Originally posted by: MrCoyote
Prove your claims that RCA is "junk".
First, most TV's are NOT made in China, except for most crap brands.
Some, like Sharp, are made here in the USA (not just assembled here).
Here is only a small taste of proof that RCA is junk:
Class Action Lawsuit
Actually, they have been using defective tuners and components from around 1980 to this day.
Today's new built-in pre-planned defect (and probable next class action lawsuit) is their Flybacks, which since around 2000 have had a life span of less than 18 months for 50% of the sets built. Expensive part, and have had some customers wait for 6 months for hard to get part to arrive.
More proof that TCE (RCA,GE,Proscan) is junk is the fact that I have had several customers with broken TV's after only 8 months, write a letter to TCE explaining that they expected TV to last longer, and asked if TCE could repair the unit at no charge or at a reduced rate. The repsonse all received was, "Sorry, but your TV came with a 90 days warranty, and after 90 days we can not offer repair services, however we can give you info on where your local authorized repair center is located, which will repair your TV for normal parts and labor charges." Quote is not exact, but you get the idea. They wash there hands after warranty is up. In comparison, had a Toshiba that was 2 1/2 years old, and the yoke on the CRT shorted out. It was a bonded yoke, which means entire CRT also would have to be replaced at a charge of about $1100. Had customer write (or call) Toshiba, and they paid for it all to be done at no charge. Have had similar great results with Sharp, well after warranty expired. RCA blows.
One thing that most do not know about rebadged products:
They are NOT the same.
Yes, the parts inside do look the same, but in most cases, the parts are components that failed to meet the quality control of the original manufacturer. I learned about this long ago, while doing warranty work for Curtis Mathis. Turned out, Curtis Mathis used Sharp chassis rejects in their TV's. These sets with the great warranty, were in the shop more than they were in the customers home. We simply swapped out the chassis with another reject. Reject does not mean defective (although hard to say with Curtis Mathis use of Sharp rejects), but simply means it failed the quality range originally intended, which means it still may work great in other units. Wards Zenith is another example.
Akai HDTV bigscreen at Sam's club, made by Samsung is another example of use of rejects (10 days before one blew up here). I do agree that Samsung is also a brand that is near the bottom for reliability. Take a look at AVS Forums, and the people reviewing these things should be shot. RCA actually is one of the sets of choice for many there, as well as Zenith (now Goldstar because defect warranties forced Zenith to sell their name to LG in 2000 to resolve bankruptcy). They have no clue.
Also, because something worked great 5 years or 10 years ago, does not mean it still would be a good brand today. Things change every year. TV's and VCR's also have no relevance to each other, as even though they may be badged the same, they are still made by different companies (or divisions), with different goals. Apex is a good example. Decent cheap DVD players, but some of the crappiest TV's you could find.
You can ignore my remarks, and those of others here, but at least spend the $5 on a Consumers Reports mag for the item you are thinking of buying. While not perfect, they are about 90% right with electronics, which is better than most. Or just go ahead and buy the cheaply made disposable brands anyway, as it helps support your local small business owner in about 1 to 3 years.
EDIT: I like Sony's. Not top of the line sets, but better than most.
I don't like any LCD's, but that is an image quality issue for myself, not a professional repair quality issue.
Many people think LCD is the only way to go.
I prefer DLP.
Both have strong points and weak points, so get what you like best.
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