Off brand hdtv sets.....

For 30 years I only bought Sony. Now, I will likely never buy another one. Nothing wrong with them, it's just that they are expensive and I am not a videophile so paying for the excellent Sony picture is not worth it to me (I want save that money for my audiophile obsession). In the last three years I purchased a Vizio 50" Plaza and a 52" Magnavox/Phillips LCD. Both working great with long hours of daily use (knock on wood) and were extremely good deals purchased around Thanksgiving.

Many people buy from off-brand sets from the big box warehouses due to their buyer protection plans. I think the plans are not as generous as they used to be (due to customer abuse), but still quite good. You can also buy an extended warranty, but then your back to the top-brand price (although w/o an extended warranty).

Do your homework and know what you want and what you are getting (ie not the best picture/sound/menu/etc), buy from a warehouse, buy and extended warranty if it helps you sleep at night or cross your fingers and take the risk. Yes, you can get a great deal buying off-brand.

It's true 4est, my Sony 32" XBR lasted 17 years and was still working well when I had them haul it away. It weighs to much for me to move, even with a friend! Truth be told, I wish it had died sooner so I could justify buying a new TV and enjoy a bigger and better picture. It all depends on what you want and where you're willing to make compromises.

Does Sony make better amps than Bryston, Musical Fidelity, Spectron, etc? They certainly have more experience. Hope no one is suggesting we only buy Sony amps cause they have the most experience and are the most reliable 'cause I'm thinking tubes are out for sure :)

I'm more with Semi. Decide what you want and pay for that. After 20 years of off brand TVs I may be back to only buying Sony. For now, it's not worth it to me.

Exactly Philolet! In 5 years you'll wish you weren't stuck with that lowly 1024p 120 Hz deep color TV. In ten years, you'll really really want to buy that new 100" OLED 16K 1024 Hz extra super deep color TV/videocom/workstation that displays 12 channels simultaneously. In 15 years, you'll have it hauled away as trash or give it to the goodwill so you can go with the Nokia 24/7 aural/optical family implant plan.

And hey, no problem if you want to be buried with your Sony TV so you can watch it in heaven. God bless and enjoy what makes you happy.

Chad is right. Don't buy a crappy off-brand TV. Buy a good one. And remember that today's black is tomorrow's grey.