First time HDTV buyer confused and needs help

Euphoric Orgasm wrote:

Heck, my 25 year old SuperBeta VCR still works as does my 24 year
old Sony stereo receiver/amp setup.

Do you have any Sony consumer product that is less than 15 but more than
3 years old that is still working properly?

"Neill Massello" wrote

Do you have any Sony consumer product that is less than 15 but more
than
3 years old that is still working properly?

Yes, a VHS VCR and a Discman CD player.

"Neill Massello" wrote in message
news:1ic1m9k.18s90801x23h6N%[email protected] k.net...
Euphoric Orgasm wrote:

Heck, my 25 year old SuperBeta VCR still works as does my 24 year
old Sony stereo receiver/amp setup.

Do you have any Sony consumer product that is less than 15 but more than
3 years old that is still working properly?


We have hundreds in the field. Among the products that we sell, Sony is one
of the more reliable and we can still get technical support that is useful
and parts. You can't say that about a lot of brands these days.

In the context of the market, Sony is often a good choice. Like I said,
however, that choice should be an informed one comparing similar products,
not based on biases for or against the company based on your emotional
reasons.

Leonard

"Leonard Caillouet" wrote

In the context of the market, Sony is often a good choice. Like I
said, however, that choice should be an informed one comparing similar
products, not based on biases for or against the company based on your
emotional reasons.

Sony being a leader in innovative home electronics is hardly an
emotional reason, it's factual. Like I said the Trinitron, Betamax,
Walkman, CD player, Discman, etc. were all superior products that were
licensed out or copied. That's an awesome track record.

Leonard Caillouet wrote:

We have hundreds in the field. Among the products that we sell, Sony is one
of the more reliable and we can still get technical support that is useful
and parts. You can't say that about a lot of brands these days.

In the context of the market, Sony is often a good choice. Like I said,
however, that choice should be an informed one comparing similar products,
not based on biases for or against the company based on your emotional
reasons.

I have a Sony Pro Logic receiver from the early 1990s that still works;
but three consumer video products I got in the late 1990s and early
2000s all developed serious defects within the first three years. (The
TV and DVD player were at the low end of the Sony product line, and the
VCR was a mid-level model.)

Since then, I have shied away from Sony video products, even though I
regard their user interfaces as better and their picture quality as
equal to or better than most of the competition. I don't rule Sony out
completely; I'm just wary of it. If their reliability has improved from
what it was ten years ago, I'm glad to hear it and will give more
consideration to Sony products in the future.

On Fri, 8 Feb 2008 14:33:31 -0800, "Robert A. Cunningham"
wrote:


Obviously, you must not think much of Consumer Reports,

Consumer Reports rated the Sharp DLP #1 in projection sets a couple
years ago (just after I bought one). It turned out to be a piece of
crap and Sharp just gave up on projection. These TV's don't have the
history to get a real good read on dependability, and what constitutes
a good picture is way too subjective to put your full faith in what
some guy a Consumer Reports thinks. That being said, Sony makes some
great products and guys who have to service them (like Leonard) seem
to have postitive things to say about service support.

wrote in message
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On Fri, 8 Feb 2008 14:33:31 -0800, "Robert A. Cunningham"
wrote:


Obviously, you must not think much of Consumer Reports,

Consumer Reports rated the Sharp DLP #1 in projection sets a couple
years ago (just after I bought one). It turned out to be a piece of
crap and Sharp just gave up on projection. These TV's don't have the
history to get a real good read on dependability, and what constitutes
a good picture is way too subjective to put your full faith in what
some guy a Consumer Reports thinks. That being said, Sony makes some
great products and guys who have to service them (like Leonard) seem
to have postitive things to say about service support.

The only rear projection Sharp TV that was rated #1 by Consumer Reports in
the last couple years was the Sharp Model 56DR650 which garnered only a 61
(out of a possible 100) in the March 2006 issue. On the very same page as
that rating was this note about rear projection TVs: "Preliminary survey
data show that microdisplays have been much more repair-prone than other TVs
during the first year of use, so consider buying an extended warranty." So
Dave, did you get the extended warranty, as Consumer Reports recommended?

Also, you might consider these facts:
The largest LCD in the March 2006 issue was only 37" and the top rating was
only a 52 (out of 100).
In the March 2008 issue the top rating for an LCD is an 80.
The largest plasma was a 50" and the top rating was only a 70.
In the March 2008 issue the top rating for a plasma is an 81.

Finally, the most telling statistic of all (from the March 2008 issue):

The failure rate on rear-projection DLP TVs bought new between 2004 and 2007
is between 19 and 34%.

If anyone is contemplating a rear-projection DLP TV purchase in the near
future, I suggest you check out this report before you buy.

On Feb 9, 2:29*pm, (Neill Massello) wrote:
Euphoric Orgasm wrote:
Heck, my 25 year old SuperBeta VCR still works as does my 24 year
old Sony stereo receiver/amp setup.

Do you have any Sony consumer product that is less than 15 but more than
3 years old that is still working properly?

I have a Sony AM/FM radio I bought in 1976, its had a rough life, been
rained on
snowed on rolled around in an Tank for 4 years, dug it out the other
day, looks rough,
but still sounds great. Just before Christmas I bought a Sony 's'
series 32" lcd tv ($750), Antenna
on the roof, HDTV channels look awesome, analog TV is great. It
replaced a 27" Sony CRT (all
I could do to rotate it downstairs, and the 19" rotated 'free to a
good home'). Even got a Sony DVD player.
I don't start out looking for a Sony, but after lots of research they
seem to have what I want, never got a lemon,
works as advertised.

.............Rob

"Neill Massello" wrote in message
news:1ic1m9k.18s90801x23h6N%[email protected] k.net...
Euphoric Orgasm wrote:

Heck, my 25 year old SuperBeta VCR still works as does my 24 year
old Sony stereo receiver/amp setup.

Do you have any Sony consumer product that is less than 15 but more than
3 years old that is still working properly?

I have a Sony DVD player that was purchased new in 1998 and a Sony VCR that
was purchased in 1994. Neither have ever been repaired, nor have they ever
needed repairing. The DVD player is used almost every day. The VCR was
used very often until around the year 2001-2002. Both are less than 15 but
more then 3 years old.

Also, FWIW, my 1984 Sony 26" TV console still works great. I gave it to a
neighbor last year when I bought the Sony Bravia LCD. He is still using the
26", and it has never needed any repair.

Robert A. Cunningham

On Feb 9, 11:56*am, "deadendDan" wrote:

I'm agonizing over this decision 'cuz it's a lot of money for me. *Yet, I
realize that once in the house and setup, all the bells and whistles will
dissolve into watching the nightly news night after night. *I used to play

6 o'clock rules! I've been paying better attention to the news now
that there are two HD choices for local and national coverage.

with my surround sound system for example...but all the tweaking and
twiddling got old and I realized I was just as happy with 5.1 speaker
'stereo', ha; so that's pretty much how it stays now. *Simple ain't always
better....but it remains 'simple'. The one thing that I think WILL make a
difference however is size [my wife keeps telling me that anyway, ha (sic)].

I didn't believe in 5.1 surround sound until DVD-- not sure if it
truly involved VHS. And Keep it Simple is the golden rule. Check out
Mickey searching for Donald in Fantasia 2000, or the opening of Star
Wars: Ep 4 A New Hope to get some good wipes across your channel.
Fantasia 2000 was all I needed to debunk the Bose store Virtual
Surround Sound display. I'm sure the THX test works, but good DVD
scenes are much more fun.

And with a Wii on the HDTV, adjust the Wii settings for 16:9 aspect
ratio, and look around for the component video connection. You have to
buy it as an extra accessory, but the Wii's so much fun I keep the
original cable to tote my Wii over to a friend's, and leave the
component hooked up for an improved picture that doesn't leave me
pining as much for the better graphics of the PS3 and XBox360.