Customer Reviews

Apex GB43HD09 43-Inch Projection HDTV

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Iv'e had this set for over 2 months. (I like Amazon but they do not take back TVs over 27" so I purchased elswhere just in case..) I have it paired with a Samsung SIR-T165 HDTV Over the air receiver and with a Zenith Silver Sensor HDTV antenna. I find the HD images to be excellent (esp. the PBS broadcasts) but the APEX shoots the Digital TV signal into a 16:9 box in the center of it's 4:3 screen. So, even with Digital content that is broadcast in 4:3, it appears inside the 16:9 box with bars on the side (as well as the top). Of course, you can watch this content through the analog AV inputs and it will fill the screen (but it won't be 1080i, it will be 480i which still looks very good) That's another thing, this set only displays 1080i in HD. No 720p, so regardless of what the signal is broadcast in, it "downconverts to 1080i" (quotation from the manual). The manual, by the way, is written in broken english. The overall construction of the TV feels a little bit cheap (the front panel that hides an additional set of inputs feels like it is about to break off) Changing from one set of inputs to another is a go forward only task that can take 25-30 seconds to get through to your destination. A back button would be helpful. Overall, it was a good purchase to get HDTV on a big screen for little money.

I bought this television and it broke in less than 90 days. The manufacturer has not been very helpful in sending someone out to repair it as stated in the warranty. After two weeks, I'm still waiting and have little confidence that this will be resolved soon.

When the television worked properly, it had a nice picture and good sound but that doesn't mean much now that I can't even watch it.

Do your homework - check the reputation of the manufacturer before you make your buying decision. Unfortunately, I didn't check until it was too late. This company has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB for the very reasons that I've indicated.

This was by far the worst TV that I have ever purchased. The TV messed up within 2 weeks and Apex would not honor their warranty. I would never deal with this company again and advise anybody out there to not deal with this company.

I purchased this TV about 6 months ago, and did not have a HDTV signal coming to it until just recently.

For everyday use without HDTV, this TV does fine. The picture is basically of projection TV quality. ESPN and most Network channels are clear, but still not perfect. You will need to make lots of picture adjustments to get everything looking good.

With DVD the picture is pretty good. The only problem I found is that nightime or dark scenes on a DVD are very dark on the screen, and you almost can't see anything. Turning up the brightness adjustment helps, but that makes your daytime or bright scenes too bright.

When I got HDTV hooked up, I became truly disappointed in this TV. The input of HDTV goes in the YPbPr1 input on the back of the TV. This makes it so that everytime you turn on the TV you need to change the input on the TV's remote manually to get to the YPbPr1 input. This TV does not remember this setting you changed, so everytime you turn off the TV, it resets to the standard input setting. Normal cable has no issue with this.

The HDTV picture on this is really nice. No complaints with the quality. However, the HDTV signal determines the picture format you see, and everything is in widescreen format. So, 43" does you no good as nothing in HDTV is fullscreen.

Spend a little more and get a widescreen TV if you want HDTV. I have a Mitsubishi 55" widescreen HDTV also, and that shows fullscreen and doesn't have any of the problems this Apex does.

I purchased this tv about a month ago and so far it hasn't disappointed me. I have to admit I didn't think the picture would be that good but with a good set of monster cables it's not half bad. It's not as good as some of the top of the line models but for the price I paid it's excellent. The sound is awesome and I haven't even hooked up my surround yet. The only problem I've had with the tv is when I use my dvd the picture jumps during the title screen when using the component hook-up but it clears up once the movie starts. Overall I would recommend this tv to anyone who wants a hdtv but doesn't want to pay 2 grand.

I did not want to spend a fortune on a tv but wanted something big. It looks fine, My cable stinks so when we watch cable tv it is not as clear as watching a dvd (non-proggresive scan). I added a cable amplifier FOR 25.00 dollars and the reception is much better. The remote is O.K, you need to program it for your player if you want to use it to control it with one remote. Once you get it out of the box you really need to read through the directions, especially for the remote. it has hookups in the front so its easy for the kids to play games without any other wiring. The sound is also very good and it it very easy to move around.

2+ years: No complaints other than it is a 4:3 aspect ratio...TV is a solid performer with a great picture!

1.5 year mark: TV still going strong...no problems with convergence as I have heard many complain about it with the Apex sets. DVD's still look great. It was a good purchase at the time...

Almost Month 12: TV is going strong. I have not had any problems from this set. DVD's still look incredible on this set...Convergence is rock solid and has not budged...great value for the money I spent on it...overall I am satisified with this TV.

Week Nine: TV going strong and providing an excellent picture...I only wish it were 16:9 aspect ratio...other than that, I am satisfied.

Week Three: Going on week three of ownership and I got the progressive scan Sony DVD hooked to the Apex Unit and all I have to say is the picture is movie theater quality or better. The TV faithfully reproduces what you would see in the theater and in some cases better. My one gripe would be that the picture is a little brighter but, then I have been watching direct view tv's for my entire life. I watched "Rockstar" on DVD this weekend and was very impressed with the picture quality. Once again I see a negative review of the TV and wonder if they purchased it through mail order, which I STRONGLY don't recommend. I suggest you go to the store and see what you are buying as I did. I repeat again that I would never buy a big screen tv via mail order...you are just asking for trouble in my opinion.

Week One: I got my tv hooked up yesterday and must say that I am impressed with the analog cable signal. The non-progressive scan DVD's look great through an S-video connection. I am upgrading that to a progressive scan player today and will have an additional comment about it later for you. All I can say is I know Apex is low end electronics and not something I would normally buy considering I use Cambridge Audio Works speakers but, for the money I paid on this TV I got a good deal. I bought mine at Sears after having them price match Wal-Mart's price. I also sprang for the two year warranty from Sears just in case. Honestly, I would never buy a projection screen TV through mail order like the others did and I certainly would not jump at an "extreme" deal that some advertise because you are probably getting a refurb unit...same goes for buying something like this at Fingerhut or Heartland...the prices are so great because you are getting a refurb unit or scratch and dent unit. Frankly, a purchase like this should not be bought online or through mail order retailers...just my opinion.

Pre-Purchase comments: I'd like to state that I went to Sears today and looked at the Apex GB43HD09 and was impressed with the picture it provides using a standard analog signal like cable tv. I would also like to comment on the others here that have slammed the Apex set. In all instances they have complained about a part breaking or going out...If they had these units shipped to them, I can see where they might experience such a problem...has anyone ever seen UPS ship things? A safe bet would be to pick the item up in person at the local store, like I intend on doing. That way, I know what I get and I know how it was handled in transit to my house. For the money, this TV is a good bargain.
One final note is that Apex uses many components found in Sony and Toshiba TV sets...in fact the menuing system is identical. They all get parts from Changhong Electronics.

I'm normally not one to take the time out of my day to write a review for something but I feel that if my bad experience here might save just one person from blowing their money the time is well spent. Everything that everyone else has said about this being a piece of junk is true. I was fortunate enough to get less than three months out of it before the screen turned into an hour glass shape and the colors got screwed up. I called one of the "service centers" nearby and they said they were no longer dealing with APEX because they would not honor his service bills and parts took forever to come in if they did at all. I've talked to Apex numerous times when I finally get through to them and they also lie to me and will constantly try their hardest to hang up on me. I'm about two seconds from working to turn them into the BBB. There has to be some kind of consumer protection we can use.

great tv for the price
sound is very good, picture is sharp especially with dvd,
does not take lot of space and is very easy to use
this is the 2nd apex tv i have bought
and i am very satisfied customer. all you need with the tv is the home theater system to enjoy the theater experience at your home. the tv's picture quality is next the sony projection hdtv and is $$less then sony.

bought HDTV didn't work, took a month to fix!

Hours of frustration on phone with customer service. They lie, do not do what they promise.

Three months later having a similar problem it's over three weeks no resolution.

Will never spend another penny on apex.

When these people are all out of a job maybe they will wise up.