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I just recently "lost" my Panasonic plasma TV through a failure of the "main panel" The set was only 15 months old and out of warranty of course. I never purchase extended warranties. Maybe this was the time to do so. In any event it is going to cost close to 500 big ones to get the thing working again. I have come to the conclusion that it is not in your interest to have a large flat panel TV set repaired. Junk it and get a new one. What I cannot figure is how something like this happens. Panasonic was totally unconcerned thus placing/forcing me into a position of never considering their product line again. My question -- Has anyone out there ever had a Panasonic plasma TV go down soon after the expiration of the warranty? Incidentally, my set was a 50" Viera plasma. I must say it worked great until it went down. It would be interesting to know just how many of these sets have gone in the tank. thanks
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Otherwise, I'd be SOL on my Sony. Mine was basically the same size,
but being a top of the line XBR, it cost me a couple grand.
Even so, the replacement will be a refurbished unit that's not an XBR.
Quality ain't what it used to be.
Good luck, you might contact your state consumer affairs office to
see if state law offers any help.
it was the main electronic board - apparently this was happening all over the country.
the repair man said that panasonic was quietly supplying new boards ($300 part) for free if I called and complained loudly enough. He had to take it away for a few days; the total cost to me was $200. This was about 3years ago and I had paid about 2k for the set. I was pissed, but it beat a $500 repair.
Did you pay for it with a credit card? If so, the warranty may be extended for another year by the card issuer. Especially if it was a premium card of some sort. It's worth a try.
Condolences on yer bad luck.
FTR, CR's reliabilty ratings are based on reports on 29,794 sets. Pannys had a repair rate of 3%, Sammys 5% (66% higher) and LGs 6% (100% higher).
Unfortunately, their ratings aren't broken out my models, just manufacturers (unlike their vehicles reliability ratings).
"I'd like to own a squadron of tanks"
I did much research before buying my first HD TV. I determined this was still a somewhat new technology, at least compared to tube TV's which have been kicking around for many decades. I bought an extended warranty and was glad that I did. It ends up my TV has a known bad power supply. When the tech came into replace it he told me the story. He replaced it with another different board that was corrected.
Well, my three year warranty has expired so I am waiting with bated breath for the TV to break down again so I can get the latest and greatest!
We'll have to agree to disagree about global warming until the next global cooling scare comes along
And, yet another one of my concerns about flat panel technology. While old technology tube sets go on for decades - decades! - I've heard that flat panels real lifespan may be 10 years...at best.
I've talked to a number of people, and I've found out that crappy brands, such as Magnaovox, etc., tend to break down after just a few years of use.
Panasonic's supposed to be among the very best, so your experience makes the whole HD flat panel situation even murkier, and more pessimistic. I really feel bad for you. However, it does make my purchase of a used old Sony tube low def set for $10 seem even better.
I'm sorry for your loss, but I think you are one of the unlucky few who had a bad set. Panasonic is generally pretty reliable, but I'm sure a small percentage of every product is defective.
We've had a Panasonic plasma for almost 5 years now, and it's still going strong. I'm almost hoping it goes bad, so I'll have an excuse to buy a bigger and newer model!
Doug
A 15 month lifespan is almost criminal.
I never believed in extended warranties. Then I got a Maytag refrigerator and that changed my mind forever. I just had the evaporator fan replaced (the 3rd one), and am on a second compressor on a 8yr old unit.
For the investment cost in a 55" plasma, I'd think an extended warranty would be in order.
> For the investment cost in a 55" plasma,
A TV purchase is typically an expenditure, not an investment.
No problem with ours, yet. Only 3 years old, but still looks great. Unfortunately, electronic equipment will have some early failures. It sucks when it happens to yours, but the bright side is it will most likely not happen to your next one. The military pays a LOT of money to minimize this kind of problem, by buying parts that have been 'burned in' by the manufacturer, thereby eliminating the early failures. I would not hesitate to buy another Panasonic, but maybe this time get the extended warranty, just to give you piece of mind (I don't buy them, just take my chances).
I hope not many. I own three of them (42, 50 and 65).
-Wendell
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