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Start here => Free For ALL => Topic started by: garmonbozia on December 28, 2008, 09:26:20 PM

Title: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on December 28, 2008, 09:26:20 PM
I think my TV has kicked the bucket.

It hadn't been used in several days (I was out of town.), and when I turned it on tonight, I got sound but no picture.  The only thing that appeared on the screen was an occasional patch of blue static, but mostly black.  I tried everything I could think of (unplugging it for a while, trying to open menus on the remote, tuning it to a blank channel, etc.) with no results.  I've been using it only as a monitor for the DVD player.  Haven't watched cable or broadcast with it in years, so it's not the reception.

I've had that set (a 20" GE) since 1991.  I've been tempted to replace it with a basic 22" or 26" HDTV, and unless there's a way to get it working, now's as good an excuse as any.  The aforementioned DVD player is actually an HD-DVD player, so what the hell.

Anyone got any ideas?

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Natalia Evans on December 28, 2008, 10:24:54 PM
Get a new TV set or take it in to get it fixed and see what happens.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: P7PSP on December 28, 2008, 10:56:48 PM
If you have an informal range area nearby take out your guns and shoot the shit out of it. :headbang2:
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Parts on December 29, 2008, 07:24:58 AM
If you have an informal range area nearby take out your guns and shoot the shit out of it. :headbang2:

I was thinking the same thing :laugh:   New TV's are not consumer friendly in the repair department and there is a real hazard of eclectic  shock even when unplugged and  the cost of having it done is prohibitive.  I put a brick through the screen of one before and took out another with an ax :laugh:
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on December 29, 2008, 07:31:47 AM
Reminds me of a certain scene from Office Space.  :)

I eventually wanted to get a new TV with high-def, but not like this.  (Either use credit or wait for my tax return.)  Aggravations come in clusters.  I'm also dealing with electrical problems in my car.  That's going to the shop probably this afternoon.


Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Phlexor on December 29, 2008, 09:24:59 AM
Yeah, get a new TV. Repairing the old one just wont be cost effective seeing as you are considering going to HDTV soon.

We just replaced our old 27" CRT SDTV with a 50" Plasma Full HDTV  :worship: :drool:
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Natalia Evans on December 29, 2008, 01:29:40 PM
The law here is now requiring we all recycle our TVs.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: ALLDAYGLOWRANDY on December 29, 2008, 02:36:57 PM
The law here is now requiring we all recycle our TVs.

That sounds like a good idea, I wish I could do that.  When I play with the volume, it changes the channel sometimes.  My xbox doesn't play cds quite right either, and my playstation is a used piece of shit.  The playstation does work, just not all the time.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on December 29, 2008, 03:34:06 PM
You can recycle what remains AFTER you put an ax through it. :zoinks:
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on December 29, 2008, 05:44:40 PM
Tried again.  Could see a little bit of snow on a blank channel, as if the brightness had been turned down.  Then I went back to the video input and turned on the DVD player.  I could tell that it had loaded the start menu, but barely.  What's left of the image is visible through red and blue stripes over mostly black.  I only saw those after turning up the volume.  (Volume affecting picture, so definitely something messed up.)  At this point, I'm convinced it's time to get rid of it.  I'll need to find a recycler.

So, for a while at least, I guess I'll just have to do without.  I find myself prioritizing to see if there is a reasonable way to fix this.  I've considered everything including looking for a used one at the local Salvation Army (and possibly bringing home a fire hazard).  Most likely I'll just bite the bullet and get a low-end HDTV.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: punkdrew on December 29, 2008, 07:15:23 PM
Unplug the thing and drive a stake through its motherboard. TV MUST DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Hiphop Grandma on December 29, 2008, 09:00:58 PM
Actually, I still have the TV I had from 1985, but it's retired and sitting in the closet at the moment. I'll eventually either donate it or stick it in the ground and bury it.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Icequeen on December 29, 2008, 11:35:38 PM
Switch cables so you're sure you don't just have a bad cable, probably bit the dust though.

I really hate my fugly old console TV, it's crapped out twice already, both times something stupid, one time it was a cable, and the other the selector box for the game consoles, damn thing just won't die.  :P
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Natalia Evans on December 30, 2008, 06:18:47 PM
We had a TV when I was 16 and it didn't even last us a year when we got it. The picture started to go out within a few months. My dad took it in one day to get it fixed but the guy just threw it out and told him it was cheaper to buy a new TV set than having it fixed because it would cost more.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Hiphop Grandma on December 30, 2008, 07:16:13 PM
I worked in a repair shop before, and that's they'll tell you. I had to help a friend throw out a 35" tv because it was fucked and too expensive to fix.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: P7PSP on December 30, 2008, 11:31:52 PM
That must have sucked for your friend, 35" still cost a bit of money.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Callaway on January 02, 2009, 07:58:30 AM
Tried again.  Could see a little bit of snow on a blank channel, as if the brightness had been turned down.  Then I went back to the video input and turned on the DVD player.  I could tell that it had loaded the start menu, but barely.  What's left of the image is visible through red and blue stripes over mostly black.  I only saw those after turning up the volume.  (Volume affecting picture, so definitely something messed up.)  At this point, I'm convinced it's time to get rid of it.  I'll need to find a recycler.

So, for a while at least, I guess I'll just have to do without.  I find myself prioritizing to see if there is a reasonable way to fix this.  I've considered everything including looking for a used one at the local Salvation Army (and possibly bringing home a fire hazard).  Most likely I'll just bite the bullet and get a low-end HDTV.


I am assuming that you left the TV unplugged for long enough to discharge the capacitor and you tried replacing the cable?

If so, then it is probably not cost effective to fix it, although you could call a repair shop to make sure.

We have one old TV set we repaired and it still works fine, but the repair cost a significant part of what a new set would have cost and you want a HDTV anyway.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on January 03, 2009, 08:48:50 AM
I've pretty much decided I will soon do my little part to help the ailing economy, and drop about $400 on a new HDTV.  I've already ordered an HDMI cable for it.  If it'll fit in the cubbyhole in my entertainment center, I'll get the 26" Toshiba.  (The HD-DVD player is a Toshiba, so matching brands look better.  Also, Toshiba has a feature it calls "DynaLight", which varies the backlighting to match dark scenes, a good idea if you watch alot of space movies.)  I've had the HD-DVD player for a year now, and accumulated about 20 HD-DVDs in a collection of some 250 to 300 movies and TV shows, mostly regular DVDs but also a few VHS and LaserDisc, and I haven't even gotten to watch the HD-DVDs in high-def yet.  So, as soon as I get my tax return, I'm off to the store.

As for the old TV.  It's been unplugged for several days now.  I'll plug it in and try it out one more time.  If it works, it's going to the local Salvation Army.  If it doesn't work, it's going to a recycler.  (The local free daily recently gave times and places for electronics recycling drives.  I've accumulated a bit of e-waste in addition to the TV, including a couple of dead computers I've had for about 10 years.)

I'll be sure to get one with at least two HDMI ports, because I figure I'll be wanting to add a Blu-Ray player to the system sometime within the next year.  Fortunately, Blu-Ray players are getting cheaper.  I've been using Amazon to get HD-DVD disks (now that they're long-gone from the stores), and noticed Blu-Ray disks are about even in price range through Amazon's secondary merchants.

Another option I considered was getting a large computer monitor and integrating the computer and entertainment systems.  Problem is, that would complicate the audio part.  (I'd have to get a separate amp and speakers.)  I wouldn't be able to work on the computer while listening to a show on the side.  And I wouldn't have a tuner to get digital broadcasts.  So that option is most likely out.

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: punkdrew on January 03, 2009, 08:49:50 AM
NO! TV MUST DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Gluey on January 07, 2009, 01:44:46 AM
I think my TV has kicked the bucket.

It hadn't been used in several days (I was out of town.), and when I turned it on tonight, I got sound but no picture.  The only thing that appeared on the screen was an occasional patch of blue static, but mostly black.  I tried everything I could think of (unplugging it for a while, trying to open menus on the remote, tuning it to a blank channel, etc.) with no results.  I've been using it only as a monitor for the DVD player.  Haven't watched cable or broadcast with it in years, so it's not the reception.

I've had that set (a 20" GE) since 1991.  I've been tempted to replace it with a basic 22" or 26" HDTV, and unless there's a way to get it working, now's as good an excuse as any.  The aforementioned DVD player is actually an HD-DVD player, so what the hell.

Anyone got any ideas?



Since 1991? Pretty decent for a shitty ass GE television
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Gluey on January 07, 2009, 01:50:23 AM
I've pretty much decided I will soon do my little part to help the ailing economy, and drop about $400 on a new HDTV.  I've already ordered an HDMI cable for it.  If it'll fit in the cubbyhole in my entertainment center, I'll get the 26" Toshiba.  (The HD-DVD player is a Toshiba, so matching brands look better.  Also, Toshiba has a feature it calls "DynaLight", which varies the backlighting to match dark scenes, a good idea if you watch alot of space movies.)  I've had the HD-DVD player for a year now, and accumulated about 20 HD-DVDs in a collection of some 250 to 300 movies and TV shows, mostly regular DVDs but also a few VHS and LaserDisc, and I haven't even gotten to watch the HD-DVDs in high-def yet.  So, as soon as I get my tax return, I'm off to the store.

As for the old TV.  It's been unplugged for several days now.  I'll plug it in and try it out one more time.  If it works, it's going to the local Salvation Army.  If it doesn't work, it's going to a recycler.  (The local free daily recently gave times and places for electronics recycling drives.  I've accumulated a bit of e-waste in addition to the TV, including a couple of dead computers I've had for about 10 years.)

I'll be sure to get one with at least two HDMI ports, because I figure I'll be wanting to add a Blu-Ray player to the system sometime within the next year.  Fortunately, Blu-Ray players are getting cheaper.  I've been using Amazon to get HD-DVD disks (now that they're long-gone from the stores), and noticed Blu-Ray disks are about even in price range through Amazon's secondary merchants.

Another option I considered was getting a large computer monitor and integrating the computer and entertainment systems.  Problem is, that would complicate the audio part.  (I'd have to get a separate amp and speakers.)  I wouldn't be able to work on the computer while listening to a show on the side.  And I wouldn't have a tuner to get digital broadcasts.  So that option is most likely out.



Don't get a blu-ray player get a ps3 instead! PS3's are cheaper have blu ray and have more functions than just a blue ray player.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Phlexor on January 07, 2009, 08:45:16 AM
I've pretty much decided I will soon do my little part to help the ailing economy, and drop about $400 on a new HDTV.  I've already ordered an HDMI cable for it.  If it'll fit in the cubbyhole in my entertainment center, I'll get the 26" Toshiba.  (The HD-DVD player is a Toshiba, so matching brands look better.  Also, Toshiba has a feature it calls "DynaLight", which varies the backlighting to match dark scenes, a good idea if you watch alot of space movies.)  I've had the HD-DVD player for a year now, and accumulated about 20 HD-DVDs in a collection of some 250 to 300 movies and TV shows, mostly regular DVDs but also a few VHS and LaserDisc, and I haven't even gotten to watch the HD-DVDs in high-def yet.  So, as soon as I get my tax return, I'm off to the store.

As for the old TV.  It's been unplugged for several days now.  I'll plug it in and try it out one more time.  If it works, it's going to the local Salvation Army.  If it doesn't work, it's going to a recycler.  (The local free daily recently gave times and places for electronics recycling drives.  I've accumulated a bit of e-waste in addition to the TV, including a couple of dead computers I've had for about 10 years.)

I'll be sure to get one with at least two HDMI ports, because I figure I'll be wanting to add a Blu-Ray player to the system sometime within the next year.  Fortunately, Blu-Ray players are getting cheaper.  I've been using Amazon to get HD-DVD disks (now that they're long-gone from the stores), and noticed Blu-Ray disks are about even in price range through Amazon's secondary merchants.

Another option I considered was getting a large computer monitor and integrating the computer and entertainment systems.  Problem is, that would complicate the audio part.  (I'd have to get a separate amp and speakers.)  I wouldn't be able to work on the computer while listening to a show on the side.  And I wouldn't have a tuner to get digital broadcasts.  So that option is most likely out.



Don't get a blu-ray player get a ps3 instead! PS3's are cheaper have blu ray and have more functions than just a blue ray player.

That's just sad, considering how its under performing in sales as it is, imagine how many people bought it just to play blu-ray discs. Doesn't look so good for games sales then.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: enronh on January 07, 2009, 11:28:16 AM
If you have a problem television and no one else can help and if you can find them maybe you can hire a television. 
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on January 07, 2009, 02:40:53 PM
Don't get a blu-ray player get a ps3 instead! PS3's are cheaper have blu ray and have more functions than just a blue ray player.

Actually, don't. PS3's suck at scaling up ordinary DVDs.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Parts on January 07, 2009, 09:12:17 PM
You should plug it in with an extension cord get it to have at least some snow on it then toss it out a second floor window >:D
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Christopher McCandless on January 07, 2009, 11:51:19 PM
Don't get a blu-ray player get a ps3 instead! PS3's are cheaper have blu ray and have more functions than just a blue ray player.

Actually, don't. PS3's suck at scaling up ordinary DVDs.
You can get a separate player with an upscalar reasonably cheap these days.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on January 08, 2009, 04:08:03 PM
Don't get a blu-ray player get a ps3 instead! PS3's are cheaper have blu ray and have more functions than just a blue ray player.

Actually, don't. PS3's suck at scaling up ordinary DVDs.
You can get a separate player with an upscalar reasonably cheap these days.

And a Blu-Ray player that offers better quality for both media cheaper than a PS3.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 08, 2009, 04:16:29 PM
Don't get a blu-ray player get a ps3 instead! PS3's are cheaper have blu ray and have more functions than just a blue ray player.

Actually, don't. PS3's suck at scaling up ordinary DVDs.
You can get a separate player with an upscalar reasonably cheap these days.

And a Blu-Ray player that offers better quality for both media cheaper than a PS3.

... or what if you would not want to be caught DEAD with a gaming system of any kind?


(I actually heard a guy (much younger than I) say that to one of the sales people a couple of weeks ago ...  :D)

We were selling the Samsung BDP1500 (it's a decent one!) for two hundred bucks last week and we have an LG, internal PC drive (only reads BD, reads and writes all the other media types) for one hundred ten!
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on January 08, 2009, 04:20:47 PM
Do you know how the Samsung performs with ordinary DVDs? I'm thinking about getting a Samsung but I don't know which one. I'd buy a Sony but they are evil.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 08, 2009, 06:08:00 PM
Do you know how the Samsung performs with ordinary DVDs? I'm thinking about getting a Samsung but I don't know which one. I'd buy a Sony but they are evil.

There's really a hell of a lot to your question and I don't have the answer.

My guess is that an entry level BDP would piss you off, in the long run.  If you went with one of the higher grade Blu-Ray players right now you would probably be much happier in the future, mainly because of the new features already being incorporated into the disk media (the format is rapidly changing, still - most of the lower priced ones are version 1.0 or 1.1, but Blu-ray is now on version 2.0. If you bought a BDP last year, you can't play the new discs without a firmware update ...   :zombiefuck:).

As far as standard definition DVD performance, your question is one I have been trying to answer for several months for myself. I can see a huge difference (playing a standard DVD, upscaled) when using a monitor with 1080P native res, 120Hz refresh rate, but not so much with a standard 1080P, 60Hz or 75hz refresh rate monitor.

If you are talking about how well one upscales output compared to the others, I really have not seen anyone do any conclusive testing in this area, which is of major concern for us with huge, existing DVD collections.
(I wonder if one of the HT/AV forums might have some info?  HHhhmmmm.)

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on January 08, 2009, 06:50:32 PM
Since 1991? Pretty decent for a shitty ass GE television

GE...  That's Bob Wright's old company, isn't it?  Perhaps I should invite a bunch of aspies over for a piñata party, or set it outside and everybody throw rocks at it.   >:D  You know, pretend it's him being stoned in effigy.  (BTW, somebody I once knew, told me that GE is an evil company and horrible to work for.)

Just to be sure, I tried it one more time after leaving it unplugged for several days.  No change, so off it goes to an e-waste recycler.

Well, I've made up my mind.  Once I've got that tax return, I'm getting the HDTV.  Not only that, but I'm going to just go ahead and get a Blu-Ray player.  I'm not going to be picky.  The TV just needs to be a 26" with at least two HDMI ports, and able to fit in my entertainment center.  (I actually cut a piece of dental floss to take into stores to measure display models with.)  And of course, the LCD has to show a decent image.  (Some are horrible, solarizing the image unless you're within a narrow viewing angle.  I'm not having that.)  The cheapest model that fits those criteria will do.  (720p resolution will do for now.)  The Blu-Ray player just needs to have its own ethernet port, so I can get the firmware updates without having to burn a CD every time.  I've seen the Samsung model that someone mentioned above, in the stores.  It's got an ethernet port and is cheaper than the Sony, so most likely I'll go with the Samsung.  I'm going with the cheap stuff just to get started with high-def.  Maybe someday after I've found a better-paying job (as per my career-bitchin' threads), I'll build the "dream" system in my living room.

Last night I ordered a second HDMI cable, and one movie on Blu-Ray.  Dawn of the Dead, the 1978 version... what better to christen the new high-def system with than an nice blood-and-guts zombie movie.  (So many zombie movies, so little time and money.)

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Christopher McCandless on January 08, 2009, 06:56:05 PM
Don't get a blu-ray player get a ps3 instead! PS3's are cheaper have blu ray and have more functions than just a blue ray player.

Actually, don't. PS3's suck at scaling up ordinary DVDs.
You can get a separate player with an upscalar reasonably cheap these days.

And a Blu-Ray player that offers better quality for both media cheaper than a PS3.

... or what if you would not want to be caught DEAD with a gaming system of any kind?


(I actually heard a guy (much younger than I) say that to one of the sales people a couple of weeks ago ...  :D)

We were selling the Samsung BDP1500 (it's a decent one!) for two hundred bucks last week and we have an LG, internal PC drive (only reads BD, reads and writes all the other media types) for one hundred ten!
:laugh:
Well he could ask Ben Heck to make him a custom system - maybe he will do this design cheaper without the PS3 logo...
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/04/ben-hecks-ps3-l.html
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on January 09, 2009, 04:09:42 PM
Do you know how the Samsung performs with ordinary DVDs? I'm thinking about getting a Samsung but I don't know which one. I'd buy a Sony but they are evil.

There's really a hell of a lot to your question and I don't have the answer.

My guess is that an entry level BDP would piss you off, in the long run.  If you went with one of the higher grade Blu-Ray players right now you would probably be much happier in the future, mainly because of the new features already being incorporated into the disk media (the format is rapidly changing, still - most of the lower priced ones are version 1.0 or 1.1, but Blu-ray is now on version 2.0. If you bought a BDP last year, you can't play the new discs without a firmware update ...   :zombiefuck:).

As far as standard definition DVD performance, your question is one I have been trying to answer for several months for myself. I can see a huge difference (playing a standard DVD, upscaled) when using a monitor with 1080P native res, 120Hz refresh rate, but not so much with a standard 1080P, 60Hz or 75hz refresh rate monitor.

If you are talking about how well one upscales output compared to the others, I really have not seen anyone do any conclusive testing in this area, which is of major concern for us with huge, existing DVD collections.
(I wonder if one of the HT/AV forums might have some info?  HHhhmmmm.)

The latter is what I'm trying to find out, I guess. DVD image quality is not very good but I own too many DVDs to just throw them away.

I suspected that the cheaper ones might piss me off in the long run. Thanks for the info, Dawg. :plus:
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 09, 2009, 06:55:46 PM
I'll need to do more research to find an answer for us.
One of the reasons I would steer away from an entry level BDP right now is that in my opinion, they are mediocre performers in Blu-ray format, also, when compared to one of the middle grade ones. I've seen quite a few of them work with Blu-ray media, but I had a chance to see one or two players that I would certainly avoid.

We have a display set up behind one of our counters with two identical Pan-Islamic (my affectionate name for these Malaysian made Panasonics) forty six inch 1080P LCD television sets, side-by-side. At first the display was used to show the difference in standard definition and High Definition on a 1080P set for the "Direct TV" people. (it looked like shit to me, because the DTV feed is actually 720P and the DTV satellite receiver upscales to 1080i, but not very well) 

Later we switched it to show the difference between one set "calibrated"  and the other set "not calibrated"  and we were using a high-grade Pan-Islamic Standard DVD player, which does upscale quite nicely.

The next change was some Sony promo and we switched over to the Sony ...(some letters?) 550 BDP, but we were supplied with a loop Blu-ray disk, with true HD content from Sony, still using the same two side-by-side sets to show off the difference in our "calibration." (Like fucking WoW, dude! Nice picture)

THEN, we changed out the player (leaving everything else the same, again) to an entry level LG brand Blu-ray player and there was an obvious difference in image quality. In fact there was far more difference in quality than the price difference between the LG and the Sony would imply. I can't remember why it had to be that LG player in the display, but after a week of me complaining about the quality of our "calibration display,"  I convinced the boss to let me switch to a different one (same model). It looked the same, so I'm tempted to conclude that it's just a shitty player.

Most recently, I switched to an entry level Panasonic BDP in that display, and it is noticeably better than the LG. But, right around the corner is a "Sony all the way" entry level HTIB display and the image quality is quite superior to the Pan-Islamic (you know I'm probably going to goof up an say that to a customer one of these days  :D) player and monitor set up.

I know that doesn't help with our dilemma, because all these displays use Blu-ray media.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 09, 2009, 09:43:16 PM
Check out this (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15228837&postcount=3174) response ...

It is a forum with moderators "loaded for bear,"  but this thread is over one hundred pages and I searched just that one for  "upconvert standard DVD"  and got quite a bit of info.

Most of these guys seem to disagree with my assessment of the entry level players. My excuse is that I work at a Best Buy store and I am spoiled. :D

It seems that most everyone has good things to say about the Panasonic BD35 being the best one for the money.



In correction to what I posted earlier, the older players were not a different "version,"  as in computers.  It is a "Profile" system that I was talking about, all three of which came into existence before the first Blu-ray disk was ever created. (that will teach me not to listen to computer geeks talk about AV  :D ) The problem was that some of the earlier players, which were Profile 1.0 and Profile 1.1, had compatibility issues when disks began being produced which included hotlinks to internet content which could only be accessed on a player compatible with Profile 2.0 and required a firmware update to "fix" them. I just wanted to correct that, now that I have it clarified in my own mind.
Most of the Profile 1.0 players, will not be able to meet Profile 2.0 standard, which includes some internet functionality, such as BD-Live (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/bdlive/).
I also discovered that it is not "compulsory" that manufacturers of BDPs keep up backward compatibility with the Standard DVD format and that there are some of the BDPs that won't play CDs.



The only other thing that I learned at the AVS forum, which GRABBED my interest, was that there is also a Blu-ray Profile 3.0, which is strictly for audio. Can't wait!
 :headbang2:

Oddly, I found when I logged in, that it had been two years to the day and plus three hours since the last time I had visited that forum.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: punkdrew on January 09, 2009, 11:46:46 PM
Fuck Blu-Ray. Fuck HDTV. Just more excuses for the industry to sell us crap that would need to be replaced in 2-3 years.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: duncvis on January 10, 2009, 03:59:25 AM
I would have been perfectly happy to replace our dying 28" widescreen CRT telly with another, but we couldn't get one ANYWHERE, since the analogue TV signal is being switched off soon in the UK - its all digital now. I like the 22" HD tv we got instead though, it was pretty cheap. HD picture quality is nice but its not that big a deal. *shrugs at progress*
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Christopher McCandless on January 10, 2009, 04:20:30 AM
I would have been perfectly happy to replace our dying 28" widescreen CRT telly with another, but we couldn't get one ANYWHERE, since the analogue TV signal is being switched off soon in the UK - its all digital now. I like the 22" HD tv we got instead though, it was pretty cheap. HD picture quality is nice but its not that big a deal. *shrugs at progress*
I think its because nearly no-one will buy a CRT anymore rather than anything else, all the big CRT's when they were still doing them were digital anyway. The problem with CRT's is they take silly amounts of space to store - not very good if you are running a shop.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: duncvis on January 10, 2009, 04:27:03 AM
good point. I nearly ruptured meself getting the old CRT into the attic and the fucker is a couple of feet deep - the new telly weighs a couple of kilos and fits in a big carrier bag.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 10, 2009, 06:18:37 PM
Fuck Blu-Ray. Fuck HDTV. Just more excuses for the industry to sell us crap that would need to be replaced in 2-3 years.



I enjoy my life,
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Christopher McCandless on January 10, 2009, 06:27:07 PM
good point. I nearly ruptured meself getting the old CRT into the attic and the fucker is a couple of feet deep - the new telly weighs a couple of kilos and fits in a big carrier bag.
Did you hear about the poor kid who died on Xmas Eve because their dad dropped the old tele on her whilst swapping it out? :(
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: duncvis on January 10, 2009, 06:39:33 PM
yeah. their Christmas had to suck. :(
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on January 11, 2009, 04:40:49 PM
How old was the kid? :o
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: duncvis on January 11, 2009, 04:42:35 PM
four. she was lying at the bottom of the stairs playing her DS; her dad tripped over her and dropped the telly on her head.  :zombiefuck:
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on January 11, 2009, 04:54:57 PM
I can't even imagine what it must have been like for that family. Poor girl.  :'(
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 11, 2009, 05:04:54 PM

Yeah. I wish I had tears, sometimes.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on January 19, 2009, 02:10:13 PM
Been looking at TV sets.  Visio has a decent-looking 26" HDTV for less than $350 at Wallyworld.  Anyone here know anything about Visio products?

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 19, 2009, 03:47:25 PM
Yes.

I would suggest that you learn some of the basics of LCD televisions, their connectivity, how they might work with the rest of your equipment, etc. before you buy anything, if you don't already have a grasp of the new technology. Can't do that at a Walmart store.

I have no clue where you live, but if there is a Circuit City in your area - that corporate entity has entered Chapter Seven bankruptcy and are liquidating their assets.

I have heard of some crazy fucking deals going on right now. Don't wait too long!
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on January 25, 2009, 03:00:13 PM
Thanks, but actually I was in a Circuit City store just this afternoon.  Even in its death throes, it's trying to rip people off.  They say "10% off" but what they really did was raise the prices 20% and then drop 10% off of that.  Everybody I've talked to knows that, and people are pissed off at the attempted wool-over job.

I stopped by today to see if they're selling off the store displays yet.  They are, so I asked for the price of the 26" Toshiba that I had mentioned earlier in this thread.  $419 for something that's out of the box and has had all kinds of people fucking with it.  If they'd drop the price below $350, I might consider it.  They also had an HD-DVD player (same model I've already got) in the box, so for the hell of it I asked about it.  About $135.  I thought maybe since HD-DVD's dead, I might consider getting a spare for when my player wears out or if I decide I have a use for a second one in a few years, but for me to have bought that one, they would have had to drop it below $100.  There was also a camera tripod I had looked at a week earlier, but they wouldn't sell it then because they weren't allowed to sell off store displays yet.  I looked at it again today and there was a part missing.  Screw that.

A co-worker told me about a regular swap meet that goes on every few weeks in a nearby town, where one might find a working LaserDisc player.  I imagine HD-DVD players will enter that realm by the time I'm in the market for another.

Of course, I'm not buying shit until I get my tax return (expected later this week).  Most likely I'm going to Wallyworld when I do get the money.

One thing I'm now figuring out...  The computer desk is right next to the entertainment center in my living room.  I'm considering using the same UPS for both the computer stuff and the TV stuff.  I'll have to estimate how many watts max that it might all pull, and make sure the UPS can handle it.  (This is Florida I'm talking about... nasty, nasty lightning storms.  I don't think I trust a regular surge suppressor with any of my equipment.)  Battery backup would be good for both the HD-DVD player and the Blu-Ray player.  From what I've heard, if either is pulling a firmware update off the Internet when the power goes out, it might fuck it up so that it's useful only as a boat anchor.

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on January 25, 2009, 06:47:17 PM

That sucks!
It is totally different at the local CC stores around here. They are discounting to the basement already, selling below cost. It could be a different liquidation company.

I would hesitate to buy a display model television. It is likely that it has already run half it's life expectancy away from being on, adjusted to "maximum"  or  "dynamic"  or "store display"  settings, sixteen hours per day, every day, literally for months. Use caution.

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on January 25, 2009, 09:05:45 PM
Good point about the display models.  I think I'll pass on those.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on January 31, 2009, 09:36:53 PM
Done.  My tax return came in.  Got a 26" Sanyo HDTV, and a Samsung Blu-Ray player.  Now I've just got to get the carcass of the old TV out of here.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Callaway on January 31, 2009, 11:03:31 PM
Our town has days where you can throw things like that out to be recycled.  I wonder if your town might have something similar?
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Phlexor on February 01, 2009, 07:24:49 AM
Done.  My tax return came in.  Got a 26" Sanyo HDTV, and a Samsung Blu-Ray player.  Now I've just got to get the carcass of the old TV out of here.

just leave it on the street with a bit of paper taped to it that says "PLEASE DO NOT STEAL THIS TV".

It will be gone by morning.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: DirtDawg on February 01, 2009, 02:17:40 PM
Done.  My tax return came in.  Got a 26" Sanyo HDTV, and a Samsung Blu-Ray player.  Now I've just got to get the carcass of the old TV out of here.

If your local hazardous materials disposal hub won't do it for free, Best Buy charges ten dollars to recycle most old televisions. If there's a BB near you, it might be worth giving them a call.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on February 01, 2009, 10:53:11 PM
I've got some info on where and when to get rid of it, so I'll just have to use that info.

Meanwhile, the new set has been properly initiated with zombie movies (Dawn of the Dead on Blu-Ray and Shaun of the Dead on HD-DVD.  I hooked up a six-dollar antenna from Big Lots today to see what it can tune in... a few soon-to-be-static analog channels and some digital channels.  I'm currently watching a show about aircraft carriers, and seeing what it looks like for a digital signal to go weak and cut out every few minutes.  Looks just like when my first camcorder kept eating tapes and croaked.  Maybe it needs an amplified antenna.

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on February 11, 2009, 07:15:50 AM
I found a dead pixel on the new set last night, near the center of the screen.  It's dim enough so I could probably just ignore it.  Is that normal for most LCD TV's or did I just get one that slipped past quality control?
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on February 11, 2009, 07:34:17 AM
It's not normal. In any case, shouldn't the set have a dead pixel guarantee? Our Samsung's got one. No dead pixels allowed.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Callaway on February 11, 2009, 11:52:28 AM
I found a dead pixel on the new set last night, near the center of the screen.  It's dim enough so I could probably just ignore it.  Is that normal for most LCD TV's or did I just get one that slipped past quality control?

No, it should not be doing that.  I think that you are still within the store's warranty period, so I would take it back to the store and get a replacement.  Otherwise, call the manufacturer.

We have a Philips large screen plasma TV that had a weird vertical bar appear near the middle of the screen within the first month and the store brought us a new one to replace it.  Philips was much less helpful, once they helped us figure out that the problem was with the set by having us disconnect the power for a period of time and then restarting it.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on February 11, 2009, 05:49:55 PM
Thankfully, I've still got the receipt and packaging.  It'll suck having to box it back up and haul it back and all that, but I can't put up with dead pixels on something I blew a portion of my tax return on.

I once took a dehumidifier back to Wal-Mart after having it for a couple of months.  It was just running as normal one day and then suddenly croaked.  I had no trouble at all returning it, so hopefully this TV after only a couple of weeks won't be a problem.

Question...  Are these dead pixels something that accumulates over the life of an LCD monitor or TV?  Would it help to use a UPS with EMI/RFI protection on it instead of just a surge suppressor?

Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Phlexor on February 13, 2009, 04:39:05 AM
I'd ring to check on their dead/stuck pixel return policy first before wasting your time boxing it up and returning it. Some places I know only let you return in the first week and only if it has more than 3 dead/stuck pixels.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Dayko on February 13, 2009, 09:45:46 AM
when i moved where i am now, 20 years ago  the first day in the home  the TV set get broken , we were two years without TV, later in 1992 we get an TV and well just now  we had  an philips TV that already is running, an samsung one that is almost getting broken and the sony ,  now with the digital transition  as where i am already not decide what system would we use, i  just saty away of TV sets  till  the government decide what system we will use of HDTV.

of anyway about death pixels just my monitor have one death one lol but rarely when i pass my finger over the  plate surface get normal the red   point to work normal.

well  about HD  LCD  was watching between the Panasonic viera and the sony bravia, both look  great.

Francisco



Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on February 13, 2009, 03:46:58 PM
Thankfully, I've still got the receipt and packaging.  It'll suck having to box it back up and haul it back and all that, but I can't put up with dead pixels on something I blew a portion of my tax return on.

I once took a dehumidifier back to Wal-Mart after having it for a couple of months.  It was just running as normal one day and then suddenly croaked.  I had no trouble at all returning it, so hopefully this TV after only a couple of weeks won't be a problem.

Question...  Are these dead pixels something that accumulates over the life of an LCD monitor or TV?  Would it help to use a UPS with EMI/RFI protection on it instead of just a surge suppressor?



Their numbers might increase over time, yes, but from what I've heard it will take time. Our LCD TV's got a three-year warranty. One dead pixel is enough to have me replace the damned thing.

I think a surge suppressor is enough. A power failure isn't going to harm your set.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: odeon on February 13, 2009, 03:48:22 PM
I'd ring to check on their dead/stuck pixel return policy first before wasting your time boxing it up and returning it. Some places I know only let you return in the first week and only if it has more than 3 dead/stuck pixels.

But keep in mind that some (most?) will accept that a dead pixel in the centre of your LCD panel warrants a replacement.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on February 13, 2009, 05:21:18 PM
Well, I exchanged it without any hassle.  I called ahead and they had a replacement waiting for me behind the customer service desk when I got there.  At another store, I got some power protection.  I ended up getting a Power Conditioner instead of a UPS.  Basically, it's a fancy surge suppressor and interference filter that lights up like Xmas.  Made by APC, the same company that made the UPS at work that I trust to protect a very expensive piece of equipment.  Remember, this is Florida with all its lightning and shitty electrical service we're talking about.  The power conditioner stacks with the other components and keeps the cords organized, so none of that shit where there's a nest of power cords clustered around a power strip.  It doesn't have battery backup, but my only real concern with surprise power failures is if I'm doing a firmware upgrade on one of the movie players when one hits.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Dayko on February 13, 2009, 08:28:14 PM
happen that the dead pixels is due vibrations   that had the  LCD   during the transport  or  installation not have nothing to be   an power supply with death pixels,
just an  manufacturing  defect that have.



Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Callaway on February 14, 2009, 03:21:12 AM
happen that the dead pixels is due vibrations   that had the  LCD   during the transport  or  installation not have nothing to be   an power supply with death pixels,
just an  manufacturing  defect that have.



I see.  That makes sense that it would be a manufacturing defect.
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: Phlexor on February 14, 2009, 11:58:58 PM
I'd ring to check on their dead/stuck pixel return policy first before wasting your time boxing it up and returning it. Some places I know only let you return in the first week and only if it has more than 3 dead/stuck pixels.

But keep in mind that some (most?) will accept that a dead pixel in the centre of your LCD panel warrants a replacement.

That's why you have to check, each brand/store is different. I know I would be pissed off if any of my LCDs in my house had a stuck or dead pixel (fuck, thats 5 LCDs and 1 plasma i have now that I counted).
Title: Re: dead TV set
Post by: garmonbozia on March 22, 2009, 03:46:38 PM
I finally got the carcass of the old TV out of here.  Yesterday, the county was having one of its dead electronics collections.  I got rid of some other stuff too, including a broken keyboard and a dead UPS.