posted on August 23, 2008 05:31:08 PM new
I was out of the country for 22 days.
Before I left ,I unplugged all electrical appliances including a Toshiba 27 inches TV/DVD/VCR set which I bought 5 years ago from Bestbuy.
I paid $600 for it .
When I plugged it in,it would not power up,just give me a low humming noise.
I tried hitting it ,I tried unplug it again overnight,nothing happens,just the same low humming noise.
I hate to write it off,so what should I do,call the repair man,open up the back myself and check it out or buy a new one?
(I know nothing about repairing TV,maybe I can trace where the humming comes from?
Advice please.
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[ edited by hwahwa on Aug 23, 2008 05:31 PM ]
posted on August 23, 2008 05:55:09 PM new
I doubt if it can be repaired cheaply and perhaps not at all junk it. Combo units are handy but not a good buy. They usually have an integrated circuit so when one section bites the dust it takes the others with it. Tv's will usually out last dvds-vcrs. The dvd-vcr units are much cheaper to replace than a tv or a combo unit.
posted on August 23, 2008 05:56:46 PM new
First off sorry to hear your out of a TV dvd/vcr set. Whatever you do don't try opening it up and trace the humming sound. TVs have this part inside that holds electricity....a large charge that would fry ya in a minute or at the very least wish you would have never touched it. You can always try what I call the red neck fix where you lift it in the air about a inch and drop. Many of items in our house have been fixed that way over the years . Then if that doesn't work I'd most likely go buy a used one cheap from a yard sale till around Christmas when they put everything on super sales to buy new.
posted on August 23, 2008 06:05:11 PM new
good idea,I will try dropping it,nothing to lose there!
yes,now I know a combo is a terrible idea.
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Gulag-a Soviet era concentration camp is now reincarnated as EBAY with 13,000 rules.
posted on August 24, 2008 03:13:42 AM new
But you got 5 years out of it and did not have to hook a recorder up. I call that a plus! (I have had a DVD-VCR now for 3 years that no one will hook up for me) LOL, I too have tried the 'red-neck' fixes and sometimes they work just great!
posted on August 24, 2008 06:12:04 AM new
yes,for 5 years it was a treat to lie on the couch and flip channels and watch movie and exercise along with rubber lips and simmons dance your pants off.
I am surprised it conks out,may be sitting on the floor for too long ,it is a Toshiba.
A friend of mine bot it for 199 at Big Lots but no delivery and no installation included.
My refurbished RCA which is also 27 inches with no dvd/vcr player is still working in another room and I used it more,it is now 7 years old.
And my 22 inches Sony trinitron lasted 16 years.
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Gulag-a Soviet era concentration camp is now reincarnated as EBAY with 13,000 rules.
[ edited by hwahwa on Aug 24, 2008 11:27 AM ]
posted on August 24, 2008 10:21:49 AM new
I gave away my Sony Trinitron after a dozen years of use, and it's still going strong a decade later for the recipients. I have to say that I've been very lucky with my Sony sets, and have a few of them now (70" LCOS, 110" LCD projector, and a handful of more reasonably sized sets.
I don't know your particular cable/antenna/fiber/satellite situation, but non-digital TVs are not the way to go now. If you don't have a HDTV already, you're in for a real treat. I believe that Feb 2009 is the digital cutoff date (which has been moved back a few times, but I think this last date is going to stick).
I still have one VCR that I'm keeping as much for nostalgia as for anything to watch on it; it's been used once in the past 4 years. Blu-Ray DVD players (i.e., high definition DVD players) should be coming down in price for Xmas and support all of your existing DVDs (and usually upconvert them to look better than they looked in the past).
My confession: I'm fond of electronics, and there is a part of me that cheers when something breaks, because it gives me an opportunity to buy something new. I'm usually not such a "consumer," but I have a real weak spot for TVs and such. HEY, maybe I should stop buying Sony products; they last too darn long.
posted on August 25, 2008 08:23:37 AM new
Before you junk it, I recommend plugging it in elsewhere including using a surge supressor. Also, check your manual and see if there is a reset button. Oftentimes, electronics have a reset button that will default it to the original setting. This may not be noted in the manual, and you may have to call the company for directions. At the very least, call them to troubleshoot the problem.
I love Sony Televisions as well as their DVD players. I would never buy a combo set as it means if one thing breaks, you have to take everything in... or junk the entire set up.
If you can wait it out to buy a new tv, I highly recommend waiting until mid-November when everything goes on sale for HUGE discounts.
I bought my Sony 32 inch Flat Screen last Thanksgiving on BestBuy.com. I bought the TV on Sale from $899 to $699 and then used my 12% off coupon from my Best Buy Rewards Zone (they send me these coupons every month or so and membership is free. I also got over $40 in reward zone coupons to purchase anything I wanted about a month later, not to mention the 4 points per dollar I received on my Frequent Flier program, plus the 2 points per dollar on my Credit Card I used to purchase it). In the end I paid $615, plus $40 in BestBuy $$ a month later and about 3000 Frequent Flier miles.
I never saw the television go on sale for less than $749 since last Christmas... the best part of the whole deal is that when I went to pick up the TV, Best Buy accidentally gave me a better model than what I initially purchased. The model I purchased was a 32M3000, the model I got was a 32S3000 which retailed for $1100. I never said a word as I walked out the door with a HUGE grin on my face!!! I think I am still wearing that grin.
My point is that it is always better to buy your electronics in late November/early December. Plus, the mad rush for electronics can create confusion for the teenagers at Best Buy or Circuit City, and you may end up with something better. lol. As it gets closer to Christmas the deals keep shrinking. You have a 2 week window to score a crazy great deal.
I am chomping at the bit to find my next deal this coming season. I'm due for a new laptop.
[ edited by shagmidmod on Aug 25, 2008 09:01 AM ]
posted on August 25, 2008 02:31:56 PM new
Thanks for all these good advice.
I did look into the Toshiba manual and it did mention the reset button but I dont see any reset button although there is a slot for it.
I called several repair shops and they all think it is a power problem.
Bestbuy will send someone over but the house call will cost be 162 for travel and diagnosis and then 60 dollars for the first 15-40 minutes and then 90 dollars per hour after that.
I only paid 600 for the set 5 years ago so it aint worth getting it repaired.
I looked at the tv sets at Bestbuy yesterday,they have all the plasma and LCD tv panels lined up size ranges from 26 inches to 60 inches,there are a few tube TV and a few with dvd player.
As for prices coming down in November or after XMAS,the problem is that the set you want may not be marked down,or even available.
While the salesman explained the difference between plasma and LCD and SOny versus the other brands,I told him I am one of those tasteless persons who drink supermarket wine and eat American cheese,I tried but I just cant seem to notice the fine difference.
Sony is the best when it comes to color and contrast but the other brands such as Toshiba,Samsung and Panasonic dont seem too shabby.
Why is Mitsubishi so cheap?
No one mention Costco and Sam,they have some nice pieces too.
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EBAY has 13,000 rules.
[ edited by hwahwa on Aug 25, 2008 02:34 PM ]
posted on August 25, 2008 03:51:37 PM new
Nothing good goes down in price after Christmas.
As for the difference... it's not just what you can see in front of you that is important. It is the overall quality you are getting. I'm not a theater system nut like many people. I have an LCD flatscreen b/c it is lightweight and fits on my stereo cabinet.
I had a Panasonic before and LOVED it too. I returned it b/c the store manager told me it was brand new, but it was actually a floor model from another store (RadioShack).
It was a great deal if it was "new". I only found out it was a floor model after the manager at RS told me he had to order it and it would take 3 days for it to be Fed Ex'd from a Las Vegas store to Portland. 3 days later I picked it up, took it home and loved the tv. Then I noticed the box had a Vancouver, WA Radio Shack address on it, which is about 15 miles away. I called the manager there who told me the manager at my store picked up their floor model. I asked how long it had been a floor model and the manager replied, "I've worked here for 9 months, and it was here all that time." What a scumbag.
What I liked about the Panasonic was the clarity and the swivel base that made it easy to turn for us to see while cooking in the kitchen. The Sony doesn't do that.
I don't trust Toshiba or Philips (Magnavox) for the bigger names. Their warranties and customer service is crap. They don't tell you the fine print like how much you have to pay them to ship it in for them to replace it.
I'm not familiar with the quality of Mitsubishi. Their prices are too good to be true, and from what I know of their history in electronics... they are subpar to more popular brands. I would rank them amongst Westinghouse, Insignia, Dynex, etc. More or less a generic name.
I'm not sold on Samsung either. I love their laser printers, but I have a Samsung DVD recorder that is junk. It works, and plays, but it has glitches, and records a low hum always. Their cell phones seem toy like as well.
I have a Sony 5 Disc CD player that I have had for almost 15 years. It has never skipped and works perfectly. It is now at my store since we use a Sony 5 Disc DVD player for our living room player... which is superb.
I use vintage stereo equipment with just two speakers... a Marantz stereo, the sony dvd player, an old Philips Turntable from Holland, and a pair of Harmon Kardon speakers... everything from the 1970s. The new audio equipment is crap, unless you fork out $3500-5000 and who needs Dolby 12.1 with DTS, THX, etc.??? You'll never appreciate it as much as coughing up $5-10 watching it on a big screen in the theater with a bag of popcorn wedged between your thighs.
Stick to Sony, Panasonic, and LG if possible. It seems that the companies who actually do their own research and development have better quality control, while the brands who just buy from a generic factory and glues their logo on the front tend to be junk.
posted on August 25, 2008 04:01:07 PM new
Same thing happened to mine in a rental apartment we have - we think it was a power surge from a lightning strike. Luckily ours wasn't a $600 TV! We just junked it and picked up another cheapo one.
We got a Toshiba flatscreen recently and love it. As much as I dislike Circuit City - they tend to beat Best Buy around here for prices. The Panasonics are great too.
posted on August 25, 2008 04:33:22 PM new
Mine cant be a power surge issue as I unplugged it for 22 days!
A friend of mine just bought a 58 inches plasma tv set AT Circuit City for 500 dollars less than listed price with free delivery.
Circuit City is in trouble.
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EBAY has 13,000 rules.
posted on August 25, 2008 07:58:48 PM new
shagmidmod,
Re "You'll never appreciate it as much as coughing up $5-10 watching it on a big screen in the theater with a bag of popcorn wedged between your thighs."
I have to respectfully disagree, except for the part about popcorn between my thighs . I have two large screens; one 110" with a projector, and the other a 70" LCOS. Even with stereo and the "smaller" set, a movie is MUCH more enjoyable at home where the floor doesn't stick, where the teenagers don't talk throughout, where the sound is better (and lower in volume), where there's no poorly repaired rip in the screen, where the film is out of focus at least 5% of the time, and so on.
The larger set has surround sound, and to be fair, it doesn't do as much extra for me over high quality stereo sound as I would have thought. I have almost decided to dismantle the projector and move the audio equipment into the room with the 70" screen. It won't be surround sound, but I will have a center channel for dialogue. I should add that the audio equipment was selected as I would a stereo system (e.g., it is mostly comprised of Linn equipment, not a usual surround sound brand).
posted on August 27, 2008 04:52:47 PM new
Geez, what kind of theater do you go to??? I honestly cannot remember the last time I had one of the list of bad theater examples you gave.
I remember going to an old theater up the road for an early evening movie (7pmish). I bought a bag of popcorn and ended up taking it back because it was like chewing packing peanuts. I had only said, "Could I get some fresh popcorn?" This is really stale."
I apparently offended the owner of the theater who was working the concession stand. She got mad, told me that the popcorn was fresh... tough luck. As I walked away I heard her tell an employee, "I popped it this morning."
Needless to say, the theater went out of business about a year later. It just reopened a few weeks ago with a huge, "UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP" sign. I also read an article in the neighborhood paper that said it was remodeled with new seats, etc.
Personally, I prefer the small independent theaters that serve pizza slices and beer.
posted on August 27, 2008 07:56:43 PM new
I've been to good theaters, but mostly many years ago. All the theaters around here, even the small ones, try to cram way too many screens into the available space. For example, a great theater in a nearby town now has 5 screens; they were great when they had 2.
I went to a theater in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia that had couches you could reserve and wonderful food and beverages. OTOH, that was close to 30 years ago.
It's unfortunate, perhaps, but I have much better audio and video in my home than the theater. My popcorn is GUARANTEED fresh (but usually microwaved). I'm afraid that the condition I described is accurate, and that's without even mentioning the (usually) smelly and dirty bathrooms, uncomfortable chairs, etc.
posted on August 27, 2008 08:19:46 PM new
Don't get me started with the decline of the theater experience. If you want popcorn and soda, it costs more than the admission price. Hope to find the right entrance of your movie- there are ten others in cramped spaces to choose from. The glamor is gone. If I have to wait 3 months for the DVD or until it's shown on TV, I will.
Edited to add, in Lincoln City, Oregon, there is a theater that has never been divided up. They charge reasonable fees for refreshments and are a true joy to visit.
[ edited by pixiamom on Aug 27, 2008 08:33 PM ]
. Then if that doesn't work I'd most likely go buy a used one cheap from a yard sale till around Christmas when they put everything on super sales to buy new.
Caroline