RCA 65 Digital High Definition Television HD65W20 Rear Projection

RCA 65 Digital High Definition Television HD65W20 Rear Projection 

DESCRIPTION

Experience digital entertainment at its best! The RCA Scenium HDTV offers 2,000,000 pixels on a 16:9, 65"" diagonal screen providing you with an extraordinary television viewing experience. Our digital up-conversion provides the cleanest, most detailed picture possible from existing signals. The SRS Focus Audio Technology creates a ""live performance"" atmosphere in your own home!

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 15  
[Sep 21, 2004]
66GTO
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Outstanding picture quality. Great size. Great sound. The set even looks good.

Weakness:

Build quality. No extended warranty available through Thomson on entire set.

To the surprise of no one I had the same problems with this set as many others. During the warranty period it would not come on. It spent three weeks in the shop and was repaired under warranty. When I got it back occassionaly it would turn off by itself, but come right back on at the touch of the button. Then, one day after the set was about 18 months old it would not come on again. I called repair and they picked the set up to take to their shop. I by passed the 800 Thomson number as they do not provide much help and wrote directly to a Thomson executive. My complaint was that Thomson did not offer an extended warranty on the entire set. They did offer one on the picture tube which, according to the repair folks, was the last item that would fail on this particular set. My beef was that Thomson should stand behind their product and offer a warranty...just like every other mfg. The exec. replied that someone would get back to me the next day with 'positive' news. The next day I received a call and they offered to pay for any repairs needed even though it was out of warranty. This far exceeded my request or expecations. Two weeks later the repair shop calls and says that the set is unfixable as the parts needed are no longer available nor are they being manufactured. Oh, great. I called my contact at Thomson again and explain the new problem. She calls me back that afternoon and says that she has good news and bad news. Bad news...set cannot be repaired. Good news... is that they will be sending me a brand new set. A HDLP61W151. It is 4" smaller, but new technology by Texas Instruments. It is a table model and they even sent along the stand which is not cheap. The HD65W20 was a terrific set...when it worked. I doubt any other mfg. could duplicate its magnificent picture. It just had some floors in the design or parts or something to give tremendous headaches. I am so pleased with Thomson. They stepped up to the plate when they did not have to in backing their product. The people who did this for me are the best in the business. Professional, caring and efficient.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
3
[May 06, 2004]
rsaragosa
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

HDTV Receiver and great picture when it works which is not enough.

Weakness:

Doesn't work when you want it too. Not a reliable set at all. This was a Demo Piece in my business but I won't tell anybody to buy a RCA Set again.

When this set works it is awesome but when it doesn't it just doesn't. The Set had a bad HDTV Receiver right out of the box. Now the set won't even turn on. RCA doesn't care about the problems they know they have problems with this set but won't do anything about it. If I treated my customers the way RCA does I would be probably sued.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba, Pioneer, Zenith

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Jul 07, 2003]
Tom King
Casual Listener

Strength:

Excellent picture. Good reception

Weakness:

Lacks video output for HDTV signal or analog signal. Weighs over 300 pounds. Over the air Digital Channel (HDTV) tunier failed after 11 months.

Worked fine for 11 months. HDTV digital channel search function failed. RCA authorized repair rep was unfamiliar with repair procedure. He ordered new tuner. Unknown when it will work or will arrive. He said RCA has dropped DirecTV box from new model TV and has refunded some owners for no ability to fix.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Dec 23, 2002]
Jason
Audio Enthusiast

Weakness:

Read other reviews

Same problems as others. It turned itself and won't turn back on. RCA repairman still trying to fix it, since they cannot take it apart and bring back to their shop. Worked and looked great for 10 months before breaking. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Dec 09, 2002]
bac881
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Picture looks awesome now...hope it lasts.

Weakness:

Read every review.

See the review below, I had the exact same problem. Turns off, won't come back on. Repair guy comes (finally) and then he can't find the problem (big surprise) and needs to bring it in. So another 1/2 day off work and I schedule a time when he can come back with 2 more guys to get it. Any other TV and he could have just pulled the guts and taken them the first day (EVERY other big screen is made that way). After about 4 weeks I got it back (another 1/2 day off work, for the 12:00-4:00 "window"). Works fine now but for how long....

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba 50"

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[Nov 30, 2002]
thefatone
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

I looks great...UNTIL IT BREAKS!

Weakness:

If past experience is any indication, it will break and RCA will NOT help you.

Wow, where do I begin... I bought an RCA HD65W20 on September 1 2002. The TV looked great for about 2 weeks, although it would turn itself off and then back on every once in a while. Then, it turned itself off and never came back on. RCA customer service is very friendly, but absolutely useless. When I would call and talk to someone who really seemed like they wanted to help, they would be mysteriously absent the next time I called and I would have to explain my problem over again. It took many calls to RCA and the servicers they told me to call before I found one that would even COME OUT!. You see, unlike all the other large-screen TVs in the world, this one doesn't have a removable chassis, and so it has to be an in-home repair since it is about 5 feet by 5 feet and well over 200 pounds. Once RCA even told me that THEY would call around and find someone to come. I received no phone call...no one came. I called back to speak to the person I spoke to before. They were...out that day...again. This went on for about 2 weeks. I finally got someone to schedule an in-home repair. They came out and tried to fix the thing when I heard a ZAP! and sparks flew out of the back of the thing..."I found your problem" the guy said. He had to order some part for the convergence board. After A MONTH waiting for some part, the guy came back to install it. As he was powering up the TV and fiddling with something...ZAP!!! The same thing happened again. He couldn't fix it. I called RCA again. "Oh, well, we'll have to forward this to our research department." Research department? Tell your research department to do an internet search, they will find no less than 3 other people who have had the EXACT SAME PROBLEM!! 4 including me and those are the ones I know about. I probably wouldn't have written this review in the first place if RCA hadn't made me so angry, how many other people are there who didn't even bother. RCA even had a little kit to fix this problem. The kit was on back order which is why it took so long. Hmmm, a back-ordered fix-it kit. I'd say this problem is pretty widespread if there is a kit for it, and the kit is on back order! Anyway, I have forwarded this issue to my credit card company. I will let them fight it out with the dealer. I don't want an exchange. I want my money back. DON'T BUY THIS TV!! I have had this thing now for 3 months, and I have been fighting with RCA almost the whole time. If you buy one, it might work. You will like it if it does. But if it doesn't (and there is a good chance it will not) you will not find a tech who can repair it and RCA will drag their feet until the END OF ETERNITY! If you don't believe me, check out these other reviews and complaints. Two reviews with this exact same problem at www.audioreview.com http://www.audioreview.com/HDTV-Digital+TVs/RCA+65+Digital+High+Definition+Television+HD65W20/PRD_126150_2727crx.aspx#Reviews Another at www.bizrate.com: http://www.bizrate.com/marketplace/search/search.xpml?cat_id=11520000&prod_id=6388616&de_id=200&keyword=hd65w20&prerd=1 and another problem with the same model (and similar problems with RCA customer service) at www.complaints.com http://www.complaints.com/march2002/complaintoftheday.march18.6.htm

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Nov 27, 2002]
naris desillva
AudioPhile

Strength:

good picture with dvd, high def when it work. gray bar very distract.

Weakness:

only work for 2 month where to start..rca have a very bad support!!!will not help you.

i bought it on 6/22 02. after 2 month and it begin my nighmare by turning it self off and will not come on again. we have send it to authorize rca repair center. and it had been in repair for almost 3 month, they told us first they can not find what couse it to do that,then they wait for part wait...wait. the rca customer relation never call us back no matter how many time we call,when they call she seem very unconcern at all.now 2 day befor thankgiving they told us it wil be ready in 1 week. what a joke.i have bought this unit thinking it give a very good high def picture from some review that i read somewhere. ye!when it work!. not recommand to any one. the rca custome service is very bad.. same thing happen to me just like review from civ8350 for the money go buy anything but rca.

Similar Products Used:

panasonic 40' rptv since 1990 still work great.

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Nov 17, 2002]
sarajean5
Casual Listener

Strength:

Picture quality Looks Price

Weakness:

None

Bought the RCA Scenium 65" HDTV nearly one year ago. Absolutely the best HDTV for the price paid. It compares to all the high-end HDTVs for a fraction of the price. I have had absolutely no problems with the set. When coupled with a HD antenna, the HD is phenomenal. The HD does not work with cable, even digital cable. But this is due to the limitations of the cable company -- no cable can carry HD signals as of now. The TV also looks good, not the boxy look that most projection TVs have. This TV is the best projection TV for the price.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 43" Projection

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 14, 2002]
cjv8350
AudioPhile

Strength:

For the twelve days it worked it had a nice picture.

Weakness:

Poorly built digital converter board which no one knows how to fix.

I purchased this tv to go along with my other high end home theater products. WHAT A BIG MISTAKE!!! The tv worked for only 12 days. It has now been over a month now and the tv still hasn't been fixed after three tries from an authorized RCA repair man. To top it off every time I call RCA (Thomson Multimedia) they tell me the same thing that they will submit my complaint to their research board and they will get back to me on this matter and I even faxed a letter to their review board wich I was told were the main decision makers. Its been over a month now and no one has contacted me no matter how much I call. I am starting to believe that RCA does not back there products and would strongly advise any one who is thinking of buying the scenium brand should steer clear because if you ever have a problem with your tv no one at RCA seems to want to help...

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[Jul 21, 2002]
Verde651
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

The picure is outstanding when everything works. The menu is easy to navigate. The tv looks sharp even when turned off. The silver gray border for non HD broadcast is comfortable to the eyes and compliments the set.

Weakness:

CUSTOMER DIS-SERVICE The DM-1 modual which receives the signal has serious problems. I waited a month for a refurbished part that failed on install by an authorized RCA firm. There is NO ONE at RCA to talk to. This part appears not be designed or manufactured correctly. According to the repair people I have spoke to, I am not alone. I was told that having the HD decoder and direct TV receiver built in was a strength, it is the achilles of the system. The part is expensive ($500-$850) and is hard to get as they are not readily available.

Great picture and sound. The quality of the picture caught my eye compared to other HD tv's. However, if the DM-1 modual breaks, the repair time is horrible.

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
3
Showing 1-10 of 15  

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