[tremendazo]

Hey guys, my t.v a vizio 42 lcd is broken and after months trying to fix it sears decided to replace it. My question is what is the best t.v i can buy from sears for 1600? i prefer L.c.d but I figure i ask the experts here on this forum. what the best value for my money?

 

[Steve S]

Did Sears allow you the full 1600 or are you kicking in some of your own money? How old was the dead Vizio? I'm just asking because that sounds like a lot of money for a 42" Vizio, so either it was a lot more expensive than they are now, and hence a couple or three years old, or you're kicking in some cash.


In any case that amount at Sears will buy you a 54" Panasonic plasma model TC-P54G10--a reallly nice big tv, and by far the best choice at this price point. In an LCD you should be able to score a 46" Sony or LG, or perhaps a 52" Sharp.


Stocks in the retail stores are pretty low right now so best to just go in and look for yourself.

 

[tremendazo]

sears gave me the full 1600. this is actually my second replacement tv. the first one was a Magnavox. Yes, Vizio were more expensive then, than what they are now. I was going to get the Panasonic but I read about the black lightning with time and I am also scare of the image retention problem on plasma. I also though about their 65 Mitsubishi rear projection but don't want to buy the lamp bulb every year or so as some of the owners mentioned in other sites. I am leaning towards the Bravia KDL46VE5 , I kind of wanted to go to at least 50 inch but I don't see many too choices under 1600 in sears.

 

[NatDad2007]

This thread confuses me. What kind of Vizio is $1600?

 

[tremendazo]

K, I think i gave too much irrelevant information to this thread. My question should be what is the best lcd or tv I can buy from sears for under 1600?

 

[dgoode0424]

go with the g10 for sure

 

[Steve S]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tremendazo /forum/post/18185887


sears gave me the full 1600. this is actually my second replacement tv. the first one was a Magnavox. Yes, Vizio were more expensive then, than what they are now. I was going to get the Panasonic but I read about the black lightning with time and I am also scare of the image retention problem on plasma. I also though about their 65 Mitsubishi rear projection but don't want to buy the lamp bulb every year or so as some of the owners mentioned in other sites. I am leaning towards the Bravia KDL46VE5 , I kind of wanted to go to at least 50 inch but I don't see many too choices under 1600 in sears.

Please don't believe all those scare tactics about plasma burn in--today's plasmas don't burn in any more than your old crt sets did, and take the "rising black issue" complaints with a very large grain of salt--nobody without a severe case of OCD is even gonna notice the latter if it happens at all. All it takes is a half dozen or so folks posting over and over about some largely invisible "issue" to scare the sheep. After a Magnavox and a Vizio believe me that Panny G10 will make you think you died and went to heaven with any kind of decent HD source material. Panasonic is one of if not THE most reliable tv you can buy these days, and besides the rest of that Protection plan that's paying for it will still be good for the remainder of it's term on the new set.


The only LCD your likely to find in the 50+ inch screen size at Sears right now is the 52" Sharp 77 series 120hz model, a very decent set but not nearly as good as the 54" Panny G10. If you go down to 46" you should be able to find the new EX500 Sony now or very soon well within your price target and it's a noticeably better set than the V5100 or VE-5.

 

[Steve S]



Quote:
Originally Posted by NatDad2007 /forum/post/18186189


This thread confuses me. What kind of Vizio is $1600?

iirc that's about what a high end 120hz Vizio sold for at full retail a couple of years ago. Sears is usually fairly generous with their replacement allowances under their protection agreements. I've seen people who originally bought 42" Magnavox 720 sets walk out with new 46" Sony 1080p sets with no cash out of pocket but the OP's allowance does seem a bit high which is why I asked him if the 1600 was all coming from Sears. They do have the highest priced protection plans on the market but unlike the others the plan does carry over to replacement sets and the allowances for the replacement are usually more than fair.

 

[tremendazo]

I was going to follow your advice and was going to buy the panny, however when i sew in the store I didn't like what I sew. it could have been the setting that it was on I dunno. Long story short, I fell in love with the PN50B850 that set looks amazing. But after alot of reading online about buzz noise and this and that decided not to go for it. I endup buying the Samsung LN52b630, so far I am pretty happy wit it.

 

[spyboy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve S /forum/post/18187681


iirc that's about what a high end 120hz Vizio sold for at full retail a couple of years ago. Sears is usually fairly generous with their replacement allowances under their protection agreements. I've seen people who originally bought 42" Magnavox 720 sets walk out with new 46" Sony 1080p sets with no cash out of pocket but the OP's allowance does seem a bit high which is why I asked him if the 1600 was all coming from Sears. They do have the highest priced protection plans on the market but unlike the others the plan does carry over to replacement sets and the allowances for the replacement are usually more than fair.

"They (Sears) do have the highest priced protection plans on the market but unlike the others the plan does carry over to replacement sets and the allowances for the replacement are usually more than fair."


Sears Master Protection Agreements are way out of line with mainstream extended warranties such as those from Mack. Aside from being mostly profit for the seller, the MPA is so expensive that the customer would do well to put that money in a savings account in the unlikely event that the TV needs repair during what would be the life of the MPA. Also, many credit cards add one full year to the manufacturers warranty.


Another good strategy is to buy a TV at Costco using an American Express card. Costco adds one year to the factory warranty and using the American Express card at Costco adds a third year of warranty coverage on TVs.


Since 73% of repairs take place during the first year of the TVs life, the manufacturers warranty is sufficient for all but the most unreliable sets. Over the longer haul, even with sets 5 to 6 years old only 10% needed repairs.


The price of LCD TVs has come way down. With prices continuing to come down, after 2 years, replacing an LCD is cost effective compared to Sears MPA.


I was getting quotes on a household item and was dumbstruck by the price of the MPA.


Buyer Beware

 

[Steve S]

^^^Totally agree about the Costco/Amex deal.