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NEWS 616 - 33 Comments
From: Swerb Entered on: February 14, 2009 11:23 PM
Sorry, I meant to ask: Plasma or LCD? (DLPs are pretty much outdated these days, I believe.)
From: Bunky Entered on: February 14, 2009 11:31 PM
Swerb, I have a Mitsubishi Big Screen in the family room. My parents have the same television as well. We both got the same green flashing light of death last year in the same week, and had to have them repaired. It was $250/ea to get them fixed, and the only reason we opted to fix ours because it was cheaper than purchasing a new one. F Mitsubishi's, I agree their customer service sucks and I would never buy another one.
From: BigFatty Entered on: February 15, 2009 2:20 AM
Well, I you can fix it for $250 bucks, as Bunky did - go that route.  Otherwise, for the size you will definately be needing a Plasma.  LCDs get cost prohibited in the larger sizes, so Plasmas are your best bet on a budget. Doing all the research for a great TV is overwhelming.  Too many manufacturers, models, options, etc.  I picked a manufacturer with a great rep (Samsung) and then choose from their many models.  I hear Sony and Panasonic are good too.  I do like my Samsung.  What can I say about it?  It has not broke yet?  I bought the same model for my out-laws.  It is an LCD, so that is different from your plasma needs.  Unless, you wish to downscale to a 42 incher (mine is a tiny 32!)  Take a look at their Series 4 and 5 Models.  Higher series will have you refi'ing your house.
From: Ross Entered on: February 15, 2009 11:40 AM
I agree with Fatty for the most part - I really have no opinion on Plasma vs LCD since I've never really spent a lot of time looking at plasmas.  But I do love my Aquos LCD.  My dad has a Samsung and I think he likes it better than my Sharp - the colors seem a bit more vibrant though I think my TV looks a bit brighter.  And Sonys are also supposed to be awesome, though very pricey, usually.
From: The Bone Entered on: February 15, 2009 3:04 PM
Although I have very little use for TV, I must say my 42 in Samsung LCD has a beautiful picture. I think Sony's is only slightly better but price wise not worth it. Right now my place comes furnished with a 46 in Panasonic Plasma and it looks pretty sharp too.
From: Swerb Entered on: February 15, 2009 10:34 PM
Well, I'm looking at this Panasonic and this Samsung - both are in the top three of Consumer Reports for plasmas. I have one anecdote that's anti-Samsung, compared to a pile of positive research for it. CNet gives the Panasonic a very good review. And both have good reliability ratings (so do Sharp units). Note that Mitsubishi is at the absolute bottom.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: February 15, 2009 11:00 PM
Here's some anecdotal evidence for ya, Swerb:  My 52" in the ZAGNUT is a Mitsubishi and I love it -- beautiful screen!  1-1/2 years and no problems at all.  I researched this particular model online when I bought it and didn't see any horror stories, so hopefully my luck will continue.  My 65" on the main level is a JVC that I've had for 5 years and haven't had a lick of trouble with that either. I was at Costco today and saw some sweet stadium seating I'd love to add to the ZAGNUT.  3 leather recliners with cup holders for $499 ($300 off til March 1).   The used leather sectional I have now (split up) works pretty good, but the cushions slide off.  I'm very tempted. Meanwhile, for music listening in my office, I'm using a Windows port of XBMC with wireless 360 controller on my new PC and it works sweet.  I got Logitech Z-2300 speakers hooked up and the sound is fairly awesome for a computer.  Now I don't need the WORKBOX xbox with it's TV and stereo.  In fact, I'm thinking of putting all these damn CDs in storage or something.  With everything stored on the computer I just don't use the CDs once they've been ripped.
From: The Bone Entered on: February 15, 2009 11:55 PM
Swerb - that is the plasma TV I have in my crib - at least type and model, different size. It's got a beautiful picture. Spending over $2000 for a tv seems absurdacris from my point of view, but I've spent more $ for crazier shit so go for it.
From: Ross Entered on: February 16, 2009 9:06 AM
Jackzilla said: I was at Costco today and saw some sweet stadium seating I'd love to add to the ZAGNUT.  3 leather recliners with cup holders for $499 ($300 off til March 1).   The used leather sectional I have now (split up) works pretty good, but the cushions slide off.  I'm very tempted. Now that is what I am talking about!  I am very hopeful that, with my next place, I will have a room (or portion of one) where I can build a proper home theater.  It has long been a dream of mine, even down to the idea of having two levels of raised seating.  This is all premature for me to be thinking about now, but I guess it's good that it's becoming a more mainstream idea.
From: Ross Entered on: February 16, 2009 9:07 AM
Is this what you were talking about, Zilla?
From: Jackzilla Entered on: February 16, 2009 11:50 AM
No, actually they're not leather but a leather-like microfiber material (and brown).  I actually mentioned the raised second row of seating to Angie too (just kind of jokingly... maybe someday).  Dammit!  Now you got me thinking about it again!  We'd also like to remove the carpet on the main floor and put down oak hardwood flooring.
From: RobotSpider Entered on: February 17, 2009 2:26 PM
Jackzilla said: now you got me thinking about it again!  We'd also like to remove the carpet on the main floor and put down oak hardwood flooring. My sister put in new wood floors with pre-finished boards and, frankly, it looks cheap.  If the boards are stained and urethaned individually, it looks more like Lego bricks than a wood floor.  Plus the finish they used on hers was really high-gloss, very plastic-looking.  And they didn't buy the cheap stuff either.  Anyway, my point is, if you're going to do actual wood, you might be happier with having it laid and finished more traditionally as opposed to short-cutting with pre-finished flooring.  It's not much cheaper--you do save quite a bit on labor since finishing takes longer, but you'll pay more for the flooring. I've done 6 wood-floor refinish jobs (400-1200 sq. ft. each),  3 solo, and also done several laminate floors. It's a pain in the ass (and lower-back... neck... knees...), but you'll get as much out of it as you put in.
From: EDGE Entered on: February 17, 2009 4:23 PM
On the TV side, I went with an LG. It had great colors, and has the 120mhz with 3ms refresh. After alot of shopping around I thought it had a better pic than the phillips,samsung and I thought it compared nice to the Sony. It has dark blacks and very vibrant colors as well as usb ports(not sure if that is standard or not now). On the floors, we had new floors put in last year and the wife loves them. I have a friend who works for Rivershore flooring and we got a great deal. We opted to not use the pre-finished boards as well. The standard install with finish gives a smoother look. As for the laminate, I wouldn't waste the money. It only cost a few hundred more to have real wood. We used 1 1/2 " white oak boards and they really did turn out great.
From: Swerb Entered on: February 17, 2009 5:38 PM
So I'm jumping through the hoops to get the damn Mitsubishi lemon I bought fixed. They need to get a diagnostic from a repair center before they'll tell me if they'll cover the cost of repairs on my out-of-warranty TV. The customer service guy I talked to said - in broken English, of fucking course, so I made him repeat himself several times - in his experience, they pay for it because it's not that far out of warranty. So I'll probably be without my TV for another 3-4 weeks, judging from how long it took last time. I'm just wondering if I should get it fixed and sell the damn thing before it breaks again... And, of course, Jack's blessed existence means his Mitsubishi is the one (of apparently thousands - there's a chance for a class-action suit against the company, I hear) that works just fine.
From: RobotSpider Entered on: February 18, 2009 8:05 AM
At least with the XBOX 360, Microsoft saw the writing on the wall and started making the repairs for free once they realized they had a major design flaw on their hands.  I'm far from a cheerleader for Microsoft, but at least they saw the wisdom of doing it right rather than waiting for the lawyers to step in and take their cut on TOP of the cost of making the repairs. I don't know anything about the Mitsubishi issue, but it seems to me it has to be one of two things: Power--Some resistor, capicitor, fuse, or other static component isn't sized appropriately and eats it when a small power fluctuation happens. Heat--In the push to make everything cheaper, smaller, faster, someone opted to go with a smaller heatsink on some integrated-circuit and it burns up too easily.  I know you've got your whole system on a 'surge-suppressor', but if you can swing it, I would strongly recommend using a full battery-backed UPS.  It works like a shock-absorber for electricity because the power is being converted from AC to DC, and back to AC to power your component.  Any spikes are drained off, and any power-drops are compensated for by the battery. I know this is unsolicited, and probably unnecessary, advice.  And I know you're probably getting no shortage of unsolicited advice on the issue.  It sucks that this happened again.  Even with a class-action, the best you can hope for is to be without your tv for a month, whether or not you have to pay for it :(  Good luck... I don't know how you're fixed for TVs, but I've got a regular 27" CRT you're welcome to have while yours is on the boat.  Though others on the site probably have better loaner-tvs.  Let me know.
From: Swerb Entered on: February 18, 2009 4:55 PM
Spider: It's a power issue of some kind, I believe. And I think I will look into the battery backup dealie. If you have a suggestion what I should buy, let me know. And my dad let me borrow a 27" TV for me to fucking squint at. I mean, it hurts my eyes to watch it. Thanks for the offer, though.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: February 18, 2009 6:46 PM
Swerb - I'm half surprised you didn't figure a way to put Studio 28's Theater #1 into your living room.  Wouldn't it count as a business expense for tax purposes?
From: RobotSpider Entered on: February 19, 2009 11:10 AM
Swerb said: Spider: It's a power issue of some kind, I believe. And I think I will look into the battery backup dealie. If you have a suggestion what I should buy, let me know. And my dad let me borrow a 27" TV for me to fucking squint at. I mean, it hurts my eyes to watch it. Thanks for the offer, though.  If you can swing it, do what I did with my last 360;  Go buy a new one, then when you get the other one back, sell it on e-bay, craigs list, etc.  Not like you're selling junk because it'll be fixed.  You'll eat a few hundred bucks, probably, but at least you get to subsidize your new tv, plus you get the new warranty.  I'm sure there are all sorts of "media-center" power solutions out there, but from what I've seen, they're mostly just rebranded (and repriced) versions of the same thing.  All these things that say "Protects LCDs, Plasma, AND Projectors!" are bullshit.  Your tv is just a computer with a gi-fucking-normous monitor.  I'll look up the power requirements for your tv and give you some ideas.  You won't be able to watch it for 2 hours while the power is out, but it will give you time to shut it down gracefully, and condition the power.
From: RobotSpider Entered on: February 19, 2009 11:17 AM
On plasma vs. LCD, Fatty is right that price is an issue over a certain size.  Above about 46" and it starts to get exponentially more expensive.  You've seen my Sony Bravia, though it's a meager 42", the quality is excellent.  The two issues I've heard complaints about with plasma are: Heat--They have a very high operating temperature.  I've been told (but haven't experienced) to keep pets and children away from the working bits when it's on.  Again, don't know first hand.  And Glare--The glass they use on the screen is, for some reason, very highly reflective.  If you have lighting or windows in bad spots in the room, it will be unwatchable.  Only what I've heard.  Add it to the rumor stack.
From: Swerb Entered on: February 19, 2009 10:27 PM
RobotSpider said: The two issues I've heard complaints about with plasma are: Heat--They have a very high operating temperature.  I've been told (but haven't experienced) to keep pets and children away from the working bits when it's on.  Again, don't know first hand.  And Glare--The glass they use on the screen is, for some reason, very highly reflective.  If you have lighting or windows in bad spots in the room, it will be unwatchable.  Only what I've heard.  Add it to the rumor stack. I've heard the same things about plasma - also that they can suck up the wattage. We have a pretty dark room, so I'm not concerned about the reflection. The good thing about plasma: I can buy a 58" plasma and it's affordable. Not so with LCD... I'd have to settle for a relatively big downgrade from my current 62" DLP, and I don't think I can do that. Also, you and I are thinking exactly alike: the TV is at the repair shop now, and I'm going to get what I can from Mitsubishi in compensation (hopefully... long story), then put the thing on craigslist and bail on it. I will probably eat more than a few hundred bucks when all is said and done, but if I end up with a TV that won't crap out every six months, I'll be happy. Well, not exactly happy, but less pissed off. Finally: You're full of good advice. The added "buffer" of the power-backup whatchamajigger is a terrific idea.
From: Swerb Entered on: October 2, 2009 4:13 PM
If I was a terrorist, I would attack Mitsubishi Corp. first. So I just bought this. And a three-year extended warranty, which I hopefully won't need. Now, to figure out what to do with the dead-for-the-third-time hunk of junk that's currently taking up (a lot) of space in my living room. Maybe I'll set it on the curb with a "free" sign on it...
From: Ross Entered on: October 2, 2009 7:07 PM
Nice purchase, Swerbinatorial!  I hope it lasts longer than you do.  Set it on the curb or set it on fire (first)?  Tough call...
From: NickNick Entered on: October 3, 2009 8:53 AM
I've got the perfect solution.  Take out all it's guts and drop an aquarium in there.  My old roommate did that with his old Imac.
From: Jackzilla Entered on: October 3, 2009 10:03 AM
NickNick's on the right track - But I'd gut it and use it as some kind of makeshift theater for puppet shows.  But then I love puppets. Nice purchase by the way.  65-inch!  Now there's another Real Man! Saw Zombieland last night with the Bells, Swerbs, Spiders and Crockett and had a great time!  The movie had me as soon as Woody Harrelson made his appearance.  What a sweet character!  I think the line that will stick with me the longest is "Fuck this clown."  Thumbs! It's dangerous sitting Zilla and Spider next to each other in a movie like that.  If either one of us starts laughing, it seems to set the other one off. Swerbs and Spiders - You missed out on a marathon Rock Band set.  Jeurge, Crockett and I rocked it til 3AM.  I played guitar on HARD all night.  I guess I'm a full man now -- Or at least I can play like your average 14-year-old finally.
From: BigFatty Entered on: October 3, 2009 11:50 AM
Jackzilla said: I played guitar on HARD all night.  I guess I'm a full man now -- Or at least I can play like your average 14-year-old finally. From your earlier post, I am not sure how to read this, but there is no question why Swerbs and Spiders did not stick around to play.
From: Swerb Entered on: October 3, 2009 12:10 PM
Crockett had a great idea for the Piece o' Shit TV: take care of it, Office Space-style. Find a field, procure some baseball bats and/or crowbars, and go to town. Gangsta rap and a video camera are necessities. Maybe my anti-Mitsubishi sttement will be a viral YouTube sensation.
From: BigFatty Entered on: October 5, 2009 12:50 AM
Here is the scene.  You do your Gangsta TV beatdown with full Rage music with the emphasis being the Mitishiti being crap.  Maybe a close up of the TV and label with a voice over narration of the story.  The camera pulls back and we see the TV is in a field.  The beat down ensues.  Then, the camera pulls back and the scene is being watched on your new TV.
From: RobotSpider Entered on: October 5, 2009 7:48 AM
Full thumbs on the movie.  Melissa (my Melissa) made a similar comment about me sitting next to you Jack.  That we set each other off.  Very often, I find that I'm the only one laughing at a movie.  It was nice to sit next to someone who was able to mask my laughter.  Although it could have used a little more boob (or at least, some boob), it was just about the perfect zombie movie.  I see that as in a different class from 28 Days/Weeks Later.  It had the right mix of creepy/funny/sad. **SPOILERS (Highlight to read)** The thing about Tallahassee's son was an interesting twist, but I'm glad they didn't dwell on it for long.  The flashback was enough.  Then he caps it off with the line about "...cried that hard since Titanic." The line Melissa and I kept repeating was after Bill Murray was shot and Tallahassee is sort of touching the gunshot, Bill Murray says, "yeah, that's still tender..."  lol **END SPOILERS**
From: RobotSpider Entered on: October 5, 2009 7:56 AM
I know this is late to the party Swerb, but I have a ConsumerReports Online membership if you want to research a TV.  I know you said on Friday you have one on the way, but in case you (or anyone else) ever needs to research something, let me know. My Dishwasher saga continues.   I went to swap out the wiring harness yesterday, and the very first connector I went to replace didn't exist on the new harness.  I double/triple checked my order, part numbers, manuals, etc.  I called up SearsPartsDirect to see what I did wrong, and she asks me to read the number off the part, then says, "Oh, what must have happened is someone put the wrong part in the bag.  The part number on the bag is correct for that model, but that part number should also be on the part." MOTHERFUCKER MOTHERFUCKER MOTHERFUCKER MOTHERFUCKER So, my only recourse was to order another one, which I'm sure they'll fuck up too.  So, instead of being out $70 for a few dozen wires, I'm now out $140, until they get the part back and can refund the original.
From: RobotSpider Entered on: October 5, 2009 8:00 AM
Jackzilla said: No, actually they're not leather but a leather-like microfiber material (and brown).  I actually mentioned the raised second row of seating to Angie too (just kind of jokingly... maybe someday).  Dammit!  Now you got me thinking about it again!  We'd also like to remove the carpet on the main floor and put down oak hardwood flooring. If you decide to do the flooring yourself, I've got a little experience laying it, and TONS of experience sanding/staining/finishing.  Let me know.  I and my kneepads will be there.
From: Ross Entered on: October 5, 2009 8:54 AM
BigFatty said: Here is the scene.  You do your Gangsta TV beatdown with full Rage music with the emphasis being the Mitishiti being crap.  Maybe a close up of the TV and label with a voice over narration of the story.  The camera pulls back and we see the TV is in a field.  The beat down ensues.  Then, the camera pulls back and the scene is being watched on your new TV. I like it, Fatty!  This could be your directorial debut!
From: BigFatty Entered on: October 5, 2009 4:14 PM
Thanks!  I see I still am paragraphically challenged.  Oh well. Speaking of new paragraphs... I just watched the new 'Cleveland Show' from 'The Family Guy' people.  I had low expectations, but man - they still do some funny shit.  The end of the second show had me pissing meself.  Definate Thumbs material.
From: RobotSpider Entered on: October 6, 2009 11:05 AM
Forgot to mention it earlier Fatty-- Excellent idea. Really like the pull-back reveal of the new tv.  Good stuff.