Manufacturer Support Should Influence Buying Decision
by Ron
(Merrick, NY)
I purchased a Dell 42" plasma in 2006,but experienced an audio issue. After the typical struggle and posting my case on their forum,eventually Dell replaced same with a newer model.
My confidence in them restored,I have been most satisfied with excellent picture quality and performance... until it suddenly died last Friday, 3 months after expiration of my $379 extended warranty.
Forget trying to repair a Dell TV. I do not feel a $3K TV should have 4 year life span. After many years of satisfaction with many Dell computers, I now feel that maybe they've "jumped the shark". I am unlikely to ever buy or recommend Dell again. I am now frantically researching my next plasma TV, and am following this Panasonic black level issue. My thanks for this site's info!
Why would I now consider Panasonic, Samsung,LG or Sony? It would be more logical to consider less "solid" names,(maybe Vizio?) save a few bucks up front and plan on replacing the thing anyway in 3-4 years, for half of what I'm paying now!
It now seems increasingly foolish to pay a premium "for the name". We MUST depend on sites such as this for real info/advice. Let's remember: this is a far less critical decision than whether or not to buy a Toyota.
Happy with Panasonic Video Products
by Manuel Reyes
(San Pedro Sula, Honduras)
I am very happy with Panasonic video products, and they are reliable.
As consumer you cannot expect any device to perform over time as brand new, there is temperature, humidity and several other factors that affects the electronic components of devices, so variations in performance can be expected over time according to operational environment.
