Circuit City ESA Brandname a problem if repair ever needed?

[jeff]

The TV I'm interested in buying (as a 2nd TV...not the main one) is an
inexpensive Sylvania 20" flat screen CRT TV. I happened to notice that what
appears to be the exact same TV is available at Circuit City under their ESA
brand name for $20 less (due to rebate). It likely is the same exact TV as
the Sylvania, but is labeled differently for Circuit City.

I'm just wondering if I ever needed to get this repaired after the warranty
expired, would the ESA brand name be a problem in terms of finding someone
willing to fix it?

On the other hand, the TV only costs $120 to $140, so maybe it's not even
worth worrying about whether or not it could be repaired, but I believe at
least one place in my area offers free estimates on repairs.

Is the ESA brandname a problem if it should ever need repair?

Thanks,

J.

 

[Art]

The ESA Line is built and back by Funai Corporation, they are supplying both
Service Literature and Parts for these sets. BTW Funai also makes Sylvania.

 

[RonKZ650]

The ESA Line is built and back by Funai Corporation, they are supplying both

Service Literature and Parts for these sets. BTW Funai also makes Sylvania.

And the big problem is Funai has no support for these names. Buy an ESA, you
have to go through Circuit City for parts or manuals, Sylvania you have to go
through Sears for parts or manuals. Call Funai and ask to get any parts for
these brands and they will just refer you to Sears or Circuit City.
Let me guarantee you it is *no fun* to attempt to order parts through these
companies.
Ron

 

[NSM]

| >The ESA Line is built and back by Funai Corporation, they are supplying
both
| >Service Literature and Parts for these sets. BTW Funai also makes
Sylvania.
|
| And the big problem is Funai has no support for these names. Buy an ESA,
you
| have to go through Circuit City for parts or manuals, Sylvania you have to
go
| through Sears for parts or manuals. Call Funai and ask to get any parts
for
| these brands and they will just refer you to Sears or Circuit City.
| Let me guarantee you it is *no fun* to attempt to order parts through
these
| companies.
| Ron

I have an old Funai brand breadmaker with a lost paddle. Try finding a
source for those!

N

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

I've gotten Sylvania parts from Funai no problem.

Mark Z.

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

P.S.

Some really cheap DVD players and combos don't have parts availability, for
these I've gotten referrals from some of these companies, which means "buy a
new one". The parts I've gotten from them were for the bigger 27" tv/vcr/dvd
combos.

Mark Z.

 

[RonKZ650]

I've gotten Sylvania parts from Funai no problem.
I just emailed them last week for Syvania parts, got the very polite reply
"Sears model, go to Sears", damn idiots there are lucky to have the sense to
answer a phone. let alone supply parts. "Wemote contwol? There as no list for
that pawt" ARRGG.
Ron
Ron

 

[jeff]

Sears happened to have a sale on the Sylvania 20" flat screens for $99 so I
bought it today. I guess, for that price, if should ever break out of
warranty I could always simply get another inexpensive TV instead of
repairing it.

Maybe I'm being very picky, but even though the TV is supposed to be a flat
screen, to me, it seems like the actual screen of the CRT tube itself,
inside the TV, may be very slightly curved, (not truly flat) and they
compensated for it by adjusting the picture geometry. Granted it could just
my imagination or perhaps I'm being very nit-picky. Can't complain at all
for $99 though.

By the way, is there any way I can adjust the picture geometry, etc. myself?
In other words, is there a special key combination when powering up the unit
that would allow me access to special extra setup commands, etc.

Thanks,

J.

 

[john]

By the way, is there any way I can adjust the picture
What do you want for $99 perfect geometry ? Its not going to be.


kip

 

[Andy Cuffe]

Maybe I'm being very picky, but even though the TV is supposed to be a flat
screen, to me, it seems like the actual screen of the CRT tube itself,
inside the TV, may be very slightly curved,

It's very common for cheaper TVs to have a CRT like this. It's
basically just a standard CRT with extra glass to make the outside
flat. The thicker glass makes the picture look worse and the set
heavier, but people want flat screens... Even CRTs that appear
totally flat are actually slightly curved on the inside.

Andy Cuffe
[email protected]

 

[Asimov]

"Andy Cuffe" bravely wrote to "All" (14 Dec 04 12:43:38)
--- on the heady topic of "Re: Bought Sylvania 20" flat screen (???almost flat???) for $99"

AC> From: Andy Cuffe <[email protected]>

Maybe I'm being very picky, but even though the TV is supposed to be a flat
screen, to me, it seems like the actual screen of the CRT tube itself,
inside the TV, may be very slightly curved,

AC> It's very common for cheaper TVs to have a CRT like this. It's
AC> basically just a standard CRT with extra glass to make the outside
AC> flat. The thicker glass makes the picture look worse and the set
AC> heavier, but people want flat screens... Even CRTs that appear
AC> totally flat are actually slightly curved on the inside.


Andy, how is the colour affected by the extra time the beam has to
travel at the edges compared to the center? Is there a compensation
for this and does it even need to be corrected for?

A*s*i*m*o*v

.... Is reactance then illusory? No, it just appears that way...

 

[jeff]

<<It's very common for cheaper TVs to have a CRT like this. It's
basically just a standard CRT with extra glass to make the outside
flat. The thicker glass makes the picture look worse and the set
heavier, but people want flat screens... Even CRTs that appear
totally flat are actually slightly curved on the inside.

Andy Cuffe >>

Thanks for the reply. This isn't a standard CRT. It certainly is flatter
than a standard CRT, but it's just that it appears to be curved slightly on
the inside and have subtle imperfections in the shape. I guess for $99
(regularly $139) I should not be complaining.

By the way, how long can I reasonably expect this TV to last, that is, how
many thousand hours is the expected lifespan of an inexpensive flat-screen
CRT TV manufactured by Funai?

Thanks,

J.

 

[James Sweet]

Thanks for the reply. This isn't a standard CRT. It certainly is flatter
than a standard CRT, but it's just that it appears to be curved slightly on
the inside and have subtle imperfections in the shape. I guess for $99
(regularly $139) I should not be complaining.

By the way, how long can I reasonably expect this TV to last, that is, how
many thousand hours is the expected lifespan of an inexpensive flat-screen
CRT TV manufactured by Funai?

Funai? Those are about the bottom of the barrel, I would say 2-3 years of
moderate to heavy use. You might get lucky and have it last a decade but I
certainly wouldn't expect it. Probably 20% chance it'll fail within the
first year.

 

[jeff]

<<Funai? Those are about the bottom of the barrel, I would say 2-3 years of
moderate to heavy use. You might get lucky and have it last a decade but I
certainly wouldn't expect it. Probably 20% chance it'll fail within the
first year.>>

Ok, hopefully I'll luck out.

Question: I have an old Emerson (made in 1988, and made in Taiwan). The
model number is ECR1350. It's a 13 inch TV that has been used a lot in the
past and is used only lightly now. It is 16 years old. Was this one really
made by Funai?

J.

 

[James Sweet]

<<Funai? Those are about the bottom of the barrel, I would say 2-3 years of
moderate to heavy use. You might get lucky and have it last a decade but I
certainly wouldn't expect it. Probably 20% chance it'll fail within the
first year.>>

Ok, hopefully I'll luck out.

Question: I have an old Emerson (made in 1988, and made in Taiwan). The
model number is ECR1350. It's a 13 inch TV that has been used a lot in the
past and is used only lightly now. It is 16 years old. Was this one really
made by Funai?

J.

Dunno, Emerson is very low end as well, but I had one that was still working
when I gave it away probably 15 years after I got it. Sometimes you get
lucky. TV's don't fall apart as quickly as cheap VCR's at least.

 

[James Sweet]

"Andy Cuffe" bravely wrote to "All" (14 Dec 04 12:43:38)
--- on the heady topic of "Re: Bought Sylvania 20" flat screen (???almost
flat???) for $99"

AC> From: Andy Cuffe <[email protected]>

Maybe I'm being very picky, but even though the TV is supposed to be a flat
screen, to me, it seems like the actual screen of the CRT tube itself,
inside the TV, may be very slightly curved,

AC> It's very common for cheaper TVs to have a CRT like this. It's
AC> basically just a standard CRT with extra glass to make the outside
AC> flat. The thicker glass makes the picture look worse and the set
AC> heavier, but people want flat screens... Even CRTs that appear
AC> totally flat are actually slightly curved on the inside.

Andy, how is the colour affected by the extra time the beam has to
travel at the edges compared to the center? Is there a compensation
for this and does it even need to be corrected for?

Why would the color be affected? The beam sweeps across the screen at a
constant rate, the distance makes no difference, we're talking about
something with effectively zero mass travelling at very high speed, a few cm
will have no effect.

 

[RonKZ650]

Question: I have an old Emerson (made in 1988, and made in Taiwan). The

model number is ECR1350. It's a 13 inch TV that has been used a lot in the
past and is used only lightly now. It is 16 years old. Was this one really
made by Funai?

Emerson built their own sets back then. Some were pretty decent really. Only
recently has Funai taken over making most the low end sets.

 

[Asimov]

"James Sweet" bravely wrote to "All" (15 Dec 04 00:06:07)
--- on the heady topic of "Re: Bought Sylvania 20" flat screen (???almost
flat???) for $99"

JS> From: "James Sweet" <[email protected]>

JS> "Andy Cuffe" bravely wrote to "All" (14 Dec 04 12:43:38)
JS> --- on the heady topic of "Re: Bought Sylvania 20" flat screen
JS> (???almost flat???) for $99"
AC> It's very common for cheaper TVs to have a CRT like this. It's
AC> basically just a standard CRT with extra glass to make the outside
AC> flat. The thicker glass makes the picture look worse and the set
AC> heavier, but people want flat screens... Even CRTs that appear
AC> totally flat are actually slightly curved on the inside.

Andy, how is the colour affected by the extra time the beam has to
travel at the edges compared to the center? Is there a compensation
for this and does it even need to be corrected for?

JS> Why would the color be affected? The beam sweeps across the screen at
JS> a constant rate, the distance makes no difference, we're talking about
JS> something with effectively zero mass travelling at very high speed, a
JS> few cm will have no effect.

I calculate (from speed of light delay aprox 9ns/ft) that there is a
phase shift of about 1 degree of 3.58MHz for a 1 inch difference.
Forgive me, I don't know what I was thinking, the guns are only
intensity modulated from the phase difference in the subcarrier & not
at the crt. Okay, I answered my own question. Thanks, James & Andy!
As the late Gilda Radner would say, "Never mind!"

A*s*i*m*o*v

.... This message transmitted on 100% recycled photons.

 

[RMD]

Jeff,

According to "Choice", who collect figures on failure rates of various
appliances, there is usually hardly any difference in the failure
rates for cheaper versus dearer items. Typically 98% of dearer items
may be trouble free in the first year versus 96-7% for cheaper items.
Since the price differential may be huge, you would often be better
buying two of the cheap ones!

I've bought many cheaper items over a lot of years, since I mostly buy
pretty much on price. Nearly all these things have worked fine for
many, many years.

As for the alleged 20% failure rate in the first year of use for cheap
stuff posited by another poster? Fantasy. People have to give one year
warranties these days, and they just won't stock things that are big
trouble for them re returns.

Ross

<<It's very common for cheaper TVs to have a CRT like this. It's
basically just a standard CRT with extra glass to make the outside
flat. The thicker glass makes the picture look worse and the set
heavier, but people want flat screens... Even CRTs that appear
totally flat are actually slightly curved on the inside.

Andy Cuffe >>

Thanks for the reply. This isn't a standard CRT. It certainly is flatter
than a standard CRT, but it's just that it appears to be curved slightly on
the inside and have subtle imperfections in the shape. I guess for $99
(regularly $139) I should not be complaining.

By the way, how long can I reasonably expect this TV to last, that is, how
many thousand hours is the expected lifespan of an inexpensive flat-screen
CRT TV manufactured by Funai?

Thanks,

J.

(To get email address ROT 13)
[email protected]

 

[hemyd]

Sears happened to have a sale on the Sylvania 20" flat screens for $99 so I
bought it today. I guess, for that price, if should ever break out of
warranty I could always simply get another inexpensive TV instead of
repairing it.

Maybe I'm being very picky, but even though the TV is supposed to be a flat
screen, to me, it seems like the actual screen of the CRT tube itself,
inside the TV, may be very slightly curved, (not truly flat) and they
compensated for it by adjusting the picture geometry. Granted it could just
my imagination or perhaps I'm being very nit-picky. Can't complain at all
for $99 though.

By the way, is there any way I can adjust the picture geometry, etc. myself?
In other words, is there a special key combination when powering up the unit
that would allow me access to special extra setup commands, etc.

Thanks,

J.

Melbourne, Australia - couple of months ago I bought a 21" "Sonwa" - Chinese
brand X - dead flat screen, stereo sound, s-video input. Perfect picture.
Bought it for $199, but now being sold for $150. That's $150 Australian.
That's probably less than $100 US.

Good for consumers, but bad for workers in the electronic and computer
industries. I would say it is also bad for our economies...

Henry.