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The Official Pioneer 8G KURO Owner's Discussions Thread - Page 449

post #13441 of 17517
3/21/08 at 8:43am
ive been following this thread religiously, while saving up every penny for the 5080HD, and now i find out its been discontinued. Not only that, but Pioneer is exiting the plasma industry as a manufacturer and will begin simply buying the panels from Matsu.(panny).

My plan is to sell the bedroom 40 Sony 40S3000, putting that money towards the Kuru. Replace a Panny 50PX60U in the living room with the Pioneer, and move the Panny to the bedroom.

Bestbuy has the 5080HD listed at 2249 this week, but not in stock anywhere in my neigborhood. ive been completely sold on Kuru technology thanks to this thread and now i need a recommendation. What other 50" Kuru can i get for under $2500? Should I still be considering the Kuru anymore?
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post #13442 of 17517
3/21/08 at 8:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

ive been following this thread religiously, while saving up every penny for the 5080HD, and now i find out its been discontinued. Not only that, but Pioneer is exiting the plasma industry as a manufacturer and will begin simply buying the panels from Matsu.(panny).

My plan is to sell the bedroom 40 Sony 40S3000, putting that money towards the Kuru. Replace a Panny 50PX60U in the living room with the Pioneer, and move the Panny to the bedroom.

Bestbuy has the 5080HD listed at 2249 this week, but not in stock anywhere in my neigborhood. ive been completely sold on Kuru technology thanks to this thread and now i need a recommendation. What other 50" Kuru can i get for under $2500? Should I still be considering the Kuru anymore?

A friend of mine purchased his 5080 from Invision Displays for under $2000. delivered. Not sure if they have any stock left, but worth a call. They are great to work with and are an authorized dealer. Good choice (5080) by the way.

Mike
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post #13443 of 17517
3/21/08 at 8:54am
they are clear across the US from me, im in Miami. shipping will probably be expensive but i will definitely give them a buzz. their website shows they have some in stock.

in their press release:
http://pioneer.jp/press/pdf/ir/08030...ucturing-e.pdf

they mention stopping production AFTER their next series is complete..any rumors on what series that will be; ie 5090HD??
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post #13444 of 17517
3/21/08 at 9:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

they are clear across the US from me, im in Miami. shipping will probably be expensive but i will definitely give them a buzz. their website shows they have some in stock.

is there a new generation of Kurus being released before Pioneer stops production?

I think the shipping price is fixed and included in the price. Plasma Concepts may be closer and should have similar pricing. Take a minute and make a couple of calls.............It shouldn't be to hard to beat B.B. no matter where you are.

Mike
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post #13445 of 17517
3/21/08 at 9:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

... Pioneer is exiting the plasma industry as a manufacturer and will begin simply buying the panels from Matsu.(panny)...

Pioneer is not exiting the plasma industry! They intend to continue to design and manufacture plasma TVs. They simply concluded it was necessary to outsource the production of another one of the component parts (the "glass") to a more efficient and, therefore, less costly plant in order to restore profitability. This is widely done in manufacturing these days, and does not -- in and of itself -- necessarily signal any reduction in overall product quality. There is no reason to believe that the Panasonic made panels will be significantly different than the ones Pioneer would have produced in their own facilities. Pioneer will continue to produce the 2008 9G panels in-house, BTW.
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post #13446 of 17517
3/21/08 at 9:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TiVoHD View Post

Well, I wouldn't pay for a Best Buy calibration, but since it's free it might be a good way to see if their service is really as bad as people think.

As Roman pointed out to you, nothing is free. You paid more for your TV than if you had refused the "free" calibration, and held out for a $200 - $300 lower price on your TV. You have already paid for the service, what ever it might turn out to be.

You don't want a BB-guy using a suction cup on your screen, or making changes in your service menu. Otherwise, if the set looks worse after the BB-guy has made his visit, then just change everything to D-NIce's "reference" settings for your set.

There is no reason to be in a hurry.
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post #13447 of 17517
3/21/08 at 9:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TiVoHD View Post

Well, I wouldn't pay for a Best Buy calibration, but since it's free it might be a good way to see if their service is really as bad as people think. It could very well be, but I guess I won't really know if I don't give it a try. At least if they really do mess up the set in some irreparable way, I can always have Best Buy replace the TV.

How long should a real calibration take? Best Buy says that it will take between 60 and 90 minutes. Does a real calibration take longer than that?

I might let BB do a calibration on one of their blue light $1,200 specials, but on on a Kuro. Tip off should have been when they said it would take 60-90 minutes. Personal feeling is that they could do more harm then good.

Having my 110FD ISF calibrated on Monday. Used the same calibrator for my Elite Pro 520 CRT and it took seven hours with great results. CRTs require more work work, so I don't expect this trip to take as long, but I'm guessing he'll be working on it for more then 60-90 minutes.
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post #13448 of 17517
3/21/08 at 10:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

ive been following this thread religiously, while saving up every penny for the 5080HD, and now i find out its been discontinued. Not only that, but Pioneer is exiting the plasma industry as a manufacturer and will begin simply buying the panels from Matsu.(panny).

My plan is to sell the bedroom 40 Sony 40S3000, putting that money towards the Kuru. Replace a Panny 50PX60U in the living room with the Pioneer, and move the Panny to the bedroom.

Bestbuy has the 5080HD listed at 2249 this week, but not in stock anywhere in my neigborhood. ive been completely sold on Kuru technology thanks to this thread and now i need a recommendation. What other 50" Kuru can i get for under $2500? Should I still be considering the Kuru anymore?

Try to dig up a Best Buy 10% off coupon and that will get you another few hundred off. The 5080 is a GREAT set and is certainly worth getting even in the midst of the Pioneer changeover/Panny merge. Pio will still support your set for many years. The PQ is excellent and the features are also top notch.

You wont get any other KURO for less except for the 42" of course but thats not the size you want. Check the forum sponsors, like Invision Displays or Plasma Concepts as well for a possible online purchase. They have good pricing and great service.

Go for it!
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post #13449 of 17517
3/21/08 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

ive been following this thread religiously, while saving up every penny for the 5080HD, and now i find out its been discontinued. Not only that, but Pioneer is exiting the plasma industry as a manufacturer and will begin simply buying the panels from Matsu.(panny).

My plan is to sell the bedroom 40 Sony 40S3000, putting that money towards the Kuru. Replace a Panny 50PX60U in the living room with the Pioneer, and move the Panny to the bedroom.

Bestbuy has the 5080HD listed at 2249 this week, but not in stock anywhere in my neigborhood. ive been completely sold on Kuru technology thanks to this thread and now i need a recommendation. What other 50" Kuru can i get for under $2500? Should I still be considering the Kuru anymore?

If you live close to a Tweeter store, you may be able to get the Elite version of the 5080 for that price.
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post #13450 of 17517
3/21/08 at 10:49am
OK I'm probably going to pull the trigger next week for my 5010FD!!! Can't wait!!! Thanks for all the help in the decision process guys!!! One thing I'm wondering is I am looking at Plasma concepts and Invision Dispays and are both very viable options for me (I am going to purchase from one of them), but I was wondering, how quickly do stuck pixels take place???? I think that Plasma Concepts has a 14 or 15 day return policy... Will that give my Set enough time to have the "problems" that it may have, or is that too little time? I spoke with the guy there yesterday and he was very helpful, but it makes me nervous to have such a short time to find these "problems". I don't know Invision's policy, but I was wondering if you guys know whether or not if their sets are brand new? I asked the guy and he said yes, but I don't know if they are "required" to tell the truth? I live in CA so Invision being in WA might be a good option as far as less time on the truck... Also I didn't check for Invison's return policy. Anyway thanks again for all your help, I know I am totally ignorant about all this stuff, but I'm learning thanks to you guys!!!!!
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post #13451 of 17517
3/21/08 at 11:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghost407 View Post

OK I'm probably going to pull the trigger next week for my 5010FD!!! Can't wait!!! .. I live in CA so Invision being in WA might be a good option as far as less time on the truck... Also I didn't check for Invison's return policy. Anyway thanks again for all your help, I know I am totally ignorant about all this stuff, but I'm learning thanks to you guys!!!!!

.. it was great to support the forum sponsor (Invision) & purchase my set thru them (many thanks to ROMAN), but living in CA I would think you have many more options locally; have you tried entering yr zip at the Pioneer site for a local authorized vendor:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/FindStore
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post #13452 of 17517
3/21/08 at 11:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

ive been following this thread religiously, while saving up every penny for the 5080HD, and now i find out its been discontinued. Not only that, but Pioneer is exiting the plasma industry as a manufacturer and will begin simply buying the panels from Matsu.(panny).

My plan is to sell the bedroom 40 Sony 40S3000, putting that money towards the Kuru. Replace a Panny 50PX60U in the living room with the Pioneer, and move the Panny to the bedroom.

Bestbuy has the 5080HD listed at 2249 this week, but not in stock anywhere in my neigborhood. ive been completely sold on Kuru technology thanks to this thread and now i need a recommendation. What other 50" Kuru can i get for under $2500? Should I still be considering the Kuru anymore?

Congrats on your decision to buy a Pio, as I've posted earlier, my experience with the local BB seems to be an exception to the norm. I went in with my coupons and reward Zone membership and struck a deal with manager.

After all things are considered I got my 6010 for just under 18% below MSRP, and they thru in an extended 4 year warranty, free delivery and wall mounting (I supplied the mount which in spite of all my research and talk with reps at monoprice, turned out to be about 9/16" short of working). For me I wanted a b&m place where I could talk in person to someone if there were any problems. The reward Zone gives you 2% of purchase in instore coupons which you can use for peripherals or ?. There have been a very large number of posts on this forum about how pleased purchasers have been w/ Invision and other Pio approved online vendors/forum sponsors. Just make the choice you're most comfortable with. After reading all the positive remarks from people on this site, I would be comfortable making my next purchase from one of the forum sponsors. In the end you're gonna end up with an extraordinary panel.

Good fortune to you,
Atri
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post #13453 of 17517
3/21/08 at 12:11pm
the main reason i like to buy local, is for the privilege of having 30days to return/exchange it.

So OK, just got back from BB during my lunch break.

I spoke to Magnolia manager and this is the deal:

1- they can give me full refund for my Sony LCD, even though it had been more than 30 days, as credit towards to the 5080HD, BUT if i take the credit, they WONT budge on the price of the 5080 which turned out to be 2149.

2- (preferred) I ONLY buy the 5080HD, which means i have to find someone to sell the Sony LCD on my own to, but for a reduced price of 2k even.

Either way, the manager was very friendly, and will be glad to help me with either way I go..

So now, i leave it up to the hive mind of the forums..

is the PQ of the 5080HD much better than my existing 50px60U?? ive tweaked my Panny with settings found on this forum and everyone who comes over to watch movies is just awestruck by the PQ. Bluray on the ps3 looks very crisp, sharp, and bright colors. Will I notice the difference in PQ to justify the roughly $800 this upgrade will cost me?
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post #13454 of 17517
3/21/08 at 12:12pm
Atri, very well put. Its what makes a person feel comfortable is the route they should always take!
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post #13455 of 17517
3/21/08 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AtriIshaya View Post

Congrats on your decision to buy a Pio, as I've posted earlier, my experience with the local BB seems to be an exception to the norm. I went in with my coupons and reward Zone membership and struck a deal with manager.

After all things are considered I got my 6010 for just under 18% below MSRP, and they thru in an extended 4 year warranty, free delivery and wall mounting (I supplied the mount which in spite of all my research and talk with reps at monoprice, turned out to be about 9/16" short of working). For me I wanted a b&m place where I could talk in person to someone if there were any problems. The reward Zone gives you 2% of purchase in instore coupons which you can use for peripherals or ?. There have been a very large number of posts on this forum about how pleased purchasers have been w/ Invision and other Pio approved online vendors/forum sponsors. Just make the choice you're most comfortable with. After reading all the positive remarks from people on this site, I would be comfortable making my next purchase from one of the forum sponsors. In the end you're gonna end up with an extraordinary panel.

Good fortune to you,
Atri

A thank you from INVISION, for your kind words. We value all of our forum customers.
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post #13456 of 17517
3/21/08 at 12:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

the main reason i like to buy local, is for the privilege of having 30days to return/exchange it.

So OK, just got back from BB during my lunch break.

I spoke to Magnolia manager and this is the deal:

1- they can give me full refund for my Sony LCD, even though it had been more than 30 days, as credit towards to the 5080HD, BUT if i take the credit, they WONT budge on the price of the 5080 which turned out to be 2149.

2- (preferred) I ONLY buy the 5080HD, which means i have to find someone to sell the Sony LCD on my own to, but for a reduced price of 2k even.

Either way, the manager was very friendly, and will be glad to help me with either way I go..

So now, i leave it up to the hive mind of the forums..

is the PQ of the 5080HD much better than my existing 50px60U?? ive tweaked my Panny with settings found on this forum and everyone who comes over to watch movies is just awestruck by the PQ. Bluray on the ps3 looks very crisp, sharp, and bright colors. Will I notice the difference in PQ to justify the roughly $800 this upgrade will cost me?

I can help you here, but I need some numbers on the Sony (purchase price & MSRP). You are talking about $150 difference in the deal so it's not a lot. Basically, you want to determine if you can cover the $150 difference or more by selling the Sony yourself rather than taking the full credit. I need the Sony numbers to make and educated guess. My gut feel is you won't do better than the full store credit because the $150 is such a small number.
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post #13457 of 17517
3/21/08 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by clau View Post

If you live close to a Tweeter store, you may be able to get the Elite version of the 5080 for that price.

the 1150 is that price at the Best Buy in Chicago.
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post #13458 of 17517
3/21/08 at 1:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

the main reason i like to buy local, is for the privilege of having 30days to return/exchange it.

So OK, just got back from BB during my lunch break.

I spoke to Magnolia manager and this is the deal:

1- they can give me full refund for my Sony LCD, even though it had been more than 30 days, as credit towards to the 5080HD, BUT if i take the credit, they WONT budge on the price of the 5080 which turned out to be 2149.

2- (preferred) I ONLY buy the 5080HD, which means i have to find someone to sell the Sony LCD on my own to, but for a reduced price of 2k even.

Either way, the manager was very friendly, and will be glad to help me with either way I go..

So now, i leave it up to the hive mind of the forums..

is the PQ of the 5080HD much better than my existing 50px60U?? ive tweaked my Panny with settings found on this forum and everyone who comes over to watch movies is just awestruck by the PQ. Bluray on the ps3 looks very crisp, sharp, and bright colors. Will I notice the difference in PQ to justify the roughly $800 this upgrade will cost me?

My two cents worth. Not to bash anyone.

I bought my unit online and they will honor the same warranty and exchange as all the BB's. I would not pay a BB price to pay their employees for the information that they don't know about the Pioneer Plasma PRO-150FD Elite KURO line. I will not pay for overhead in a BB for a purchase like this.
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post #13459 of 17517
3/21/08 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by briansemerick View Post

the 1150 is that price at the Best Buy in Chicago.

The 1150 (pioneer elite 50") is in your range in lots of stores right now! There is no question that in your shoes, this is the set that I would buy.
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post #13460 of 17517
3/21/08 at 2:00pm
it wasn't me looking, i was just being helpful.
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post #13461 of 17517
3/21/08 at 2:19pm
the 1150 is at 2499 here in BB Miami.

theres just no way i can afford the elite 50", even though id REALLY like it.

im about to head out to BB to pickup the new panel.

the credit for the Sony LCD will be ~900. I feel i can sell it for 1000. so 100 in my pocket if i sell it myself...i guess its not a big difference, especially since i dont know WHEN ill be able to sell it.
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post #13462 of 17517
3/21/08 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dstyle View Post

Just recently moved into a new house, and the wife wants a big screen mounted on the wall. After a couple of hours of research, I've decided to purchase the Pioneer 6010FD. I've been to the local BB to observe it in person, however the price is close to 6k (almost MSRP). I would rather not buy it at BB, and would like to buy it online. However my wife is a little hesitant in giving me permission to order something of this value online.

So basically I am looking for the best place to order this tv online, any sites that you guys recommend? PM me if you have to. Thanks!

I was in the same situation a few months ago. Then, i started to research at thi s forum and decided to buy it from Invision Displays. The dealer is Pioneer authorized online dealer. I also bought 3 years extended warranty from them as well (cheaper than what you get from BB or CC).

Good luck.
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post #13463 of 17517
3/21/08 at 2:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by r3zon8 View Post

the 1150 is at 2499 here in BB Miami.

theres just no way i can afford the elite 50", even though id REALLY like it.

im about to head out to BB to pickup the new panel.

the credit for the Sony LCD will be ~900. I feel i can sell it for 1000. so 100 in my pocket if i sell it myself...i guess its not a big difference, especially since i dont know WHEN ill be able to sell it.

BB should match the price to Tweeter's. I would definitely go for the Elite 1150, if for nothing else other than the 2-year warranty.
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post #13464 of 17517
3/21/08 at 3:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TiVoHD View Post

When I bought my 5010, Best Buy through in "professional" calibration for free. My plan was to wait until I've got over 100 hours on the panel before having them come out to do their thing. But should I even bother with the BB calibration if it's that bad? Is it better than nothing if it's free? Or are they likely to make the TV look worse than if they didn't touch it? It seems like I should have them do their thing if it's free, but I don't want to waste my time if there really is no value to it.


From what i understand if you do get the calibration done someone will come out with a laptop and color facts software, not sure on the color analyzer they use, but will basically just tweak the RGB in the service menu to track a flat d65 standard. I dont think they could ruin your tv, unless they hit a wrong button in the service menu or something, but BB would deal with that.

I dont think it's rocket science. It's just a few minor tweaks in the SM.. But you pay extra for someone like umr who has one of the best color analyzer tools and experience with a kuro, vs someone that might be calibrating their first kuro with lesser accurate tools.
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post #13465 of 17517
3/21/08 at 4:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zues View Post

From what i understand if you do get the calibration done someone will come out with a laptop and color facts software, not sure on the color analyzer they use, but will basically just tweak the RGB in the service menu to track a flat d65 standard. I dont think they could ruin your tv, unless they hit a wrong button in the service menu or something, but BB would deal with that.

I dont think it's rocket science. It's just a few minor tweaks in the SM.. But you pay extra for someone like umr who has one of the best color analyzer tools and experience with a kuro, vs someone that might be calibrating their first kuro with lesser accurate tools.

On this note to add: My TV calibration guy is one of the best here in CA. I have used him three years ago and I have hired him back to calibrate my new PRO-150FD ELITE KURO and my DLP SAMSUNG 63" TV. If anyone wants a great calibration expert, PM me. He is an expert in all high end TV's. Matter of fact, he said that I should buy the Pioneer ELITE PRO-150FD because of what he can make happen with it after his calibration. I can't wait to see what it will look like.
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post #13466 of 17517
3/21/08 at 5:20pm
Hi all-I am new to this forum, and new to HT, although I have been active in high end audio for many years. I'm not sure if this question is right for this part of the forum, and if it's not please excuse my ignorance.
My 5080 will be delivered on Tuesday. I currently have a digital cable box from Comcast. It does have an HDMI out. I have a Pioneer Elite receiver (84TXSi) that my stuff is currently going through. I am getting rid of a sony XBR which I bought in 1997 (I think). The 5080 has a spot for the Comcast cable card, and Comcast tells me if I use it I don't need to use their box any more. I am not sure about how the remotes will work out if I get rid of the cable box, or what the best way to set it up would be. The Pioneer receiver has a remote that seems like it should work everything, but I am wondering if it will record off the TV as the Comcast remote does now. What is the best way to go about this? Should I keep the cable box and use the HDMI out to connect it to the receiver, or should I put the card in the TV and attempt to do away with the box? All suggestions appreciated.
Bill
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post #13467 of 17517
3/21/08 at 5:24pm
From my experience with BB, they usually don't give you a free $300 calibration. What they tend to do is knock $300 off your TV and have you pay separately for the calibration. If this is what you did and it is still within 30 days I would march up to BB and return the calibration.
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post #13468 of 17517
3/21/08 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by siramazing View Post

Hi all-I am new to this forum, and new to HT, although I have been active in high end audio for many years. I'm not sure if this question is right for this part of the forum, and if it's not please excuse my ignorance.
My 5080 will be delivered on Tuesday. I currently have a digital cable box from Comcast. It does have an HDMI out. I have a Pioneer Elite receiver (84TXSi) that my stuff is currently going through. I am getting rid of a sony XBR which I bought in 1997 (I think). The 5080 has a spot for the Comcast cable card, and Comcast tells me if I use it I don't need to use their box any more. I am not sure about how the remotes will work out if I get rid of the cable box, or what the best way to set it up would be. The Pioneer receiver has a remote that seems like it should work everything, but I am wondering if it will record off the TV as the Comcast remote does now. What is the best way to go about this? Should I keep the cable box and use the HDMI out to connect it to the receiver, or should I put the card in the TV and attempt to do away with the box? All suggestions appreciated.
Bill

if you use a cablecard you can just use your 5080 remote or the 84 avr remote to change the channels on the 5080. all of your cable channels should be integrated into a guide on the 5080.

But if you have a cable company HD DVR box you need to keep it and run the hdmi into your 84 then hdmi out to your 5080. or you can use a Tivo S3 or Tivo HD that accepts cablecards and records cable and ota channels.

the cablecard used with the 5080 has no recording capabilities it only allows the reception on the cable channels in the 5080.
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post #13469 of 17517
3/21/08 at 9:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by optivity View Post

Like this?


Yikes!?
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post #13470 of 17517
3/21/08 at 9:17pm
Yo Zues,

Are you a dyslexic God or what?
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