Maxent 42" HDTV MX-42X3 - Lets Talk!

donotremove · 08-04-05, 09:28 PM

Costco will have their Maxent 42" hdtv (1024x768) on sale next week at a very low price.

Has anyone bought this? reviews / opinions please..

jcinzano · 08-04-05, 09:55 PM

how do you know aobut the sale?

Googer · 08-04-05, 10:08 PM

Simple, go to Costco this week and they'll frequently hand you coupons good for the next week.

donotremove · 08-05-05, 09:17 AM

so know one has any reviews on this set?

fauji · 08-05-05, 09:46 AM

I have seen the Maxent HDTV 42" Plasma at costco and noticed it looked better than all plasmas there including the Pioneers and the Panasonic. It's black level was not as good as the EDTV Panasonic but it was very close. The Maxent does not have a built-in ATSC tuner.

Jagercola · 08-05-05, 03:51 PM

If anyone has any information on this sale or unit, I'd appreciate it if you share

Thanks.

jim9251 · 08-05-05, 06:27 PM

Here:

http://www.maxentusa.com/_coreModule...uctMasterID=20

saw2239 · 08-05-05, 08:17 PM

Used to be workin at a BBuy and have to say that the Maxent was the worse plasma there cept for a Funai. I wouldnt recommend it.

foghorn2 · 08-05-05, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim9251

Here:

http://www.maxentusa.com/_coreModule...uctMasterID=20

WRONG!

That is an ED set. The one at Costco is an HD. I have the Vizio and this one looks just as good. I just don't like the silver bezel.

foghorn2 · 08-06-05, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcpzero

Past generations of vizio and maxtent have not been in the same league as major brands such as panasonic, samsung, sony, etc in terms of picture quality and features. Many have selected a panasonic ED over a budget HD at similar price points.

As always, carefully check out the different available plasmas and select the one that works best for your individual needs.

JCPZero

BS, pure BS.

Past generations of vizio and maxtent have been in the same league as major brands such as panasonic, samsung, sony, etc in terms of picture quality and features. Many have not selected a panasonic ED over a budget HD at similar price points.

As always, carefully check out the different available plasmas and select the one that works best for your individual needs.

faldoc · 08-06-05, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donotremove

Costco will have their Maxent 42" hdtv (1024x768) on sale next week at a very low price.

Has anyone bought this? reviews / opinions please..

Saw this hooked up to component at a costco and I was quite impressed with it in comparison to the much more expensive Pioneer 10 feet away, and I thought it was better in the blacks than the Vizio HD. Almost made me think of returning my Pioneer, but I just can't make myself do it.

YMMV as this is in a store with bright lights, and of course only a few minutes of viewing is not the same as living with it.

nhokt · 08-06-05, 10:10 AM

I took a ride to Costco yesterday to look at this set. The black levels seemed good but I noticed that there were a lot of jaggies on the text that it displayed, the Vizio right next to it seemed much better displaying text. Anyone else notice or is this isolated?

Jagercola · 08-06-05, 05:33 PM

Quote:

FYI For those questioning the Maxent name, the MX-42X3 uses the same OEM Samsung PDP panel used by many other OEMs in their high end plasma products . The PDP in this Maxent is the Samsung S42AX-XB02 which is the successor to the popular S42AX-XB01 found in the Toshiba 42HP83, 42HP84, Panasonic TH 42PHD7UY, and the Philips Ambilight 42PF9966/37 among others.

Found this on "Overweight Wallet", is it true?

If so, this could be a great TV. Maybe the same panel in the new 8UY series. They didn't have them down on the floor at my costco, but the guy at the door had the fliers for them.

jcpzero · 08-06-05, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foghorn2

BS, pure BS.

I guess its time for me to move on and ignore these discussions. I have my plasma and foghorn has his. We are both happy with our purchases, so good luck to those still on the hunt.

JCPZero

pooviedoovie · 08-06-05, 07:18 PM

I just saw this model (42X3) as well at Costco and was quite surprised at the picture quality. Not too shabby. Good actually. The ED Maxent that I've seen at BB was quite crappy and probably the worst flat panel I have ever seen. But this one had deep blacks and vivd colors. I noticed an HDMI input in the back. The sticker in the back also said "Made in Taiwan" and the Maxent address was city of industry, CA.

Could be a re-badged samsung as stated above but who really knows. I still wouldn't have any faith with a panel that doesn't have a proven, time-tested track record.

foghorn2 · 08-07-05, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcpzero

I guess its time for me to move on and ignore these discussions. I have my plasma and foghorn has his. We are both happy with our purchases, so good luck to those still on the hunt.

JCPZero

Good move! We really can't make generalizations about brand name values when judging electronics anymore since everything made is overseas and they all share each others electronics.

The key in this discussion about brand names being better is moot since the guts of the major or lesser brand names are all from a few suppliers. And since this one particular non-major brand name is being sold in a place which has a generous return policy, the brand name reputation is again... irrelevant.

I saw this at Costco and looked way better than the Panna ED. At first glance it even looked better than the Pioneer. But a second look revealed it has a less sharp picture than the Pioneer and its fuzzy bright pixels were deceiving my first impressions of it.

ironfinger · 08-07-05, 03:10 AM

I saw this tv today next to the pioneer. It wasn't as crisp as the pio, but the pio had worse macroblocking. The colors on the maxent were not as overblown as the pio, but I'm sure that's just a matter of adjustment on either panel. Overall the Max looked pretty good for the price.

Jagercola · 08-07-05, 09:09 PM

Anyone else going to buy this tommorow? I think I'm gonna get the Norcent 220 DVD player and my local Charter HDTV box to feed it.

Zoglog · 08-08-05, 01:39 AM

I saw this TV at costco too and it was pretty impressive. I was actually considering getting this instead of the sceptre 37" but with more thinking I realized it is very important for me to have something I can use as a monitor as well without worrying about burn in. But yeah the picture quality and the box all seemed good quality. The Remote control was much better than the Vizio's. However I must say I prefer the vizio's all black appearance and shape of the TV better than the Maxcents. But then again with the sale it's a very nice price and the msrp is 1999 I believe.

usg · 08-08-05, 11:05 AM

Product Page. It is a monitor.

dwk123 · 08-08-05, 12:34 PM

Has anyone had a chance to look at how this unit is packed? I'm strongly considering it, but have the usual problem of how to get it home. If it has a small enough inner box, I could get it into the back seat vertically, but otherwise I'd need to go the truck rental route.

Chriš · 08-08-05, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwk123

Has anyone had a chance to look at how this unit is packed? I'm strongly considering it, but have the usual problem of how to get it home. If it has a small enough inner box, I could get it into the back seat vertically, but otherwise I'd need to go the truck rental route.

They had a few boxes under the display model. The box didn't look very big, maybe about 5 or 6" extra around the sides. I don't know what kind of car you have (4 door?) but I'm guessing you could probably get it in the back, maybe not resting on the seat but on the floor between the front & back seats. Anyway, I'm not worried about lying it horizontally. I only live a couple miles away from costco and it's a smooth ride.

I'm really considering this model, I'd love to hear more feedback on it.

replaync · 08-08-05, 03:29 PM

Am I correct in assuming that the "monitor" label means no tuner(s)? They didn't have this one on the sales floor at my local Coscto yesterday.

Shiba1 · 08-08-05, 03:39 PM

I personally was in the market for a LCD when I came across this TV. Last week I was in Costco and they handed me the flyer and I saw this. I was amazed at the price for a HD Plasma. I can't hardly find a quality 32" LCD for this price.

I currently have the Maxent MX-26X3 that I bought from Costco a few months back. It is a great TV for the money and I put it in our bedroom. I have no complaints about it thus far.

Next time I went to Costco I figured I would go take a look at it. I have to say that I was VERY impressed with this TV. I could not believe the quality of it. I later went to BB to look at my other options and saw the Maxent ED Plasma there. I also saw the lower model HD Plasma and was not impressed with it at all. This struck my interest and forced me to go back to Costco this past weekend to take another look to see if maybe I was just hung over the day I looked at it. Nope, I was correct... This is an amazing TV for the price..... I would put this TV up against any other TV in the same category costing up to $2500. In my opinion, the Maxent would blow the doors off them all. Now don't get me wrong, there are many other types of plasma out there that are better, but you’re going to have to get a second mortgage to buy them.

I went to Costco today once again and the 40 minutes that I was there, I saw a total of 6 being wheeled out the door. WOW!!! There were about 10 people all huddled around the display set as well.

I will be going after work to pick mine up... if they still have some left!!!! Hope this information helps.

Chriš · 08-08-05, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagercola

Found this on "Overweight Wallet", is it true?

If so, this could be a great TV. Maybe the same panel in the new 8UY series. They didn't have them down on the floor at my costco, but the guy at the door had the fliers for them.

I would love to know if this is true also. I was just trying to compare the display specs of the different models mentioned, and they look similar. The contrast varies, but you can never go by that spec because it's usually inflated. The contrast & pixel pitch is the same as the Panasonic 7UY, but I don't know if that means much.

I don't know what to do. My wife won't be thrilled, but I just busted my behind for the entire weekend installing a new hot water heater in our basement while she sat on the beach...so I think this may be my only time to pull this off!

Shiba1 · 08-08-05, 04:31 PM

Chris.... In case you didn't know... Maxent is made by Sampo who brands Maxent Plasma and LCD, Viewsonic Plasma and LCD, Gateway Plasma and LCD, Akai Plasma and LCD, Panasonic for Next Generation Plasma and some Phlips Plasma.

They don't make ALL items for the brands above, but some or most depending on who. Hope this helps.

pooviedoovie · 08-08-05, 04:53 PM

are these consumer plasmas not required to have an ATSC tuner as mandated by the FCC?? ANyone know? Maybe thats the reason behind such a bargain. The PQ is nice.

jayfrizzo · 08-08-05, 05:24 PM

Anyone have a chance to see SD on this set? How are the stretch/zoom modes?

We're considering this or the 50" Vizio. Is it worth $900 for different PQ and 8"?

Hrmmmmmm...

cmeinck · 08-08-05, 05:29 PM

Quote:

We're considering this or the 50" Vizio

I'm on the same fence as you. I started looking at the 3G plasma and then it sold out (and still not shipping by the way). Then I moved to the Sceptre 37" as there seems to be quite a buzz around that set. I wasn't too keen on the whole online ordering paying for "white glove" service. Shipping and white glove kind of defeats the purpose of why one would buy from Costco. I then progressed to the Vizio 50". While I'm considering that set, I think it will be overkill for my bedroom where we have an 8 ft distance at most. Not to mention, it would probably overtake the room. I then considered the DELL 42" (yes, the one with the buzz). A few people have mentioned the great PQ of this set and it doesn't hurt that it's on special. Decisions...decisions. I'm anxious to hear more feedback and possibly photos of this set. That would help with my decision.

Good luck to all.
-Chris

Chriš · 08-08-05, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pooviedoovie

are these consumer plasmas not required to have an ATSC tuner as mandated by the FCC?? ANyone know? Maybe thats the reason behind such a bargain. The PQ is nice.

All they do is call it a "monitor", which means it doesn't need to have a tuner as required by the FCC.

08-04-05, 09:28 PM	#1 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a4ac4393' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:30&n=a4ac4393' border='0' alt=''></a>
donotremove Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 213	Maxent 42" HDTV MX-42X3 - Lets Talk! Costco will have their Maxent 42" hdtv (1024x768) on sale next week at a very low price. Has anyone bought this? reviews / opinions please..

08-04-05, 10:08 PM	#3 \| Link
Googer Advanced Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Posts: 644	Simple, go to Costco this week and they'll frequently hand you coupons good for the next week. Last edited by markrubin; 08-05-05 at 09:21 AM..

08-05-05, 09:46 AM	#5 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
fauji New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 3	I have seen the Maxent HDTV 42" Plasma at costco and noticed it looked better than all plasmas there including the Pioneers and the Panasonic. It's black level was not as good as the EDTV Panasonic but it was very close. The Maxent does not have a built-in ATSC tuner.

08-06-05, 07:18 PM	#15 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
pooviedoovie Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Alhambra, Ca Posts: 117	I just saw this model (42X3) as well at Costco and was quite surprised at the picture quality. Not too shabby. Good actually. The ED Maxent that I've seen at BB was quite crappy and probably the worst flat panel I have ever seen. But this one had deep blacks and vivd colors. I noticed an HDMI input in the back. The sticker in the back also said "Made in Taiwan" and the Maxent address was city of industry, CA. Could be a re-badged samsung as stated above but who really knows. I still wouldn't have any faith with a panel that doesn't have a proven, time-tested track record.

08-08-05, 11:05 AM	#20 \| Link
usg Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: East Lansing, MI Posts: 116	Maxent 42X3 Product Page. It is a monitor.

08-04-05, 09:55 PM	#2 \| Link
jcinzano Advanced Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 557	how do you know aobut the sale?

08-05-05, 09:17 AM	#4 \| Link
donotremove Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 213	so know one has any reviews on this set?

08-05-05, 03:51 PM	#6 \| Link
Jagercola Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 316	If anyone has any information on this sale or unit, I'd appreciate it if you share Thanks.

08-05-05, 06:27 PM	#7 \| Link
jim9251 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ridgway, Colorado Posts: 157	Here: http://www.maxentusa.com/_coreModule...uctMasterID=20

08-05-05, 08:17 PM	#8 \| Link
saw2239 New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 5	Used to be workin at a BBuy and have to say that the Maxent was the worse plasma there cept for a Funai. I wouldnt recommend it.

08-06-05, 10:10 AM	#12 \| Link
nhokt New Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 13	I took a ride to Costco yesterday to look at this set. The black levels seemed good but I noticed that there were a lot of jaggies on the text that it displayed, the Vizio right next to it seemed much better displaying text. Anyone else notice or is this isolated?

08-07-05, 03:10 AM	#17 \| Link
ironfinger Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 54	I saw this tv today next to the pioneer. It wasn't as crisp as the pio, but the pio had worse macroblocking. The colors on the maxent were not as overblown as the pio, but I'm sure that's just a matter of adjustment on either panel. Overall the Max looked pretty good for the price.

08-07-05, 09:09 PM	#18 \| Link
Jagercola Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 316	Anyone else going to buy this tommorow? I think I'm gonna get the Norcent 220 DVD player and my local Charter HDTV box to feed it.

08-08-05, 01:39 AM	#19 \| Link
Zoglog Advanced Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 797	I saw this TV at costco too and it was pretty impressive. I was actually considering getting this instead of the sceptre 37" but with more thinking I realized it is very important for me to have something I can use as a monitor as well without worrying about burn in. But yeah the picture quality and the box all seemed good quality. The Remote control was much better than the Vizio's. However I must say I prefer the vizio's all black appearance and shape of the TV better than the Maxcents. But then again with the sale it's a very nice price and the msrp is 1999 I believe.

08-08-05, 12:34 PM	#21 \| Link
dwk123 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denver Posts: 324	Has anyone had a chance to look at how this unit is packed? I'm strongly considering it, but have the usual problem of how to get it home. If it has a small enough inner box, I could get it into the back seat vertically, but otherwise I'd need to go the truck rental route.

08-08-05, 03:29 PM	#23 \| Link
replaync Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: NC Posts: 46	Am I correct in assuming that the "monitor" label means no tuner(s)? They didn't have this one on the sales floor at my local Coscto yesterday.

08-08-05, 03:39 PM	#24 \| Link
Shiba1 New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 13	I personally was in the market for a LCD when I came across this TV. Last week I was in Costco and they handed me the flyer and I saw this. I was amazed at the price for a HD Plasma. I can't hardly find a quality 32" LCD for this price. I currently have the Maxent MX-26X3 that I bought from Costco a few months back. It is a great TV for the money and I put it in our bedroom. I have no complaints about it thus far. Next time I went to Costco I figured I would go take a look at it. I have to say that I was VERY impressed with this TV. I could not believe the quality of it. I later went to BB to look at my other options and saw the Maxent ED Plasma there. I also saw the lower model HD Plasma and was not impressed with it at all. This struck my interest and forced me to go back to Costco this past weekend to take another look to see if maybe I was just hung over the day I looked at it. Nope, I was correct... This is an amazing TV for the price..... I would put this TV up against any other TV in the same category costing up to $2500. In my opinion, the Maxent would blow the doors off them all. Now don't get me wrong, there are many other types of plasma out there that are better, but you’re going to have to get a second mortgage to buy them. I went to Costco today once again and the 40 minutes that I was there, I saw a total of 6 being wheeled out the door. WOW!!! There were about 10 people all huddled around the display set as well. I will be going after work to pick mine up... if they still have some left!!!! Hope this information helps.

08-08-05, 04:31 PM	#26 \| Link
Shiba1 New Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 13	Chris.... In case you didn't know... Maxent is made by Sampo who brands Maxent Plasma and LCD, Viewsonic Plasma and LCD, Gateway Plasma and LCD, Akai Plasma and LCD, Panasonic for Next Generation Plasma and some Phlips Plasma. They don't make ALL items for the brands above, but some or most depending on who. Hope this helps.

08-08-05, 04:53 PM	#27 \| Link
pooviedoovie Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Alhambra, Ca Posts: 117	are these consumer plasmas not required to have an ATSC tuner as mandated by the FCC?? ANyone know? Maybe thats the reason behind such a bargain. The PQ is nice.

08-08-05, 05:24 PM	#28 \| Link
jayfrizzo Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 47	Anyone have a chance to see SD on this set? How are the stretch/zoom modes? We're considering this or the 50" Vizio. Is it worth $900 for different PQ and 8"? Hrmmmmmm...