Simplify your laptop buying
Home audio & video: please specify (technical) reasons for the Vizio hate...
no name=brand name
by FXS EDDIE - 2/14/07 9:36 AM In reply to: no name tv's by ratty50ALL no name brands are made by name brand manufactuers,example, LG makes Zenith and a few other's, Panasonic makes Apex. If you look at the back of your owners manual, it more than likely will show the name of the manufacturer. The parts are the same, the warranty also. The no name company's pay to have the brand name maufacturer build a product for them, and put there name on it.Food, clothing,etc.The Gap makes the clothes for Old Navy is another example.
brand name????
by davehess - 2/14/07 10:15 AM In reply to: no name tv's by ratty50i agree that brand names do stand behind their product. the only problem is that most brand names take FOREVER in doing any warranty work. i have an Acer and they guarantee warranty return in 2 weeks or less in Canada, they are not kidding (8 days turnaround). i also purchased a samsung and it took 3 months to get it back from repair. i also have a NITS (not sure what it means as the company no longer exists - but i was told that it was a Samsung no name brand) and it quite within 6 months and is now a paper weight. the cost of the NITS was considerably less than either the Acer or the Samsung and since i had it for 6 months i purchased another Acer brand and the 2 together did not cost much more than the Samsung. i am not sure what people consider a no name TV but i have many Acer products now and i love them.
no name tv's
by pir8matt - 2/14/07 10:21 AM In reply to: no name tv's by ratty50I dont think you're right about this with plasmas and LCD's. In a lot of cases they are taking the exact same sets and just enclosing them in a different enclosure and maybe changing the menuing system.
The majority of the plasma glass and LCD panels are produced by a relatively small group of suppliers in the pacific rim anyway, so for this particular type of product I dont think you can make the argument that the components are 'cheaper'. All manufacturers, large and small, make stuff as cheaply as possible.
Bigger brands can charge more because of their reputation for the same stuff. Don't be fooled.
My experience with no name TVs
by Paula Panait - 2/14/07 10:31 AM In reply to: no name tv's by ratty50Last year in preparation for the upcoming HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats I purchased a 32 inch Tatung widescreen flat panel HD ready TV from Wal-Mart for under $900 dollars. The first one was defective. Whenever something brightly colored or illustrated appeared onscreen, the TV would turn black and I get a message that said no signal. This happened enough times for me to call Tatung, and basically what I learned is they make parts for other Korean brand televisions like Samsung, but were relatively new to the flat panel TV business in terms of marketing their own product. If I wanted to have the TV service, I would have to have it shipped back to their Texas factory at my expense, which sucks.
So what I did was I called Wal-Mart and they sent me a box to send the TV back to them at their expense and then once they received it, they sent me a new one. The new one works much better than the first one and I am happy with it and very happy Wal-Mart exchanged it for me even though I was past the normal return and exchange time. Say what you may about Wal-Mart, but they were very understanding to me.
The Tv is 1080i and the high definition images generally look great whether it is HD digital cable, which provides my ATSC tuner to get HDTV signals, HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and even upconverted DVDs look great. Standard definition digital cable channels look a bit washed out though. The contrast ratio is low. 550 to 1. The TV has a SD digital comb filter, 1080i mamimum HD resolution through two sets of HD component video inputs, D-sub 15 pin VGA, and DVI with HDCP. There;s also an RF input to a built in NTSC tuner.
Now this was my first HDTV purchase and I did not know much at the time I purchased it, but I am happy with it for what it is. The D-sub has PC anolog sound input and there are also individual sets of composite audio inputs dedicated respectively for the 2 HD Component Video Inputs, 2 S-Video Inputs, and two Composite Video inputs so you can hook up a lot of stuff to the TV. The TV has 10 watt side stereo speakers and composite audio output for external left and right channel speakers as well as a powered subwoofer.
Collectively I have hooked up a Pioneer HD Digital Cable ATSC tuner box provided by my cable company, the Samsung Blu-ray Disc Player BD-P1000 as well as the Toshiba HD DVD Player HD-XA1, A Sony media center PC, a Daewoo region free standard definition DVD player, and a Panasonic DVD recorder and I still have free slots to add more stuff. It works, but while I am happy to have what I have, I am considering buying the Olevia 32 inch HD LCD flat panel TV with the tuner built in and then I would probably put my Tatung in my home office to malke writing reviews easier and put the Olevia in my livingroom. I have an external RCA ATSC over the air tuner that I could hook up to the Tatung if I wanted as well as cable there already.
Now because of the way Tatung handled my customer service problems, I would not recommend anyone buying one. However Wal-Mart is not a bad place to look, especially because they really did what they could to help me that surpassed my expectations. Now my brother has a 32 inch Westinghouse HDTV LCD and that is a great television. Better than my Tatung and the prices at Best Buy have dropped too. Based on what I have seen when visiting my brother, I would have no problem recommending a Westinghouse. The Olevia has been described in customer reviews as being sort of like Sony quality, but at a much better price. I've seen some used in non electronic stores too so asking owners how they feel about it revealed that there is a sincere appreciation for the TV and I have even read that they provide in person customer and technical support at no extra cost. If that's true, I'd say that makes the TV even better.
These days you never know for certain if what you buy is going to live up to the reputation of the brand. Personally, if you catch a sale, you can buy a Olevia 32 inch with builtin ATSC tuner, 1080i, and HDMI for under $600. The Westinghouse is comporable, but they seem to sell out fast. As for Tatung, I'm not even sure if they are still making LCD TVs, but while I'm happy with my replacement from Wal-Mart, I doubt I'd buy another and do not recommend it because their customer service sucked. Last time I checked, the TV was selling for under $600 at NEW EGG, but you can get better for your money.
So I hope my Tatung, which I've had for a year continues to work well for many years to come, but odds are my next HDTV LCD will be the Olevia. Westinghouse is worth looking at too. Hope this helps. Thank you.
I always wonder what people mean when they say this?
by AnthonyNYC - 12/20/07 7:10 PM In reply to: My experience with no name TVs by Paula PanaitYou stated in your review "Standard definition digital cable channels look a bit washed out though."
Now, you know that SD signal is only 480i compared to 720p and above, right? So do you really expect it to look as good?
Or are you saying that it looks a bit washed out compared to how SD should look on this set or another HD set?
I never understand when people make these comments when talking about their new HDTV. I mean if compared to an HD signal, SD looks just a little washed out, hey...that's incredible, because in reality it should look horrible compared to an HD image on the same set, no?
It certainly can't look just as good or what would be the point in transmiting an HD signal, right?
If you can explain, to what it looks a bit washed out against, that would help. I would think an SD image would look better than one on a regular tv with all the line filtering and 3d comb filters and upconverting etc. But no way as amazing as a real HD image.
Thanks!
Anthony
Vizio
by TammyHipes - 2/13/07 10:54 PM In reply to: (NT) the same for Olevia or other "no-name" brands, please... by shawnlinI purchased a 32 Vizio flat screen LCD about a year & 1/2 ago from Sam's Club ($999). Two weeks after the warranty expired, the sound and picture would cut off randomly for about 3-5 seconds and then it would come back again. Sometimes it would do this non stop (every other minute)and I would just turn off the television and forget about trying to watch it. At other times it would only do this once during the course of my viewing. Finally after about a month or two of doing this, it stopped and it hasn't had this problem for about 3 months (knock on wood). Other than this extremely aggravating problem, the picture and sound was and is now great. If it doesn't do this again...I LOVE this television. Sam's club would not take the televison back because the one year warranty had expired. Just as a note: I do not watch television much in the summer and early fall and this is when this problem occured. Maybe this had something to do with it??
I got the Olevia LT27HVX last July after Office Depot...
by JeffAHayes - 2/13/07 11:12 PM In reply to: (NT) the same for Olevia or other "no-name" brands, please... by shawnlingot into the business of selling TVs (I think this was their first model, and I'm watching it right now and very pleased with it.
This was the first HDTV 27" or larger I'd seen with an advertised price of $500 or less, which was a sort of deal-maker for me (although the selling price was $649, and I had to wait 2.5 months for the $150 rebate).
Prior to seeing the ad for this TV in the Sunday OD flier (I make it a habit to read ALL the Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Max, Office Depot and similar fliers every Sunday, looking for deals and trends, and also subscribe to regular online sales emails from people like Tiger Direct, for the same reason... I seldom make purchases, but it keeps me abreast of what deals are going on, and where they are)...
Anyway, After looking at the TV (and I'd never even HEARD of the brand before I saw that ad), I immediately went online and Googled it for other sale prices, reviews, Blogs, whatever I could find... In the process, I discovered an Audio-Video forum that has literally thousands of members and is FULL of people into HD, and there were a good many people there who had purchased this set and been using it for several months, so I could get their experiences, as well as feelings on the quality, features, ease-of-use and price... After taking all that into account, the purchase was a no-brainer, and it wsan't until Thanksgiving sales that I saw another comparable TV for a comparable price, although you can get bigger and better now.
The only downside to this TV was only an NTSC antenna input: no ATSC. But then Olevia is still selling a good many HDTV "Monitors" all the way up to 42", at VERY GOOD PRICES, and these have no tuner at all...
Considering that most of us will never use the built-in tuner in our HDTVs, as we're connecting them to some sort of cable or satellite box, that's not an issue for me, and it won't be for many people, but you have to be C A R E F U L when shopping for things like that.
Syntax also provides a 1-year ON-SITE warranty, which is a real plus to me.
As for the "big name brands," I see no real advantage to them anyway... These days, even the "big boys" are just as capable of producing and selling junk as the "no-names," so you really have to do research on each and every set and make sure you know what you're getting.
I was pleased to discover recently that the LCD panels for Olevia TVs are made by LG, which is also pretty much a newcomer, but one that has grown to be a powerful force in the industry quickly, and that made me feel even better.
As for the OTHER new brands, I've not given them all a serious look, but so far every single Westinghouse I've looked at looked "muddy" and dark (including their computer monitors, and I wasn't impressed. A lot of folks seem to like Vizio, but I haven't given them a serious look... I recently got a really good deal on a 42" Samsung DLP, and of course they ARE in that top tier, so if you keep abreast of prices and sales, you don't necessarily have to go with a "no-name," although I don't think it matters, really, unless you're a brand snob, or have a "brand theme" in your home, or something.
I have right here with me: a Logitech cordless keyboard and mouse running on a Dell XPS 410 computer, also connected to a Motorolla Dable Modem and three external hard drives of different brands, driving a Gateway FPD2185 Monitor, but ALSO hooked up to my Olevia LT27HVX TV. The primary video feed for the TV is a Motorolla HD Cab;e box, and also an upconverting Zenith DVD player, with an old no-name brand VHS recorder also in the mix, and my sound is courtesy of Sony 6.1 digital receiver, a Sony powered subwoofer and a half dozen Dual 2-way bookshelf speakers... and they all work together great, lol.
My biggest concern when buying a big, expensive HDTV from a new, no-name brand is not so much if it has nice features and a great pictures, or even if it's well made, but IF the company will be here 5 years from now, if I need them, and if not, will there be somewhere else to get replacement parts... I'm not sure that's an easy question to answer, so the more you're spending, the the more "proprietary" the technology, the more I'd make sure the company is on solid footing.
Happy Viewing!
Jeff
Vizio TV
by StewartDOC - 2/14/07 7:54 AM In reply to: (NT) the same for Olevia or other "no-name" brands, please... by shawnlinI too saw the Vizio both at Sams's Club and Costco. Just after Christmas Costco had a special on the 47" LCD tv and I couldn't resist. It took a couple of weeks to have it shipped from California but so far the wait was worth it! Great picture, sound is ok, but of course now I need to improve the sound system. I bought one of the Monster tuning DVD's off of eBay and only made a couple of small adjustments. So far we're happy with the set, and with Costco's guarantee, if I don't like it I'll take it back and get something else.
Minor Fort Collins, CO
Olevia 437V is a pretty sweet tv...
by n0cturne74 - 2/14/07 10:06 AM In reply to: (NT) the same for Olevia or other "no-name" brands, please... by shawnlinI purchased Olevia's 437V 37" LCD TV a few weeks ago at Office Depot for $899 and so far I couldn't be happier with it. After extensive research on different brands and models what sold me on the Olevia was the positive reviews I read and the fact that the contrast ratio for Olevia LCD's were 1600:1 Vs. 800:1 to 1000:1 for brand name TV's in the $1000 range. Ideally I was looking for black Vs. silver but couldn't pass up the deal and am now liking it's silver color because my dvd/vcr and HD Dvr cable box are also silver. Picture quality for the 437V is outstanding for tv's in this price range. My Xbox360 displays in 1080i and looks freakin' amazing! The HD Dvr also displays HDTV in 1080i which makes the HD channels on cable POP! The only drawback for some is that this TV doesn't display 1080p and only has 1 HDMI input which is fine for me since Xbox360 doesn't have HDMI outputs, so I'm utilizing the one HDMI input with my HD Dvr. The speakers are average quality and can be controlled with seperate bass/treble control from the TV, which also has preset surround modes. I also have a Phillips home theater system which definitely adds to the experience. All in all I would highly recommend this TV for someone looking for a 37" LCD without spending $1500. I feel it's as high quality as popular name brands if not better.
Power on deelay
by keithm81354 - 2/14/07 10:08 PM In reply to: Olevia 437V is a pretty sweet tv... by n0cturne74I bought a 437V just 2 weeks ago. The only thing around my home I hear complaints about is that the TV won't come on when I plug it into my HDTV DVR cable box from Comcast. It is a switched outlet. And there is no codes for the remote that comes with the cable box. I am hoping I can solve this problem with a Harmony remote. Anyone have this problem too and a simpler solution?
I have 2 Syntax Olevia; remote purchase?
by kwellman - 2/14/07 3:29 PM In reply to: (NT) the same for Olevia or other "no-name" brands, please... by shawnlinI have a 23" and 32" Olevia LCD. I'm happy with both. Price was great. But, my grandson was over and the 23" remote is missing. Olevia has not responded to an email. Where can I buy a remote?
Go Universal
by deshawn26boone - 11/6/07 5:00 PM In reply to: I have 2 Syntax Olevia; remote purchase? by kwellmanget a universal remote controle and you could controle everything whit onr controler.
so many universal remotes out there
by AnthonyNYC - 12/20/07 7:15 PM In reply to: I have 2 Syntax Olevia; remote purchase? by kwellmanDon't even waste your time looking for original remote.
Go to Bestbuy or Target and get a universal remote for like $7 and up and it should control your set just fine.
You'll probably use the cable remote mostly anyway, right?
Other than that, try ebay, someone might be selling just a remote.
Good Luck!
Jusr read reviews . HORRIBLE PICTURE PERIOD
by stewart norrie - 1/22/07 6:53 PM In reply to: please specify (technical) reasons for the Vizio hate... by shawnlinI knew this would happen. everyone rushing to walmart etc. and snatching up all those off brand cheepies, Just read thru c.net and you hear folks complaing about picture quality and service problems. I have seen your Vizio on display and one would have to be blind to buy one.I say this over and over. no reason to buy off brand period for a few bucks more you can buy a brand name set that will give you years of trouble free service, stunning picture quality and a company that will stand behind there product In closing just checked out the walmart specials on display and had to laugh at the horrible picture stewe
i thought that would happen, not providing numbers...
by shawnlin - 1/22/07 7:06 PM In reply to: Jusr read reviews . HORRIBLE PICTURE PERIOD by stewart norriebeauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I think I'll have to scale down my cheaper 37" set dreams to a brand name 32" set...
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
