Extended Service Contracts

rp2

I'm about to pull the trigger on a DLP (probably Samsung)

Extended service seems to be a good idea. Anyone have feedback on getting it from the brick & mortar store or going with an after market provider?

TIA

daleb

1. In summary, most B&M warranties are not worth it unless you have a lamp in your display and they cover ANY lamp replacements. Then you could conceivably regain your cost in. Best case.

2. Use your Visa, MC, or Amex for purchase. They will usually extend the factory warranty by one year. I've even heard of some cards going 2 years. And this is all FREE.

3. Costco claims you can return ANYTHING if you are not satisfied. Not the store to buy things you don't understand. No tech help, but you could get a great price. Read their return policy fine print. For PC's it's only for 6 months.

4. Buy an on-line service plan, again, step #1 would apply.

5. Do nothing. Most electronics breaks down early, during the original warranty .. (except when it doesn't....). save your warranty money for replacing lamps (if it has any).

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borromini

So far, I've not purchased extended warranties on anything and all is good.

Oh-oh, did I just jinxed myself?

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Zephaus

There's a whole thread going over this here. Should give you a pretty good view of the yeahs and nays.

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jaycmartin

I've read many threads here and on other forums that after market EWs are the smarter way to go. The Best Buy and CC EWs are strictly profit. You can get a General Electric EW after 10 months of using the 1 year manufacturer warranty. Go to www.ge.com and compare their ew prices to your brick and mortar stores.

Mickey

Made an inquiry while in the store last week as I felt what some here were saying was more generous than in actuallity. The retun policy posted at the store does mention 30 days but customer help gave a little more info I'll pass along.

* NO time limit.
* Must still be a member when returning anything.
* must have original sale receipt.
* Item must be returned in original packaging.
* Item show no sign of misuse.

I specifically mentioned in my conversation HDTV's and need to replace projection lamp at some point during the products life. The employee could be wrong but this is what I was told.

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mdavis9753

JayC.........."DLP the way to go"......I saw your quote and was intrigued....after doing research and viewing big screen TVs, I moved from definitely buying Plasma to "why not DLP?"........in fact, I find few negatives on DLPs......Im in the market for 42-50 inch screen, I live in Vermont, very limited access to high def channels, but was intrigued whether to pony up for the 1080p (rear projection) at this time..........I love sports and watch lots of DVDs.......any pros and cons on DLP vs plasma vs LCD would be appreciated.....thx, mIke

fiatster

I bought a combination 4 year projector/3 year bulb replacement warranty for my Panny 900. It's a Mack warranty and it cost me $300.00. I was mainly interested in the lamp part of the warranty, but you must get it as a combo. The way I understand it, you can get up to 2 lamp replacements over a 3 year period from the date of purchase. According to what I have read, the lamp can be dead or simply dimming to get your replacement. If this is the way it works, I will be using the PJ for my main viewing. I guess I'll find out how good the warranty is when I have to use it. I have the PJ on about 50 hours a week. At this viewing rate I should get good value from the warranty. BTW, the 4 years on the projector itself begins after the original warranty ends giving it a total of 5 years of protection.

daleb

Hmm. interesting. Thanks for the info!
I guess broken is not the same as misuse.

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jaycmartin

Hey Mike, If you have the budget go with the 1080p dlp set. Dlp sets last longer. Plasmas will inevitably be useless within about 12 years WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE IT TURNED ON. (Just the nature of plasma a salesman told me.) The LCD sets have been known to degrade and once they do there is no "turning back the clock." The DLP sets however, will continue to display crisp images like the first day you bought it. Only drawback might be replacing the bulb every 3-5 years depending on how much tv you watch. However, Samsung has addressed the bulb problem by producing LED sets due out in April. If you have the means to purchase a current 1080p set, then you might just want to wait a few weeks as you should also be able to afford the new HLS series. Read about them hear if you have not already.

http://samsung.com/PressCenter/Press...106_0000223500

Hope I was able to Help!

Jayc

daleb

This was based on a study performed by Texas Instruments almost 4 years ago, on front projectors, where heat is a critical factor due to the confined space for components. You can always generalize if you ignore applications.
There is no basis for that statement with modern displays, including LCoS which also uses LCD panels.
By the time even earlier generation LCD based displays begin to show significant degradation, today's LCD, DLP, and LCoS will be history and replaced by even newer technology.

"Now onto LCoS aging. The issues are very similar to those for LCD projection panels because both are Liquid Crystal based microdisplays. Fortunately, a lot has been learned over the years about LCD microdisplay aging. For example, the Liquid Crystal and the alignment layers all used to deteriorate over time, but that no longer appears to be a problem in the current implementations. A notable difference between LCoS and LCD is the seal between the silicon backplane and the top cover on the LCoS panels. If moisture were to get in, there could be a problem, but again these are issues that have been solved. JVC has been shipping LCoS panels since 1998 and has the most experience. They have published in-depth studies of D-ILA aging (their version of LCoS). JVC claims an aging timescale greater than 100,000 hours, which is more than 11 years running continuously at 24 hours per day. All of the other LCoS manufacturers utilize similar LCoS technology, and most also claim aging lifetimes greater than 100,000 hours as well...."

Dr. Raymond Soneria

http://www.displaymate.com/consult.html

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jaycmartin

Hey Mike did you get that? Thanks for the info Daleb. I need to check the expiration date on my info. So basically when it comes to aging DLP and current LCD or LCoS sets are relativley close if not the same. This forum is actually serving its purpose.

daleb

You are right to a point. Organic based substance will have a potentially shorter life due to the sensitivity to various elements, including UV light. But with the lastest technology, I believe the differences are academic.

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mdavis9753

THx Jay C...........advice is much appreciated.......I found the article your referred me too...........I'll take it from there!.............Mike