not sure as to what happened to your tv glad it seems to be taking care of

will say one thing if you play video games on a plasma be careful dont let the screen stay on pause turn off tv if u pause the game for extended time or it will etch into your plasma, that goes for videos or dvds also

I am so absolutely fascinated by this whole discussion on TVs. Let me explain why.

My friend's husband paid $1000 for a new 32 inch High Definition TV for her bedroom last week.

She calls me up all upset and says "Melody, all I want to do is turn on the tv, is that so much to ask". Now this friend is what we call techno challenged, so after I stopped laughing, I took her seriously and said "what do you mean you can't turn on the TV?"

She said 'we just got the Optima package (tv, internet and phone), so I said 'oh, then that must be it, something is not configured".

She said: "Well, the guys came this morning, did something, it worked for a while, but now I can't turn on the tv" I then said "walk over to the tv and manually turn it on". She did and said "nothing is happening".

I said 'NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN YOU MANUALLY TURN ON A TV??? DO YOU HAVE THE CABLE BOX TURNED ON?"

She said 'yes, everything is plugged in, but the tv won't turn on".

Well, I just sat there dumbfounded because her husband was in the background telling her "you don't know how to operate the remote, you did this, blah blah blah, and he's yelling at her.

So he took the remote and did something (actually he pressed two buttons on the remote simultanously), and VOILA!!!! the tv turned on.

I just sat back thinking, "wait a minute, how come the thing didn't turn on when she walked over to it and manually pushed the power button", I mean, has technology completely taken over our lives that we can't manually turn on a tv??

So the tv was finally turned on. She tells me on the phone "I'm afraid to turn it off". I started laughing so hard I fell off my computer chair. I had to get a box of tissues. You have to picture this scenario. My friend is looking at her brand new $1000 tv and she's afraid to turn it off.

So finally, she had to go to bed, and she ultimately turns it off.

The next day she calls me in tears saying "Melody, all I want is a tv, it won't turn on". (He's yelling in the background blaming her yet again). And she's going: "what do I want in life, am I asking for much??? I just want to watch lifetime". I got hysterical.

I told her 'it could be the cable box, can you just get a little portable tv and just plug this in and see if you get a picture". she goes. " Are you serious, he's yelling at me, all we have in this house is huge tvs." So of course I get hysterical again, and she goes: "Melody, all I want is to watch Lifetime, is that too much to ask". I start getting hysterical again.

So what does the husband do? He brings the $1000 tv back to where he got it and gets another one. The previous one was a Samsung. I think the new one is a Sony. So what happens???

He hooks it up and the tv is humming. She calls me up and she said 'well, my life is one big drama, I have yet another tv, and it's humming. "Melody, all I want is to watch Lifetime". with that, I had to go and get a box of kleenex because I laughed so hard I almost croaked.

I said 'what do you mean the tv is humming?" She said "listen". and sure enough there's a hmmmm coming from the TV.

I said 'what the heck is going on with these big TVs, either they don't turn off, or they humm.

So what happens?? He goes back and exchanges it again.

Now she is on her 3rd tv.

He connected it. She calls me up and she said and I quote:

"He turns it on for me, and he turns it off, I won't go near it"

I believe her.


Actually, Alan and I want someday to replace the 21 inch Sony Trinitron in the living room (after we save up that is), and buy a new tv. The guy from PC Richards told us "don't get a plasma, it gives off too much glare". I said 'so what should I get?" and he said 'Oh, high definition".

Now if you think, after reading all of your posts, and after what my friend went through (and believe me I am NO techno phobe), believe me, I am going into PC Richards, and test every single thing on that tv.

I have Direct TV. I actually thought that all I had to do was go and buy a new tv, take the cable thing out from the back of my old one, and simply plug it into the back of the new one. I now see that this might not be the case. I don't like surprises. I will know what I'm doing before I ever buy a new tv.

I have had no problem with humming, with turning on or off (oh, sometimes Alan yells from the living room "I HAVE A BLUE SCREEN, WHAT DID I DO"?? (he's the techno phobe in the family) I then usually have to go in, aim the remotes (we have 3), and I finally figure out what the heck he did and I just undo it. He is now banned from aiming anything but the channel changer at the tv.

God help me!!!

lol

Melody

My post on what was the actual prob. might not have made much sense; I had a typo. I just caught it.

The total crux of the prob. was this:

The TV? Its technology is "ahead of" or more advanced than the older remotes and receivers used in conjunction with the dish for Direct TV.

Did I know that in the past? did someone clue me in? Nope. Because? They had not realized it until a tech. arrived and did all he could (as I had) to troubleshoot and isolate and find the cause. The components were not in-step with the TV.

I don't use the TV for gaming, but I DO appreciate the heads-up.

Melody,

You've got it right; if buying a new TV, there might be other things needed to assure that the TV will work as intended.

I thought: new TV, it'll work. But... as I've shared, it's more complex these days.

Having the luxury of time to get it straightened out more quickly would have been nice, but work interfered. Go figure .

Anyone buying a new TV, with Dish or Cable, should ask the provider of the services if upgrades to equipment are needed.

I kept trying to tell techs. that I suspected the TV was ahead of the other stuff, but, ohhh, they know it all. I could have spared a lot of stress, etc., if only they would have "heard" what I was saying.

With Direct TV and newer TVs: Please also know that transmitters are also needed. Supposed to be "wireless," but that's a misnomer. A transmitter has to be placed near the TV and run to a landline. If that's not possible, then a secondary transmitter has to be plugged into the landline. (The two components cost $40 - at this time.)

By 2009: a dish upgrade will be needed for some as well. Right now, that upgrade runs between $49 and $99. I've been told, call various depts. within the service provider to "shop" the best deal.

After all the stress of getting my TV to work as designed (and for houseguests), it has proved worth it.

Philips (USA not an outsource) had been calling to see if and how the set is working. Seems the manufacturer no more wants a return than do I want to have to arrange for a pick-up. (Over 37"... the retailer's policy is in-home service and stuff.)

I hate this tedium, though; it's like: They gotta know more than do the customers. Ego, I suspect. But they coulda "listened" and spared a ton of time and stress.

I have a 8 year old Direct Tv Receiver in my living room. (In the bedroom I have two new one's that I can program). no problem, I use 2 little TVs, one which I always tape off of, and the other I watch before I go to sleep at night).

Picture my bedroom, two TVs, two Panasonic VCRs, two Direct TV Receivers.

The right setup is where I tape all my shows on. Because the one remote controls the two tv's, vcr, and cable boxes, I built a cover system for the tv on the right.

So when I finish programming the vcr, I finish programming the cable box, let's say for example, I program the right cable box to tape American Idol, then I want to go to channel 4, after that), I program my cable box to do this. Then I jprogram the vcr, then I turn it off which puts on the TIMER.

Now I have to cover the whole thing, because if I didn't, every time I aimed my remote at the left tv or vcr or cable box, everything on the right side would change too.

So little Old Melody built a system that fits over the right set-up.

So when I'm finished with the right tv and it's all set to tape for the night, I just place my COVER UP THING. (actually it's a cardboard box that fits directly over the tv, cable box, etc.). And so then I can watch the left tv and change the channel, play my tapes, and the remote can't affect the right set-up.

Quite ingenious . I did it this way, because Alan and I tape all the time, and we exchange tapes. you can't do that with tivo and I don't like dvds. I mean I have a portable dvd player but I never use it.

Now here's my question. If we decide to get a brand new 42 inch High Definition tv for the living room (someday, god willing), do you mean, that I simply do not unplug the back of the old tv, and put the plug into the back of the new tv??? I have to get transmitters, or something else.

I mean, what has technology done to us?? lol

Melody

Considering that the purchase of a new HD TV will have more current tech. (inside that baby) than the older Direct TV receivers, it's very likely that the new set will not be plug-n-play. But... that said... I would, first, try connecting with the older receiver.

If the remote cannot be programmed (to work with the new set), that's when it's time to arrange in-home service with Direct TV; the tech. will bring a new remote, receiver and transmitters. The first thing the tech will do, though, is try programming the older remote.

As 2009 gets closer, another thing to keep in mind for anyone looking to make a new purchase: dish and cable providers will be under more of a crunch since the demand for service (by customers) will increase. Right now, it's not too bad, getting an appointment, but Direct TV suspects that will change.

Bobbi:

My husband is sitting in the living room with 3 remotes on the table in front of him. Every so often he will scream out "melody, why is there a blue screen on my tv??" I will scream back 'because you pressed the wrong button on one of the remotes?" He will then scream back 'how do I know what button I pushed".

Need I go on??

When and if we get that new tv, it will come with a tv remote. I will, of course, even before I purchase said TV, I will have contacted Direct tv, and asked them tons of questions. I will then go to PC Richards, and ask them tons of questions. You see, all of the tv's at P.C. Richards are hooked up to either Directtv receivers, or The DisH Network.

So I'm first going to find out what Satellite network the people at the PC Richard store uses. Then I'm going to go and find the tv I like. Then I'm going to make sure it has a headphone attachment (some big one's do, thank goodness).

Then, when I find the one I want, and I have all my questions answered, Alan and I shall make that purchase.

And if you think, after I pay all that money, and there's a 42 or 45 or whatever inch TV sitting in my living room, if this man DARES TO SCREAM AND TELL ME "WHY IS THERE A BLUE SCREEN ON THE TV",

I shall promptly go and get a frying pan and hit him upside his head!!!!

I think he knows this!!! lol

Melody