Posted: 12/17/2002 12:56:06 PM EDT
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Hey guys, I am in process of building a home entertainment system. I have already purchased the video (a projection TV). But I have some questions. 1) Is there a forum for this stuff I can get indepth expert advice? Sorta like an AR15.com for home entertainment equipment? 2) When I bought the TV they tried to sell me an extended warranty for like $440. Now, they said if I don't use it I get half back after 5 years. Sure. Like I'd remember to ask. In any case, should I have done this? 3) They tried to sell me a power filter (Monster brand) for like $450. Wassup? Power isn't gonna be that much different going through that thing than it is out of the wall. Thanks guys. |
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Quoted: Hey guys, I am in process of building a home entertainment system. I have already purchased the video (a projection TV). But I have some questions. 1) Is there a forum for this stuff I can get indepth expert advice? Sorta like an AR15.com for home entertainment equipment? 2) When I bought the TV they tried to sell me an extended warranty for like $440. Now, they said if I don't use it I get half back after 5 years. Sure. Like I'd remember to ask. In any case, should I have done this? 3) They tried to sell me a power filter (Monster brand) for like $450. Wassup? Power isn't gonna be that much different going through that thing than it is out of the wall. Thanks guys. 1) Don't know, never looked. 2) Usually these are a waste. I've never had the need to use one even if I had bought it or what just died I was thinking of replacing anyway. 3) Unless you're an audiophile/videophile, don't bother with the power filter. But what it will do for you is literally clean the power coming in. I don't know the unit you speak of, but most things like that will condition your AC so it's "clean." Meaning you get a nice crisp sine wave with most of the RF and other 'leakage' that can get into the power lines. Also it will keep (or should depending on the model) your power at a constant 112 or 110 however it's set. AC usually doesn't stay at a solid 110. It fluctuates based on supply vs demand. You never notice it because you don't have anything that sensitive to the changes. Now, what will this do for the AV system? Clean up lines in the video or even ghosting depending on your input source and also will lower your noise floor on audio. Meaning less hiss and background noise from the amp since it has cleaner power. HTH |
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1) I'm into the home theater stuff. The two best forums I know of are www.hometheaterforum.com and www.avsforum.com . There's guys on both sites who really know their stuff. 2) I usually turn down the extended warranty things. They wouldn't offer it to you if the odds were in your favor. -Mike... |
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450? Go out and buy a good UPS, that will work just as well and it'll cost less. You also might want to post this in Urban Commandos, too. 3) They tried to sell me a power filter (Monster brand) for like $450. Wassup? Power isn't gonna be that much different going through that thing than it is out of the wall. Thanks guys. |
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Which Brand / model? Where'd you buy it from? Never, ever, buy an extended warranty. They are 100% profit for the store. Breakdowns in equipment occur in cycles - from 0 to 1 years, you have manufacturer defects, which are covered. From 0 - 5 years, you have an ULTRA low failure rate, and from 5 + you start increasing. The extended warranties only cover the lul period between manufacturer defects and the planned failure point. |
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Unless it is free, I would say NO to any kind of extended warranty. A sales person makes more $ through warranty sales than his/her commission. NO to those Placebo line conditioners. I have a $600 Power Wedge that I purchased 10 years ago, and I could NOT detect any tangible difference between that and a $29 APC power strip. Same principle apply to those phony baloney cablings, whether inter-connect or speaker wire. Don't waste you money on those snake oil.! |
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I agree with getting a UPS for line conditioning... The filtering is mainly important for getting rid of ground loop hum and other nasties. If you get good equipment, it should not have a problem. You should still get a power conditioner for surges and sags though, just not a $450 one.. |