Avoid buying a "disposable HiDef TV"

If you're in the market for a HiDef television, one of the first things you notice is the big difference in price, depending on the brand.
Most of the time buying off-brand merchandise is a great way to save. You get a similar product for a lot less money. But when it comes to HiDef television sets, it can be worth it to pay more. The Saving You Money Team explains why and shows you how to avoid getting stuck with something critics refer to as a "disposable HDTV".
Looking at two sets, one name brand, one off brand, the pictures look very similar. The prices of the off-brand set looks even better. But that off-brand HDTV might not be the bargain it seems to be.
"9 times out of 10 it's not going to last as long as the name-brand TV would," John Rippy, manager of Discount TV Repair, tells Saving You Money. Rippy says he gets several calls a week from owners of off-brand television who say their set went from HiDef to "No-Def" a lot sooner than they expected.
"We've seen a number of examples in the last six months where people have spent $800 to $1,200 dollars," Rippy continues. "Their TV works for about eight months to a year. It doesn't work after that."
Problem is, even the most experienced technician can't always help them. "We've had real difficulty in getting parts for those off-brand TVs because they're manufactured in China or in Taiwan and there's no support circuit set up in the United States for that."
Most of the off-brands come with a one year warranty. So if the set breaks down before that expires, you can ship it back to a distribution center, usually in California or New York. But even then there are no guarantees.
"We've seen a number of times when people have done that and they end up just getting a refund on their TV as opposed to getting the TV fixed," Nick Rowe with Circuit Center explains. "But they're still out the shipping."
Rowe recommends investing in an extended warranty. "It's a great idea. It gives you peace of mind. That way you know you're covered if you have any problems as opposed to having to send it off somewhere."
That will cut into the savings you get from buying an off-brand in the first place. But it may be worth it if you consider the alternative.
When R.B. Najarian's 37 inch LCD broke down out of warranty he brought it to Picture Perfect TV for repair. He was relieved when the technician told him it just needed a new power supply, which sounded like an easy fix.
"I called the company up," Kirk Holmes with Picture Perfect TV Repair explains. "Power supply was $47 for the price. They said, ‘yes, we'll have it in sixty days." Sixty days later they said, ‘no, we can't get the part.'"
So for now, the TV remains in the shop, taking up 37 inches of valuable space until its frustrated owner decides what to do with it. "So I'm kind of stuck with a TV that's valued at $700 - $800, and it's actually worth nothing right now."
So how long should you expect your HiDef TV to last? The days where you had a TV for 15 to 20 years are long gone. The average life span of a TV nowadays is about seven years. And repairs are also much more expensive than they once were.
Before you buy anything, make sure to check out the service policies, both during the warranty period and after the warranty expires.
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