Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

breld

There are so many different TV brands and models out there and so many stores/websites to get them, I like to simplify it and just go with whatever choices Costco has. I trust their prices and like the extra year of warranty they include.

For the 65", we went with a Samsung (UN65H6300A), and for the 80", a Vizio (M801i-A3).

The Samsung was $1,170 and the big Vizio $2,500. There are certain brands I like and trust, but for the most part, I'm more of a budget shopper than anything. Seems to me most TVs are pretty darn good these days, and I'm not one to go with the latest and greatest technology (4K Ultra?).

xwesx

breld said:

We went crazy at Costco and bought not one, but two new televisions.

There were some really good sales going on with LED monitors over the weekend! A couple of them were even tempting to me! ME!

My son asked me recently why we didn't just get one since our 32" Sony Trinitron (ca 1997) occasionally pitches fits now, and I explained to him the economics of it. Basically, assuming our current unit continues to operate, it would take us fifty years to recoup the expense through associated savings in electricity given the amount of time we use it. And, there's no way ANYTHING made today is going to last anywhere near fifty years. LOL

So, as long as the Trinitron keeps on ticking, it is staying right where it is.

qbrozen

Our nicest TV is in our bedroom. 42" 1080p Samsung LCD that we got on clearance a couple of years ago. The living room holds a 37" 720p westinghouse and is used strictly for video games, while the main TV in the family room is a hand-me-down "slim" projection TV from my dad, I think around 55". Also maxes out at 1080i/720p and has 1 HDMI input. But it keeps working, so I just can't justify replacing it.

I kind of think TVs may have gone past reasonable quality improvements at this point. Last time I was in the store, I was looking at the latest/greatest thing in that curved 4k TV. IMHO, the pic looked fake. At some point, they got to where it is like looking out a window, and now we've gone past that to where it looks like real life if it was touched up in photoshop. At least that was my initial impression with that store's particular setup.

xwesx

Agreed, q. Truly amazing display from those 4K units, but not even real life looks that good.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

Our nicest TV is in our bedroom. 42" 1080p Samsung LCD that we got on clearance a couple of years ago. The living room holds a 37" 720p westinghouse and is used strictly for video games, while the main TV in the family room is a hand-me-down "slim" projection TV from my dad, I think around 55". Also maxes out at 1080i/720p and has 1 HDMI input. But it keeps working, so I just can't justify replacing it.

I kind of think TVs may have gone past reasonable quality improvements at this point. Last time I was in the store, I was looking at the latest/greatest thing in that curved 4k TV. IMHO, the pic looked fake. At some point, they got to where it is like looking out a window, and now we've gone past that to where it looks like real life if it was touched up in photoshop. At least that was my initial impression with that store's particular setup.

Agreed; I haven't seen anything I like much better than my 50" KURO Elite- although I do wish it was a little bit larger.

laurasdada

I kind of think TVs may have gone past reasonable quality improvements at this point. Last time I was in the store, I was looking at the latest/greatest thing in that curved 4k TV. IMHO, the pic looked fake. At some point, they got to where it is like looking out a window, and now we've gone past that to where it looks like real life if it was touched up in photoshop. At least that was my initial impression with that store's particular setup.

That's one of the reasons I bought a Samsung Plasma vs. LCD/LED. While Plasma appears to be the Betamax of HD TVs, I found it to be a much truer picture as well as handling motion with aplomb. And, it heats the place nicely!

ab348

laurasdada said:

That's one of the reasons I bought a Samsung Plasma vs. LCD/LED. While Plasma appears to be the Betamax of HD TVs, I found it to be a much truer picture as well as handling motion with aplomb. And, it heats the place nicely!

I bought my first HDTV in 2005 and it was a bad mistake - a Sony rear-projection LCD (remember them? There were also DLP projection sets; those technologies had a very short lifespan). It had a design flaw which Sony did nothing to address for owners and was gone within 3 years. In 2008 I replaced it with a Panasonic plasma which I love, and which was not cheap. But plasmas have gone the way of the dodo bird now and there are very few left. In fact on the weekend I saw a flyer for a 50" Samsung plasma at a store just down the road - on sale for $399! I was tempted to buy it even if I am perfectly happy with my Panasonic, just to have one here when the Panny finally gives up.

breld

The other thing we noticed at Costco was the new 4K Ultra TVs all were running some demo video (you know, of Yellowstone, and helicopter rides, etc.), while the other TVs were running a TV signal. Of course, the "Ultra" TVs looked good with the manufactured content.

So yeah, we went with the cheapest, or perhaps second cheapest, model in each size we wanted.

All I know is Sunday Night Football looked great on the 80" last night!

breld

To circle back the conversation to cars, we were able to load up the 65" TV, 80" TV, an 8' X-mas tree, two adolescent boys, my wife and myself into the Odyssey to make the short trip home with the hatch slightly opened (but tied down).

Makes it really hard to replace the minivan with anything else.

kyfdx

breld said:

The other thing we noticed at Costco was the new 4K Ultra TVs all were running some demo video (you know, of Yellowstone, and helicopter rides, etc.), while the other TVs were running a TV signal. Of course, the "Ultra" TVs looked good with the manufactured content.

So yeah, we went with the cheapest, or perhaps second cheapest, model in each size we wanted.

All I know is Sunday Night Football looked great on the 80" last night!

They have to run the videos on the 4K unit, because they don't look any better with cable..

It is amazing what you can get for $599, though.. Samsung 48" 1080P LED 120hz SMART TV.
I have a 46" version of the same TV that I paid $800 for, just two years ago..

brian125

I find most TV's that are in 1080p all look great when you get them home and put them in HD. Ofcoarse if you compare them side by side in stores you see the resolution on some better than others. I have 2 Plasma Tv's and 1 Led . I would not waste my money on these fancy new addition TV's. I buy them after there out a couple of years. I'd rather spend the extra dough on my next new car.

I had minivans in the 80's and they were great haulers for the kids . My Dodge Caravan Crappy as it was with all the rattles and squeaks rode good and served its purpose. Vacation time was so much easier with a minivan getting around / going down the jersey shore, Myrtle beach etc . Drive a new Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna with all the nice amenities they offer is a family's dream today.

corvette

ab348 said:

I bought my first HDTV in 2005 and it was a bad mistake - a Sony rear-projection LCD (remember them? There were also DLP projection sets; those technologies had a very short lifespan). It had a design flaw which Sony did nothing to address for owners and was gone within 3 years.

My parents had one of those Sonys, which I briefly borrowed when I bought my first house. It also had a short lifespan. I think the light engine failed. I got a Mitsubishi DLP, which had a very common problem with the Texas Instruments DLP chip. They repaired it at a subsidized price and it's still alive and kicking. I think they've completely quit making them now.

rayainsw

' I'd rather spend the extra dough on my next new car. '
- Brian125
Words to live by...
= Ray
Still on a 46" Samsung from 5 years ago.

stickguy

I know what you mean about the minivan. I miss ours on occasion. We got a 55" LED a few years ago, and it slid right in the Odyssey with the middle jump seat out.

we also have one of those Sony's still. When we got it, the flat panels hadn't dropped in price yet. Heck, I think the Sony was close to 2K at the time? or maybe that was the panel. In any case, it was a lot cheaper.

stickguy

my new C&D issue came today. They had a short drive test on the new Sonata (a sport but, shockingly for them, it was the base 2.4 engine that I have). Pretty good review, and matched my impressions. Nice to see that they timed it at 7.9 0-60 (I know that Roadburner is laughing himself silly at that, but it is enough for me in this application! If I want to hotrod, I have the RDX>..). Even noted that it was on the fast side in the segment.

other than that, they commented on how quiet it is, and how the steering, ride and handling was nicely improved over the last generation. Which I agree with. They bemoaned somewhat the more conservative styling in and out, but I actually think that is another plus! and they got 27mpg overall, pretty good in their hands. And nice to see, they measured a very good braking distance.

graphicguy

ab348 said:

laurasdada said:

That's one of the reasons I bought a Samsung Plasma vs. LCD/LED. While Plasma appears to be the Betamax of HD TVs, I found it to be a much truer picture as well as handling motion with aplomb. And, it heats the place nicely!

I bought my first HDTV in 2005 and it was a bad mistake - a Sony rear-projection LCD (remember them? There were also DLP projection sets; those technologies had a very short lifespan). It had a design flaw which Sony did nothing to address for owners and was gone within 3 years. In 2008 I replaced it with a Panasonic plasma which I love, and which was not cheap. But plasmas have gone the way of the dodo bird now and there are very few left. In fact on the weekend I saw a flyer for a 50" Samsung plasma at a store just down the road - on sale for $399! I was tempted to buy it even if I am perfectly happy with my Panasonic, just to have one here when the Panny finally gives up.

Still tough to beat the picture quality of a good plasma. I have a Pioneer 60" Kuro Elite in our den. I paid a pretty penny for it. But, it still thows off a beautiful picture...as good as I've seen.

I nave a 65" Panasonic plasma in my home theater room that comes close, better in some ways, worse in others than my Pioneer.

I still don't see the pic improvement with the OLEDs over my plasmas. But, they don't make plamas anymore.

Sandman6472

Picking up the new baby tomorrow morning, went and did the paperwork with the wife after work today and I test drove our vehicle to check out the alignment. Then our sales guy paired the wife's cell, not necessary to do mine as of yet, and pre-set some Sirius stations for us, she won't be keeping it after the gratis 3 month special from what I am hearing now as she doesn't love it like I do. An absolutely amazing vehicle with so much tech it blows me away. By far the nicest vehicle we've ever owned and basically...I want one!!! We briefly talked about trading the Tucson out for the black on black one but then we came back to earth. But honestly, in a few years, and after I put away some more funds, I'm going to go shopping in the entry lux category like the wife...I really am in awe of this puppy and unlike her, I have no problem going with a cpo unit!!
Will recount the story of what went down on Saturday once the vehicle is in the garage but as of now, we own it! The clear door edge guards go on tomorrow morning and she's arranged for pick up at 11. We did add the prepaid maintenance for the first 50k miles because we think it's a major reason why the Mazda lasted so long for us and we felt the price was right for all one gets and this way, certain things are done with Audi parts and mechanics. The only thing it doesn't include is rotations which is very odd. But we felt it was money well spent and we will get everything we paid for. We are outrageously pleased right now!!! This vehicle is outstanding!!!

The Sandman

breld

If I recall from when I purchased my A5, Audi's prepaid maintenance is very reasonable and accurately reflects the costs you can expect to pay. As long as you plan on keeping the car over the prepaid term (which no doubt you will), it's a good way to go.

Sandman6472

Yes, a la carte would've been over double than what we paid and we will get the work done because we will keep it at least that long. Having the dealer less than 3 miles from our front door also helps, hell, we stay right in our development to get there! Really was a no-brainer to purchase from our local dealer but getting the other dealer down the road involved assured us of paying the price she wanted to pay and just knowing that they would match the lower price the other dealer offered just to move another unit this holiday weekend. They caved like I knew they would within minutes and since they had the color combo she wanted, my gamble paid off!!!

The Sandman

nyccarguy

It seems the distance to empty is catching on to my driving habits. Tonight I filled up at Costco ($2.899/gal RUG). The Legacy took 16.2 out of a possible 18.5 gallons of gas. The DTE said 50. After driving 395.6 miles last week, I averaged just 24.4 mpg. Technically if I would ave driven another 48 miles (depending on conditions), the tank would ave been close to empty (not going to try THAT again).

My lower gas mileage figures this week are due to some excessive idling in the AM, and a little more "in town" driving than usual, plus some nasty holiday traffic.

stever

@sandman_6472, please post a pic or three.

I'm in LA for a couple of days and it seemed like every other car was an Audi on the cab ride from the airport. Hard to tell models, since the cabbie was going between 75 and 80 most of the way. In a 2010 Prius. One of the four ringers appeared to be an A7 judging by the retractable spoiler.

Michaell

@stever - enjoy CA

@sandman_6472‌ - congrats on the new car for the wife

@breld - congrats on the new TV(s)

quiet weekend here .. spent T-day in Cheyenne. Hadn't made the drive in a few years and it felt a lot longer than it used to be. Encountered traffic on the way home so jumped off the interstate and took a US highway (85) instead.

Spent the weekend at our favorite B&B about an hour from home - was good to unplug and relax.

Only car related issue (sort of) is that I have to renew my driver's license before my birthday next Monday. For the first time in 20 years, I have to go down to the office for the renewal.

ab348

Michaell said:

@stever - enjoy CA
Only car related issue (sort of) is that I have to renew my driver's license before my birthday next Monday. For the first time in 20 years, I have to go down to the office for the renewal.

Here, a license is good for 5 years but every renewal requires a visit to the office so they can take a new picture. I assume Colorado doesn't have pictures on the license?

Michaell

ab348 said:

Michaell said:

@stever - enjoy CA
Only car related issue (sort of) is that I have to renew my driver's license before my birthday next Monday. For the first time in 20 years, I have to go down to the office for the renewal.

Here, a license is good for 5 years but every renewal requires a visit to the office so they can take a new picture. I assume Colorado doesn't have pictures on the license?

We do have pictures on our licenses - mine is quite out of date, as you can imagine.

Oh, on another note, the MINI is back in our possession. We dropped it off last Monday (11/24) for the hail damage repair. Apparently, MINI bonnets (hoods) are as scarce as hen's teeth. The body shop has been trying for some time to source a replacement hood. They've had two shipped to them, but both were damaged in transit (they are made from aluminum). We were told it would take 2-3 weeks to get another one in, so there isn't any reason for them to keep the car if they aren't going to work on it.

laurasdada

I spent a lot of time studying the pix, side by side, of the (top of the line) Samsung Plasma vs. the LED. Figuring I'll have it for many years, I decided the extra $ for the plasma picture was worth it. I'm also paying for a bunch of apps and stuff I haven't used yet.

Congrats on the new wheels, Sandy!

I'll be in LA middle of the month, always fun car watching. Peterson is closed for renovations, otherwise I'd spend some time there. Although my last visit, we did do the basement/vault tour. Too cool. I think I'm going to a taping of "Myth Busters!" Maybe I'll visit one of the "Million Dollar Listing LA" realtors and ask what they have for a couple hundred grand...

qbrozen

ab348 said:

I bought my first HDTV in 2005 and it was a bad mistake - a Sony rear-projection LCD (remember them? There were also DLP projection sets; those technologies had a very short lifespan). It had a design flaw which Sony did nothing to address for owners and was gone within 3 years. In 2008 I replaced it with a Panasonic plasma which I love, and which was not cheap. But plasmas have gone the way of the dodo bird now and there are very few left. In fact on the weekend I saw a flyer for a 50" Samsung plasma at a store just down the road - on sale for $399! I was tempted to buy it even if I am perfectly happy with my Panasonic, just to have one here when the Panny finally gives up.

The Sony DLP is the one I have now that my father gave me. He had the bulbs replaced under his extended warranty. He told me its an easy job and they are pretty inexpensive to buy online if I ever need to do it again. Although, with the cost of an equivalent LCD, I can't imagine ever bothering.

slorenzen

"and ask what they have for a couple hundred grand... "

BWAHAAHAAHAAHAA...

That'll give 'em a smile...

stickguy

It is an easy swap out. Last time I bought online it was $79 or so. Maybe just over $100 at the tv store?

corvette

I had a bad experience with an off-brand DLP bulb. Warranty was 6 months, it lasted about 8. Bought a name brand for not much more than the generic and it's lasted years!

Sandy, is the A3 a 2014 or 2015? I need to update our list. 

Mr_Shiftright

Samsung Smart TVs aren't that smart. Diligent research required.

kyfdx said:

breld said:

The other thing we noticed at Costco was the new 4K Ultra TVs all were running some demo video (you know, of Yellowstone, and helicopter rides, etc.), while the other TVs were running a TV signal. Of course, the "Ultra" TVs looked good with the manufactured content.

So yeah, we went with the cheapest, or perhaps second cheapest, model in each size we wanted.

All I know is Sunday Night Football looked great on the 80" last night!

They have to run the videos on the 4K unit, because they don't look any better with cable..

It is amazing what you can get for $599, though.. Samsung 48" 1080P LED 120hz SMART TV.
I have a 46" version of the same TV that I paid $800 for, just two years ago..

henryn

I have a Mitsibushi 60 inch DLP television, several years old now. I had to replace the bulb this last year. If you buy the “bulb assembly” instead of the bare bulb, it requires two phillips head screws and takes about 90 seconds (after you get clear access to the rear of the TV).

The off-brand bulbs (bulb assembly, complete) run about $35 on Ebay and Amazon. I was able to get an actual Mitsibushi replacement part for under $80 shipping included.

The picture quality on this unit is very nice. I expect if I compared it side by side with one of the newer fancier models that I could tell the difference, but for now this one does me just fine. The next time the bulb goes out ( 2 to 4 years), I may just upgrade, but not right now.

ab348

qbrozen said:

The Sony DLP is the one I have now that my father gave me. He had the bulbs replaced under his extended warranty. He told me its an easy job and they are pretty inexpensive to buy online if I ever need to do it again. Although, with the cost of an equivalent LCD, I can't imagine ever bothering.

The problem with my Sony wasn't the bulb. I did replace that not long before I got rid of it. The original bulb had not blown but was noticeably dimmer over time. Replacement was easy enough.

The problem with those sets was twofold. First, they used a series of mirrors to expand the projected LCD picture and let you see it on-screen. Those parts seemed to get dirty/cloudy over time. Even though they were apparently sealed behind filters I guess air needed to move past them to keep the bulb cool. Over time the filters failed to pick things up and so they got a deposit on them. On my set that meant that you would see the shadows of the standard-def sidebars when you were watching a HD program. Secondly (and this was the big problem) the "light engine" failed, and you would get a kaleidoscopic effect on part of the screen. This was what Sony needed to step up for, and in some cases they did, while in others they did not.

Sandman6472

Yes, it is a 2015 Audi A3 with the Premium designation. Wife picked it up this morning and loves it, not sure I'll be allowed to drive it for a bit which is cool, her baby. It's Glacier White over black leather and really does look nice and glad we didn't do the black over black which by the way, is still at the other dealership...saw it at work today. So let me tell what happened.
As of Saturday morning, the email said their lowest was $28.5 plus our vehicle...bottom line. Wife decided to call the Audi store in Pembroke Pines and talks to a sales guy. Tells me they have a black over black, same equipment but if we buy it today, they'll do the same deal but for $28k plus her Mazda. So we decide to drive down just to see what it looks like and possibly get me behind the wheel. Get there and they are super busy, he's dealing with another customer but gives us the keys to peek inside and look it over. He says now $28k plus whatever their appraiser says which is not what he said an hour ago. I am pissed!!!

To be continued...

The Sandman

slorenzen

My 61" Samsung DLP just experienced the dreaded white dot failure(when the individual mirrors on the DLP chip start to fail).

Convinced Samsung to replace the chip, even though well out of warranty, since the issue was identical to models covered by a class action lawsuit.

The light engine is LED, with a half-life of 60,000 hours.

I'll be dead by then...

Mr_Shiftright

If car dealers sold you a vehicle with the same lack of information as TV makers sell you TVs, you'd never get off the dealer's lot.

E.G.

Me: "I can't turn on the radio in my new $65,000 Tahoe"

Tech Support: Did you try connecting and disconnecting the battery?

Me: Yes

TS: Try slamming the door 5 times

Me: didn't work

TS: did you say a Suburban?

Me: No, Tahoe

TS: OH, okay. Did you press the "Radio On" button that is located behind the glovebox, inside a little box marked Zapnoid Swizzle?

Mr: Okay that worked. It's not in the manual. Not a very user friendly device you got there.

TS: Oh, yeah, we forgot. We posted it on our website, under "other", next to the software update.

Me: What software update?

and on and on and on..............

stevedebi

slorenzen said:

My 61" Samsung DLP just experienced the dreaded white dot failure(when the individual mirrors on the DLP chip start to fail).

Convinced Samsung to replace the chip, even though well out of warranty, since the issue was identical to models covered by a class action lawsuit.

The light engine is LED, with a half-life of 60,000 hours.

I'll be dead by then...

I've got a Samsung that has some strange white specks that have begun appearing. They are in random places, and seem to be on the projection screen behind the plastic front - almost as if that screen is decaying piecemeal. I opened the side and it looks to me like there are holes in the screen. Annoying, but they don't really bother anything.

Do you think this is the same as the "dot" problem?

This DLP is 7 years old, and up to now has been great.

Sandman6472

Grab the wife and say hey, which color do you really want since both are nice but she really wants the white over black. Grab my cell and call our guy at the Audi store next to our house. Tell him we're down at your closest competition in Pembroke Pines and they have an identical unit just it's black over black...say the wife likes it but prefers your car and I say I prefer to do my business local but I'll buy here and she'll learn to love the black over black. Said you do the deal at $28k plus ours and we'll leave right now and come up and put a deposit on your white one that's still in transit. He says hold on, hear him talk to his manager and then he comes back on and says..."you got a deal"! Say great and we'll be in within a couple of hours since we all have to eat. Since the black on black was a "today you buy and drive off with it" deal, walk in and tell the guy we're just not ready to buy right now and we want to think about it. His mouth drops open but I thank him for his time and off we go. I hate ultimatums and run the other way and the kicker is his vehicle was still on his lot this morning.
Bottom line, she loves it and we're still trying to figure all the tech out. Got our price on something she never even knew about until I said jokingly to go try it...never ever did I think she'd actually buy one!
Only bad thing is now, I want one! I actually am tossing around the idea of trading out early into something more lux...now how crazy is that. And I haven't even driven her vehicle more than around the parking lot last night! Right now, I want her to have her fun and in time, I will drive it. They've even decided to take the Accent on their road trip at the end of the month since they don't want to drive it into the parks and backwoods places their going.

The Sandman

stickguy

backwoods? Sounds like you need an SUV for that. So only solution, let them take your Tuscan, and you use the A3 for the weekend.

a win win for sure.

fintail

Congrats, Sandy. A3 is a nice looking car, and you picked the right color. Nice to see your wife live a little and get something to enjoy, too.

Sandman6472

Now I know a little bit about what you guys feel like having these lux vehicles, there's something a little extra, something I can't put into words exactly but these vehicles are a step above anything we've ever owned. So much tech to learn but how fun is that! Puts a big grin on your face the minute you open the garage and see your vehicle and think, hey, we own this! Such a rush and now I want it also so the plan is to just do some test drives the next few weeks and see what's out there and how much I could get on the Tucson just in case. Still have that urge for the Lexus hybrid I coveted last year even though I couldn't do new. CPO in these lux vehicles can be almost as good as new and as good as the Tucson is, I think I want the next level now actually, crazy as that must sound. Even the wife knows that this little ute isn't something I plan to keep for a long time. Read that the new smaller Honda ute is due out real soon and it's a looker and just the right size...and not as cramped as the CT200h.

The Sandman

breld

Sandy - maybe I missed it, but did you get the 1.8T FWD or the 2.0T AWD? Here in CO, I think it's hard to find a FWD model, but I imagine they're more accessible in FL.

By the way, you're not gonna find too many folks here who think it's "crazy" to upgrade your Tuscon to a nicer vehicle - certainly not me!

oldbearcat

Sandman:
I know exactly how you feel. Felt the same way when I swapped our Dodge Intrepid for a new Jaguar X Type back in 03. Wife and I bought it from a dealer about 200 miles from home, and, driving it home - we were both grinning. Wife drove about half way back, and, keep creeping the speedo up to 100 on the interstate.

Regards:
Oldengineer

nyccarguy

@Mr_Shiftright‌

What is your take on the <996 Turbo>http://jalopnik.com/here-s-why-the-996-turbo-is-the-best-porsche-911-you-ca-1665776219?

Any truth to "Well, here's the good news: that problem can affect virtually every 996 model except the Turbo. It affected the naturally-aspirated cars, the Carrera 4S models, the anniversary editions, and even the Boxsters of the same era. But the 996 Turbo used a different engine design, free from IMS faults, free from any issues,"

Paging @roadburner‌
I'm sure you could fix the "slight under steering woes" of the AWD 996 Turbo and thoroughly enjoy yourself. But do you want to spend the $?

henryn

sandman_6472 said:

He says now $28k plus whatever their appraiser says which is not what he said an hour ago. I am pissed!!!

The Sandman

Never, ever assume you have a deal, or even a solid offer, if you are including a trade and their appraiser has not yet seen your trade. Never.

jayrider

Never, ever assume you have a deal, or even a solid offer, if you are including a trade and their appraiser has not yet seen your trade. Never.

True dat.

slorenzen

stevedebi said:

slorenzen said:

My 61" Samsung DLP just experienced the dreaded white dot failure(when the individual mirrors on the DLP chip start to fail).

Convinced Samsung to replace the chip, even though well out of warranty, since the issue was identical to models covered by a class action lawsuit.

The light engine is LED, with a half-life of 60,000 hours.

I'll be dead by then...

I've got a Samsung that has some strange white specks that have begun appearing. They are in random places, and seem to be on the projection screen behind the plastic front - almost as if that screen is decaying piecemeal. I opened the side and it looks to me like there are holes in the screen. Annoying, but they don't really bother anything.

Do you think this is the same as the "dot" problem?

This DLP is 7 years old, and up to now has been great.

You are experiencing the same thing I just did. Mine was bought in spring 2008, so 6.5 years old. These white dots are mirrors on the DLP chip that get stuck open, creating a white dot. They often will "twinkle" when failing, then stay white.

Google "Samsung DLP white dots".

There are LOTS of hits.

I called Samsung repair, and they of course told me my set was out of warranty and not covered by the class action lawsuit(all true, BTW).

I was polite, yet firm, explaining to them that even though my model was not included in the recall, I was experiencing the IDENTICAL issue, telling me the chip defect was not resolved when my set was built.

I ended up talking to ECR(executive customer repair), and they ultimately agreed to pay for the part, but I had to pay labor, which was MORE than the part cost.

If you are handy with chipset replacement, there are videos on YouTube showing how to do it, and you can buy the chip for about $180.

If mine fails again, I will replace myself. It didn't look that difficult.

Best of luck!

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

@Mr_Shiftright‌

What is your take on the <996 Turbo>http://jalopnik.com/here-s-why-the-996-turbo-is-the-best-porsche-911-you-ca-1665776219?

Any truth to "Well, here's the good news: that problem can affect virtually every 996 model except the Turbo. It affected the naturally-aspirated cars, the Carrera 4S models, the anniversary editions, and even the Boxsters of the same era. But the 996 Turbo used a different engine design, free from IMS faults, free from any issues,"

Paging @roadburner‌
I'm sure you could fix the "slight under steering woes" of the AWD 996 Turbo and thoroughly enjoy yourself. But do you want to spend the $?

Nothhing wrong with a Turbo 911 or C4S- I just prefer RWD. And I like the Cayman S a lot more.

Mr_Shiftright

They are correct---the 996 Turbo uses the 993 air-cooled engine but water-cools it. Porsche also uses (or used) the 993 block for racing, not the 996 block---so THAT should tell you something about Porche's confidence in the 996.

The IMS bearing debacle is really a black mark on Porsche, and they never owned up to it, except under warranty.

It's gotten so bad that now owners and dealers are affixing an IMS modification badge right to the door jamb of their cars, so that they can sell them without scaring away knowledgable buyers.

Porsche cheaped out on the 996, with the engine and interior fitments. Later on in the model run they corrected some of this.

I'm not a big fan of AWD in a Porsche 996---if you are a spirited driver, you'll find the car "pushes" a lot in turns---nothing the average driver would notice, but the weight and complexity of AWD in a normally-aspirated 996 with the IMS bugaboo----it's not that wise a choice for most people. Maybe if you lived in the Bavarian Alps....?

nyccarguy said:

@Mr_Shiftright‌

What is your take on the <996 Turbo>http://jalopnik.com/here-s-why-the-996-turbo-is-the-best-porsche-911-you-ca-1665776219?

Any truth to "Well, here's the good news: that problem can affect virtually every 996 model except the Turbo. It affected the naturally-aspirated cars, the Carrera 4S models, the anniversary editions, and even the Boxsters of the same era. But the 996 Turbo used a different engine design, free from IMS faults, free from any issues,"

Paging @roadburner‌
I'm sure you could fix the "slight under steering woes" of the AWD 996 Turbo and thoroughly enjoy yourself. But do you want to spend the $?

Sandman6472

She got the 1.8T FWD and loves it...I still have not driven it except in the parking lot to test the alignment but I can wait. But I did go test drive another vehicle today. Passed my Hyundai store and see a Lexus 200CTh on their lot ramp and go back for a peek, actually made a u-turn to go back. Turns out it's a 2014 with 9300 on the clock in a white pearlized color. Walk inside to see my sales lady but she's not in yet so ask some other guy the price. Internet price is $30k he says, turns out it's $30100 but close enough. Do my errands and meet my sales lady there for a drive. This time, it's not as confining as I remember and even though it's not super fast off the line, it can move. At this point, I'm intrigued and text Mrs. Sandman who basically ignores it, which I knew she would. We sit down and talk numbers and they say it's $35k. I said, please, check online and you'll see it's $30100 but I said I was quoted $30k. She comes back with an offer of $15.8k on my Tucson with 15,560 on the clock. I am not happy and get up to go!!!

The Sandman

Sandman6472

We "negotiate" as she calls it and she comes up and final price is my car and $13k plus taxes and license. Get my keys and say sorry, was thinking more like my car and $12k otd. It's not even cpo'd because it's a Hyundai store. Go online and the local Lexus place has a few, both 2014 and 2013 models, some with more mileage...some with less for in the low to upper 20's number and they are all cpo units. So, tomorrow will go over there and test a few of them and go from there. Not sure what to do here since I've always dreamed of owning one and they drive nicely for a hybrid, love the mileage figures and could live with one of these puppies. But, besides the looks of the Tucson, it does everything right and moves when I hit the accelerator with authority...would love to flip it but just not sure. And not sure how the wife would take it, buying so soon after doing it just 369 days ago. but if I could get one of the other ones I saw for my ride and $10k to $12k otd, think I'd do it!
They have a dark red over tan, a pearlized off white over black and another one in a lighter color combo...all of these I could live with to be honest. But to do this again, just not sure...I love the mileage numbers to be sure and know that I could live with it for a long time and I'll never get more for the Tucson than I would right now. And thinking if I wait another week or two and some of them are still available, might be the right thing to do.
Someone, please talk me out of this!!!

The Sandman