I'm in the market to buy a television & need assistance.

[Sgt PSN]

Mad-Lad, Best Buy sucks ass.  Like Sus said, they are just trying to sell the product.  Circuit City, imo, is a much better place than Best Buy.  Even though they are fundamentally the same I've always found the employees at Circuit City to be much more knowledgable about their products and they also have a better selection.  So take that for what it's worth.  My advice is to stay the hell away from Best Buy. 

Also, i read the black bars on widescreen formatted televisions will burn into the picture?  how true is that?

I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about.  I've got a widescreen and never see the black bars going across the top or bottom of the picture.  I can change the view on my tv from widescreen to standard and then I'll have the black bars going up and down each side of the picture so maybe that's what you're talking about.  Regardless, I never have it set to standard projection, it's always on widescreen and the picture looks just fine to me.  It's not stretched out or anything. 

[Susquehanna Birder]

The only thing that bugs me is with Comcast's HD channels. When the stations have SD content, the Comcast (Motorola, I guess) box still outputs a HD signal, so the screen thinks it has a HD picture, so it doesn't know to stretch the picture to get rid of the black bars on either side. It would be nice if I could tell the cable box to lighten up those bars.

[SunMo]

the past few posts deal alot with my question regarding my new set.  when i watch the 16:9 aspect, it appears a bit stretched, but not anything that really bothers me.  what are the other options for?  16:9 zoom, 4:3 standrard, 4:3 zoom1 4:3 zoom2

Comcast came today and put in the Hi-def box, so I will check it out tonight.  is there anything special i need to do to maximize the HD?  should I keep the TV on the 16:9 standard aspect?

[Mad-Lad]

After realizing the regular 32" Wega was too damn heavy for our media bench to hold, we looked at the lighter LCD flat screen televisions.  We weren't too stoked about the image quality for the price, so I wound up buying a 42" LCD projection set.  So much for staying within a reasonable price range.


Sony Grand Wega.

So far it's cool as hell.  I'm still getting used to the stretched or zoomed version of television.  DVDs are freakin' amazing.  I'm also trying to get the damn thing hooked up correctly.  The stereo receiver, DVD player, etc. seems easy enough, but is more of a pain in the ass than i expected.

Also, i'm going to mess with settings etc. for the PS2.  It looks like dog shtein when i turned a game on.

ah well, live and learn.  thanks again for everyone's input.

[SD_Eagle5]

Nice 

What did that run ya if you don't mind me asking?

[Seabiscuit36]

Mad you probably want to look into getting component wires for the PS2.  Probably pretty cheap now

[Mad-Lad]

Nice 

What did that run ya if you don't mind me asking?

Circuit City had it on sale for $1600 (i believe).  After the 4 year warranty was tacked on, it was right about at 2k.

Seabiscuit, i'll look into that.  thanks.

[Susquehanna Birder]

My neighbor got the 50" version of that TV, and it's pretty nice. Good choice.

I know the hook-ups are a RPITA. When I got mine, I also bought a dedicated A/V receiver, so that I would be able to switch sources with just one remote-button push. I've since outgrown the number of inputs and outputs available, and it's always a frustrating exercise in creativity when I have to add something to the mix.

to Seabiscuit's suggestion. S-video is better than regular composite video, but it doesn't hold a candle to component. Be sure to get decent-quality cables, but remember that you don't need to buy those mega-expensive Monster ones.

[Wingspan]

Be sure to get decent-quality cables, but remember that you don't need to buy those mega-expensive Monster ones.

i bought the high end radio shack brand for about 1/2 the price of monster cables.

if your system uses it on both ends, use the digital coax audio cables, that is worlds better than the red and white analog connection

[Sgt PSN]

Be sure to get decent-quality cables, but remember that you don't need to buy those mega-expensive Monster ones.

That's probably the one thing I purchased with I bought my Vega last year that I didn't really research or anything.  I got suckered at the store to buy the Monster cables.  They were like $50 or something like that.  I could have picked up a quality set for about half of that I suppose.  Oh well, live and learn. 

[Susquehanna Birder]

if your system uses it on both ends, use the digital coax audio cables, that is worlds better than the red and white analog connection

Even better, go the optical digital route (if your system has it). And you can pretty much get the cheapie optical cable for that, and it should work just as well.

[rjs246]

Who would have thought that buying a television would inspire such a long-lived thread.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

So, here's the timeline:

1/12/2003:  The wife and I purchase a new 57" Toshiba CRT Projection HD-ready TV from Best Buy, along with the 4-year in-home service plan for an additional $300.

9/2005:  The TV is experiencing some uneven burn-in.  I call Best Buy's warranty department, and they agree to dispatch a contractor.  He checks out the TV and says he has to order a green and a blue lamp to fix the issue.  He seems friendly and knowledgeable enough.  He comes back in about a week and installs the new lamps.  TV seems to be working great.

10/2005:  Happy with my smooth experience, I decide to re-up the plan for 3 add'l years when offered for $100.

1/2/2006:  Watching an evening re-run of Law & Order, the TV makes a loud *pop* sound and goes black.

1/3/2006:  I call Best Buy in the morning to inform them of the issue and request service.  The soonest they can send someone is 1/11/2006.  I complain, but to no avail.  I go out that night and watch my alma mater in their first bowl game in 4 years at a bar.  Yay.

1/4/2006-1/5/2006:  I call both days to see if any cancellations would allow my appointment to be moved up.  Then, I decide to give up and wait.

1/11/2006:  Technician was to call between 7-9 AM, and he actually calls on time at 8:30.  He also says he'll arrive between 10:30-12:30, and he's here at 11.  After about 20 minutes opening up and looking at the TV, he calls me down and asks if the TV's ever been worked on.  I explain what was done, and he seems surprised.  He says a very important step was skipped, which caused many volts to surge through the TV's board and essentially fried it.  He spend another 30-45 minutes or so verifying his diagnosis through various methods.

He explains to me that Best Buy used to only use contractors in my area until about 2 months ago.  He's been a repairman for 20+ years, but he's only worked for Best Buy for two months.  He goes out to his truck to try to figure out exactly what he has to do to get a replacement authorized.  After 20+ minutes, he comes back in and explains that he has to wait on one supervisor to get him a code and then all is set.  After he leaves, I call Best Buy to check on the process, and they say it usually takes 3-5 business days.  Ok, whatever.

1/12/2006:  I call Best Buy to check on the status.  The nice lady on the phone informs me that my replacement was denied, because the technician who approved it is "new".  I explain to her that all Best Buy technicians in my area are technically "new", but she insists that I need to have another different technician out for a 2nd opinion, so to speak.  Before she can even look at the schedule, I demand to speak to a supervisor.  I wait 5 minutes for the supervisor, who tells me she also needs me to hold so she can make some calls.  She then has me on hold for 10 minutes or so while she supposedly attempts to call the original technician and his supervisor.

She comes back on the phone to inform me that she had to e-mail both men and explain how to properly process the exchange process to them.  She says that they will call me back tomorrow with an update.  I defeatedly agree.  Then, I call the technician's cell and leave a message for him to please do what he can to expedite this.  I also fully expect to call Best Buy back later this afternoon and talk to hopefully yet another supervisor.


So, exactly 3 years from date of purchase, my Best Buy TV-buying experience has come full circle to be a complete pain in the ass.  I would actually be totally OK with not having use of a main/large TV for a month or so if it wasn't during the NFL playoffs.  I look forward to ranting more about this when I inevitably have more to rant about.

[SD_Eagle5]

Moral of the story, don't buy a Toshiba, buy a Sony instead.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Moral of the story, don't buy a Toshiba, buy a Sony instead.

The burn-in was caused by user error.  The wife and I preferred to watch 4:3 programming at actual ratio (and thus with bars on the sides).  Doing this regularly is apparently a problem on ANY projection TV.

The piss-poor lamp replacement job would have caused the same issue with any other projection TV as well.

The TV itself is an innocent victim here.