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Yes, it is probably too good to be true.
Resourceful consumers think they’re saving a lot of money when they discover cheap alternatives to traditional CE products and services.
But are they really getting a good deal?
Here are some presumed money savers that might not be such good ideas after all:
Costco TVs
Ooh, it’s so tempting to pick up one of those Mitsubishi, Panasonic or Samsung bigscreens on the cheap. But look closely. Despite the name brands, many of these TVs have limited functionality for control.
For instance, they may lack discrete IR codes. That means you’ll have a very tough time operating them with a universal remote control. The controller won’t know if a TV is on or off, so it could get messy.
CE Online
A couple of caveats on the online buying thing. There certainly are some reputable resellers, but others are not authorized by the manufacture to sell their TVs, loudspeakers and other electronics online.
That means your products are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, and just try getting tech support. When in doubt, check the vendor’s Web site for authorized resellers.
When you see “new” products being sold at a huge discount, there’s a good chance that the seller is not authorized.
The other hidden expense involves shipping and handling. What some of these folks don’t tell you up front is that your big screen may be delivered by one guy who is told to leave the box at your door.
If you want to bribe the delivery guy to help you carry the behemoth into your house, you better make sure someone is at home to help. Cha-ching: a lost day at the office.
And don’t forget the cost and hassle of returning a defective product. It’s on your dime.
Who Needs Prewiring Anyway?
You’re building a house, and the low-voltage guy wants to charge you $5,000 or $10,000 to run a lot of Cat 5 cables for audio, video, automation and other purposes.
But noooooo, you don’t need no stinkin’ cables. Everything’s wireless, right? Just try to get WiFi to penetrate a giant mirror, steel beams, equipment racks or other obstacles between your PC and the router.
When did DIY become such a nasty word? My grandfather used to fix his own car and I do some repairs on my own but I don’t get dirty looks from mechanics.
39 Cent Stamp - I said “no way” is it as good as a Kuro. Is it acceptable but do I want better? Yes, but I only have so much money. It is a 3+yr old tv that at the time was a crazy bargain. As far as whether expensive cables are better, just show me some tangible proof. When I finish my basement I am going to have a video professional calibration done, I’ll pay for because I can see the difference. Same thing with the audio side.
39 Cent Stamp… now you’re brand bashing when it’s really not necessary. No one was equating a Vizio to a Kuro, but that doesn’t mean they can’t produce an acceptable image, especially in a secondary room like an office or bedroom where critical quality isn’t the priority. I have a 37” 720p Vizio in my bedroom for just this reason… it’s more than good enough for where we watch the news and where my wife watches her reality tv trash.
And now your HDMI argument has gone from “when dealing with volume you’ll see more failures” to “they don’t comply and you can’t get them to work AT ALL”. If that were the case would they be selling so well with such positive reviews? Monoprice cables have worked flawlessly in every system I’ve installed and they’ve stood behind cables damaged by others who were supposed to be “pros”... would a high-end cable mfg replace a cable that was hit by a screw without even requiring the damaged cable be returned? I doubt it…
For the few times a Harmony gets out of sync, there’s the help button. For Cat5e there are variable-depth staple guns, guards to prevent strays, and insulated staples. For long HDMI installations, there’s testing before you run the cable.
Not every scenario needs triple redundancy and expensive (i.e. high margin) solutions. 99% of the time forethought and planning will get you to your desired result, and when it’s your own forethought and planning, you’re not paying anyone else’s margin.
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Used 6 50’ monoprice cables on a renovation of a master bed and bath with no problems. 3 TV’s with a cable fed with one hdmi and the dvd with the other. Also use 2 - monoprice 1 X 4 powered hdmi splitter to send the signal out and work flawlessy! Also use a harmony 890pro and love it. No need to call and set up an appointment with an installer to change my remote when I buy new equipment. Saved $1000’s doing it myself.