I'm finally "allowed" to get a new TV and I think I've narrowed it down to the Toshiba 42H82 and the Samsung HCL4715W. I was wondering if anyone else has or has hard anything (both good and bad) about either. I'm looking to keep it around $1750 w/tax and extended warranty. Thanks.

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=...cat=24&scat=25

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=...cat=24&scat=25

Well for one thing I wouldn't get the extended warranty. You're paying "for sure" for something that "not for sure" will happen (a break down at some point within the time period covered). I think you're better off never ever getting extended warranties and just repairing / replacing if one thing does break down which would have been covered during the extended warranty period (if you pay for extended warranties for all your audio/video/electronics equipment, you're spending a LOT more money than you'd spend if you never got extended warranties and just repaired / replaced an item that breaks down). There's a good reason that places are so aggressive about selling the extended warranty -- often times even moreso than the product itself.

I figured an outlay of $179 for 5 years coverage would be great against my $3,000 HDTV. A plumber comes to the door is $100+, so when our 'necessities' break down, just moving my 215 pound plus the stand, to get at the back of the HDTV is worth it, I couldn't do it. I am not the 110 weakling, I am the 235 pound man in the wheelchair.


For $179 they are going to send how many to just move the thing, most HDTVs don't have castors under them. Repairs are necessary the item that broke was 49¢, and he has one to put in. Cloudnin or cloudnine $179 was to me well spent for a full 5 years, my HDTV is 2 years old now and I still am covered for 3 more years.


You can go it alone, maybe you can lift one of these monsters to hope it won't go down on top of you. Lose your balance and have it down on top of you hospital bill (s), will be a lot more than a warranty with someone else taking their chances. IMHO



P.S. Subject poster sorry to get off topic.

^^

Get the Sammy!

Art, I've read a lot of good things about the Toshiba line, but don't have any experience with them personally. I'd assume a successfull architect/latex salesman like yourself would be able to afford both.

cloudnin - I'm sure that most everyone agrees with you on extended warranties for just about every product made... Except this one. When you're laying out $1500 on a set, the extra $200 for an extended plan is generally a good idea. What are you going to do if something does happen to your set? Toss it in the back of the car and take it to the shop? Not likely. Again, I'm with you on 99.8% of my electronics purchases, screw the extended warranty plan... Not when it comes to HDTVs however. Add it to the cost and sleep better at night. My $.02.

On topic... If you must go with the Samsung or the Toshiba, go with *I can't believe I'm going to say this* the Samsung. I generally can't stand Samsung products but the extra screen size makes a big difference... Just make sure to buy that extended warranty for anything made by Samsung. Toshiba, from what I've read and seen, make a better set but 42" is too small IMHO... I narrowed my search last year to the Toshiba 42" and the 47" Panasonic... In addition to the extra real estate, the Panny is a highly tweakable beast. Thus, I went in that direction...

Make sure the ext. warranty covers *in-home* labor as well. And remember that you are paying only for coverage beyond the mfr's warranty. (Which may be 1-2 years.)

Borrowing a neighbor's truck -- free.
Renting a little trailer from UHaul -- $15.
Renting an F-150 from Enterprise -- $70.
Realizing you are smart enough to pass up on the ESP -- priceless.


There's a reason why BB tries to sell ESPs. That's where a lot of profit is. Is $200 really worth covering your TV an extra few years? I am of the opinion that if it doesn't break during the warranty, why would it break a day after it expires? Unless an ESP covers your TV for 100s of years, it's a waste of money.

Tracking down a friend to help you load it, driving across town, unloading it, refilling the tank, returning UHaul, renting UHaul again, picking it back up, tracking down said friend again, loading it, refilling the tank, returning UHaul -- Your time = Money = A hell of a lot more than $15.

Why would it break after the warranty expires? Because, **** happens. That's why. I've had a JVC go belly up on me less than a year after the warranty expired.

It's your money, do with it as you please... I'm just saying for me, it's a little extra piece of mind on a $1500 investment. < We still need a smiley for this.

Just an update...I finally made the jump. I decided on the 46' Sony. It's getting delivered on Friday. Can't wait. Thanks for your input.

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=...cat=24&scat=25

The great thing about extended warranties is that the store gets your money without having to give you ANYTHING (for a period of time) - no product, no service, nothing. If in the future they need to service your electronics purchase, they still got a free $200 loan at your expense. Add up hundreds (or thousands) of $200 free loans, and it's a big cash cow for the store.

One thing people forget about on the PSP from BB, it does include yearly cleaning of the lenses in home, it you want to take advantage of it. Plus, I would feel alot better having something this size serviced in home than hauling it somewhere. Who's to say you won't do more damage to the tv by moving it and hauling it across town. If you damage the set trying to take it somewhere to get it looked at, that's an even bigger expense.

Yet another thing to keep in mind, it's called a performance service plan for a reason. If 3 1/2 years down the road, the tv isn't performing exactly as it did out of the box, they will come look at it and determine if there is a problem. With a rear projection tv, you've got the 3 guns to worry about. If just one of them starts to dim a little bit, it's going to throw off your picture. Guess what, it's covered.

Oh, and I love the argument that some people make that if something goes bad 3 years down the road, I'll just buy something new. Tell me how that makes more sense than buying a service plan?

The thing about service plans is that the store already has your money. They have no incentive to do a great job of repairing your product. They just have to do a "good enough" job. Whereas if you are paying them for their service at the time of repair, you won't be paying them unless they do an "excellent job."

I don't like paying for a service before it's rendered.