TV Woes!

[Merk]

Since we got some A/V savvy people on here, I'd like to get an opinion on a TV purchase I'm considering. Since I'm always looking for a good deal, I did some classifieds searching here in Bloomington and found what seems like a good purchase from a legit local. The man was selling a 56' projection TV for $100 because it needs repairs and because he can't fit anywhere in the new place he's moving to after graduation (a very, very common thing in Bloomington, Craigslist explodes this time of year).

I asked him about it, specifically the repairs, and he sent some pictures. Here's a copy pasta of the e-mail:

Hey Michael,

Thanks for your response! The TV is still for sale and I have attached some pictures.
All that I can tell you about the needed repairs are from what a TV repairman relayed to
me and my roommates. He said that a video component was causing the screen to have a
reverse eyeglass effect and that it would cost around $100 to repair. You can check out
the first picture I've attached which gives you a clear idea of what the screen looks
like unrepaired. The screen basically bows at the top and bottom and the colors are
slightly erratic. We still watch it anyway, and are instead getting rid of it because it
won't fit in any of our places next year. It is a projection TV, so it is not HD
compatible, but it has two RCA/SD plugins, wheels, remote, and surround sound plugins.
Any other postings I have seen of this TV on craigslist or classifieds ask for $500 or
more, so $100 plus $100 in repairs is the best deal you'll find. Let me know if you're
interested or if you have any other questions!

Thanks,
Alex

And the pictures:









The first picture is obviously the deal breaker for me, the picture is pretty damn bad and the price definitely reflects that. The big question is, would the cost of repairing this TV really run me about $100 or should I expect more? Transporting the thing is not an issue, I'm just worried that getting this thing fixed will cost me well above his estimate, I want to hover around the $200-$250 range.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[LikeableRodent]

My first impression is why would someone want a standard def projection TV, especially one that's guarantee to cause you woes?

[Merk]

Well, it's big, it seemed cheap, and I'm on a budget. I could very well go smaller, but I'd like to know if this is a good deal and if it would cost too much to fix. I'm not too stingy on it having all the bells and whistles like 1080i HD widescreen plasma flatscreen bonerly awesomeness, I'd just like a standard TV that I can watch with a preferably large screen size.

[WhiteDragon]

Standard TV doesn't look all that good when it gets that big.

[Potter]

Standard TV doesn't look all that good when it gets that big.

its all the same perceived size, this is why you sit closer to smaller tv's and farther away from bigger ones. now if you are sitting 2 feet away from it then you are gunna have a problem

[MonMotha]

At minimum, there's a serious convergence issue on that sucker. It may be possible to adjust it out using the user controls, but that's pretty far off. Adjusting convergence on projection CRT sets isn't hard, but it's tedious and time consuming. If it can't be done using the user controls, it's possible that some more "manual" adjustment may be required, and this often requires yanking the back and playing around near 30,000 volts. Fun times...times not intended to be done by normal users.

There also appears to be a geometry issue along the top. This may resolve itself out with a convergence adjustment, but it may not. To be honest, given what it's doing, I'm not entirely sure what's wrong. I've never seen that before, but I won't purport to be an expert on projection (or even direct view) sets. TV repair techs are expensive (which is why most people just throw out broken TVs and buy new ones), so this may or may not be a cheap fix.

RP-CRTs also suffer terribly from burn-in. This makes them bad for gaming where static images will be displayed for extended periods of time. It is likely that the screen already has some burn-in.

I'd be inclined to just go buy a 37" Westinghouse LCD. The 1080p model can be had for about $500-650 if you spot a sale, and it's probably the best thing I've seen in that price range. If you're willing to spend $1700+ there's some REALLY good options in the 37-42" range, but if you want to keep it to $500, then you're pretty much limited to 37" or less new. I don't think the 37" model lags, but confirm before purchase if that matters to you. The 40" does, but I don't think the 46" one does. It's kinda odd.

[ShammerS]

I want to hover around the $200-$250 range.

Let's keep this in mind!

[Fluffyumpkins]

I want to hover around the $200-$250 range.

Let's keep this in mind!

Just buy the TV I have from me when I move. I'd let it go cheap and it is reasonably large.

[MonMotha]

If you're REALLY stuck on spending < $250 (and that is NOT where the sweet spot is for TVs > 30") and getting something in the 40-60" range, you're pretty much stuck with RP-CRT. RP-CRT downright sucks. You don't want an RP-CRT. The types issues you see in that picture are downright common with RP-CRT sets. They are a maintenance nightmare. You'll either throw it away in a couple years or spend as much as you paid to buy it servicing it. Basically, don't mess with RP-CRT. You'll regret it later. They've all but disappeared in terms of new equipment for a reason. If you can find one in good shape at a cheap price, you can give it a shot, but expect to get rid of it within a year or two. In general, they aren't worth servicing anymore as consumer equipment. Even most arcades are throwing them out as they die and replacing them because they're not worth the time (of an on-staff tech!) to fix.

If you're willing to spend about $350-400, you can get some nice 720p 32-37" LCDs or plasmas. You probably want the former. They will stand up to time a lot better. $400-650 can get you a 1080p set in the mid-upper 30 inches range. Such sets tend to be remarkably decent. They're not top of the line by any means, but they work well.

If you're willing to compromise down to a 28-32", you can get brand new 1080i direct view CRT sets for about $250-300. Such sets will hold up pretty well, though they are usually built on the cheap and exhibit terrible scaler lag. These types of sets show up reasonably often in the classifieds for $200 or so. I'd hold out for a direct view over a projection CRT setup if that's the route you decide to go.

[danc1005]

I don't really have any source here, but I know I've heard something about projection screens being really bad for gaming (this is probably just because of the burn-in issue MonMotha mentioned). That and (this is just my opinion), they just look gross. They're enormous (size- and weight-wise), their image just doesn't seem as crisp and clear as other types of TVs, and they have that viewing angle handicap which can make them look bad. I know it seems like a good deal because of the price, but I'd say even a much smaller LCD or Plasma would be a better (and more impressive to boot) choice. This would probably be too small for you, but I bought a 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor to use as my TV, and I've been nothing but pleased with it.

[Ho]

Personally, I wouldn't spend $200 on that set if it were working correctly. As has already been mentioned, much better sets can be had for not that much more money. MonMotha is right...this set will only cause you more problems in the future even if you are able to get it working again for $100 buy and $100 service. I also think $100 is a pretty low-end estimate for repair. You're likely to spend $50 just getting someone to look at it before they even do anything.

Also, size isn't everything--especially in standard def. I personally think SD starts to really fall apart around 40". I may be pickier than some, but I would much rather have a smaller set with a good picture than a larger set with a so-so or lousy picture.

[Merk]

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the opinions!

It sounds like this isn't quite the deal I had hoped for. A friend of mine is selling an unbroken 46" inch TV for $150, I won't know any of the details until this weekend but when I do I'll pass it on to you guys for a second opinion!