Did she get a good deal (52'' LCD, Warrenty, etc, $3000)

[Coldkilla]

I removed the original post. The original post contained items purchased that have since been returned. The items initially had been:

A Sony Bravia XBR4 LCD
Best Buy's "Picture Calibration"
4 Year Warranty
A sony blu-ray player
A monster hdmi cable
A huge surge protector (can't remember the name atm).
Home theater setup
2 year black tie service
Delivery
Taxes
Total Cost: $2,999

The "deal", was a bad one. The parts were returned and everything refunded. Thanks to everyone here I now have this setup: (Will be updated)!:
================================
STATUS UPDATE5: NEW TV Purchased:

Samsung 52'' LCD 120Hz ToC
4 HDMI Cables. (1.3a Category 2 Cert. 28AWGted)
5 Year RepairMaster Warranty (+ the 1 year manufacturer)
5 Year RepairMaster Screen/Physical Damage
8AC Panamax PM8-Ex Surge Protector
Samsung BD-P1500 Blu-Ray player

Total Cost: $2219.95
================================
Noticeably missing: Home Theater Setup, Calibration, and any Monster HDMI cables. I'll probably hold back on these extras until the TV at least makes it to the house and we have time to get things working.

 

[ZappDogg]

You paid $85 for a $3 cable. Given that, you probably overpaid on everything else, too.

Also, Best buy loves people like you. You won't be saving any power by getting a $200 calibration.

 

[Coldkilla]

Could you go a little deeper? This stuff all has return policies. If you could provide links and information I could present over to my mother down the road, I would really appreciate it. I'd like to save her as much as I can. At this point she feels good about her TV, but if I can we can save some in places where money can be saved without compromising the whole purchase, I would much appreciate it.

 

[hans030390]

Sony 52'' Bravia XBR4 1080P LCD ($1600)

I suppose this is OK. I can't say for sure. You could compare prices to other TVs online, but I wouldn't worry so much about this.

+TV Calibration. ($200)

Calibration my ass. They basically just stole $200 from you.

+ 4 Year Warranty. ($350).

Not worth it, IMO. Normally the standard warranty is fine, but if you're willing, it's worth it. I just think that if a product isn't going to make it through the standard warranty, then it's not worth buying that product. Sony has very reliable products, too.

+ Monster HDP 650 ($100)

No...not only is that probably more than you need, you could get it WAY cheaper elsewhere or online. (ex: I got a +3000 joules at Wal-Mart for under $40)

Sony Blu-Ray Player: ($160)
+8' HDMI Cable for Blu-Ray (Best Buy's: $85)

The Blu-Ray player has a good price, but you paid 8 times more for that cable than you needed to (www.monoprice.com has cheap prices, but the cables are basically the exact same as Monster).

+ Standard Home Theater Setup ($200)

Why? You can set it up yourself for free.

+ 2 Year "Black Tie Service" ($24.99)

As cheap as that is, I wouldn't trust them to work with anything in my house (not that I have my own house yet). I'd do a better job myself...for free, again.

+ Delivery ($70) - We have small car).
+ Tax ($160) + Small Extras

I suppose you can't do much about this.

Total = You did not get a good deal.

 

[sdifox]

dude, where are you located? Asking someone on avs forum to do all that would cost less than 200 bux. Calibration and 200 setup??? Shit, even charging what my company charges for my time ($150/hr) it would not cost so much.

 

[Coldkilla]

Alright so let me gather some stuff here:
1. Get rid of Calibration. (Save $200)
2. Get rid of the surge protector and go get one somewhere for cheap (like Walmart for $40) (Save $60)
3. Go to www.monoprice.com and get the HDMI cables. (Save $80) - Really same as Monster?
4. Get rid of "Home Theater Setup" (Save $200)
5. Get rid of "Black Tie Service". (Save $24.99)
6. Get rid of Warranty and go with Manufacture (Save $350) - Still debating - Have question.

Question:
1. TV is an OPEN item. Does warranty start from time of purchase?
2. She is worried about the TV going out. If its manufacture warrenty, she'd have to find a way to reship it, pay for it, wait 2 months, and have it shipped back wouldn't she?

Originally posted by: sdifox
dude, where are you located? Asking someone on avs forum to do all that would cost less than 200 bux.

Milwaukee Wisconsin. We've had this surround sound for 4 years now and it still sucks and we would like someone to come in and calibrate it for us (maybe even teach us how to do it)... we don't know how to do that.

 

[ZappDogg]

The grandparents have a 60'' Sony that broke 1 month past manufacturers' warranty, and they were pretty glad to have the extended protection.

That being said, I used to sell those plans for a living, and they are largely a waste of money.

 

[Coldkilla]

So getting an extended warranty ether from Best Buy or an online retailer like Amazon is a good choice. Check. That'll make her feel better, knowing who to blame for the TV's demise

 

[s44]

Real ISF calibration is more than $200, and definitely worth it. (Check out all the calibration threads at AVSforum.) That's either a bargain, or a ripoff, depending. Not necessary for an average user, though.

Warranty... Not necessary for a LCD, imo, but because it's open box you may want it. I'd generally suggest going third party (Warrantech or the like), but for your mom this may be simpler. Btw: most TV warranties (manuf. and third party) are in-home through a local shop.

"Home theater setup"? Really? Not unless you need stuff mounted on a wall or something. What kind of receiver do you have?

Monoprice cables for sure.

As for the surge protector, make sure it's one that shuts down if the protection fails.

 

[Coldkilla]

-HDMI: For the Blu-Ray to the TV.
-Warrenty: She's had so many electronics up and fail randomly on her its nuts. She'll need something. Third party repairmen? Are all LCD problems repairable? Dead Pixels, fading, etc?
-Home Theater Setup: We'll probably throw out. But still would like someone to come in and help us calibrate our surround so we can actually have it working. (Four years old and we still cant get it to sound good).

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Alright so let me gather some stuff here:
1. Get rid of Calibration. (Save $200)
2. Get rid of the surge protector and go get one somewhere for cheap (like Walmart for $40) (Save $60)
3. Go to www.monoprice.com and get the HDMI cables. (Save $80) - Really same as Monster?
4. Get rid of "Home Theater Setup" (Save $200)
5. Get rid of "Black Tie Service". (Save $24.99)
6. Get rid of Warranty and go with Manufacture (Save $350) - Still debating - Have question.

Question:
1. TV is an OPEN item. Does warranty start from time of purchase?
2. She is worried about the TV going out. If its manufacture warrenty, she'd have to find a way to reship it, pay for it, wait 2 months, and have it shipped back wouldn't she?

Originally posted by: sdifox
dude, where are you located? Asking someone on avs forum to do all that would cost less than 200 bux.

Milwaukee Wisconsin. We've had this surround sound for 4 years now and it still sucks and we would like someone to come in and calibrate it for us (maybe even teach us how to do it)... we don't know how to do that.

err, you need a rat shack SPL metre if your receiver doesn't have the auto calibrate function. I am pretty sure there are people from wisconsin in AVS Forum. I am nowhere near you or I would just drive over to do it.

You can get extended warranty online, as long as it is purchased before end of manufacturer warranty.

 

[Coldkilla]

Originally posted by: sdifox
err, you need a rat shack SPL metre if your receiver doesn't have the auto calibrate function. I am pretty sure there are people from wisconsin in AVS Forum. I am nowhere near you or I would just drive over to do it.

Rat Shack SPL Mater? Whats that?
Auto Calibrate Function? Whats that?
---Are we talking about the surround sound here? Or something else? Sorry again for my lack of knowledge on the subject.

AVS Forum? What exactly is the purpose of the forum? I'm assuming its like a Craigslist for tech dudes who will go to your house and work on your stuff for a price. I'll go register now.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
-HDMI: For the Blu-Ray to the TV.

Yes, and you should get another one for the HD cable box to the TV. That's $10 total at monoprice, or $200 for two crappier cable from Monster.

-Warrenty: She's had so many electronics up and fail randomly on her its nuts. She'll need something. Third party repairmen? Are all LCD problems repairable? Dead Pixels, fading, etc?

Well, LCD issues tend to pop up right away (dead/stuck pixels, screen issues) so the manufacturer warranty should cover it. But yeah, given that it's your mom, you may just want to stick with Best Buy.

-Home Theater Setup: We'll probably throw out. But still would like someone to come in and help us calibrate our surround so we can actually have it working. (Four years old and we still cant get it to sound good).

It might well be the room, or the equipment, or the placement. I guess your receiver didn't come with a little calibration tool... You can get your own sound pressure level meter for ~$50 and do the level adjustment yourself, but then again that won't necessarily help figure out placement issues.

It might be worth $200 if they know what they're doing, but I guess none of the posters here trust the chain store.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
AVS Forum? What exactly is the purpose of the forum? I'm assuming its like a Craigslist for tech dudes who will go to your house and work on your stuff for a price.

No, it's more like an AT forum for people geeking out about home theater instead of gaming rigs. It can get you up to speed on doing your own build for HT (components, setup, etc.)... Great resource.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla

Originally posted by: sdifox
err, you need a rat shack SPL meter if your receiver doesn't have the auto calibrate function. I am pretty sure there are people from wisconsin in AVS Forum. I am nowhere near you or I would just drive over to do it.

Rat Shack SPL Mater? Whats that?
Auto Calibrate Function? Whats that?
---Are we talking about the surround sound here? Or something else? Sorry again for my lack of knowledge on the subject.

AVS Forum? What exactly is the purpose of the forum? I'm assuming its like a Craigslist for tech dudes who will go to your house and work on your stuff for a price. I'll go register now.

it's a forum for home theatre geeks. Friendly bunch but the forum is a bit overwhelming in terms of sheer size. I am saying go read their basic guides and ask more questions if you need help. Or ask here if you find that place too chaotic (like me).


A Sound Pressure Level meter allows you to setup your sound system so that they all produce the same sound level. Thus making the most out of your sound system.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=38765


Do not buy any cable/accesories from retail, that is the profit centre.

 

[Coldkilla]

Originally posted by: sdifox
You can get extended warranty online, as long as it is purchased before end of manufacturer warranty.

Now I've never done anything like that. So you can have the manufacturers warranty, then purchase an extended warranty? Through whom? The manufacturer? So do companies like Sony/Samsung provide this? This is assuming I buy online, of course.

Also, I don't think we will go all out on the equipment for the surround testing. It's just that we have been trying forever to tweak the back speakers so we could get a little more volume out of them. I personally have a nice surround sound, where you can measure inch per inch from my head to the speaker... but hers is 4 years old and she'll be happy with just the speakers in the back working louder than where they are at now. Like I said, we spent a looong time playing with it and cant get it figured out.

Back to the Warranty and the Extended Warranty, were you talking about "Normal Manufacture Warranty and Extended Manufacturer's warranty"? Do I call ether Sony or Samsung to inquire about this, or should it say on their website? What about retailers websites like Amazon?

 

[s44]

Samsung lets you re-up anytime before the end of their warranty. Dunno about Sony.

Third party warranties (the most prominent on teh internets are RepairMaster/Warrantech and Mack) go through pretty much the same network of local repair shops that the manufacturers use. You can get them on the internet, as long as you do it and register not too long after you buy the thing/the original runs out (depending). They require at least 90 days of manufacturer coverage to start, though, so if the open box one you got DOESN'T have that, you can't do it anyway.

The other thing people like to use is the doubling of manufacturer warranty (up to an additional year) provided by most credit cards. But again, this is only useful if you got the whole one year coverage for a new item thru the maker. The first thing you have to do in this case is to see how much manufacturer's warranty you got in the first place.

EDIT: as for the surround sound, doesn't your receiver let you adjust levels for each speaker? just boost it on the rears

 

[mshan]

Most quality names should have in home service: http://www.hdguru.com/?p=107

Roughly guessing, I think she paid at least $500 too much, and if she is just going to watch tv and casual movies, the out of the box Sony "calibration" will probably look just fine.

I would go with Belkin Pure AV line conditioner (because Monster is such a bad company) and just get the HDMI cable from Monoprice.com

That HTIB is probably a very tinny sounding throwaway. Probably better off looking through YoYo's stickie and fine a better HTIB.

 

[Coldkilla]

Originally posted by: s44
Samsung lets you re-up anytime before the end of their warranty. Dunno about Sony.

Third party warranties (the most prominent on teh internets are RepairMaster/Warrantech and Mack) go through pretty much the same network of local repair shops that the manufacturers use. You can get them on the internet, as long as you do it and register not too long after you buy the thing/the original runs out (depending). They require at least 90 days of manufacturer coverage to start, though, so if the open box one you got DOESN'T have that, you can't do it anyway.

The other thing people like to use is the doubling of manufacturer warranty (up to an additional year) provided by most credit cards. But again, this is only useful if you got the whole one year coverage for a new item thru the maker. The first thing you have to do in this case is to see how much manufacturer's warranty you got in the first place.

Question:
-You were talking about RepairMaster/Warrantech, are you saying that once I get the TV, register with them but I am still on the Manufacturers warrenty, when that comes close to ending, extend it, and then call RepairMaster/Warrantech when I need service? (Just a little confused). I know I'm probably misunderstanding to the 10th degree, I apologize.

EDIT: as for the surround sound, doesn't your receiver let you adjust levels for each speaker? just boost it on the rears

We're pretty sure they don't. Can't be 100% on that though.

 

[s44]

Btw... She could have gotten the Samsung 52A550 for $1550 shipped and tax-free from Amazon.

 

[mshan]

Aphex's odyssey: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...t_key=y&keyword1=aphex

For $3000, I would guess you could get Pioneer Kuro (720p 50 inch at least).

Good Samsung or Sony 50 inch range I'd say $2000 is good price target, without all of the other extraneous stuff.

 

[Coldkilla]

We haven't gotten the TV yet. She has until Thursday to cancel the shipment, and 30 days to return the unopened components.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
-You were talking about RepairMaster/Warrantech, are you saying that once I get the TV, register with them but I am still on the Manufacturers warrenty, when that comes close to ending, extend it, and then call RepairMaster/Warrantech when I need service? (Just a little confused). I know I'm probably misunderstanding to the 10th degree, I apologize.

Erm... no. You can extend the regular warranty in two ways: either pay the manufacturer (at least this works for Samsung), or pay another company. In either case it has to be before the manufacturer coverage ends. During the original warranty period, you call Samsung/Sony/whatever. After that, you call whomever you paid for the longer warranty. The third option is an automatic extension through your credit card company, but I believe you have to arrange for repair yourself, then get reimbursed by Visa/MC/Amex.

EDIT: as for the surround sound, doesn't your receiver let you adjust levels for each speaker? just boost it on the rears

We're pretty sure they don't. Can't be 100% on that though.[/quote]
Then the calibrators can't do much anyway. What's the model number? Your best option might be to spend the money on a refurb Onkyo 605 or the like.

 

[s44]

Cancel it! Buy a NEW 52" Samsung from Amazon with a credit card that gives an automatic warranty extension. Get HDMI cables from Monoprice. Spend the difference on a real surround receiver.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla

Originally posted by: sdifox
You can get extended warranty online, as long as it is purchased before end of manufacturer warranty.

Now I've never done anything like that. So you can have the manufacturers warranty, then purchase an extended warranty? Through whom? The manufacturer? So do companies like Sony/Samsung provide this? This is assuming I buy online, of course.

Also, I don't think we will go all out on the equipment for the surround testing. It's just that we have been trying forever to tweak the back speakers so we could get a little more volume out of them. I personally have a nice surround sound, where you can measure inch per inch from my head to the speaker... but hers is 4 years old and she'll be happy with just the speakers in the back working louder than where they are at now. Like I said, we spent a looong time playing with it and cant get it figured out.

Back to the Warranty and the Extended Warranty, were you talking about "Normal Manufacture Warranty and Extended Manufacturer's warranty"? Do I call ether Sony or Samsung to inquire about this, or should it say on their website? What about retailers websites like Amazon?

Personally, I would not get an ext warranty. Stats show at most 1 out of 4 warranty were needed. Also, ext warranty are scummy, they try to get out of it. Come to think of it, most warranty are scummy. But if you want, you can buy extended warranty, not the manufacturer ones. But I think they have them now too since it is such a profit centre.

Sony Canada sells extended warranty, not sure about Sony USA.

Mack sells extended warranty to all electronics I think. But there is a lot of unsatisfied customers out there.

news coverage on extended warranty.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/ma...arranties/what_is.html


as to calibration, can you post the make and model of the sound system you have?