Warranty info for off brands...
 

Interesting article....

http://hdguru.com/your-new-disposabl...#comment-14134

Den

--

"I will honour Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year.
I will live in the Past, the Present,
and the Future. The Spirits of all Three
shall strive within me. I will not shut out
the lessons that they teach."
- Charles Dickens,
A Christmas Carol, 1843

Warranty info for off brands...
 

"Deke" no wrote in message
...
Interesting article....

http://hdguru.com/your-new-disposabl...#comment-14134

Does anyone know if there are any independent repair shops for flat-screen
sets, or is everything in them so proprietary that no one outside the
factory can fix them or get parts?

Warranty info for off brands...
 

On Dec 20, 2:12 pm, "Nick Danger" wrote:
"Deke" no wrote in message

...

Interesting article....

http://hdguru.com/your-new-disposabl...#comment-14134

Does anyone know if there are any independent repair shops for flat-screen
sets, or is everything in them so proprietary that no one outside the
factory can fix them or get parts?

Effectively - it doesn't matter either way you look at it. It's going
to be a horror movie to take one apart, much less fix. A landfill
repair item for better off replacing with another. A simple fuse or
hidden reset mechanism in the factory ROM routine available for
downloaded, uh-huh, good luck with fat chances for small miracles.
Easy $300-500/US just to ship and take apart, scratch head for general
estimate, before starting adding in expensive replacement "module"
costs, as pertaining. I'm figuring for entry sized set at 32" and
up. They figured me and my mouth out and had me replacing logic
boards on the floor with a blanket supporting my first set. Towel
around the neck in case an sweat beads formed on my forehead.
Uninformed little me. Anyway, when the logic (actually, a motherboard
driving the display) didn't address the problem, it took awhile
longer, calling into various representatives, before (once again,
stupid little me) stumbling into a provision called a warranty. I
guess somebody mistook me for somebody less stupid and admitted my set
had a no-questions, one-year return on defective merchandise
(televisions). Whereupon they shipped the set both ways, at their
expense (West to East coast and back), and I got a newer model set
from their warehouse replacement/refurbished (whatever) stock 30-days
before the 363 day warranty irrevocably expired. Didn't cost me a dime
a half-a-year ago to get where I am, sitting here flsuh with that set
stretched out for a computer monitor (1368x768), and a larger $700 37"
NEC, rated 27/4 for a commerical environment, across the room to
replace it. Questions?

--
You play with the bull, you get the horns. -Vivid Spanish pastimes.

Warranty info for off brands...
 

"Nick Danger" wrote in message
...

"Deke" no wrote in message
...
Interesting article....

http://hdguru.com/your-new-disposabl...#comment-14134

Does anyone know if there are any independent repair shops for flat-screen
sets, or is everything in them so proprietary that no one outside the
factory can fix them or get parts?

You can get parts from the major brands. Most of them have websites where
you can purchase the parts online, or at least any repair shop can get them.

For many of the brands mentioned in the article (including the beloved
Visio), they don't even have a parts department. They buy the sets from an
offshore manufacturer who put their name on them, and they save money by not
having a parts and service department. If they set dies during warranty,
they usually send you a new one (or more likely one that has been returned
by a customer for some cosmetic reason). Obviously, no service manuals or
schematics either.

Visio is the largest seller of flat screen sets in the US and has less than
100 employees in their company.

Warranty info for off brands...
 

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:12:01 -0500, Nick Danger wrote:

Does anyone know if there are any independent repair shops for
flat-screen sets, or is everything in them so proprietary that no one
outside the factory can fix them or get parts?

I'm sure there are. There's nothing really special about them except they
have tuners in them. A quick search found.....


1-10 of 5,900,000 for lcd tv repair

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Warranty info for off brands...
 

"Wes Newell" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:12:01 -0500, Nick Danger wrote:

Does anyone know if there are any independent repair shops for
flat-screen sets, or is everything in them so proprietary that no one
outside the factory can fix them or get parts?

I'm sure there are. There's nothing really special about them except they
have tuners in them. A quick search found.....


1-10 of 5,900,000 for lcd tv repair

Nope, most of the "off brands" including Vizio do not sell parts. The have
their sets made by other companies or contract manufacturer's and have
chosen to not stock parts for them.

So even if there are a lot of independent repair shops that fix LCD's (not
millions, but probably only a few hundred in the US), they can't get OEM
parts for the "off-brand" sets.

Warranty info for off brands...
 

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:31:22 -0500, Mark A wrote:

"Wes Newell" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:12:01 -0500, Nick Danger wrote:

Does anyone know if there are any independent repair shops for
flat-screen sets, or is everything in them so proprietary that no one
outside the factory can fix them or get parts?

I'm sure there are. There's nothing really special about them except
they have tuners in them. A quick search found.....


1-10 of 5,900,000 for lcd tv repair

Nope, most of the "off brands" including Vizio do not sell parts. The
have their sets made by other companies or contract manufacturer's and
have chosen to not stock parts for them.

Who cares. Most everything in them is generic parts. Any TV repairman
worth his salt can fix one.

So even if there are a lot of independent repair shops that fix LCD's
(not millions, but probably only a few hundred in the US), they can't
get OEM parts for the "off-brand" sets.

I don't know what makes you think you need a TI 74ls when another brand
74ls will do the same thing. Get over this name brand stuff. There's
nothing in them but generic parts that can be picked about any decent
electronics shop. And every part in them should have a manufacturer name
(or logo) and part number on it. It's not like a Ford v.Chevy. of course
there's always going to be the problem of if the repair cost is worth it
compared to buying a new one. I just bought an Envision 37" LCD HDTV for
$599. You think I'm worried about parts for it? Not hardly. In the first
place, it has a 1 year warranty. And in the second place I can get a 3
year extension on that for $59. Buying expensive name brand is a suckers
bet. All you are doing is paying for all the extra advertising and
sponsorships. Now I guess if I went out and paid $1500 for a name brand
37" I might worry about it too.:-) But in reality, there's almost no
difference between a cheap set and one that cost 3 times more. They all
use the same technology and parts. Now you can argue that til hell freezes
over, but those are the facts.
Excuse me, that's a 5 year 100% parts and labor for $59.99.:-)

http://www.envisionlifespan.com/

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Warranty info for off brands...
 

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 06:59:56 +0000, Wes Newell wrote:

Excuse me, that's a 5 year 100% parts and labor for $59.99.

http://www.envisionlifespan.com/

In my haste I didn't pay much attention to this. That's for their
monitors. Didn't look for anything else and I don't know if they even
offer extended warranties on the TV's.



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Warranty info for off brands...
 

"Wes Newell" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
I don't know what makes you think you need a TI 74ls when another brand
74ls will do the same thing. Get over this name brand stuff. There's
nothing in them but generic parts that can be picked about any decent
electronics shop. And every part in them should have a manufacturer name
(or logo) and part number on it. It's not like a Ford v.Chevy. of course
there's always going to be the problem of if the repair cost is worth it
compared to buying a new one. I just bought an Envision 37" LCD HDTV for
$599. You think I'm worried about parts for it? Not hardly. In the first
place, it has a 1 year warranty. And in the second place I can get a 3
year extension on that for $59. Buying expensive name brand is a suckers
bet. All you are doing is paying for all the extra advertising and
sponsorships. Now I guess if I went out and paid $1500 for a name brand
37" I might worry about it too.:-) But in reality, there's almost no
difference between a cheap set and one that cost 3 times more. They all
use the same technology and parts. Now you can argue that til hell freezes
over, but those are the facts.
Excuse me, that's a 5 year 100% parts and labor for $59.99.:-)

Your arguments are mostly flawed. Most of the parts that might need to be
replaced are proprietary or they are on circuit boards that are proprietary
(it is very difficult to replace individual parts and even determine which
ones are defective).

Now if you want to argue that an extended warranty makes up for the problem
of no parts and service, or that most sets are going to be obsolete in 3-5
years anyway, those might be valid arguments.

But I do think that for discerning viewers, there are significant
differences in video quality between the cheap sets and the high end ones.
Most people don't care, and many don't even have HD reception. Most people
cannot tell the difference between a $8 bottle of wine and one that costs
$30. But some people can tell the difference.

Warranty info for off brands...
 

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:40:43 -0500, Mark A wrote:

Your arguments are mostly flawed. Most of the parts that might need to
be replaced are proprietary or they are on circuit boards that are
proprietary (it is very difficult to replace individual parts and even
determine which ones are defective).

Keep think that. Keep buying those expensive sets. they love you.:-)

Now if you want to argue that an extended warranty makes up for the
problem of no parts and service, or that most sets are going to be
obsolete in 3-5 years anyway, those might be valid arguments.

Actually, I don't recall ever buying an extended warranty on anything.
Most of them are just another waste of money.

But I do think that for discerning viewers, there are significant
differences in video quality between the cheap sets and the high end
ones. Most people don't care, and many don't even have HD reception.

Almost everybody has free HD reception if they'd get off their lazy butts
and install a proper antenna system.:-)

Most people cannot tell the difference between a $8 bottle of wine and
one that costs $30. But some people can tell the difference.

Personally I was a MD 20/20 person when I drank wine. But I haven't had a
drop of booze in about 30 years now. Talk about a waste of money.

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