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Sony KDF-55WF655 55-Inch HD-Ready LCD Projection Television
By Sony
Buy new: $3,599.99
Customer Reviews:
- Not bad, not great
Great TV except in high light areas. Works best in a dark place. Also, it doesn't do well with fast motion HD such as sports. There is a lot of pixelation. But while watching HD in low light areas, it's terrific. I'm replacing the lamp now though after only 3.5 years. I guess this is a normal time with normal use. But dropping $200 on a new lamp is annoying. I can't wait until the lamp goes again. Then I can justify upgrading to a Plasma or LCD.
I would reccomend this TV to a friend if the price is right. - BEWARE!!!
I've had this tv for about 15 months. Up until about a week ago this tv was total greatness. BUT now I am beside myself I am so livid and doubt I'll get another Sony anything!! It's become almost impossible to watch because the tv loses picture and sound for about 30 seconds and then it comes back. The standby light blinks about 38-42 times while this is going on. Sony "customer support" was no help and it's likely to fix it is going to cost an exhorbitant amount of money. This is the second Sony tv I've had crap out on me like this. - Great Product!
I was sceptical about ordering such a high priced item off of the internet but after receiving the item I had no regrets. The Sony TV is great, the picture is amazing and set-up was a snap. The TV is a real value! - TV is Great...shipping was hassle free except the wait
Since the TV is now obsolete by the next year model, I wanted to comment on the shipping. After reading a few of the horror stories and awaiting order confirmation, I did start getting nervous. The delay in the order shipping was due to lack of inventory, since it was near the end of the model line. This wait resulted in a $500 savings when compared to Best Buy and Circuit City. Once shipped, the TV was delivered promptly to my house by very courteous guys. They helped open the box and look things over in a preliminary inspection to insure things worked. Although things were a little stressful in the middle of the process, I am happy in the end. - My first big widescreen TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First of all lets take a moment to thank my dear wife, who approved buying this :) and now she is so much in love with this set. For watching DVDs I am using a 4 year old Sony DVD player and the results can be divided into 2 broad categories. The newer DVDs look absolutely stunning, however the older ones look a little flat, and this may be due to the quality of the DVDs itself. I do not have a progressive scan DVD player [yet] and I am told that it's a great experience to move up to 480p from 480i. I am considering buying a HDMI/ progressive scan DVD player.
As far as watching TV is concerned, I have regular digital cable and the pictuer quality is not good at all, 3 out of 5 at best. I think this TV is made for HD transmission and regular/ digital cable kind of defeats the purpose.
The rest of my system comprises of a Denon 2802 receiver and 5.1 Energy speakers and this TV is a good fit with the rest of the system.
I recommend this unit.
Sony KV-32XBR450 32" XBR Wega Flat-Screen HDTV Monitor with PIP
By Sony
Buy new: N/A
Customer Reviews:
- Lying shipper--do not buy this product
I cannot review the product (originally listed for $1,000.00 dollars more), because Crates Direct pulled a switcheroo and sent an inferior, cheaper model whose true price IS $1,199.99 and not the $2,999.99 they charged me but refuse to alter.If you order this one, don't expect to get it.
- What a view!
This TV is the best we ever purchased. Of course going from a 19 inch model to the 32 inch is a change, the clarity of televsion, video and DVD's is incredible. We read many reviews of Sony WEGA from many sources. Though we spent some bucks, it was well worth it! - I Love My TV
I bought this TV last year and I love it. I have an elliptical satellite dish
and a Toshiba HDTV receiver.
The picture quality is what sold me on this model, whether you are watching the news or a DVD on a
progressive scan player (with component video cables)
Sony gives you the option of four different screen modes, from vivid to
'pro'...that is all picture adjustments in the default position.
The control over every aspect of the picture is daunting at first but in no
time you'll have the four picture modes perfectly tailored to your tastes.
The "split screen" is very cool, you can watch a DVD and monitor a program, minimize or maximize the two screens and have the sound
from whichever source you want Even the built in speaker system is sufficient for my taste, to me the picture quality is of utmost importance.
I could go on and on raving about this TV.
I only have one regret, the price keeps going down!
j.nomograms - Too much of a good thing?
This set is surprisingly good in the following ways:After owning this set for four months, I am astonished at how BAD other televisions look. When my friend bought a 32 inch WEGA (non XBR) and had us over to take a look, I was appalled by the overdriven picture, extensive red push and large gap between scan lines. It was like watching television through a set of venetian blinds. The same with another friend's Toshiba flat tube set.
Further, if you're a gadget-type person. you'll appreciate the fantastically in-depth service menu. Every conceivable internal setting of the television can be accessed through the remote. We have dropped the red push altogether and the picture is considerably more pleasing than when the set was new.
Finally, the resolution of the picture tube is so much better than standard televisions that flaws, edits, and manipulations in NTSC sources can easily be detected with the naked eye. This could be a turn-off for some casual owners; other television sets are too blurry and inaccurate to reveal the flaws in a broadcast. Not the XBR! With this set, the difference between high quality and inferior broadcasts is as plain as day.
To sum up, this television is superior in every way. In fact, its superiority makes some common NTSC programming look pretty bad. Some owners won't like it, preferring to hide the flaws in the signal by watching through an inferior set.
- The best 32" TV you can buy
We've had our 32" XBR450 for about three months, and the whole family loves it. Coupled with a progressive scan DVD player (we have the Sony DVP-NS700P, also a great product), the picture is nothing short of amazing. Even VHS tapes look better with this TV, thanks to the line-doubling up-conversion process the signal goes through. The sound quality is also excellent--even has treble/bass adjustments--and has surprising bass output for a TV set. The picture-and-picture feature (scalable side-by-side twin views) is really cool; however, be aware that you won't be able to view two channels at once if you get satellite service. (You can still view different sources simultaneously, though.) The unit also has plenty of inputs, including two component video inputs (for high-definition sources) so you can hook up a DVD player as well as an HDTV receiver. While the price is high, for the quality, features and flexibility, you can't beat this Sony for 32" models. I would recommend this TV to anyone who can afford it.
RCA DTC100 High-Definition/DIRECTV Digital Receiver
By RCA
Buy new: $549.99
Customer Reviews:
- RCA DTC-100
I have had 2 of these units replaced in less then a year. First time it was because no DTV signal second was no OTA signal. First time it was under warranty and second time it cost me $239 to get it fix. Thomson who makes this for RCA would not fix under warranty because the second unit had a 90 day replacement on it. I have had a lot of DTV receivers in the last 4 years and this one was the worst!!!! Stay away and spend your $500-600 somewhere else! - Great box cheap
After buying the best HDTV-ready TV for my money (meaning in my budget) last year which happened to be a 52" RCA, I was ready to experience HDTV for real and had been looking at the DTC100 for quite a while since it would be directly compatible with my TV, but the price was a little higher than I wanted to pay. All of the local channels are HD now and I don't have satellite so I was looking to use it strictly for over-the-air (terrestrial) HDTV. Well, I ended up finding a demo piece available at a local dealer and snapped it up since it was the last one.I took it home, plugged it in, plugged in a standard VGA cable between the DTC100 and my TV, and I was up and running! It searched and found all of the HD channels locally and the picture quality was great! Finally I'd gotten the most out of my TV and I was impressed. The remote from my TV runs the receiver right out of the box so I didn't even need the remote for the DTC100.
I plan to eventually order DirecTV and this box will work with DirecTV.
As a couple other reviewers said, the biggest knock I have on it is that the analog output (RF or SVHS) and the HD outputs don't function simultaneously, but that's the only thing. I love having local channels in HD with Dolby Digital surround! AND it was cheaper that buying a new over-the-air ONLY receiver by another manufacturer...
- DTC-100 (An waste of time and money
I bought one in January of this year. It failed after 6 months and the warrenty is only good for 30 days. I exchanged it for a refurb from RCA for $137. The refurb failed within a week.Big quality problems would make me avoid this like the plague. Do a search...to find much more information on this problematic unit.
- BAD PRODUCT/BAD SERVICE
I bought this product in January. It started humming in July. By the beginning of August it was humming and kept shutting itself on and off. A few weeks later, it was dead.
The company claimed they would replace it but for [money] and I would receive it in 10 days. 6 weeks later, after calling the company several times, they finally tell me they no longer have it in stock. They say I need to pay [money] to get it fixed and that it takes 2 weeks. I don't trust them.
DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT! - NOT WORKING ANY MORE AFTER 18 MONTHS !
Day 0: DirecTV installers wanted to charge me extra for installing it, since it was HDTV, while Best Buy assured me it was free with my package. Finally Best Buy covered the extra.Day 1:Technician spent 3 hours to get it installed, since the HDTV mode was not able to be viewed in 4:3 aspect ratio. Only 16:9
Month 2: RCA Tech Service was never able to figure out. I finaly forgot the issue.
12 months: Working great...but never in HDTV. [money] bucks for what you can see with a $[money] unit.
17 months: "..looking for Signal.."
18 months: It took 3 visits in 1 month for DirecTV to figure out that the receiver was dead...what an expertise!!...
19 months: Sent an e-mail to RCA to complain and find out a solution...the answer: call a toll free number and follow carefully the instructions.
TODAY: Here at Amazon buying a non-HDTV receiver from Sony.
...The ideal combination....a POOR quality product with an even WORST Customer Service.
Sony Grand WEGA KDF-50WE655 50-Inch LCD Projection TV with Integrated HDTV Tuner
By Sony
Buy new: $3,299.99
Customer Reviews:
- Optical Block Problem
After about 4 years now I have replaced the most expensive bulb in the world twice now. Not what I expected. Now this TV has an Optical Block probelm which means that I see a Blue Splat on the bottom right hand corner and also many tiny blue dots all over the screen. Sony acknowledges this defect and has offered to fix it or have me pick from a select list of TV's for a large discount. So be sure to call them if you have this problem. - BEST PICTURE
COMES WITH MEDIA CARD SLOT, LARGE SCREEN, SPEAKERS ON SIDE. PICTURE QUALITY IS AMAZING!! I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH. - High Class TV deserves a high end signal
Let's be honest. This is one very high class television with all the bells and whistles. The picture it produces is incredible with either Digital Cable or HDTV signal, and is just as amazing when used with Optical, S-Video, or Progressive Scan component cables from a DVD/VCR. The clarity, brilliance, and color rendition is A+ through and through. You'd be hard pressed to find folks to disagree with that. The area where this TV gets dinged in the same for any large screen LCD, DLP, or Plasma unit - no one likes the low resolution analog delivery when a large widescreen is hooked up to a poor analog cable or worse still VHF or UHF non-digital signal. So make a commitment now that you are shopping for a big screen HDTV set-up. If you are willing to spend a couple of grand on a large screen high-end television, you should really give consideration to providing that television with a high-end signal. That means getting digital cable, satellite (digital signal), a house antenna for free over-the-air HDTV, and investing in a DVD/VCR that has the modern outputs. Do that and you are going to be in awe each night you settle in front of this television. Don't do it and you are going to settle for less than this television can provide.
I've owned this television for about one year now. I can tell you that it is highly impressive. The clarity and depth of the picture are astonishing and the brilliance is fantastic. Style-wise, okay, the newer model of this same system is more "modern" than this. Sound-wise, this system produces clear tones and great surround. I utilize this set with a home theatre set-up using Optical out from the TV and am immersed with sound. And I can say that playing Xbox on this set-up with the MS HD component cables is astoundingly realistic.
The really great features too are that this does have its own integrated ATSC tuner to decode the HD free over-the-air signals. And better still the no need for picture-in-picture when you can split the screen and watch them side-by-side (though you can't do that with two ATSC tuned stations - one has to be analog).
But probably the best perspective I can give you is that I treat the guests to my home who haven't yet seen such a high-end widescreen television to a bit of a test. I display for them the analog every day picture first in full 16:9 view and then in 4:3 standard. They instantly agree that analog in 16:9 is not sharp, and less appealing. Then I switch it over to a digital connection and they are back to being awed. Finally, I tune in an HDTV broadcast and everyone is absolutely mesmorized. During the Superbowl this year one of my party guests exclaimed, "Wow! I can see individual faces in the stadium seats when the cameras are watching the action on the field." Yes, I know. I get that enjoyment every single day when I power up the Sony 50". If you are seriously looking to get a big screen, this one is the absolute way to go! I'll leave the rest to argue over which is better, an LCD Projection, DLP, LCD flat panel, or Plasma. I already know. It's sitting in my entertainment center. - A great deal of quality for the dollar
I purchased the 50" Sony, two weeks ago, and after having my electronically inclined son tune up the colors, and make a few picture adjustments are observing a wonderful picture. Sound is good, not great, but will be putting in surround sound soon. As prices fall this set is now nearing the$2,000 price point, which is a lot of set in terms of features and size for the money. I would advise a service agreemnet as projection bulbs do in fact burn out after 2-3,000 hours and can be very expensive. The set up was flawless, and the picture quality is superb. - Excellent Picture and Sound
I got this TV about a month ago. Fantastic color and sound quality. Black is not absolute, which is typical for an LCD TV. Black is dark enough however that it really is not a factor.
When you get used to HDTV you really notice how low quality a standard broadcast is. I am using a DirecTV HD receiver for all channels including local. I do not get cable or HD good local reception where I am. I can not comment about off air TV quality.
I chose an LCD based product because I could see the rainbow on some DLP based products. There is also a squeal audible (color wheel?) with some DLP products. I chose the Sony because it does not give much of a "screen door" appearance as some other LCD projectors do.
If using a home theatre or surround sound receiver for your audio be sure to get a "fast" TV like this one. On some TVs the video processor is slow enough that you get sound and video out of sync. This TV does not suffer from such a video delay.
Panasonic TC-26LX20 26-Inch Widescreen HDTV-Ready Flat-Panel LCD TV
By Panasonic
Buy new: $2,999.99
Customer Reviews:
- Balancing Out Rating
The reviewer who gave this TV 1 star did it because of something unrelated to the product.
Panasonic CT-27HL14 27" TAU Series HDTV-Ready TV
By Panasonic
Buy new: $549.99
Customer Reviews:
- Not worth the money
I purchased this television in early 2005 and the picture went out a couple of months ago (May 07). I paid around $600 for it at Circuit City and from reading the reviews, I don't guess it will do any good to contact Panasonic and will not be worth the money to pay for it to be repaired. I have a Panasonic 40" LCD Projection TV that has been working fine for 4 years but I will not purchase another Panasonic television ever again. Do not waste your money!!!!! - Nice HD set
For the price, I am much impressed with the picture on the Panasonic, the HD pics are very sharp and clear. At the time I bought it (2004) there were no other HDTVs close to the price. Still today it has provided me with trouble-free operations. I highly recommend it for a smaller HD set - Be very afraid....If you own this set.
When I bought this set on 10-21-05, I did so solely by comparing picture quality at the store I bought it from. I unwisely did not check for online reviews first, since I've purchased TVs before, all of which lasted a good long time. And I've trusted the Panasonic name, having had good luck with their products in the past. And to be honest, this set has the sharpest, clearest picture I've ever seen, which was the reason I bought it. Like some others, I've not yet hooked to HD service (I bought this set to be ready for the future), and I did have a helluva time getting the SD picture darkness/lightness/color/contrast settings to my liking. But once I got it all set to my liking, I still hold that my SD picture looks so startlingly good, visitors have thought they were looking at HD.
Then, I wandered over here to Amazon's review site, where I immediately got worried after reading about the troubles. But I figured the people with problems were far more likely to post than people without problems. And so, for 15 months now, I've been enjoying this TV quite a lot.
This morning however, I went to turn it on, and noticed the red LED power light was blinking. Hmm, I thought, maybe the power went out overnight or something. But no, it had not. And even when we've had power outages in the past, this never happened. I pushed the power button, and nothing happened. It just kept blinking, three or four blinks, then a pause, then more blinks, on and on.
To get to the power cord, I had to remove this 100 pound beast from my entertainment center, which is not fun. I unplugged it, went to eat breakfast, came back, and plugged it back in. Suddenly, it's working perfectly again...for now. But having read other reviews here, I am suddenly very afraid. I'm scared that it's only a matter of time until it fails altogether. I'm scared that I never bothered to send in my registration form. I'm scared that after 15 months, labor is not covered anymore--only the picture tube itself is for another nine months--possibly only IF I'd sent in my registration. I'm scared because I paid $500 for this set, and I'm far from able to afford another set. I'm scared of wrecking my back hauling this behemoth to a repair center, only to ultimately have to pay for either an expensive repair, or disposal.
I'm rating this two stars instead of one, only because I got lucky for the moment, and it's currently working normally again. And the picture is phenomenal once you've spent a few weeks messing with the adjustments. But owning a relatively expensive item should not fill a person with fearful anticipation every time he turns on his set. - Still ticking and picture looks good but am very displeased
I'll start by listing the good. The picture quality is great and the tv looks crisp while it's functioning in 480p which is the norm. Can't complain much about TV quality.
The bad:
This TV doesn't work with ANYTHING over 480p, although it is listed as HDTV ready. I thought it was my equipment but it was not. Now my warranty is way over and I can't do anything about it. THE TV WILL NOT WORK WITH ANYTHING THAT IS HDTV THAT I HOOK IT UP TO. I don't see a fix. I remember talking to Panasonic about it to no avail. This has angerred me enough to write my first review ever on a website. This TV can go to hell, I spent $550 FOR an HDTV ready and didn't get it.
- Panasonic should get out of TV business
As stated in so many of the previous reviews, picture went black on my Panasonic CT-27HL14 at 2 years. Actually I feel fortunate to even get that long after reading other people only got a year, or sometimes even less for TV in the over $500 category. I have to believe that Panasonic has lost alot of future business on this model and if it's any indication of their HD quality, you should stay clear of their TVs. Fortunately the 10 year old + Sharp tv that it replaced is still here and working well, so I can take my time making my next purchase but I can GUARANTY it will not be a Panasonic
Zenith C34W23 34" Widescreen Integrated HDTV
By Zenith
Buy new: $2,799.99
Customer Reviews:
- Buyer Beware!!
I purchased this item in March 2003 and now in June it does'nt work! I turned it on one day the set stayed on approximatley 40 minutes and then the picture began to switch off and on off and on...
I paid [a lot] for this item it should work great with no hassels! I'm writing this rewiew in an effort to warn other HDTV shoppers to be very wary of this product. The Manufacturers of these HDTVS need to understand the purchase of one of these sets is a major financial consideration for most people. I am now watching my old ...color JVC and you know what it looks better all the time!
If you feel you must buy this model from Zenith see if the merchant will give you a couple of weeks to try the product. if not find another manufacturer.......I feel in order to be fair to Zenith I must follow up on my initial poor review with a progress report. After calling Zenith and venting my anger with them I contacted one of their service representatives A technician came to my house a couple of days later, he replaced the defective parts at no charge to me and now my TV works great and looks even better P.S. have it calibrated...
Toshiba 61H70 61-Inch HDTV-Ready Projection TV
By Toshiba
Buy new: $3,299.99
Customer Reviews:
- Toshiba 61h70 HDTV
Very good overall but a few annoying glitches. The set is very difficult to watch when the screen turns black as the screen mirrors everything in the room when lights are on.The directions in the manual could use a great deal of improvement. when directions are followed the desired result is not always accomplished.. The picture is excellent if you can control the lights. The set is very heavy and this resulted in delivery problems. You must be very knowledgeable if you are going to set up the wiring of vcrs, dvd, Direct TV, Cspan, Roof top antenna ,cable etc. You must also spend a lot of time reading and playing with the remote to find all the goodies this TV can do. - TOSHIBAs Exceptional Looking 61 inch Picture
Besides having a good picture this TOSHIBA is an excellent Projection TV in the 4 by 3 aspect ratio. Remember that term: 4 by 3. Don't pass this one up! Manufacturers are moving toward the 16 by 9 aspect ratio. For conventional antenna, cable or satellite TV broadcasts and VHS playback this TOSHIBA is the one of a handful of the best Projection sets available. Get them while they are still around, 4 by 3 aspect ratios that is. Many people going with the 16 by 9 sets are not happy because there are very few HD signals out there at least for the next 4 or 5 years. 4 by 3 is the way to go right now. People are complaining because when viewing a widescreen program on a 4 by 3 set you get black bars on the top and bottom. On 16 by 9 sets you get black bars on the left and right sides of the screen all the time unless you watch a wide screen program! That means that you are going to get black bars on the sides for over 90 percent of what you are going to be watching for the next 5 or 6 years. You see, the FCC, the major Broadcasting Networks and Cable companies still can't agree on how they are going to broadcast High Definition Television signals. And that decision does not look like it is gong to be made any time soon! Stay with the 4 by 3 aspect ratio like this Projection set has. You can't go wrong and you will be much happier. Many people are returning their 16 by 9 projection sets according to an area dealer because they can't stand the black bars on the right and left. Remember to stay with the 4 by 3 aspect ratio! I have seen this TOSHIBA set and it really has an excellent picture. It is truly incredible that you are looking at a 61 inch projected picture. - Sharp Picture and Exact Colors
Projection set technology has come a long way but the current television market is in a state of flux. We keep hearing about HDTV or High Definition Television but what does it all mean to you? High Definition Television refers to a complete product and/or system with the vertical display of 1080i (interlaced) or higher lines of resolution. The aspect ratio has to be capable of displaying a 16:9 image at the minimum resolution level. (All HDTV is in the 16:9 image). The current standard for color television in the United States is called NTSC (National Television System Committee). It is based on 525 horizontal scanning lines capable of displaying a 4:3 image. Many cable companies are resisting the change to HDTV and want to carry only the NTSC standard. The FCC wants the networks to start broadcasting HDTV but they are now also resisting because they can't settle on a conversion system. Currently satellites are carrying a few HDTV signals, but they are far and few in number and show little signs of increasing. Don't forget HDTV signals have to be converted so you can watch them. Then you have Television manufactures who are getting way ahead of themselves. Many are pushing the HDTV formatted screen on most of their projection sets, which is 16:9. If you are still watching cable TV, VHS videos and Laserdiscs you are in big trouble. You are only going to get a picture in the center of your 16:9 set with big black bars on the sides. The best way to go is with a 4:3 projection set, like this one, which is going to give you the full frame. You are going to get the entire screen you paid for. In addition projection sets have come a long way. This is a state of the art set. The image is clear and sharp and the colors are very exact. You can't get much better. - Crystal Clear...
And I don't even have cable! It's like having a very large tube tv. You can see the facial details on news anchors that usually end up over looked for the lack of detail. The blacks are bulletproof, deep, and unfogged. Watching a DVD on this is second only to the local cineplex.I was thinking of getting a wide screen (16:9) projection tv, but, since HD will not be universal until 2005, I prefer to see a full screen image since I watch more normal television (network or cable) than dvds.
Note, if you buy a wide screen projection tv (16:9), the television broadcasts have to be stretched or letterboxed. If you watch them letterboxed, the black bars might burn themselves on the screen if you watch normal television more than 15% of the time. Or you can watch normal television (network or cable) with a distorted stretched image.
I picked the 4:3 and I love it!
- Toshiba HDTV 61" Projection TV
This is one great projection Tv. Side to side comparison with the Sony HDTV, I would have to say it beats the Sony on all counts. I like the convergence set up better than the sony because you can see the 9 points on the screen the sony has one and you don't know if it is right or not. The sony also only has one component input and the Toshiba has two.
Zenith D60WLCD 60" LCD Projection HDTV-Ready TV
By Zenith
Buy new: $3,599.99
Customer Reviews:
- Anyone know about a lawsuit for this crap tv
I paid 3k dls for this tv when i bought it from circuit city was the best tv outthere but soon i started experiencing this blue haze on the right corner of my tv and now pretty much half of the screen is blue i need to find out if lg/zenith has any lawsuit in any state for this problem or recall my tv is the 60" d60dlcd so if you are looking to buy a big screen DONT BUY this Somebody in CA has the same problem pls contact me at socrams2001@yahoo.com thanks - Boo
After a few months of having the TV we noticed dark gray spots when it was a dark part. Luckily it was still under warrenty and Zenith came out and fixed it right away. Then just recently we got a blue spot in the bottom corner that grew across the bottom. We're still able to watch tv (for now) but not for long it sounds like. We got online and looked up the issue only to find out this is almost a guarenteed problem with this model of Zenith and cost more to fix than buying a new TV. We seem to be lucky having it last ALMOST 4 years, some people's didn't even last 2. - Blue Haze - In the shop also, for 2 MONTHS
After calling LG/Zenith I got the 'we're not responsible but we'll fix your set for free' certified letter. The local repair company began installing the new light engine in my living room but found after complete disassembly that the new engine was not correct and would not work. He loaded up my set and took it to get another engine, he claims to be on the 4th light engine from LG since each one is either wrong for the set or won't work upon installation. I hope they take care of this no matter if the problem is their parts or their choice of repairman or I'll be the one starting the class action! - T.V is currently in the shop and LG is covering the cost
6 months ago my T.V. started to show the blue haze. At first, I thought it was the satelite signal. How does a $3000 t.v that is 2 years old have problems so quickly. My family grew up on Zeniths; 2 Zenith's in a 25 year span. So I started to do some research on the Internet and learned about the famous LG/Zenith blue haze. I knew the one year warranty had expired, but I thought I would call LG to get their opinion. As soon as I told the customer service rep the model of my T.V., I heard this pause (as she was expecting me to complain about the Blue Haze) which I did. Immediately she told me that I had to speak with someone else in another department. It seem like they established a new unit just for these type of phone calls. To my surprise, the rep told me that they would cover all parts and labor. A week later, I received a letter from LG explaining that they want to cover all expenses to repair my T.V. and there was language in the letter that stated a disclaimer that LG electronic is not at fault for the the problems that have occured. I signed the letter, sented it back to them and they had a video service in my area come pick up the t.v for repair. I should have the set back by next week. - I was ripped off too.
I purchased the 44" version of this TV back in June 04. Within 6 months the dreaded blue line appeared at the bottom. An LG rep on another forum confirmed that excessive heat causes the plastic lens mounts to warp after awhile.(He has since deleted all his posts) I can't post a URL but do a search on E44W46LCD + TriodeGuy and you will find my posts on the other forum. There is a fix for the blue line problem that doesn't require light engine replacement. Please see my posts for details. There is also mention from another poster of a class action lawsuit in Jersey.
Zenith C32V23 32" Flat-Screen Integrated HDTV
By Zenith
Buy new: $1,799.99
Customer Reviews:
- Good T.V. but very heavy
I purchased this T.V. because I liked the image. I've had it for 4 years now without any problems. My only complaint is that it is very heavy (Approx. 200 lbs.) I cannot move it my myself. Otherwise it is a good buy. - Good TV at an Excellent Price
I've had this T.V. for over a year with no problems. To the people who gave it a poor review based on the fact that it did not work remember that between 1% and 2% of all new items are defective regardless of the brand. It is a bad item if it has many recalls. - Have to replace module after 2 yrs at $500
We bought a Zenith in Nov of 2003, the first set we brought home the case of the set was dented and cracked. Best buy replaced it and delivered the second set 12/11/2003. In Nov of this year the picture started going dark or it would strobe. Called Zenith and they said it was the Dish recievers. Replaced the Dish recievers and by the time they arrived picture was totally black and the new recievers were of no help. Tried to get a service tech but no one wants to come here to fix it. The tv is too heavy for us to take to them. Finally found someone willing to come for $70.00 to look at it. All the service tech's I spoke to said it was more than likely a module that needs replacing, $500 with labor and parts. Now do we pay $500 to fix and save us the trouble of finding a place to dump the old one as well as having to pay for delivery on a new set or go ahead and pay $1000 for a new set plus delivery charges??? Quality of the product and service are very questionable. I did speak to a supervisor at Zenith who said they would extend the warrenty on the picture tube, but as this is most likely not the problem it is little consulation. She did help in getting a service tech to come out to us. Hopefully will be here next week. I would try another brand. Zenith now isn't the Zenith that was the product of years past that you could depend upon. - No progressive scan!?
After reading Amazon.com's editorial review that said the Zenith C32V23 had a 480p progressive scan composite input, I was very disappointed to open mine up and see a "480i" input on the back, along with a message saying that this HDTV does not handle 480p at all, and to switch your DVD player to interlaced mode. Huh? Isn't this one of the most basic things an HDTV should be able to do? Between that and the audio delay problem hinted at by others, I'm basically left with an HDTV that can't play DVDs. Well, it can play them, but I can't use my surround-sound stereo, and can't use progressive scan. So I'd be better off using a regular TV perhaps? At least then my audio would be in synch with the video.The other bummer is that it doesn't upsample 720p shows, so shows from several of the networks, which are already in 4:3 aspect ratio, show up with black on the top, bottom and both sides, effectively giving us a smaller picture (albeit higher resolution) than the 27" TV we were replacing.
It's a pretty picture, but it's silly that such basic functionality isn't there. I think I'll take it back and wait for HDTV to grow up, or look for a model that isn't cutting so many corners.
- So Far, So Good (fingers crossed)
After reading the other reviews, I wish I had purchased the extended warranty! However, after one week, I'd rate ours 5 stars if it wasn't for the owner's manual. Picture is very clear and bright - and this is only with "rabbit ears" antenna (Houston area). Works very well with Zenith progressive DVD Player. Pulls in lots of stations well, both digital and analog. The nice thing about this unit is that it is fully integrated - you don't have to have cable or satellite if you don't want to.We have not yet tried it with the home theater unit, so perhaps we'll downgrade the rating after we try to hook that up (see the long customer review).
My only complaint so far is that the manual is minimal - adequate but minimal.
