Customer Reviews

Philips 30PW8420 30" Widescreen HD-Ready TV

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Update 10/26/09: This TV is still going strong almost four years down the road, and I still give it five stars. Don't know what happened to the ones the negative reviewers got, but mine is outstanding.

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This is a great HD TV, and I got it from Philips Outlet! I'll comment on the TV instead of on the outlet.

I've bought many refurbs and used items over the internet, and this TV has to be one of the best deals I've gotten. It arrived in an extremely well-packed box, looked like it had been properly handled, and weighed a ton! The driver got it inside for me on his dolly.

What I found inside the box was a TV that looked brand-new. Furthermore, it has outstanding picture quality and great sound. Live HD broadcasts, like the NFL, look so real that it seems like I could step onto the field. Sound is the best I've found on a TV, at 20W stereo. Most TVs I'm familiar with have only 5W-10W.

The 30PW8420 has lots of connection ports, including the latest, HDMI, plus analog component (YPbPr), analog composite (video and sound), and S-video.

Display capibilities include 480i (standard broadcast), 480p, and 1080i. We keep ours set on 1080i for the most realistic image. 480i works with the built-in NTSC tuner. Keep in mind that to receive digital broadcasts you must have a separate ATSC over-the -air (OTA) tuner, or "set-top box."

The only weakness I've found in this set is its pin-cushioning on non-widescreen images. That is, the two vertical sides will bow inward somewhat when displaying bright images, such as a sky. This is only visible when a non-widescreen program is playing, in a display mode such as 4:3, with black bars on the the left and right. I find this to be a minor annoyance, given the very low price offered by Philips Outlet.

I definitely recommend the 30PW8420.

it has a transformer that blows out the fuses. call the local philips repair shops and see how many they have. If it breaks after the short warranty you will pay through the nose to have it fixed or carry 140lbs to some store. Philips has a dead pile of them on their outlet store that they will sell to you for $400, then it it up to you to get them fixed. They say they are refurbished, but they arrive dead and you can not return it.
before you buy from outlet dot philips dot com , read the fine print on the refurbished tv's. No returns No credit...
They are a 10 billion dollar a year company, they used to be decent. Buy a tv from a local store so you have someone who is responsible if it breaks.

I also purchased from Philips outlet. The price was excellent (saving $200 to $300), but I expected better refurbishment. In other words, I expected it to look like new. My unit had numerous scratches to the case. The major problem was that it did not work properly. After approximately 15 minutes of being on, the TV turns itself off. I can forgive scratches, but if you're selling a working product, it should work. With my particular TV, I get the sense that they received the TV as a return, and just turned it around for resale without any repair whatsoever.

The TV does come with a warranty. I had to get a service code from Philips, but there are still plenty of service places in suburban Chicago to handle the work. It's still out for repair, so I'll let you know what happens when it returns.

As for picture quality, it was outstanding considering the bargain price. Excellent HDTV viewing, both from Comcast, as well as using an HDMI-upgrading DVD player.

I can safely recommend the picture quality of the TV, but I can't say the same thing for Philips outlet. You have to decide for yourself if the deep discount is worth the potential problems.

I just purchased this tv through philips outlet store, I have not received it yet, so we will see what happens when I do. But in regards to the "fine print" for the return policy, it states: "Renewed product cannot be returned for credit, however this policy does not reduce your rights under your Purchased Products "Limited Warranty" for repair or exchange." If you did receive a "dead" tv, there is still a 90 day warranty on it, which you can have it repaired, but it is unlikely to receive a "dead" product direct from the manufacturer. In a worst case scenrio if it was dead, I can still get it fixed for free, under the 90 day warranty. I have purchased many items that were "factory-renewed", and I have never had any trouble, if anything you save yourself time of getting it repaired if you bought it brand new, because the common issues with the models are already fixed.

I received this TV factory renewed and it died within 10 minutes. It sat in the shop for two months. I got it back yesterday and died within 15 minutes again. I will never buy a Philips product again. I wish someone would have warned me, just like I am warning you right now!!!!

I also ordered this model from the Philips outlet store, on Feb 7, 2006. I can't really review it, because it was broken on arrival. On Feb 14th, I was told by the shipping company the TV was broken and I'd have to wait for a replacement. On Feb 27th I called and they said the unit was ready. I got it and written on the top of the box in letters 3" large was written "BROKEN GLASS". I opened it up, and sure enough the tube had been cracked. Why a box with that scrawled on it would be delivered, I don't know. After calling Philips, they indicated they don't do exchanges and I'd need to cancel the order to return it.

Now the promotion is over, and they have none in stock. At least two things went right... Even though Philips policy was basically SOL, I thankfully got someone nice on the phone to explain that, and I used AMEX so if my credit never appears, I have a card company that's never failed to help me.

I believe that a product is more than the physical unit, and extends to the support mechanisms around it. It is because of the poor support that I can't review the actual unit. I hope this is a rare event.

Got this TV at the Philips Outlet Store because of the great price. The moving company banged it up real good in transit. The TV front was fine, but the base and the rear cover were all cracked and broken. Philips told me that they will take it back or have technician come and fix it at home. In its current condition, the picture is fine, but it shuts itself off in the middle without any provocation. I am sending it back.