Plasma TV broke should I repair or replace?

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 12:38

Hello,

My 50" Plasma TV went pop last night, its only a year and a half old and im not sure if I should pay for an engineer to repair it or just take the plunge and buy myself a new one.

Cost isn't really much of an issue but I'd hate to part with a couple of hundred pounds for a repair job that is only guaranteed for 3 months when I could buy myself a new one for about £800.

stvn758 · 12-01-2008, 12:43

Checked the plug, might just be a fuse.

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by stvn758

Checked the plug, might just be a fuse.

First thing I checked mate, whatever popped is behind the screen itself.

Jimmy Riddle · 12-01-2008, 12:49

Ditch it, the PDP will cost a bomb.

What make and model?

stvn758 · 12-01-2008, 12:53

Are you sure the guarantee is just a year, there are a lot of two year ones now, especially with expensive kit like that.

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 12:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy Riddle

Ditch it, the PDP will cost a bomb.

What make and model?

Just a generic Orion only runs at 720p, how much to techs normally cost these days anyway?

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 12:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by stvn758

Are you sure the guarantee is just a year, there are a lot of two year ones now, especially with expensive kit like that.

Yeah only 12 months, bought it from Tesco originally which haven't impressed me with their customer services recently.

bobcar · 12-01-2008, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy Riddle

Ditch it, the PDP will cost a bomb.

What make and model?

It depends what the fault is. If it's the panel itself it wouldn't be worth it but it could just be a simple component or power supply.

bobcar · 12-01-2008, 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by virginmediaguy

Just a generic Orion only runs at 720p, how much to techs normally cost these days anyway?

Really? I'd be amazed by that if it's only a year old even for a tesco cheapy. I thought just about all new panel TVs were HD ready.

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobcar

Really? I'd be amazed by that if it's only a year old even for a tesco cheapy. I thought just about all new panel TVs were HD ready.

It is, 720p is the low end of high definition but there is a 1080p 42" lcd from direct tvs for £650 + delivery that has me very tempted. Just not sure if I'm ok losing those 8 inches but the alternative is hoping that my current telly can be fixed for a reasonable price and that it might happen again.

stvn758 · 12-01-2008, 14:43

You don't have to pay to have them looked at do you, you could take it into a somewhere like Comet/Currys and get an estimate.

They have a big sign saying they repair things.

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by stvn758

You don't have to pay to have them looked at do you, you could take it into a somewhere like Comet/Currys and get an estimate.

They have a big sign saying they repair things.

I did look at comet they have a £30 callout fee not sure if there is a charge for taking the tv to them to just get an estimate though. Repair charge is £45 + parts.

stvn758 · 12-01-2008, 14:59

Just drop it off at the Customer Services desk, they send it off to the local service centre for a proper look.

Wouldn't pay to have someone come around and tell me my TV wasn't working.

bobcar · 12-01-2008, 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by virginmediaguy

It is, 720p is the low end of high definition but there is a 1080p 42" lcd from direct tvs for £650 + delivery that has me very tempted. Just not sure if I'm ok losing those 8 inches but the alternative is hoping that my current telly can be fixed for a reasonable price and that it might happen again.

I know that most panels aren't 1080 resolution but they almost all support 1080i (they have to to be called HD ready).

If you were okay before with a 50" non 1080 then you really shouldn't need 1080 for a 42". To go from a 50" plasma to a 42" LCD could be a big drop unless the LCD was better quality.

Don't be mislead by the 1080 thing, unless you sit close enough to the TV it won't make any difference. A 1080p TV is not necessarily better than a standard HD ready TV, there are non 1080 native panels out there that will wipe the floor with many 1080p ones. How close are you, unless you sit closer than 8' there's no point in getting 1080 from 42" and to get full benefit you need to sit 6' or less away.

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobcar

I know that most panels aren't 1080 resolution but they almost all support 1080i (they have to to be called HD ready).

If you were okay before with a 50" non 1080 then you really shouldn't need 1080 for a 42". To go from a 50" plasma to a 42" LCD could be a big drop unless the LCD was better quality.

Don't be mislead by the 1080 thing, unless you sit close enough to the TV it won't make any difference. A 1080p TV is not necessarily better than a standard HD ready TV, there are non 1080 native panels out there that will wipe the floor with many 1080p ones. How close are you, unless you sit closer than 8' there's no point in getting 1080 from 42" and to get full benefit you need to sit 6' or less away.

Its a fair point, the TV does support 1080i and wasnt sure that the extra lines would make all that difference, was going to drop by an electrical shop on the way home to see if I noticed any difference cos there is one heck of a price difference.

virginmediaguy · 12-01-2008, 15:43

Arrrgh I don't know what to do now, I can get a 42" 1080P for £650 or a 50" 1080I for £800 or do I get this one fixed?

Too many choices.

russellelly · 12-01-2008, 15:48

Whatever you do, this time buy it in John Lewis or another company that'll offer a free 5year warranty.

Maybe Yellow Pages for an independant repair agent, but it's fairly likely to be uneconomical.

Nigel Goodwin · 12-01-2008, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by russellelly

Whatever you do, this time buy it in John Lewis or another company that'll offer a free 5year warranty.

Bear in mind JL don't have a service department, and if you don't pay for the extended warranty they won't look at anything over 12 months old.

jkevin · 12-01-2008, 21:29

Can't believe no one has mentioned the Sale of Goods Act. For certain goods you have a claim against the retailer for up to six years. You should get some advice from trading standards!

If it was me I'd be screaming blue murder at Tesco if a telly I'd bought went wrong after as little as 18 months.

Nigel Goodwin · 13-01-2008, 11:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkevin

Can't believe no one has mentioned the Sale of Goods Act. For certain goods you have a claim against the retailer for up to six years. You should get some advice from trading standards!

This is often suggested, and 'may' be a solution - but the S of G doesn't give a blanket 6 year guarantee, like most posters you need to read and understand it (Trading Standards will advise your rights and options).

12-01-2008, 12:38	#1
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Plasma TV broke should I repair or replace? Hello, My 50" Plasma TV went pop last night, its only a year and a half old and im not sure if I should pay for an engineer to repair it or just take the plunge and buy myself a new one. Cost isn't really much of an issue but I'd hate to part with a couple of hundred pounds for a repair job that is only guaranteed for 3 months when I could buy myself a new one for about £800.

12-01-2008, 12:43	#2
stvn758 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 17,338	Checked the plug, might just be a fuse.

12-01-2008, 12:45	#3
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Quote: Originally Posted by stvn758 Checked the plug, might just be a fuse. First thing I checked mate, whatever popped is behind the screen itself.

12-01-2008, 12:49	#4
Jimmy Riddle Banned User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 2,447	Ditch it, the PDP will cost a bomb. What make and model?

12-01-2008, 12:53	#5
stvn758 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 17,338	Are you sure the guarantee is just a year, there are a lot of two year ones now, especially with expensive kit like that.

12-01-2008, 12:53	#6
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Quote: Originally Posted by Jimmy Riddle Ditch it, the PDP will cost a bomb. What make and model? Just a generic Orion only runs at 720p, how much to techs normally cost these days anyway?

12-01-2008, 12:54	#7
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Quote: Originally Posted by stvn758 Are you sure the guarantee is just a year, there are a lot of two year ones now, especially with expensive kit like that. Yeah only 12 months, bought it from Tesco originally which haven't impressed me with their customer services recently.

12-01-2008, 14:10	#8
bobcar Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 14,718	Quote: Originally Posted by Jimmy Riddle Ditch it, the PDP will cost a bomb. What make and model? It depends what the fault is. If it's the panel itself it wouldn't be worth it but it could just be a simple component or power supply.

12-01-2008, 14:12	#9
bobcar Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 14,718	Quote: Originally Posted by virginmediaguy Just a generic Orion only runs at 720p, how much to techs normally cost these days anyway? Really? I'd be amazed by that if it's only a year old even for a tesco cheapy. I thought just about all new panel TVs were HD ready.

12-01-2008, 14:23	#10
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Quote: Originally Posted by bobcar Really? I'd be amazed by that if it's only a year old even for a tesco cheapy. I thought just about all new panel TVs were HD ready. It is, 720p is the low end of high definition but there is a 1080p 42" lcd from direct tvs for £650 + delivery that has me very tempted. Just not sure if I'm ok losing those 8 inches but the alternative is hoping that my current telly can be fixed for a reasonable price and that it might happen again.

12-01-2008, 14:43	#11
stvn758 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 17,338	You don't have to pay to have them looked at do you, you could take it into a somewhere like Comet/Currys and get an estimate. They have a big sign saying they repair things.

12-01-2008, 14:53	#12
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Quote: Originally Posted by stvn758 You don't have to pay to have them looked at do you, you could take it into a somewhere like Comet/Currys and get an estimate. They have a big sign saying they repair things. I did look at comet they have a £30 callout fee not sure if there is a charge for taking the tv to them to just get an estimate though. Repair charge is £45 + parts.

12-01-2008, 14:59	#13
stvn758 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 17,338	Just drop it off at the Customer Services desk, they send it off to the local service centre for a proper look. Wouldn't pay to have someone come around and tell me my TV wasn't working.

12-01-2008, 15:03	#14
bobcar Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 14,718	Quote: Originally Posted by virginmediaguy It is, 720p is the low end of high definition but there is a 1080p 42" lcd from direct tvs for £650 + delivery that has me very tempted. Just not sure if I'm ok losing those 8 inches but the alternative is hoping that my current telly can be fixed for a reasonable price and that it might happen again. I know that most panels aren't 1080 resolution but they almost all support 1080i (they have to to be called HD ready). If you were okay before with a 50" non 1080 then you really shouldn't need 1080 for a 42". To go from a 50" plasma to a 42" LCD could be a big drop unless the LCD was better quality. Don't be mislead by the 1080 thing, unless you sit close enough to the TV it won't make any difference. A 1080p TV is not necessarily better than a standard HD ready TV, there are non 1080 native panels out there that will wipe the floor with many 1080p ones. How close are you, unless you sit closer than 8' there's no point in getting 1080 from 42" and to get full benefit you need to sit 6' or less away.

12-01-2008, 15:20	#15
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Quote: Originally Posted by bobcar I know that most panels aren't 1080 resolution but they almost all support 1080i (they have to to be called HD ready). If you were okay before with a 50" non 1080 then you really shouldn't need 1080 for a 42". To go from a 50" plasma to a 42" LCD could be a big drop unless the LCD was better quality. Don't be mislead by the 1080 thing, unless you sit close enough to the TV it won't make any difference. A 1080p TV is not necessarily better than a standard HD ready TV, there are non 1080 native panels out there that will wipe the floor with many 1080p ones. How close are you, unless you sit closer than 8' there's no point in getting 1080 from 42" and to get full benefit you need to sit 6' or less away. Its a fair point, the TV does support 1080i and wasnt sure that the extra lines would make all that difference, was going to drop by an electrical shop on the way home to see if I noticed any difference cos there is one heck of a price difference.

12-01-2008, 15:43	#16
virginmediaguy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dudley Posts: 603	Arrrgh I don't know what to do now, I can get a 42" 1080P for £650 or a 50" 1080I for £800 or do I get this one fixed? Too many choices.

12-01-2008, 15:48	#17
russellelly Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Scotland Posts: 10,720	Whatever you do, this time buy it in John Lewis or another company that'll offer a free 5year warranty. Maybe Yellow Pages for an independant repair agent, but it's fairly likely to be uneconomical.

12-01-2008, 16:03	#18
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by russellelly Whatever you do, this time buy it in John Lewis or another company that'll offer a free 5year warranty. Bear in mind JL don't have a service department, and if you don't pay for the extended warranty they won't look at anything over 12 months old.

12-01-2008, 21:29	#19
jkevin Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: North Wales Posts: 68	Can't believe no one has mentioned the Sale of Goods Act. For certain goods you have a claim against the retailer for up to six years. You should get some advice from trading standards! If it was me I'd be screaming blue murder at Tesco if a telly I'd bought went wrong after as little as 18 months.

13-01-2008, 11:55	#20
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	Quote: Originally Posted by jkevin Can't believe no one has mentioned the Sale of Goods Act. For certain goods you have a claim against the retailer for up to six years. You should get some advice from trading standards! This is often suggested, and 'may' be a solution - but the S of G doesn't give a blanket 6 year guarantee, like most posters you need to read and understand it (Trading Standards will advise your rights and options).

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Plasma TV broke should I repair or replace?