Pioneer replacement

[admin_exported]

Arrived home yesterday to discover one of the children has thrown something at the tv and cracked the panel behind the screen. The TV is the Pioneer PDP 428 XD. I'm assuming insurance will replace rather than repair it. I bought it about 3 1/2 yrs ago, and have been impressed with it's performance over that time. Question is, what's a worthy replacement? Has the tech moved-on sufficiently over that time that most tv's now are as good or better than the old Pioneer?? Any suggestions gratefully received

 

[micks_address]

well id suggest the Panasonic GT30/VT30 would be your best bet.. they should outperform your 428..

 

[Son_of_SJ]

I agree with "Mick's address". The Pioneer PDP-428XD was the best TV available at its size when it was released about 4 years ago, and should therefore be replaced by an equally top of the range model. However, you'll have seen the Group Test review that had the Panasonic 50 inch GT30 and VT30, and they said that the GT30 was very nearly as good, and much cheaper. Today Richer Sounds shows the Panasonic 42GT30 at £980 and the 42VT30 at £1300, so if it were my money, I'd go for the GT30, which I suspect the insurance company will try to push you towards. DO NOT accept anything less than the GT30, such as last year's G30 and GT20. You might also look at the thread on these forums entitled something like "Replacement for a Pioneer Kuro KX5090" to see what games the insurance company has been trying to play with another Pioneer owner.

I have no children to throw things at my Pioneer TVs! (Hope I'm not tempting fate ......)

 

[ear]

Nice to have a Home cinema in the kichen.

 

[Anonymous]

I have recently purchased a Panasonic VT 20 for only 799.00 brand New . All I can say is a fantastic TV currently available for serious discount if you shop around.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys, insurance co sent their contractor out to take a look, just waiting to hear the result.... the guy said he thinks it should be fixed, but doubts insurance co will do it.
Read the thread about replacing the 50" Kuro, does anyone know what the outcome was??

Also, any idea how much it would cost to fix my tv, as if replaced the insurance co are leaving it with me to dispose of, so fancy getting it fixed and keeping it.

The glass on the front of the screen is fine, the panel underneath has a crack in it like a stone chip on a windscreen, so assume that panel needs replacing??

Any ideas pls?

 

[Anonymous]

OK, so the insurance company want to get Comet to fix my Pioneer.

Few concerns, firstly, are they going to know what they're doing as I'm not sure Comet ever sold Pioneer, or is it the case that they're all similar to fix?

Secondly, are they using a Pioneer part? I don't know if Pioneer parts are still available are they?

I called an independent company to check this out, he quoted me to fix the tv, but said the correct part "is the part that will fit"! Err no, the correct part is a Pioneer part! The guy said the panel may be replaced with a Panasonic panel that fits.
What's the point of that?!

I assume that if Comet can't tell me that they've sourced a Pioneer part then I'm within my rights to refuse repair and ask for a replacement tv?

I'm expecting them to call this afternoon/tomorrow morning to arrange a date to come and carry out the repair, so any quick ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

[D.J.KRIME]

OK, so the insurance company want to get Comet to fix my Pioneer.

Few concerns, firstly, are they going to know what they're doing as I'm not sure Comet ever sold Pioneer, or is it the case that they're all similar to fix?

Secondly, are they using a Pioneer part? I don't know if Pioneer parts are still available are they?

I called an independent company to check this out, he quoted me to fix the tv, but said the correct part "is the part that will fit"! Err no, the correct part is a Pioneer part! The guy said the panel may be replaced with a Panasonic panel that fits.
What's the point of that?!

I assume that if Comet can't tell me that they've sourced a Pioneer part then I'm within my rights to refuse repair and ask for a replacement tv?

I'm expecting them to call this afternoon/tomorrow morning to arrange a date to come and carry out the repair, so any quick ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks

As frustrating for you as it may be and I too see your point of view regarding parts being used to repair your TV, unfortunatly Insurance companys dont quite look at it in the same way, it all come down to the cost of any repair/replacement. They are intitled to specify who will carry out any repairs and inturn that repair agent will replace any parts needed with the parts that their suppplier recomends.

It's not always possible to sorce the exact screen that is in your TV and it may be that your alocated repair agent has a alternative screen on their system that will both fit and work in your TV, this may not be another Pioneer screen and would come complete with all drive boards so esentailly it's a differant TV to you or I but not to repair agents/insurers as they have fixed the TV in that it now works again. The Insurer would have forfilled their end of your agreement buy returning your TV working.

I had a simular experiance with a Problem some years back with a Samsung Plasma where the screen developed a fault whilst on a extended warranty which is basically a insurance policy solely for the TV and they tried fitting a differant panel which in My case didn't fix the problem but I had no say in the screen as in there oppionion it was of equivilant spec!

If they were to use a differant panel and gave you a option to decline to repair AFAIK they would only be liable to pay you the amount that the repair was going to cost them and not for a replacement TV.

 

[Anonymous]

Insurance company have realised they can't fix my Pioneer as there are no spare Pioneer panels left.

They now want to replace it, and as predicted in this thread they've offered me a Panasonic TXP42G30B, as the spec sheets tally-up with my Pioneer.

I tried to explain it's not all about the spec sheets, but obviously they won't listen, so I now have to trawl throught the sheets to find a reason why the Panny is inferior.

Anyone have any obvious suggestions I can use before I commence my trawl?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Insurance company have realised they can't fix my Pioneer as there are no spare Pioneer panels left.

They now want to replace it, and as predicted in this thread they've offered me a Panasonic TXP42G30B, as the spec sheets tally-up with my Pioneer.

I tried to explain it's not all about the spec sheets, but obviously they won't listen, so I now have to trawl throught the sheets to find a reason why the Panny is inferior.

Anyone have any obvious suggestions I can use before I commence my trawl?

Thanks

Well, your Pioneer is top of the spec for the Pioneer range, so you would want at least top of the range of any other TV manufacturer range. With Panasonic that would be the VT not the G, Samsung that would be the D8000 and Sony the 923. I suppose what price you paid will come into it as well. With your Pioneer there was one below it the 4280xd - so I would definitely mention that, that one would be more the G30 not yours.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, unfortunately they seem unable to listen to anything other than "spec". At a quick glance I noticed the speakers in the Panny are inferior, and couldn't see a lineout for a sub, so mentioned that to them and they're looking at the specs again for an alternative..... that was three hours ago!

Mentioning range levels doesn't get through to these people, so have no idea what they're likely to come back with, think this could be a long laborious process.....

 

[BenLaw]

Think of how much money the insurance company is wasting in the time its employees are spending on your one claim, just to save a few quid on giving you an inferior replacement TV :O I feel for you, good luck.

 

[Anonymous]

My thoughts exactly, they probably get away with giving >80% of claimants an inferior set, you'd think they'd be happy with that figure.

Just came back, offered same tv, with an £80 Philips "surround sound" package to make up for the loss of sound.

Failing that they offered me the cash equivilant on a Comet card to go and spend, adding any difference if I wanted to upgrade.

Annoying thing is, the guy I spoke to agrees with me that it doesn't come down to spec sheets, but that's what he's told to do!

Oh well, back to the numbers......

 

[Deleted member 2457]

With the spec and the TV you could argue the black level on the G30 is not upto that of your Pioneer and only the VT30 would give you the same reference level performance, and the tuner on the Pioneer is definitely better than the G30. They were the only two things in terms of performance I could think of other than the sound you have already mentioned.