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Check Your HDTV’s Warranty Before You Buy

alan — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:26:21 +0000

A warranty is kind of like health insurance–you don’t known how much you need it until you do. Unfortunately, most shoppers don’t pay attention to warranties until it’s too late.

It’s important to have a good warranty because repair costs can run into the several hundreds of dollars. And cost can be just one part of a frustrating process to get a broken TV fixed. The experience can be so unpleasant, many just give up and buy a new TV.

That’s why a warranty should factor in to your buying decision. And it’s important to know that not all warranties are created equal. One of the first things you should note about a warranty is its length.

Most manufacturers offer a one-year parts and labor warranty. Some Sony HDTVs come with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty. Vizios come with a two year (for sets over 30 inches). Some stores will offer extended warranties, either for free (Costco) or for a substantial fee (Best Buy). Certain credit cards also extend warranties of products purchased with them.

HDTV Brand	Warranty
Sony	Link
Samsung	Link
Panasonic	Link
Vizio	Link
Westinghouse	Link
LG	Link

More warranty summaries here.

Probably the most important thing to know about a warranty, and the hardest info to find out, is how and where the TV will be fixed. If it is under warranty, most manufacturers will pay to have a local repairman come to diagnose and fix your HDTV. This is more likely to be the case if you have a larger HDTV (bigger than 40 inches). If new parts are needed, the manufacturer will ship them to the repairman, who will install them.

Some manufacturers, like Westinghouse, will fix the TV for free, but will require you to send the TV in to one of their service centers. Shipping costs can run from $50-$200 depending on the size and packaging of your TV.

Extended Warranties

At the cash register, almost all stores will ask if you want to purchase an extended warranty for your HDTV. According to Consumer Reports, extended warranties are generally a waste of money, because:

Some repairs are covered by the standard manufacturer warranty that comes with the product.

Products seldom break within the extended-warranty window—after the standard warranty has expired but within the typical two to three years of purchase—our data show.

When electronics and appliances do break, the repairs, on average, cost about the same as an extended warranty.

Extended warranties are only recommended for individual products that are known for breaking down, and only then when the warranty is cheap and repair costs high. Generally, modern brand-name HDTVs don’t fit this profile. In fact, Consumer Reports found that only 3% of its HDTV owners required repairs for their sets.

The Repair Process

Just because your broken HDTV is under warranty doesn’t mean you won’t have any headaches. The Internet is full of nightmare stories of repairs taking months, and the parts used to fix the television having the same problems as before. If your TV breaks down, you should be prepared to be without a television for a while unless you can get a loaner or have an extra one.

Helpful Links:

LCD Buying Guide: Summary of manufacturer’s warranties

Consumer Reports “Why You Don’t Need an Extended Warranty“

Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7 Reviewed

alan — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:34:38 +0000

CNET recently reviewed the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7 52-inch 240Hz LCD and found it to be one of the best performing non-LED-based HDTVs out there, assigning it a rating of 8.0 out of 10 ( or 4 out of 5 stars). The Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7 has a base price of $3,500.

HDTV guru David Katzmaier liked the set’s black levels for a non-LED set, noting it “matched or beat the standard LCDs in our comparison.” Especially excellent was the shadow detail, which “definitely surpassed the standard 120Hz models” CNET has reviewed.

The KDL-52XBR7 also scored high marks for its accurate color reproduction, good video dejudder processing, and a comprehensive set of inputs, including 4 HDMI inputs and one PC.

CNET didn’t like its expensive price tag and found some screen uniformity issues. They also feel that a 240Hz refresh isn’t worth the hype as it only offers “minor improvements to picture quality.”

Specifications

52-inch LCD screen
94lbs
1080p
DLNA Networking
3,000:1 contrast ratio
Motionflow Technology
Bravia Engine 2
18 months warranty
7 analog audio inputs
2 component inputs
3 composite inputs
1 digital optical audio out
1 ethernet input
4 HDMI inputs
1 PC video input
1 S-video input
1 USB 2.0 input

Links
CNET review of the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7

Official Sony site for the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR7

Sony Bravia KDL-46V5100 46-inch 120Hz LCD Now Available

alan — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:34:30 +0000

The Sony Bravia KDL-46V5100 has arrived a little early and is now available for order on Sony’s official website. The price is $1,899.99.

The KDL-46V5100 is a 120Hz 1080p LCD that weighs in at a slim 56.2 lb. It has 4 HDMI inputs, 2 composite inputs, 2 component inputs, 5 analog audio inputs, and 1 optical audio out.

It also comes with Sony’s unimpressive Motionflow technology, integrated speakers, and HD tuner.

Link

Sony Bravia KDL-46V5100 at Sony.com.

Wal-Mart’s Pre-Black Friday Sale: Sanyo 46-inch LCD $798, $100 Gift Card With PS3 Purchase

alan — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:34:24 +0000

Wal-Mart is getting their Black Friday bargains started a little early with a sale on November 8. They will have a Sanyo DP46848 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV for $798. The Sanyo has not been professionally reviewed, but there is a small discussion thread about it over at AVS Forums (link).

Wal-Mart is also are bringing back a previous bargain: a free $100 Wal-Mart gift card with purchase of a Sony Playstation 3 ($399). If you’re know you’re going to spend $100 on something (e.g., groceries), and it’s available at Wal-Mart, the gift card essentially knocks a $100 off the price of the PS3.

There are a few important details:

The deals are only good at 8:00am at a Wal-Mart store. (Online store will have its own specials.)
There is a limit of 1 per customer, but they are stocking at least 10 of each item at each store.

Via BlackFriday.info.

Best LCD HDTV: CNET Reviews the Sony Bravia KDL-55XBR8

alan — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:53:35 +0000

The 55-inch Sony Bravia KDL-55XBR8 ($6,999) couldn’t knock off current overall HDTV champion, the Pioneer Elite Kuro PRO-111FD plasma, but as far as LCDs go, the Sony rules the roost, or at least according to CNET’s latest review.

They gave the Sony, which has the new LED backlight technology, an 8.7 out of 10 (the Pioneer has a 9.1), stating that the set has deepest blacks of any LCD they’ve tested, very accurate color reproduction and grayscale, superior dejudder capabilities, and comprehensive inputs (4 HDMI and one PC).

They only cons are that it’s “mind-boggingly expensive” and that it showed some blooming in areas of high contrast. They also didn’t like the unremovable speakers that jut out from the side.

Specs for the Sony Bravia KDL-55XBR8:

55-inch screen
120Hz
LED backlight
72.8 lb
Gloss piano black
3000:1 image contrast ratio
1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
178-degree viewing angle
Ambient light sensor
1080/24p, 1080/60p

Check out CNET’s video review of below:

Helpful Links for the Sony Bravia KDL-55XBR8:

CNET’s review.
Sony’s official page for the Sony Bravia KDL-55XBR8.

Upcoming Vizio GV52L and Sony KDS-50A3000

alan — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:37:05 +0000

Vizio will be releasing a new 52-inch 1080p LCD soon, rumored to arrive sometime in August 2007. If you’re considering the GV47LF and can afford to throw a littlle more cash toward a television, it might be wise to hold off until you see some technical specs for the GV52L.

There are rumors on the AVSforum that the 52-inch will not be much of a step forward. Of particular note will be whether the 52-incher improves upon the GV47LF’s 800:1 contrast ratio (its base, or “typical,” ratio). If it does not, I would recommend going with the much cheaper 47, or even look elsewhere for a TV with deeper blacks.

Link to the AVS forum discussion: GV52L anticipation discussion.

Also arriving in late August to early September will be Sony’s 50-inch SXRD, the KDS-50A3000 for around $2499. It will have much deeper black levels than current Vizios, and all-in-all, looks like a pretty sweet television for the price. However, these kinds of televisions require a lamp replacement every 8,000 hours or so to the tune of $250. Probably not a television for the bargain hunter in you. (See picture of the SXRD below.)