I purchased a 42" LG DLP rear-projection HDTV from Circuit City in November 2004 and have always been pleased with the picture. However, the maintenance of these TVs is unreal. Dust continuously gets into the set, causing small dark spots on the screen due to the use of mirrors to produce the picture. I purchased the CC Advantage extended warranty which provided free service & cleanings, but it was such a pain to schedule them that I eventually learned to do it myself with similar results.
However, things started to go south a few months ago, right around three years of age for the TV, as the lamp needed to be replaced. Not a big deal, except the model is no longer in production, so it took a while to find a replacement. While the tech was installing the lamp, he said that the engine (the 'guts' of the TV) was also likely on its last legs as there was discoloration along the periphery of the screen and general decreased picture quality/sharpness. It took about six weeks to locate a new engine, only to have it not be compatible with my TV when installation was attempted (this was in January).
I heard nothing from CC or the contracted servicer (my wife called once in February) over the past two months. Finally, she called again Thursday and must have gave it to them pretty good. CC told her that an engine cannot be found and that we will get a new TV! They're supposed to call me in 5-7 business days to provide further details, but my wife said they told her we will be able to go to the store to choose a new one. I'm assuming/hoping that they will give us full store credit for our original purchase price, which was around $2300 or $2400 I believe.
Herein lies my dilemma, as I'm not sure what type of TV I should go for. I think I'm done with DLP/RPs, as I don't want to deal with the upkeep. Plasma will probably be too pricey, unless I downgrade size or quality. That leaves LCD, which I hear has made tremendous strides in quality since I originally researched HDTVs a few years ago.
My main concern with LCDs is the dreaded 'motion blur' problem. I checked out the CC website and it appears we could get a pretty high quality LCD if they give us full credit, but I'm still worried, as I NEVER noticed any blurring with my old set. Is MB just hype? Or is it relegated to lower-quality TVs? The ones I was looking at online have response times of 5 Ms and frame rates of 60 Hz, I believe. According to the CC glossary, anything below 8 Ms should significantly reduce blurring. However, it seems that 120 Hz is top-shelf for frame rate. I watch a ton of sports, so this is a real concern for me...
Any help, advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance,
Q
However, things started to go south a few months ago, right around three years of age for the TV, as the lamp needed to be replaced. Not a big deal, except the model is no longer in production, so it took a while to find a replacement. While the tech was installing the lamp, he said that the engine (the 'guts' of the TV) was also likely on its last legs as there was discoloration along the periphery of the screen and general decreased picture quality/sharpness. It took about six weeks to locate a new engine, only to have it not be compatible with my TV when installation was attempted (this was in January).
I heard nothing from CC or the contracted servicer (my wife called once in February) over the past two months. Finally, she called again Thursday and must have gave it to them pretty good. CC told her that an engine cannot be found and that we will get a new TV! They're supposed to call me in 5-7 business days to provide further details, but my wife said they told her we will be able to go to the store to choose a new one. I'm assuming/hoping that they will give us full store credit for our original purchase price, which was around $2300 or $2400 I believe.
Herein lies my dilemma, as I'm not sure what type of TV I should go for. I think I'm done with DLP/RPs, as I don't want to deal with the upkeep. Plasma will probably be too pricey, unless I downgrade size or quality. That leaves LCD, which I hear has made tremendous strides in quality since I originally researched HDTVs a few years ago.
My main concern with LCDs is the dreaded 'motion blur' problem. I checked out the CC website and it appears we could get a pretty high quality LCD if they give us full credit, but I'm still worried, as I NEVER noticed any blurring with my old set. Is MB just hype? Or is it relegated to lower-quality TVs? The ones I was looking at online have response times of 5 Ms and frame rates of 60 Hz, I believe. According to the CC glossary, anything below 8 Ms should significantly reduce blurring. However, it seems that 120 Hz is top-shelf for frame rate. I watch a ton of sports, so this is a real concern for me...
Any help, advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance,
Q
Comment