# Gotta Vent A Little



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

So I turned on my TV today to have a sandwich and watch my DVR recording of The Unit (the benefits of working at home) and the picture is all whacked out with a green haze all around the people. I hit the Auto Focus button and get an error on the screen. I try to adjust the convergence manually, but can't get the guns to line up. I hit the web and find out the problem is the chips and requires removal of the back and some soldering. I know this is beyond my skill set, so I start calling around to get this thing fixed before the weekend and the playoffs. Here's where I get pissed.

All the TV places charge between $60 and $90 (Best Buy was the highest) just to _come to the house! _ This doesn't even get applied to your bill if you choose to have them do the work. I realize that people need to get paid and you may have wasted their time if you don't have them do the job, but that's ridiculous! I'd never sell a house if I charged people to come over and do a listing presentation!

Long story short I've got some local guy coming over Friday night for $65 plus repairs (probably around $300 total) and he has the parts, so I shouldn't miss any football.


----------



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

That sucks. I just have standard tvs, but I have had to get Dish Network out here a couple of times in the past few months. Pain in the butt.


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> That sucks. I just have standard tvs, but I have had to get Dish Network out here a couple of times in the past few months. Pain in the butt.


I realize that the more complicated the toy, the more likely it is to break. I find it odd that the TV just crapped out all of a sudden with no signs that it was dying. It's just amazing that you get charged $60 - $90 for some guy to hop in his truck and drive 20 minutes and not do any work for you.


----------



## Mr. P (Sep 16, 2006)

Todd said:


> So I turned on my TV today to have a sandwich and watch my DVR recording of The Unit (the benefits of working at home) and the picture is all whacked out with a green haze all around the people. I hit the Auto Focus button and get an error on the screen. I try to adjust the convergence manually, but can't get the guns to line up. I hit the web and find out the problem is the chips and requires removal of the back and some soldering. I know this is beyond my skill set, so I start calling around to get this thing fixed before the weekend and the playoffs. Here's where I get pissed.
> 
> All the TV places charge between $60 and $90 (Best Buy was the highest) just to _come to the house! _ This doesn't even get applied to your bill if you choose to have them do the work. I realize that people need to get paid and you may have wasted their time if you don't have them do the job, but that's ridiculous! I'd never sell a house if I charged people to come over and do a listing presentation!
> 
> Long story short I've got some local guy coming over Friday night for $65 plus repairs (probably around $300 total) and he has the parts, so I shouldn't miss any football.


Sad that today electronics have become 'throw-away' instead of repair due to the cost,
tis why over the years I have become such a 'Do-it-yourselfer'.

Would I go into the back of a TV? Maybe, but Very carefully, lots of stuff in there BITES very hard.


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Mr. P said:


> .... lots of stuff in there BITES very hard.


Exactly why I am not going in there. I know my limitations.


----------



## -gunut- (May 8, 2006)

That is one reason I love my guns and hate my computer. My guns are always 100% :smt076


----------



## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Todd said:


> I realize that the more complicated the toy, the more likely it is to break. I find it odd that the TV just crapped out all of a sudden with no signs that it was dying. It's just amazing that you get charged $60 - $90 for some guy to hop in his truck and drive 20 minutes and not do any work for you.


Heck, just to look at a computer, they tend to charge $50-$75. But, usually this cost goes towards the final charge if they actually do any work. I understand why U are fed up. U pay that in addition to whatever they charge U to fix it.


----------



## Wandering Man (Jul 9, 2006)

Many years ago I had a (then) three year old television that started changing the channels randomly. I'd be watching a show, and suddenly the channels would change. At first I thought the neighbor's short-wave radio was somehow affecting our TV. I finally got over my paranoia and took the TV to a repair shop.

He replaced the switch in the set. I made the mistake of asking him why it broke. His response was that we were probably changing the channels too often. 

We had hooked onto cable a year earlier, and the only channel surfer was me!  

WM


----------



## Hevchev50 (Dec 24, 2006)

I'm still using the Panasonic I bought back in '93. Still has a great picture. I'll get another TV....someday.


----------



## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

-gunut- said:


> That is one reason I love my guns and hate my computer. My guns are always 100% :smt076


Although the best way to get a computer working is to show it your gun. This is why I think little gnomes live in the computer. The computer at work will always stop acting up as soon as I touch the grip on my gun. It's magic. LOL!


----------



## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

Wandering Man said:


> Many years ago I had a (then) three year old television that started changing the channels randomly. I'd be watching a show, and suddenly the channels would change. At first I thought the neighbor's short-wave radio was somehow affecting our TV. I finally got over my paranoia and took the TV to a repair shop.
> 
> He replaced the switch in the set. I made the mistake of asking him why it broke. His response was that we were probably changing the channels too often.
> 
> ...


Don't feel bad. My dad is the God of descrambling the cable boxes. Our TVs have done some funky tricks over the years, but at this point cable should be paying me as a tech.


----------



## Dreadnought (Nov 9, 2006)

Todd, what model TV and year? My parents had a Magnavox for eight years, 52" rear projection TV that went on the fritz and it was going to cost $600-800 to fix it. Their solution was buying a 56" HD widescreen. I could probably get the old one fixed for $300, but what happened was the fluid in the projectors leaked on some boards and shorted them out. It was a pretty good picture for it's time, it's a shame it's just sitting around.


----------



## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Dreadnought said:


> Todd, what model TV and year? My parents had a Magnavox for eight years, 52" rear projection TV that went on the fritz and it was going to cost $600-800 to fix it. Their solution was buying a 56" HD widescreen. I could probably get the old one fixed for $300, but what happened was the fluid in the projectors leaked on some boards and shorted them out. It was a pretty good picture for it's time, it's a shame it's just sitting around.


It's a 42" Toshiba wide screen. Got it just about 4 years ago. The guy said it will coast about $300 to fix. If it was in the $600 - $800 range, there would be a new 60'+ DLP in the house by this weekend!


----------



## dood (Jan 15, 2007)

Todd said:


> It's a 42" Toshiba wide screen. Got it just about 4 years ago. The guy said it will coast about $300 to fix. If it was in the $600 - $800 range, there would be a new 60'+ DLP in the house by this weekend!


Might be worth it to upgrade anyway...the new DLP TV's are just amazing...especially the Samsungs.

I'm looking at upgrading my TV in the living room...it's a 5 year old, 55" rear-projector, widescreen...but the HD just isn't up to par for football/basketball/Xbox360.


----------



## Mr. P (Sep 16, 2006)

You folks buying a new TV don’t forget analog is going away in the next few years, so unless you want to buy a converter HD to analog then go HD. Info is on the FCC site as I recall.


----------



## Thor (May 11, 2006)

Analog was SUPPOSED to go away in 2005. I guess too many complaints about having to buy new TVs or add on boxes have moved it out.


----------

