[chania98]

Hey all,


I just pulled the trigger this morning on the Akai 4294 from Costco.


$2899 plus $400 coupon = $2500.


So far what I have hooked up:


1. Sony DVD Player with Progressive Scan via Monster Component.

2. Time Warner DTV via Coax (I am going to get the HDTV Box on later in the week)


DVD looks great...I used Elvisincongnito's recommended basic adjustments, but I still have to fine tune it.


DTV looks pretty good. I must say that with all the people going off on what S(D)TV looks like, I was a little scared.


Anyway, here is my setup...I will attach 3 pics for now and maybe more later.


Thanks to all for their great advice and with the help on the coupon.


All I can say is that this forum ROCKS

chania98

 

[chania98]

another pic...

 

[chania98]

last pic for now...

 

[franz-man]

Chania98,


I too got the Akai 4294 from Costco and have been appalled at the image both before and after adjustment in SM based on Elvisincognito instructions.


Man...maybe I should return it and try another one...


Anyone live in the Houston area that has bought one where we can compare???


-John

 

[chania98]

franz-man,


I know it's a pain to do an exchange, but you may want to give it a try.


I think I read in a thread, that you had problems with DVD???


Not sure why, especially if it is 480p.


Cable is not like DVD, I only have 480i going into it right now. Funny how some channels look superb and some are crap. Althoug I had the same problem with my old Sony 32 tube and my bedroom Sony 27. i guess its a signal issue.


Good luck.

 

[franz-man]

Yeah, analog tv looked as good or better then DVD.


I am tired of thinking about it for now, I may return this week some time though.

 

[superflysocal]

Chania,


DId you change the menu 9 settings based on Elvis settings? If so, did you get a very red picture with 480p?

 

[franz-man]

yeah, I tried those settings.

My image seemed to have tons of green, not red with the 480P.


That is not my biggest problem though...my issue was with blacks and skin tones.\\


I just can't see any detail with any dark surface and the skin on people is plastic looking. There is no way anyone on this forum would pay this much money for this type of image so I guess this tv looks really f***ed up .


I went looking at retail stores again today and tried my own DVDs in their systems, hooked up a dvd player directly to the players and checked a few scenes. In no way did they match the crappiness of what I see at home.

The only thing I didn't get to do was go back to Costco to compare to their in store set up...I only checked agains Zenith, Panny and the Akai at Circuit City (4290).



Is anyone having issues with the blacks and skin tones?

 

[BeefStu]

Congrats on your purchase!


Could you please post the outer box dimensions? I want to pick one up tomorrow but if it won't stand upright in a Grand Cherokee then I'll have to go and rent a truck or something. The inner box dimensions were posted in another thread, but the poster said that they just left the outer box in the parking lot which is not an option for me.

 

[franz-man]

17"x43"(H)x51" (L). That is the outer, outer, outer box dimensions.


I doubt that will fit in the Cherokee -it would not fit in my Honda Pilot.


Take that one off (white with all the details of plasma) and underneath is 13"x31.5"(H)x46" (L). That fit perfect in my Pilot and I just folded up the outer white box for possible later return.

 

[superflysocal]

Don't rent a truck. In the big box are two smaller boxes which will fit in ANY suv. Costco will definitely take it back without the box.

 

[BeefStu]

Awesome. Thanks guys!

 

[franz-man]

word to the wise....the speakers are placed on top of the plasma inner box. Be careful when taking off outer white box...speaker box may stick and take a long fall to concrete....mine did.


Also...tv stand pieces are stuck in green packaging foam that hold top two corners of plasma...took me a few minutes to figure this out - instructions don't mention it.


Please post your impressions - I eagerly await to see if I got a bum unit or what...

 

[chania98]

Hey all....just as an update:


I went to the Timewarner office last night and swaped my DTV cable box for a HDTV box.


They gave my a Pioneer.


Problem is, I can't get the DVI interface to work. A co-worker who is more knowledgable with this stuff than me told me that Timewarner and a couple of other cable companies have not enabled the DVI out since they are still working on the firmware and they are set to release it sometime this qtr.


I did however hook it up using Component and the HD channels are awesome.


I watched the State of the Union address last night and wow, you can see all the details.


I switched back and forth from 2 (SDTV) signal to 702 (HDTV) signal and there is really no comparison, HDTV feed blows SDTV feed away.


I also checked out SHO & Dicsovery HD and I must say that the quality is excellent.


So far I am very happy with the Akai, and thats without any serious tweaks. Hopefully I will have some more time of the next couple of weeks to do some additional tweaking. I just wish that cable switches all channels to HD as soon as possible.


Thanks


chania98

 

[jojo57]

check out this site in hd hardware.its true what they told you dvi upgrade coming in software.jj

 

[cvillacci]

I have been looking for an inexpensive Plasma and spotted this one at COSTCO but it went up in total price to [PRICING REMOVED], no coupon. I just joined COSTCO and will get my plasma there because of their return policy (to me this trumps all else).


Will I get a coupon book in the mail because I joined? I am hoping for a coupon to apply to this tv. How often do coupon books come out?


For those of you who bought in January, after 2 months living with thisTV, how do you like it?



EDITED: Only MSRP is allowed. Dave

 

[wblynch]

The coupons only come out a couple of times a year. They don't always have one for the plasma. They did last August and again in January (I believe).


The coupon is only good for a certain week. Keep your eye out for a mailer that is usually called a "Passport" or something like that.

 

[headcase99]

I visited my local Costco yesterday here in North Carolina, and they just lowered the price again. I can't post the new price here, but lets just say that it's close to what the old price minus coupon was in January.


I've still got my Akai, and yeah, some SD channels over DirecTV look great while others look crappy, but I'll deal until HD is out in force (really until HD DirecTiVo is reasonably priced and usable).

 

[cvillacci]

Thanks headcase99,


I went to COSTCO last week and they were more than the Jan price with coupon. I will stop this week and check it out. If the price is the same as the January sale price, I am going to get one (Yippee!).


I figure, how bad can it be? If I do not like it, I get to watch a plasma until COSTCO brings in a Panny 37" or another plasma with better PQ, maybe even HD.

 

[akai]

I think you will be better off with th42pwd panny, I went through this ordeal, no fun at all. Price on th42pwd has come down considerably and is now comparable to the AKAI without the pain.


mp