Is it really need to purchase extended warranty for plasma tv


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Limbang

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Feb 13, 2003
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Kind soul out there,
i am already decide to buy a plasma tv cost about $2k.
It come with one year warranty. Courts Extended Warranty for extra two years cost $500 which is about 1/4 of the cost of goods.
 

1/4 of the price tag is very exp lehz .... wat brand is it ? most reputable wont have any prob ones .... i think 1 yr is sufficient
 

i also think quite expensive. the plasma will outlast traditional CRT ?
btw, it is korean staff.
 

this fit my budget comfortably and do not feel rip off as the price quite comparable to 29 or 32 CRT tv.
 

West_ray said:
korean manufacturer??? it's gotta be Samsung!!!!

Wow .... trying very hard to save for one myself.

well ... nowadays got so many (claimed) Korean panels, but assembled by unknown brands (China, Singapore, etc.)!

So unless the brand is a good known one, extended warranty is a wise choice.
 

How Long Do Plasma TVs Last?

There has been much discussion recently about the life expectancy of plasma monitor/TVs. It is an interesting topic with many misconceptions and story variations. The following is what I can advise on the topic:

Misconception #1: Many retailers seem to be telling consumers that plasma monitors will only last a couple of years - which is false as you will see below.

Misconception #2: The gas plasma inside the plasma TV can be refilled or replaced when it burns out. This is false.

Misconception #3: Plasmas dont last long. Many plasma manufacturers are now listing 60,000 hours as the life span to half life - matching the life span listed by top LCD manufaturers.

So how long will a plasma last? The long and short of it is that it depends upon your daily hourly usage as well as how you use the monitor. 12 to 55 years is my new short answer.

One practical example I will cite here is the Panasonic Tau units being used by In Motion Pictures at major airports around the country. These plasma monitors have been in use now for 5 -1/2 years. The business In Motion Pictures displays images on them from 6AM until 10PM daily (16 hours). Many of these plasma TVs still look great. They never fail to catch my eye as I pass by in one airport or another to see if they are still in use. If they have lost some of their brightness level its hard to tell. These plasma displays have been used already for almost 30,000 hours and have plenty of life left. Already this use equates to 18 years for an owner that watches 3 hours of video or computer content per day.

And this is the old model!

Manufacturers figures for longevity are closely guarded but I have added some here for your review:

Panasonic: States in new specifications that their new plasma TVs and monitors are good to 60,000 to half life.

Sony: Also now states 60,000 hours to half life in their newest models.

Samsung: Lists 60,000 hours.

Pioneer: States 60,000 hours of use in their new 2005 models.

Sharp LCD panels: States 60,000 hour life.

For consumer use these numbers should be comforting. Plasma Displays are now about equivalent in longevity to LCDs, which typically state 60,000 hours or so life. Consider that these figures are a great amount more than old CRTs, which regularly post life span to half brightness at 25,000 hours. Let's put these hours in perspective. The average U.S. household watches 4 to 6 hours of television per day. Staggering. Taking a mean time manufacturer stated longevity of 50,000 hours of usage, times our average 5 hours per day we come up with over 27 years of usage.

Now, there are varying degrees of phosphor ignition along the way (the same way a CRT fades). Dissipation begins the moment you turn the set on. After 1000 hours of usage a plasma monitor should measure around 96% brightness, which is barely noticeable to the naked eye. At 15,000 to 20,000 hours the monitor should measure around 80% brightness or to say it differently, 80% of the original phosphors (gases) are being ignited.

There are steps you can take to ensure longer and better life from your plasma display panel:

1) Never leave static images on the unit. Phosphors have also become more resilient to burn in issues on plasma, but still its better to be safe. Do not leave a static image on the plasma screen for more than 7-10 minutes. This can cause a ghosting effect which will "wash" out by use. Watch the unit in full widescreen format as much as possible to avoid differentiation between the side bands of the unit. While this does not actually decrease the longevity of the phosphors it does cause an annoyance to have to play a gray static image to "erase" the burn in.

2) Use Brightness and Contrast levels that are necessary for viewing - not excessive. In a brightly lit room you may need to use more contrast and brightness, which will decrease the life of the unit. However, there are memory setting adjustments available on most recent plasma monitors that allow the user to choose a memory setting to suit viewing needs. At night, or in a lower light room use lower contrast levels and extend the life. Do not use your plasma display on 100% contrast (often disguised as the picture option). In rooms with normal lighting you should not need to use the contrast setting on more than 60% of contrast.

NOTE: Plasma manufacturers routinely ship plasma TVs with the contrast (picture) setting tweaked to 80 to 100% of contrast. Therefore, you will need to make this necessary adjustment yourself.

3) Keep the monitor/TV in a well-ventilated area. The unit will not have to work as hard to cool itself.

4) Turn the unit off when not in use.

5) Keep the unit out of reach of small children.

6) Do not mount the unit face down from the ceiling. (Philips are you listening?)

How do the manufacturers know how to calculate the figures since plasma monitors have not been out long? The manufacturer facilities in Japan test plasma panels at 100% white image light and measure down from that point with meter readings. It takes hours to find that 50% mark - between 40,000 and 60,000 hours. What a job that would be… - to watch the white light.
 

get the above from a site.
but how true in real life ? any experience user can comment ?
 

Sorry, 40000 hours is 55 years - i'm very sure 'watching the white light' is not the way to find the 50% mark... unless it's extrapolated... just a side comment. :)
 

When I bought my TV from Denki, they offered me extended warranty as well but will I really want to use the same TV for 5 years??? Probably in a few years, they will come up with a newer, cheaper features/technology that will render my unit as obsolete. Given that scenario, would I repair my TV or my a new one? Does the warranty include misuse, accident or wear & tear? I decided to settle for the 1 year instead.
 

dawgbyte77 said:
When I bought my TV from Denki, they offered me extended warranty as well but will I really want to use the same TV for 5 years??? Probably in a few years, they will come up with a newer, cheaper features/technology that will render my unit as obsolete. Given that scenario, would I repair my TV or my a new one? Does the warranty include misuse, accident or wear & tear? I decided to settle for the 1 year instead.
I don't understand your thinking of changing a TV after 5 years because it becomes 'obsolete'????

Even if it is cheaper, you still have to fork out the money when changing TV's, I think your comment doesn't make sense :)

I am sure you can still use a TV from 20 years ago to watch current channels.........unless they all change to Digital TV, but that would never be immediately done. I am sure they will do it slowly to give people ample time to change their TV's........

HS
 

Limbang said:
anybody own plasma tv ?

I don't, but my wife is itching for 1 since our 10 years Sony TV is a little bonkers with the CRT. Take 3-4 minutes for it to warm up before the pic comes on.

Saw plasma and LCD models at Mega Discount and Audio House until totally confused. Which brands do you recommend? I find Samsung DNIE technology removes the noise and smoothens the pic, but the fine details becomes missing.

Another question : Is XGA for plasma really a requirement? There is a price jump of over $1k for VGA and XGA models.
 

I owned a Samsung 42" Plasma.
Got it at Harvey Norman about 2 yrs back, Dec 2003.
Now there's a yellow line, about 1" wide in the middle of the screen. Spker producing 'cracking' noise.

Luckily bought 2yr extension warranty at $700+. Called up Samsung & the serviceman came, quoted $3k to the replacement of the entire screen & maninboard. Fault = chemical leakage. & mainboard may be the cause of the 'cracking' noise.
They will fax the quote to Harvey Norman & meantime await for the HN to reply.

I paid $7999 for the Plasma, + another $700+ for 2yr warranty. Total 3 yr warranty.
Now less 2 yr, problem comes.
 

evq said:
I owned a Samsung 42" Plasma.
Got it at Harvey Norman about 2 yrs back, Dec 2003.
Now there's a yellow line, about 1" wide in the middle of the screen. Spker producing 'cracking' noise.

Luckily bought 2yr extension warranty at $700+. Called up Samsung & the serviceman came, quoted $3k to the replacement of the entire screen & maninboard. Fault = chemical leakage. & mainboard may be the cause of the 'cracking' noise.
They will fax the quote to Harvey Norman & meantime await for the HN to reply.

I paid $7999 for the Plasma, + another $700+ for 2yr warranty. Total 3 yr warranty.
Now less 2 yr, problem comes.
evq, aren't you glad that you bought the extended warraty? ;)
 

Canew said:
evq, aren't you glad that you bought the extended warraty? ;)
Of cos!! Just sad to find out that my Plasma spoil less than 2 yr. avg usage is about 4-5hr per day.

Btw, HN just called me, offering:
a. Proceed with the repair($2764, 100% bear by HN), OR
b. Top-up $236 to buy another Brandnew LG 42PX3R (c/w 2yr LG warranty).

'b' seems to be the best choice. But I couldn't find the exact model in LG website.
There's only 42PX3RV. Will have to go down personally to check up this model b4 deciding.
 

If you don't require high resolution (most don't) than most brands are OK.
For those who want high resolution the panel will be expensive.
Current better ones are Pioneer and newer Hitachi. Panasonic also not too bad.
Have a Pioneer 43" for the last 3-4 years and so far OK but bear in mind that even good brands can be in need of repair and it can be expensive. Extended warrenty is wise as it will give peace of mind.
 

why dont u consider LCD tv? i've sources in the media industry who tell me that plasma tv's are being sold on the cheap now to make way for technology that only LCD tv's support. yup. as for warranty, i think u shd get extended la. peace of mind.
 

Get LCD lah...
additional 1k plus for better build, good brand, sharper and clearer picture and longer lifespan. :)
 

finally bought a 42" plasma without extended warranty.
very pleased with the set.

now, looking for dvd hardisk recorder.
 

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