue about either in or out of warranty service for Polaroid flat panels!
The HD Guru later contacted Polaroid customer service. A representative informed him that its HDTVs carry a one-year on-site warranty. Fine. But what about parts and service for out of warranty service? Incredibly, the customer service rep replied “there are no out of warranty repairs available, you are basically on you own” adding that Polaroid does not offer any out of warranty support (including parts), at its US headquarters or through independent TV repair shops.
With no parts and no authorized “out of warranty” service available, what you basically get when you buy a Polaroid is a disposable HDTV, think paper towel. When the warranty expires, if the set breaks, it’s ready for the town dump.
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You can always buy an extended warranty from Circuit City, but that subtracts a substantial portion of the savings gained by buying an off brand TV in the first place. The HD Guru wonders how an extended warranty will be honored since Polaroid does not have any system to sell parts to servicers.
Next up, Vizio HDTVs. Here is what appears on its website, with bold added by the HD Guru.
Service Labor
During the one (1) year warranty period, VIZIO will provide, when needed, service labor to repair a manufacturing defect at its designated service center. To obtain warranty service in the United States, you must first contact VIZIO Technical Support via email at techsupport@VIZIO.com or via phone at (949) 428-2525. The determination of service will be made by VIZIO. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR UNIT TO VIZIO WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION.
Service
During the one (1) year warranty period, VIZIO will, at its option and sole discretion, repair or replace defective parts, which may be new or remanufactured, including replacement of the entire unit. The Customer will be required to ship the product to the service center indicated by VIZIO when the return authorization is provided. The Customer is responsible for all transportation charges to the service center. VIZIO is not responsible for the de-installation or re-installation of the product.
Packaging and Shipping Instruction
When shipping the product to an authorized VIZIO service facility, the original carton box and packing material, or an equivalent as designated by VIZIO, must be utilized.”
According to Vizio, all TVs 37″ and larger must go by truck to California. Fed Ex Ground from NY to Vizio in Irvine, CA is $88.95 for its 42″ LCD TV and $108.95 for its 50″ plasma. You threw out the TVs packing carton? If you are in the warranty period, it’s no problem, Vizio will ship you a new cardboard box at no charge (according to its CS rep).
If the Vizio flat screen breaks after the one-year warranty expires is where it gets expensive. The prices are shocking.
For any Vizio 42″ LCD, the carton and packing material with shipping is $300. Its out of warranty service is at a “Flat Rate” of $300 parts + $140 labor. Outbound shipping (FED EX ground) to Vizio cost $89. For return freight, Vizio charges $250 bringing the total cost of an out of warranty repair cost a staggering $1079. The current cost of a new Visio 42″ LCD at Circuit City is $1099. Think of it, twenty bucks more and you get a brand new disposable TV with a new one-year warranty. What a deal!
Insignia
Insignia is Best Buy’s “house brand” It offers a line of HDTVs up to 42″. According to Best Buy salesmen and the Insignia website (http://www.insignia-products.com/t-WarrantyInformationEnglish.aspx) if an Insignia TV needs repair, you must bring it into the store where it was purchased in its “original packaging or packaging affording an equal degree of protection”. Hauling a 92 pound 42″ plasma television in its factory carton is quite a hassle probably requiring a large SUV, pickup truck or van. The Best Buy salesmen also said that after the factory one year warranty expires, Best Buy will not repair Insignia brand televisions, but if the two hundred dollar Best Buy extended warranty is purchased with the television, Best Buy will provide in-home service.
Westinghouse
If the set is purchased from Best Buy it must be returned to the store for warranty service regardless of the size of the TV, according to the Westinghouse customer service department. If purchased elsewhere, Westinghouse customer service must be called to determine if the set is in need of factory service. Westinghouse will issue a return authorization if they determine factory services is needed and it will pay the freight both ways if the TV was purchased within the last 90 days. From 90 days to the end of the one-year warranty, the consumer must pay the return freight and supply the original packaging or a suitable equivalent. Westinghouse does not sell replacement cartons and packing. Out of warranty service is available locally in select markets according to its customer service department. If there is no local factory authorized servicer in your area, the set owner must pay the freight both ways and the cost or repair parts and labor, which will be determined after Westinghouse receives and examines the malfunctioning television.
Olevia
Olevia’s limited customer service hours (7:00 am- 6:00 pm Pacific time) and broken links on its website regarding its warranty rules made it difficult to obtain information on its policies. Furthermore, its warranties are the most complicated the HD Guru has encountered. If an Olevia HDTV requires repair within the one year warranty period, the additional costs and services incurred will depend on how long you owned the set its screen size. Here is its warranty program obtained from an Olevia customer service representative.
<37″ screen size customer pays return freight from day one. Return shipping to Olevia is $55 for 32″ HDTV and paid to Olevia when obtaining return authorization.
37″ and larger- up to 45 days old Olevia will pay return freight to its California headquarters and replace the broken television with a new unit.
After 45 days the customer pays the return freight at a rate of $150 for it 37″ models and $225 for its 42″ HDTV. Olevia will replace the defective television with a rebuilt unit (as in another set that was defective and repaired) This “no repair” just replace with a refurbished set applies to all Olevia HDTVs regardless of model or size according to its customer service department. Olevia will pre-ship the refurbed TV to you and at the time of delivery, will allow you to use the same shipping carton to return your defective television.
The Olevia customer service rep said its 42″ models have on-site inspection service, but it is only to send a technician over to your home to determine of the set is actually in need of repair, for example, to make sure the power cord is connected. If the tech determines the set is broken, Olevia will ship a replacement refurbished TV after the shipping is paid.
For sets out of warranty repairs, you would obtain a return authorization, and ship at your expense the broken TV back to Olevia for a repair estimate. If you need a shipping carton, Olevia will ship you one for a very reasonable $20.
Olevia also offers extended warranty service plans, however they will charge you return freight after the initial 45 days of ownership and replace you broken HDTV with a refurbished unit. Here are the prices of the plans (you must add on the return freight charges )i.e. $225 for a 42″model which raises the cost of warranty to $474 for its 5 series with three year extension of the one year factory warranty. Of course it the set requires a second replacement, you would have to shell out another $225 for shipping.
3 Series
All Parts & Labor/ Replacement (including LCD Panel)
2 Years Total/4 Years Total)
332 $119 order $149 order
337 $159 order $189 order
342 $189 order $219 order
5 Series
All Parts & Labor/ Replacement (including LCD Panel)
2 Years Total/4 Years Total
532 $149order $169 order
537 $189order $219 order
540 $199 order $249 order
542 $199 order $249 order
Name Brand HDTV Service
All the top name brands including Panasonic 
Bottom line: the top tier TV companies invest in the future, spending collectively many tens of millions of dollars to keep their customers coming back to them. The “new brands” look for the sale today and do not have policies that will retain customers. With better warranties and service, the top brands have an incentive to build higher quality more reliable HDTVs.
Make sure you check out the warranty and after warranty service of the brand of HDTV you are considering, or you may end up spending more money sooner than you anticipate.
Copyright 2007 HD Guru All Rights Reserved
Is a $1600 Sony better than an $800 Olevia sure….Better than TWO Olevia’s, No way…Best case you get similar TV for half price/worst case, at some point you “Dispose” of the Olevia and buy ANOTHER TV for $800, and your no worse off…
Not to beat a dead horse, but very few companies have the Billion dollar manufacturing plants to produce Panels, so ANY LCD TV you buy is going to have a “Quality” panel. I have nothing against a Sony or LG, they make great sets, but believe me THEY also have tons of problems. Should you buy a “House” brand or one of the big guys? for me, if we are talking 30% or less price difference I would likely go with the “Better” brand. Over 50% FORGET IT…I would rather put that ‘Extra” 50% in the bank for my NEXT TV, a few years down the line.How about extended warrenties? Well that depends on price/coverage particulars/ how “Hard” your family is on gear and how ANAL you are. For example I have seen Laptop protection plans that cover EVERYTHING including negligence, now if you are a Klutz that would be like money in the bank.If you are careful like me, it’s a waste of cash. Ask yourself this question if you spent $800 on a “House” brand and it lasted 3 years, than broke with NO recourse, would you be more angry/sad than spending $2500 and after 3 years you need a $800 repair?
Eric,
Olevia and Target aren’t ripping you off or scamming you.The “Panel” on an LCD TV is 70% or more of the total price of the TV, Guess what? if you bought a 2K Sony, and your son messed up the panel, it would cost $1400 to fix.
Second and Third tiers are fine although lately, so called “First” tiers are coming more into line with the lower tiers in terms of pricing.Best bet RUN the hell out of any TV you buy early on, if it makes it past 30 days without ANY issues, you should be fine.If it doesn’t dump that sucker back on the retailer. Yes TV’s do die after six months or a year, but ALOT of them show early signs, if you know what to look/listen for,(Hi pitch whines etc) Remember issues NEVER get better just worse with time.
Vizio GV42L 42″ LCD HDTV
I bought 2 of these TV’s about a year and a half ago and I’m still in love with them. Haven’t had a problem with either of them.
My brother-in-law bought one for himself and his parents.
Hoping to get the 50 inch 1080p this Holiday season.
I have owned nothing but Olevia’s (Syntax)for the past 3 years, this also goes for my oldest son. I paid $699 for my 42″ and I also have a 26″. Have had mine for 3 and 1 years. My son owns 2 also and I can say nothing but good things about them. 2 guys at work own them and love them. The picture is amazing and I nor my son or anyone else I know have ever had a problem. The extended warranty thru Office Depot was much cheaper than advertised on your site. Sorry, but I will be buying another one of these “junk” televisions this month on Black Friday. Going with a 47″ 1080 this time. Love em!
First of all the the post you are referring to and comments with it are nearly two years old. I own both a Vizio 32inch plasma and their newer SV420XVT model and have had zero problems. They both are great tvs and my XVT’s picture quality is better than a Sony I have. Both came with great warranty options and were super easy to set-up. I’m not sure what all the hate towards Vizio is, but like someone else said, if Consumer Reports recommends them, I think they are a good bet!
I have placed a lot of faith is Consumer Reports in the past. I am planning to purchase a 19″ to 22″ LCD TV for the bedroom this Christmas. The December 2008 isssue to Comsumer Reports gives a pretty good rating to some of the Insignia, Westinghouse NuVision, and Vizio brands. That is rather scarey. I am supprised that they do not do a longivity check prior to recommending. They do not give reliability ratings on any of the sets teststed. Thanks to your site the 2nd and 3rd tier is off my list. GREAT SITE!!
Does anyone know anything about Curtis Mathes Lcd TV’s. Are they a good TV? What about service and warranty. Know at one time was a great company and product.
Thanks
Wow, after reading this old article it seems like most of the responses on here are from folks who did not really research their purchase very well… Yes, I agree some of the makers on this list are bad but not all. But from the responses it seems to be a matter of the customer assuming that a TV will last a long time and I just don’t get that..? If the warranty is for 1 year, then it’s for 1 year.. Not 2 years, etc… It seems that everyone is confusing this aspect. The smart bet is to cover yourself and therefore not worry about the issue of repair until something does happen.. Most people I have talked to always state they do not believe in Extended Service Plans…? Why wouldn’t you..? Every consumer should be asking themselves how will I pay for this repair down the road should I have to…? If you are not Mr. or Mrs. Moneybags then you would be silly not to buy it. Personally, I have to take responsibility for my own purchases and I do so by buying the warranties on high-end items and not on others that I can just replace relatively cheaply. Another issue listed on here is parts and everyone complains they cost too much… Well, let’s think about it… There are only certain providers for parts is one problem because there is no competition.. 2) TV’s can be mass-produced alot cheaper than if put together separately per board which is the retail price you pay for the boards so maybe that is what is being overlooked on some of the complaints.. Lastly, I agree with the other person who stated that this report is really old and most companies have redesigned their warranties so all you have to do is some homework – which again no one likes to do since it’s easier to bitch about it later I guess…Just my insight to this lengthy list of complaints.
Now i rethink to buy a LCD …
Guru, I notice you stopped replying to these messages in August 2007. Do you not reply or answer questions anymore?
Bob Eckert
i’m not sure what kind of service people expect.
tv tech rapidly changes. any service engineers that could repair a wide range of units would be very costly. it wouldn’t be cost effective. you are getting cutting edge technology for very low prices, and thats comes with a certain risk.
Guru, Here’s a good one for you. My Mitsubishi WD62827 (Diamond Series – not 2nd or 3rd tier)has numerous problems and has had since we bought it. We did not return it or purchase an extended because an “Account Executive” that worked for Mitsu became “friendly” with us and advised me not to purchase one because “he wouild be out warranty”. He did help us a few times but then left the company. Now it needs a light engine – almost $1200.00. Your responses about disposable tv’s prompted me to ask you what you think. This is almost half the price I paid for the tv. I am in the process of screaming at Mitsu on the legalities of their representative giving out the wrong advice and I should hear from them soon. Ever hear of anything like this or any experience with Mitsubishi? I have asked them to replace the set as this one is not worth fixing my thinking being that superficial repairs may not fix all the problems. I think circuit board/s are the problems.
Bob Eckert
719-528-1939
For a 32″ LCD, I’m looking at the Sony line. Is the XBR series that much better than their Bravia KDL-32M4000? I’ve been told that with the 32″ LCD TV’s, the 1080p high definition is not as noticable. Can you comment?
MS….loved your comment in regards to keeping perspective upon things. Its true that we can spend days on end researching a good TV instead of spending that time researching who I’ll be voting for this election period.
My 2 year old Toshiba plasma HDTV went out about five weeks ago; Mack Camera, who i bough a 3 year extended warranty provided “on-site” warranty repairs two weeks ago by sending out two non-techs to pick up my unit and take it back with them in their minivan. As of today their website’s latest update is saying there is a “repair issue”. Several calls and emails to them are going unreturned. After almost five weeks without the TV is very disappointing to my three small kids, my wife and me. I was told by Maria of Mack that the unit would be repaired on-site, and the driver Luis told me it would take less than 2 weeks to get my repaired TV back. Both turned out to be untruths. Recent research indicated that the problem (no picture) with my 42HP66 is not uncommom. I will update this post, as the situation unfolds. I will also relate my story, good or bad, to as many places as possible.
I purchased a Vizio VX32L HDTV about a year and a half ago. Worked great until recent power outage from Hurricane Ike (windstorm that hit us here in Columbus, OH). TV was plugged into surge protector nad was not turned on at the time power went off or the time power went back on. However, color was damaged (highly saturated blacks and blues are now red, highly saturated light blues are now pink, etc). The service company that services out of warranty Vizios (Repair Solutions, LLC. (RPS)
(800) 762-0796) was very, very helpful and gave me the link for an online Vizio parts provider (relatively new): http://www.vizparts.com. Now I have the freedom to choose a local servicer without worry that the Vizio part will be unavailable (or I may even try to replace the mainboard myself, since that’s what it sounds like it is).
This is interesting but I wonder about the value of reading a few posts from a number of disgruntled owners? As consumers, we need to know the likelihood for failure (yes, CR offers this for major brands), what warranties cover, and what is available after warranties end? Here is what I’d like to see in a summary table by brand:
1. failure rate  when repair required
2. failure rate  when replacement required
3. standard warranty  define full protection for parts and for labor
4. manufacturer’s extended warranty  cost and coverage (too many stores to list their policies, should be identified locally)
5. manufacturer’s out of warranty repair  available? in home charges? in shop charges? shipping to service center required and rate chart?
With this information I believe it would be easier to decide on the price range for a flat panel purchase.
After the LCD panel on my $900 42″ Olevia was accidentally broken with a toy by my son, I contacted Olevia to set up a repair. They told mr that the price would be 70% of whatever I paid for the TV, plus shipping to and from California.
there pimp, Target stores. $630 plus shipping, truly a ripoff. The TV will most likely end up in the trash…
before I buy another TV I will definitely call a top-brand to inquire about their service network.
further more I hold Target stores responsible for foisting this scam on its customers.
BEST BUY is the WORST BUY. THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hdguru just announced that Olevia went bankrupt. Good luck to those buyers of their TVs that thought they got such a good deal on a high quality TV.
A great warranty policy is only as good as the company that backs it. I had a Vizio that kept turning off. I was still under warranty and the tech did come out and diagnosed the problem. However, when he called Vizio to order the replacement parts, Vizio never returned his calls. So after three weeks I returned the set to Costco and got a Sony. After six months, it’s working great. I am confident that if I have a problem Sony will immediately take care of it, since they have many authorized service centers located nearby. Vizio does not so I would have to send the TV back to them and wait for a ‘refurbished’ TV. And who knows how long they will last.
to bad this report is very outdated and many comapnies have since upgraded their warranty and out of warranty policies.
I AM A TV AND APPLIANCE SALESMAN IN OKLAHOMA. ONE OF MY COMPANYS HARDEST FIGHTS IS COMPETING WITH WALMART ON THERE BOTTOM DOLLAR TVS. THE ONE WAY I USUALLY GET THE SALE IS BY SHOWING THEM THIS REPORT. HAVE YOU PUBLISHED A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL DISPOSABLE TVS ON THE MARKET? IF SO IT WOULD HELP A LOT.
P.S. THE LG SCARLET HAS BEEN THE TOP SALER SO FAR THIS SEASON.
I bought a 47″ Westinghouse LCD from eCost.com. It was a refurb. After 3 days it had trouble turning on. After 1 week, it was dead. It was $860+shipping. I called eCost; they said they dont take back TVs over 21″, I had to contact Westinghouse. OMG! I called Westinghouse. They said I had to take it to a service center they will fix it for free. This thing is a beast; 47′. Gets better, the only service center is 80 miles away! I call the service center–they say Westinghouse is so bad they don’t fix their products anymore. So now I have to ship the TV at my cost ($120)!!! Now I’ve realized this TV will be trouble so I goto the SquareTrade ext warranty link eCost sent me. I can ext the warranty for 3 years for $101. I find a promo code which reduces the cost to $72! Cool. I feel better. I sign up for the ext warranty–then I notice it says only 1 yr NOT 3! I call SquareTrade and they say its eCost’s error not theirs but they extend the warrant to 3 yrs, no extra charge! I hear only good things about SquareTrade’s warranties, so do some research and ext your warranty!! NOW!
I am a first time buyer and i found a Sharp 32″ 720p flat-panel LCD HDTV at bestbuy.com for $580. Would you recommend this TV? Is it a good buy? I am looking for a TV with this size and around this price range. Thank you!
A suggestion from a electronic technician with some 40 years experience. Whatever brand you choose. When you get it home, run in for a few days ( called a burn -in ) with out turning it off. Use all the inputs and all the buttons. This will help weed out an early failure refered to as ” infant mortality “. The greatest probably of failure is when a set is new. I have purchased 5 Olevia sets and gave them the burn-in procedure. All have gone 2 years without a failure. I am not giving this as a brand recommendation although I’m pleased with the sets but to perhaps show that the burn-in procedure has merit.
If the tv is returnable within the 30 day period, they have to honor that policy. If not, Best Buy has to send it to the manufacturer to be fixed or replaced. Hold on to you original receipt and make copies of it. Don’t take no for an answer. Be assertive in this manner. Ask for the store manager and demand that they take it back.
My son joined the marines fresh out of high school and is stationed in California. He made his first TV purchase on his own from Best Buy Store #437. He bought a Westinghouse 26 hd lcd tv. He took it home and plugged it in, it didn’t work. He drove another 45 minutes back to store to exchange it and they wouldn’t. Said he couldn’t prove it defective and he would have to call Westinghouse. Westinghouse said he has to take it to best buy. Nobody will help!!!! and my son is out $500.
Just one question: how do you think top tier brands will service you after one year? It’s sad that HDGuru articles are so filled with so much FUD that makes them completely irrelevant.
I agree that you do get what you pay for, but if you do your research well and take all comments from experts and “experts” alike, you’ll see that the premium these top tier brands want (Sony, I’m looking at you!) does NOT give you that much greater picture quality improvement.
To linnie, the best bet is to actually look up the manufacturer’s warranty itself. This article is very outdated and many warranty’s have either changed or they were just poorly researched in the begining. Best Buy will take care of Insignia and Vizio’s warrant is actually very good and does give you in home repair service thru a national network called Repair Solutions for set’s under 42 inches and ITI for sets that are 42″ and over. These are the same companies that you’ll use for out of warranty service.
What also is very misleading about the article is that it leaves you with the impression that the top tier namew will “take care of you”. All that means is they will set up a repair service, just like Vizio or anyone else who has in home repair network. That’s it. Sony, Samsung, Panasonic etc. isn’t going to pay for it. It’s out of warranty. And the cost of out of warranty of any of these brands whether it’s Sony or Vizio or who ever is going to cost a bundle. I drive a honda, it will be out of warranty in the next 5,000 miles. I can take it to all the certified Honda repair shops I want, I still have to pay for it. Same with your TV. You have to pay for it. And in many cases, the cost will exceed the price of a new TV. So yes even the big boys will be a “disposable TV”.
LinnieWV – my advice is to ignore all of this nonsense, and buy yourself a nice used CRT (tube) TV. Your intended uses are fairly light, and you don’t need all of the bells and whistles the flat panels force on you – they’re often confusing even for enthusiasts. You don’t even need an HDTV; regular DVDs will look just fine on a standard TV.
You can usually find people on your local Craigslist.org site selling nice 32″ standard tube TVs for around $100-200 at any given time, and under $100 for a 27″ TV. Even if you got stuck with a lemon, you could still buy several more TVs before hitting that $600 price.
If you’re worried about the transition to digital broadcasts next year, it won’t apply to you if you use cable TV. If you ever cancel the cable subscription, you can buy a digital converter box at Wal-Mart for about $40-60 that will hook up to your rabbit ears and convert the digital signal for your old TV.
Again, if all you want to do is watch some TV and a few DVDs, there is no compelling reason to jump into all of this cutting-edge tech. Just get a bigger tube TV and enjoy the simplicity while everyone else is wrestling with their HDMI connections and such. Try to stick to the better brands like Sony, of course. They usually don’t cost much more in a used tube TV anyway.
In a blue funk:
In a day, I’ve read all that’s posted on this discussion site about “disposable tv’s. I had hoped to learn how to decide about the best way to spend $500 or less for a new tv. For 4 years now, I’ve been using (mostly with rabbit ears, now with cheapo cable services) a 11-or-so-inch color tv my son-in-law converted for in-home viewing from its original service in a 1988 van.
But my head is spinning now. Top tier, even if 22-inches or so? Or any tier, as long as it’s from Best Buy and I buy also the longest warranty they sell (which must reduce my total out-of-pocket …. say to $600. I just cannot spend more.
My desired uses for this tv are (1) 3-4 evenings a week, watch 1-2 hours of network tv shows; (2) if possible, hook up my dvd player to the tv and watch my small collection of good movies; and (3) sometimes hear or watch weather reports, given I live in Biloxi, MS, center of Hurricane Heaven. At 63, these past 6 months are the first time in my life I’ve lived on/near a coastline of any sort, so weather reports are important, huh?
So now what? This weekend I’ve done all the research I can find worth doing on the web, which consists (First) of the big-TV reviews on Consumer Reports (and thinking and hoping the brands of tv’s in my price range will be expected to perform like their Big Brothers and Sisters), an; and (Second) reading the entirity of this discussion posting.
I will be most eager for a wise somebody to offer a best-knowledge briefing as soon as possible. I HAD hoped to go buy that tv today. However, given the quality of much of the discussion in this venue, I’m willing to wait for some wisdom that may come my way today or any day this coming week (August 3-10).
As a servicer, broadcast engineer, and professional electronics tech for over 40yrs, I am surprised at what some “so called servicers” are saying.
HDguru is exactly right, quality manufacturers (and I was an authorized servicer for over 25 of them at one time) will build a good product, and back it up. Sony, Mitsubishi, Sharp, Samsung, Pioneer, Marantz, and others build a quality product and back it with service and parts. There is one ‘small catch……..’
You have to be willing to pay for it. Americans are too cheap, and too lazy. They want the latest, newest, flashiest, and cheapest item available, and then want to moan and groan when it goes south. Grow up, do your homework, talk to a service tech, check it out first and then invest, not just buy.
Caveat Emptor.
It’s a mistake to think of buying any tech product as “an investment” just as buying a car is no investment, only an expense. A monetary investment has the potential to grow in dollar value. As soon as you drive that new car off the lot or that fancy HDTV is set up in your room it’s depreciating and is obsolete. Just look at the numbers: about $2400 for the big screen set-up that may last 6 years = $200/yr = about $17/mo. However, if you’re financing that purchase you’ll need to add the interest cost, which in the beginning could be more than $17. And how will you use that TV? Purchase or rent movies and games? Will you want new components for that TV? Satelite or cable service? When you look at all the additional temptation, the cost of the TV itself may be the least of your problems. Your home entertainment expenses, whether you turn the thing on or not, could easily cost at least $200/mo. Forget about saving up for the future replacement TV. Yet folks fuss about the price of a good novel and don’t bother to use a free library card. That’s okay. $200/mo may be a sound, affordable investment in fun for you and your family. Just be real about all this and keep it in perspective as the price of food and gas and bullets rise. I, for example, am currently spending more time and effort worrying about a TV purchase and reliable repair service than who I’ll vote to become my President for possibly longer than this TV will last. That’s pitiful. I’ll be a conflicted old hippie/tech geek until I die of confusion.
Also about Insignia, LG has only been making Insignia TV’s for the past year. RCA makes their DVD players and the Blu Ray is supposedly made by Panasonic.
I do believe Best Buy will repair an Insignia TV after the one year warranty. The difference is that with a 4 year guarantee, the customer pays nothing, but without it, the customer pays a minimum of $120 just for Best Buy technicians to look at the tv. Best Buy is also a certified repair center for every brand it sells as far as TV’s go.
I got a gfm meijer brand 26 lcd and it craped out after 6 months and meijers tells me they dont carry that tv anymore and they had problems with it and it had only a 30 day return policy on .. talk about scrap tv guess 600.00 every 6 months is okay for the rich and famous ..but myself i work hard for my money ..im choosing to stay with conventional tube tv’s good luck everyone with the lcd technology..
that is crap, Look up Vizio’s Warranty and then post your Blah Blah Blah!!!!!
This article is not only very outdated but very misleading.
For one Vizio has totally revamped their warranty policy and is very solid and does provide serive and tech support out of warranty.
It’s also very misleading in the fact the article will have you believe that if your Panasonic, Sony Samsung etc breaks down out of warranty that’ll they’ll take care of you. Sure a cert. repairman will come out and look at your set but you are still going to have to pay for any out of warranty service. You are still on the hook for all cost’s labor, parts and shipping if neccesary. And yes this will cost you big time.
so no the big boys won’t take care of you financially. This article should have stated that instead of misleading people.
Plus it should be updated.
I have loved my Clarity Visual Systems Bobcat 40″ LCD. Recently, however, I am getting dark streaks that appear to be getting worse. Clarity was sold to another firm in Oregon and dealing with them has been difficult and shipping would be too expensive. Can you recommend a quality repair facility for this “broadcast control room monitor” that I am using for a home TV that is located in the Los Angeles area? Thank you and I loved your article. Just got my Dad to buy a Panasonic LCD instead of the off brands.
Walmart still sells regular CRT TV’s. They are standard definition digital TV’s. In the 27″ size they have one (not sure of the brand) for $197, and an RCA for $248. One thing people should watch out for is that many of the famous names we grew up with, like Poloroid, only put their names on stuff someone else makes. It is sheer bias to go in depth on 2nd and 3rd tier warrantees and give a pass on the big boys. I have bought a lot of Sony and Panasonic stuff that was lightly used and well cared for and crapped out long before it should have. Another thing to remember is that this article was written a year ago, an eternity in the electronics business.
My wife,and,I bought a 37″ LCD Sylvania -6637-LCT A,last Fall,At Brandsmart U.S.A.(10-13-07) Sylvania has been a houshold name as long as I can remember,but when the picture started flickering in the top 1/3 of the screen,I was told by “Funai Corp.” customer service to,”reset TV”.3 weeks later,3 more inches were flickering,and,they said to send them the tv,(in a box they`d send us) ;a $75.00 check,and,they would either,repair,or,send us a check,for the purchase price.So,we waited for the box,and,waited,…..,and,waited.five conversations,and,3 months later,(after threatened with the BBB)the box arrived last friday.The local news had a story about flat panels,and,a tv flickering just like Ours! So I guess our Sylvania/Funai is third tier junk,Huh,???Is it worth repairing???
I didn’t read all these posts here, but your Vizio warranty info is very out of date.
They will on-site service if they can on displays over 30″, you only have to mail in 30″ or smaller displays.
If it cannot be repaired on-site, here is what their warranty says:
“For displays forty-two inches (42″) and larger, VIZIO will generally cover the transportation charges to perform an on-site swap of the original unit with the replacement unit. For displays under forty-two inches (42″), the customer is responsible for the transportation charges to VIZIO’s service center. VIZIO will be responsible for the return transportation charges from the service center to the customer. Please read VIZIO’s Limited Product Warranty for warranty terms and conditions.”
So, at worst you have to pay shipping one way, which isn’t terrible. Not perfect, but you aren’t getting screwed too bad.
Also, you can buy Vizios at Costco, and they extend the warranty automatically.
http://www.vizio.com/support/vip_services/warranty_information.aspx
What about a Brand that sears carries, Proscan… I have never heard of it and am having diffuculty finding information about it on the internet.
I bought a TruTech 19″ LCD TV at Target on Black Friday 2006…spur of the moment and just because it was affordable. Unfortunately, I didn’t have an antenna feed or electrical outlet in the only logical place for it in my bedroom, so it sat in the box until a couple of months ago. I was relieved when I finally had it “installed” and could verify that the set actually worked. Two days ago I lost the picture…not the back light, just the picture. Of course, Target says “sorry…there’s nothing we can do”. I thought I’d be “smart” and buy a replacement at Costco, as I know they stand behind their products. But it sounds like after two years I’d be in the same situation if (or when) that TV fails. I just want an inexpensive bedroom TV. But it sounds like there is no such thing in the LCD world. After reading this site, NONE of the affordable LCD TVs sound reliable, and I’m in a rural area where TV repair service, authorized or independent, is hard to come by. Does anyone still manufacture or sell the “old-fastioned” CRT TVs that ran year after year reliably? As a retiree on a fixed income I can’t afford to replace my TV every couple of years.
I would like you to change the wording “When the warranty expires, if the set breaks, it’s ready for the town dump.”
to ready for the town ewaste facility as these sets should definitely not end up in the landfill.
thanks, Michelle Ress
Excellent Debbie!
Sears took back the Toshiba. Gave me a full refund just as I thought they would. They did not have what I wanted in stock at the store so I went to Circuit City and they had what I wanted and matched the price at Best Buy and said they will price match any lower price for the next 90 days.
So my Toshiba delema is over. I just made sure I got the extended warranty.
Ashram:
I guess I can see what you’re saying in regards to the warranty period. The top tiers might do a better job in the warranty period. But outside of it, I think you are screwed with either top tier or 2nd tier. If it’s outside the warranty period you are going to incur significant costs on both ends, and then you have to decide whether it’s really worth it to repair or replace.
Much as I hate them and used to laugh at people who buy them, I think extended warranties for these TV’s is not a bad idea. Sometimes that extra couple hundred dollars is worth the peace of mind. But if you are going to go without a net, so to speak, I’d rather a Westinghouse crap out a month after the warranty period than a Sharp Aquos, like the gentleman above had happen to him.