Am I getting ripped off?

[eric99]

Hello.

I have a 3 year old Hitachi 52" LCD projection TV. I had to bring it in for repair, as there was no video other than a green horizontal bar that scrolls from the top to the bottom of the screen. This occurs on all inputs, but the audio is fine and the menu does appear. The repair shop told me it was a "video board" and would cost $1000.00 to fix (I can get a similar tv for about $1200.00 brand new).

Does $1000.00 to replace a video board sound right to you?

BTW- As I have an electronics and computer background, I'm thinking about getting the TV back, then ordering the part from Hitachi and replacing it myself.

Any comments are appreciated.

Thanks.

[lordsmurf]

Yes, ripped off.

[eric99]

Thank you for the reply lordsmurf.

I'm holding off calling them back until I get some feeback from the members here, as well as some other TV repair shops that I'm going to call.

[jagabo]

Yes, you are being ripped off -- but not by the repair guy. That's simply the way the industry is set up. It makes more sense to buy a new TV than fix an old one.

[eric99]

I just called an alternate repair shop and talked to a tv tech. He said that $1000.00 to replace a video board was ridiculous.

[Captain Satellite]

If you're certain it's the board you could probably swap it out yourself. Buying a new set sounds like your best option, you'll also get a warranty for the whole set and not just on a board.

[jagabo]

$1000 isn't rediculous when the manufacturer charges $850 for the board. (Assuming you didn't mean $1000 in addition to the cost of the board.)

[tinker]

Your 52", 3 years ago was well over $3000. I do not think there is any fixing, they just order a new board and replace it, so yes, if you can get one and do it yourself, than OK.
Otherwise it is really your choice, I would opt for a new TV, but there may be a disposal fee for old one by your municipality.

[orsetto]

Technically, yes, its a ripoff. Realistically, that's what it costs: people have a really hard time facing the fact that even a $3000 TV set is essentially unprofitable for the mfr to sell and it is designed to be disposable. No one really "repairs" anything anymore, they simply swap out one of the two or three master boards at an insane price. This is similar to the phenomenon of a Toyota Camry being worth $20,000 as a car but $40,000 cut up into parts.

As you've said, a comparable new display can be had for about the same price as repairing the old. In most cases, buying the new set would be the better option. HOWEVER, in your particular case you need to consider some mitigating factors: the rear-projection sets of a couple years ago are much more forgiving of substandard signals like cable TV and home-recorded DVD. These rear-projection sets failed with consumers, who are getting stupider by the day: they preferred the POS "it hangs on the wall!" LCD screens which are really lame showing anything less than HDTV cable or studio DVD. So you may not be able to find an exact new replacement for your Hitachi. Go to a few stores and carefully examine displays in the $1200 price range: if they do not seem as good as your Hitachi, you may be happier repairing the Hitachi. Just don't expect to obtain the board for $300: that is very unlikely. If you can even find a Hitachi parts distributor who has the part and is willing to sell to an individual, it probably does cost $800. It also may require initialization and setup that can only be done at a Hitachi service shop: find out for sure before you opt for DIY.

[cal_tony]

An additional thought might be to look online for tech companies that specialize in repairing those types of boards. Sending your board in to someone for an actual repair might result in getting a fix for a couple of hundred dollars.
And than there is always my personal favorite. Examine the board yourself for anything that looks burned out and for capacitors that have their heads popped and carefully do the work yourself.

Tony

[eric99]

You guys sure know your stuff.

I'll get it back and look for blown caps.

[lordsmurf]

I would imagine a Hitachi 52" LCD projection TV is a nice set. I'm totally in love with my Sony A3000 55" SXRD (custom LCD projection) set. I would not want to trade it in for "something new" on the basis of it being new. Many sets I see now, even from Sony, feel like downgrades, not upgrades.

[edDV]

When you know the board, you can call around and/or look on google for a swap charge. Many TV recyclers pull the boards that are resold to swap shops for low cost repair.

If you go for the factory "new" stock, you will pay top price. A 3yr old board pulled from a working recycled TV should be fine. Depending on which board failed, the TV may need a reallignment.

[eric99]

I got the tv back today.

The defective component is the digital PCB. Hitachi wants $800.00 for it.

Couldn't find the board on Ebay, but I think I'm just going back to picture tube tv's.

[jagabo]

I think I'm just going back to picture tube tv's.

Unfortunately, there aren't many choices in CRTs anymore. And their lifetimes are down too.

[samijubal]

RPTVs have by far the highest breakdowns of any TV made. Buy a flat panel next time.

[eric99]

Ok.

Thank you all for your comments.

[ricoman]

RPTVs have by far the highest breakdowns of any TV made. Buy a flat panel next time.

I'm not so sure about that. The only thing that really goes on a RPTV is the bulb. I have a 50" Sony LCD HD RPTV for more than 3 1/2 yrs. now and I have never had a problem and am still on the same bulb. I picked up an extra bulb on ebay for $100 for a backup. Like LordSmurf said, I would put up the picture on my RPTV against any LCD or plasmas that I have seen except maybe the Pioneer Elite that costs $5000. I love it, it has more depth than my 32" LCD in my bedroom. People who sneer at rear projection HD TVs are foolish especially considering the price.

[samijubal]

Just look at CR's TV breakdowns. 18% in the first 3 years for RPTVs compared to 3% in the same time for flat panels. Just because you haven't had problems doesn't mean other people haven't.

[eric99]

I've decided to purchase a plasma tv and mount it on the wall.

Is there any brands I shoud avoid, or are they all about the same quality?

Should I go for the extended warranty?

I can get a 50" Sanyo for $999. 42" from Samsung, LG, Toshiba are about the same price.

Should I avoid stuff like Sanyo, Dynex, etc?

[jagabo]

Be aware that some of those may have as little as 1024x768 resolution.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I've decided to purchase a plasma tv and mount it on the wall.

Is there any brands I shoud avoid, or are they all about the same quality?

Should I go for the extended warranty?

I can get a 50" Sanyo for $999. 42" from Samsung, LG, Toshiba are about the same price.

Should I avoid stuff like Sanyo, Dynex, etc?

Get a Panasonic or Pioneer plasma,if LCD then get a Samsung or LG.Get the in-home extended warranty,they are worth it.

[samijubal]

Fry's just had the 50" Panasonic plasma for $999 a couple of weeks ago. They are out of stock right now but they will be that price again soon. Panasonic plasma is definitely better than Samsung, LG, Sanyo, Toshiba and far more reliable than any of those.

[Nilfennasion]

If plasma is your choice then I second the recommendation of Panasonic. I have had a Panasonic HD plasma for about half a year now and I love it. The Viera is also good for viewing still images taken with my JVC HD camcorder, so there is that to consider if you like to test out a display's capabilities.

I would also advise staying the hell away from NEC plasmas of any variety. I had an SD NEC plasma for barely over a year when it began to stop responding to power input, and then they wanted around $900 to replace the power board that *might* have been the problem.

It is definitely a good idea to get an extended warranty. They add a few hundred dollars to your TV's initial price (and make sure you know exactly what it covers, by the way), but they can save you a bit in repair costs if something breaks down. And at worst, they might jinx your TV into waiting a few years before breaking down.

[FulciLives]

I seem to recall reading that a plasma TV ... especially one that really does true 1920x1080 resolution ... will use like 3 times (or more) the power of what a 1920x1080 resolution LCD flat panel will use.

With the rising cost of utilities this is something to consider!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[FulciLives]

I would imagine a Hitachi 52" LCD projection TV is a nice set. I'm totally in love with my Sony A3000 55" SXRD (custom LCD projection) set. I would not want to trade it in for "something new" on the basis of it being new. Many sets I see now, even from Sony, feel like downgrades, not upgrades.

I have a Hitachi 51" 16x9 WS 1080i HDTV that is an "old school" CRT Rear Projection unit. I love it. I wish it was 1080p but would I really be able to see the difference? I'm thinking probably not 8)

I paid $1,350 USD + sales tax + $250 for warranty and delivery (although the warranty has since run out). This was circa December 2005 when 1080p was not really yet around (I think there were like a couple of models out and they were ridiculously expensive and very buggy 1st generation 1080p HDTV's).

Hitachi has some popular models (like mine) that I'm told are highly desirable now for their image quality despite being only 1080i ... some people think that these "old school" CRT Rear Projection units are the bomb compared to the newest LCD HDTV's of today. So they say *shrugs*

Only problem is I have TV OVERSCAN (although it's not THAT bad) and it has developed a very slight soft spot in the extreme lower left corner (not very noticeable and totally in the black on 2.35:1 movies). I've heard a proper calibration from a properly certified technician can be $400 - $500 !!!

The picture is killer though and no way (even today) can one buy a similar sized 1080p LCD flat panel at that price range!

Sorry didn't mean to brag

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Nelson37]

I do not agree with the Extended Warranty.

The reason is very simple. These are a major money-maker for those who offer them, that means that most people never use it.

Yes, if your equipment DOES fail, it is a good buy. However, for the majority who do NOT have a failure, it is simply wasted money that could have been put towards a new set.

Also consider that over time, the cost of an equivalent set will drop, and the same money will buy a much better set.

It's a gamble, and as in all gambling, the house always wins.

[rcguy1]

Do not buy an extended warranty. It's a waste of money for the consumer but a god send for the sales person. I remember years back when I worked for Sears selling TV's. We had a advertised TV on sale for $99.00 and we also sold service warranties for extra commission. They were called spiffs. I sold a customer the TV that was on sale for $99.00 and a 5 year service contract also for $99.00. I think I made about a 5% commission on the TV and a 25% commission on the service contract. So you can see why the sales people push the warranty. The customer could have bought two TVs for the same price and if he had a problem with the first TV, he could have replaced it with the brand new second TV instead of buying the warranty.

[samijubal]

I wouldn't go for the extended warranty with a Panasonic plasma either. According to CR, flat panel TVs only have 3% breakdowns in the first 3 years. An extended warranty on a plasma isn't very cheap and at 3% breakdowns is a waste of money. By the way, the 1080p Panasonic plasma had the lowest breakdowns of any flat panel TV. Most credit cards double the warranty so just use a credit card and you'll have 2 years of warranty.

[ricoman]

Normally I am against extended warranties, but a 50" RPTV is quite a handful to move and the warranty included in-house service and bulb replacement so I went for it. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I never had to use it and as I said, never had a prob and am still on the original bulb.