Sylvania LC321SS9 - a review

Just bought Sylvania LC321SS9 at Costco at a ridiculous price of $399. As always with Costco, I don't care if it breaks within the next two years - their warranty covers it all. It does, however, seems like a nice unit. I always compare the picture screen at the store and this one looked very nice, comparable to Sharp, in my opinion. Costco had a Vizio for $389, but the notorious Vizio power indicator/glowing logo definitely made it not worth it.

Sylvania LC321SS9 has two HDMI inputs and PC-IN. Most importantly, the sound is quite loud, much better than on my Sharp SH12U. It easily fills up the living room whether you are watching cable TV, DTV or DVD/Blu-ray. Also, the width of this unit is just a little bit less than the 32"Vizio, so I was able to fit it into an old entertainment center no problem.

My main complaint at the moment is about the fact that I am still unable to find the remote codes for this TV. If remote integration is your goal, Sylvania LC321SS9 may not be the right choice for you. I will, however, attempt to use a learning remote.

Digital tv converter coupons -- good reasons to get one

I requested two $40 digital converter coupons! Why not? Well, receiving the coupons cost me nothing. I have cable, but it would be nice to have at least one DTV converter box. There are some channels that you can only get over the air, but one very specific reason why I decided to go for these coupons is this: I have a portable DVD player with AV-in. Sometimes I go on vacation to a place where there is not TV. It is nice to check the weather and the new every once in a while Sometimes I bring a All-in-Wonder box and connect it to my computer. But they I can't use the laptop. It looks like for not too much I can get myself a nice little digital converter that would just do the job!

A little Sharp SH12U tip

When I pop in a DVD I usually immediately have to look for the TV remote, so I can change the input to HDMI. Well, Sharp SH12U has buttons on the top right side (hidden by the front panel). The right most button is power, and the button next to it is INPUT. This button is round to the touch, so you can be easily assured that you are not pressing the POWER button. A little time saver, because the TV remote is not always where you think it should be...

You have to know your TV, people!

Good tip for Aquos buyers

It seems as if some store like to carry the same models as everybody else, but they want their customers to be unable to compare their prices and the prices that the competition has to offer. Perhaps as a side effect or possibly even deliberately, these stores deprive customers of the ability to find reviews of the products they are planning to purchase. For instance:

It is believed that the Costco lcc3242u - 32" Aquos LCD TV, is the same model as Sharp lc32d43u. It is extremely difficult to find reviews of the Costo model, while a search for lc32d43u returns thousands of pages. Of course, this way you can also find a better price. But I would not recommend that, because Costco's warranty cannot be beaten!

Sharp SH12U

This is a 26-incher. They seem to be sold at Costco and similar places. When I compared it to a similar Westinghouse the difference in the quality was quite visible to me. I've read that Westinghouse keeps their prices low because the brand is now owned by an LCD manufacturer. Well, I did not like the quality of the LCD. At the store, while the demo HDTV signal was displayed I could see the difference in the areas that were supposed to be a certain pure color. Red, for instance. On the Westinghouse unit I could see some pixelation even when I was not standing close to the screen. I mean, it's ok. You can probably get used to it. But Sharp simply looked better. I have been reading some reviews later and it appears some of the Sharp's units are really among the best. Visually it is certainly true. I would say that there are only two nuisances about it. I don't think the speakers are loud enough. I very much dislike loud sounds, but I think that in the summer, when the air-conditioner is on, this TV will have to be set to the highest volume possible. So, it is a huge plus if you have some kind of separate sound system. Also, it takes a second or two to go from channel to channel. And it takes a few seconds to warm up when you turn on the TV. But if you are not a channel flipper you'll be just find. The good news is, however, that you can see both digital and analog channels on the same remote, so to speak. Ordinarily I would not think twice of it, but after having seen a Mintek LCD/DVD combo I appreciate this feature. On the Mintek you would have to switch constantly between digital and analog channels!

This LCD TV has a QAM, as well as a terrestrial HD tuner. This is nice, because if you have standard cable chances are that you can get all the free HDTV channels available off the air in your area.

• Screen Size: 26"
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Resolution: 1366 x 768
• Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
• Brightness: 450 cd/m2
• Response Time: 6ms
• Lamp Life: 2 60,000 hrs.
• Viewing Angles: 176°H x 176°V
• Tuning: NTSC/ATSC/QAM
• Stand: included
• Limited Warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor
• Dimensions (w x h x d) (in inches): 26-5/16 x 17-3/4 x 4-9/16 (TV only) 26-5/16 x 19-11/16 x 9-9/16 (TV and Stand)
• Weight (lbs): 25.4 (TV only), 28.4 (TV and Stand)

Official TV

As it stands now, if I am not mistaken, Sony is the official TV of NFL, and Sharp is the official TV of MLB. What should one choose? I am partial to both sports. Baseball, however, lasts longer. Sounds like a better investment.

new TV or a vacation?

Here is one way to look at it. A new LCD TV will last for years. A vacation will only last a week or so.

Here is another way to look at it. A good LCD TV will last many years. A good vacation will last forever...

LCD myth confirmed

I just realized the reason why my TV died two months before the two-year Costco warranty was due to expires. It is often thought that home appliances and electronic devices, LCD TVs not excluding, are programmed to die after two years of service. The trick is that I got mine as a floor model, so it probably had worked for a few months prior to its demise. So, I consider the myth about cheap LCD TVs confirmed. It's too bad those floor models are not so easy to snatch!

My cheap LCD story

This is totally inspirational and uplifting. At the time when cheap LCD TVs are getting cheaper and cheaper it appears as if I was able to snatch the ultimate cheap TV. A free one. That's right. Zero dollars. The downside is that I had to return it. Well, here is what happened. Almost two years ago I got a little 19" Proview LCD. It did not even have a HDTV tuner, which was eventually rectified through the purchase of a Samsung DirecTV receiver. I got this unit at Costco for about $300. You'll say that it's not free? OK. Two weeks ago the thing broke down during a baseball game. The big question at the time was how much I'd have to pay the city hall to have it removed. Surprise! As it turned out, Costco extends manufacturer warranty on TVs up to 2 years! I was able to return the unit for full refund. That's what it means to have owned a real cheap LCD TV for almost two years!