Just got HOTTER!! Apex GB-4308 43" TV - $449.99 A/R, Apex GB-5108 51" Projection TV - $799.99

[Greg03]

And the feet shuffling begins... anyone for a wounded APEX child?

> Sometimes, unexpected fluctuations in supply can add time to our
> original availability estimate. We have learned that "Apex GB-4308
> 43" Projection TV" is now back-ordered, and our supplier has not been
> able to let us know exactly when they expect to have more in stock.
> I apologize that you were not notified sooner of this change in
> availability.
>
> We will keep this item on order and ship it to you as soon as we are
> able to obtain it. We will not charge you for it until we ship it
> to you. On the date of shipment, we'll send you e-mail confirming
> the date, contents, and method of your shipment.

 

[Greg03]

doh

 

[Cfour]

Greetings from Amazon.com.

We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items today, and that this completes your order.

Thanks for shopping at Amazon.com, and we hope to see you again soon

Just so people can get an idea, I ordered on Sunday at 10:30 PM... shipped yesterday. Hopefully things will work out for me. =)

 

[Pothead]

Sometimes we end up selling out to save $25 or $50

We aren't saving 25 or 50, we are saving a few hundred.

 

[Cfour]

Originally posted by: Pothead

Sometimes we end up selling out to save $25 or $50

We aren't saving 25 or 50, we are saving a few hundred.

At least $350, closer to $500 at most places selling it for a grand.

 

[JETninja]

Wow, the missinformation that is spread by the ignorant is amazing....


"There is like no HD now....."

Current Summer HD programming:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164671



"Projection TV's are old technology and on the way out" (something like that..)

Currently out of all the Technologies....RPTV, FPTV, LCos, DLP, Plasma......A "Tuned" RPTV has the best and most detailed picture currently possible. 6" CRT's currently put out more Pixels then the other technologys. Tuning is the key though...a properly tuned set is miles away from what you get out of the box. You can get part way there yourself with something like the Avia DVD.....but the way to go is a full calibration by a certified ISF Technician.......often $300-$500.....would you do it on a $400 Apex....probably not....a $2K 16x9 HDTV....if you want to see what a tv can do...yes....depends on the value you place on your Theater.

Happy watching my old tech 55" 16x9 HDTV with little HD. (only got 7 channels right now...oh well.....Ha Ha! NFL, NBA, Baseball, Movies, Primetime, your right....I have no HD! LOL!)

And if dies in 5 years....bummer....I'll get another! I love it!

 

[Kuhlman]

Originally posted by: Cfour

Originally posted by: Pothead

Sometimes we end up selling out to save $25 or $50

We aren't saving 25 or 50, we are saving a few hundred.

At least $350, closer to $500 at most places selling it for a grand.

A grand for a 43" non-hdtv compatiple projection TV is a joke. Frys is selling a 47" HDTV compatible 16x9 projection set for $999.

 

[Herbster]

Originally posted by: JETninja
Tuning is the key though...a properly tuned set is miles away from what you get out of the box. You can get part way there yourself with something like the Avia DVD.....but the way to go is a full calibration by a certified ISF Technician.......often $300-$500.....

Years ago, I bought a three year old Sony XBR from a guy who was champing at the bit to buy a new, larger one. He offered to have it calibrated as part of the deal.

So I give him the money and a few days later I get a call from the Sony service center which was about 15 miles south. Did I have a compass? The tech wanted to know the precise direction the TV would face. That's how exact the calibration was. When the set was delivered, I couldn't believe the picture. Purrr-fect blacks. Spot on skin tones.

Oh how I hated leaving that set behind when I moved out of state. I like my Panasonic 27", but it doesn't compare with that meticulously tuned XBR.

 

[VH2000]

Here's a general help article for tuning/calibrating the TV:

Getting The Most From Your TV


Maybe this will help a little!!

 

[mdcrab]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

I'm going to pass on this for several reasons, none of which I am going to post here

If you are not going to post them here, where are you going to post them?

Just kidding, but sounds like this deal should be avoided, especially after reading thread at Budgy Billfold.

mdcrab

 

[Cfour]

I believe 3 guys over at FW have received them, with most (including myself) getting them early next week. No problems yet. *knock on wood/crosses fingers*

 

[RaiseUp]

I got Free Shipping because they shipped it a day late!!!

 

[Agamar]

So has anybody actually gotten their TV in yet? Mine is still in Memphis.

 

[zenghd]

Originally posted by: Agamar
So has anybody actually gotten their TV in yet? Mine is still in Memphis.

I received mine last Friday. Overall I am very happy about the PQ of this TV. The picture is much darker from 480p input than that from standard composite input (which seems to be true for all other TVs). My dvd player (JVC FA900BK) has an option to adjust the picture characters (gamma/brightness/contrast/color/tint/sharpness etc) so I cranked up the brighness and contrast of the incoming picture. After that adjustment, this TV PQ is very great the picture is very sharp and clear with great details.

FYI: the top of the TV has quite a lot of flat space to put other components, like receiver/dvd player/vcr etc.

 

[Cfour]

GOt mine yesterday... PQ is great, gonna order a new prog DVD player today. Then I'll be tuning it with one of those Aveva (sp?) DVDs to see what difference that will make.

 

[JETninja]

Look for this SV HTT at CC, Fry's, etc....got mine for $14 at Frys months ago. Do not buy the BB version that goes for $30+ with some junk added. If your really into TV's, get the full "Avia" version ($40) but a message (same company makes both) says the $20 one is fine for 99% of users...and includes 5.1 and DTS info. Nice looking Brunette too!

These have many calibration screens, color filters, and more to properly tuneup your TV....I recommended using it on every tv in the house....

 

[RaiseUp]

Can someone post the Optimal settings?

 

[Pavouk]

Originally posted by: canoner

Originally posted by: jvmitche1
While I hesitate to crap on any great deals, I think we all must balance the great deals with the long term consequences. The APEX items, while always a great price, and at times a great product (I have one of the original DVD players, the thing is amazing) need to be weighed in that light. Sometimes we end up selling out to save $25 or $50. Hey, I'm no Free-Tibet, Vegan, Hippie either -- I'm someone just like you who's starting to see the big picture.

The APEX items are manufactured in China, and presently the Chinese government is intentionally depressing their currency in order to make these items cheaper, causing trade deficits to skyrocket and businesses scramble to compete. While I know getting a great deal is part of American culture, so is having decent companies and businesses exist here in the US -- and while almost all electronics manufactuers are not based in the US, many are still based in countries with some semblance of fair competition in capitalism and democracy. While I know choosing something "Made in Taiwan" versus "Made in China" seems like a trivial difference (by the way, that's how bad it is, we have to choose between the lesser of two evils) -- choosing China really is bad news. Beijing's economy is forecast to grow 9-10% this year -- ask yourself how our economy is doing. In the meantime, more jobs and investments are headed there.

"Economists also concur that the tidal influx of goods with bargain-basement prices throws the U.S. economy out of kilter. China, they say, becomes a leading source of American "deflation" - a downward spiral of falling prices that depresses earnings, wages and hiring."

Read up and start opening your eyes and your friends eyes. The media is never going to push this. We all need to wake up and see these scary developments. Don't feel like you can't ever by another Chinese item, or get an awesome deal on a big screen tv, but just be aware and understand what's going on....

http://www.jsonline.com/bym/news/aug03/162995.asp
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030806/wl_nm/economy_china_dc_2
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/dowjones/20030730/bs_dowjones/200307292144001822

First of all, Chinese government is not obligated to appreciate Yuan value, it is not a WTO rule.

Secondly, do you think buying a Panasonic or JVC or Sony that is made in China make any difference?

Thirdly, areyou saying that we should stop buying all Chinese made goods? Do you know how much more expensive living will be?

In a global economy, you do what you are good at, and leave other things to other people. China has a lot of cheap labors that no developed country can compete with. So you leave labor-intesive works to them.

It is not like that US doesn't benefit from China's entering WTO. The American agricutural products put a lot of Chinese farmers out of work.

FYI - SONY 20",27",32" are made in San Diego. 34"36" and rear projection are made in Pittsburgh. Proudly Made in USA. At least for now so to all of you china lovers, see ya in unemployment line.

 

[JeffSpicoli]

In a global economy, you do what you are good at, and leave other things to other people. China has a lot of cheap labors that no developed country can compete with. So you leave labor-intesive works to them.

Solution? Let's lower the minimum working age to 5 and legalize corporal punishment in the States. Then we could compete. Thanks for solving our free trade issues, AYBABTU!

 

[Agamar]

Got my TV in this friday. Been watching it a good bit today. Really good picture for a low end RPTV. Have no problems with viewing angles, and after setting my DVD a little brighter, it looks really good.

 

[Cfour]

Originally posted by: RaiseUp
Can someone post the Optimal settings?

Someone on FW posted these settings:
Brightness - 84
Contrast - 76
Colr - 34
Hue - 50
Sharpness - 100

I tried these settings, they seem to do the job.

 

[flight23]

I think I was the one that posted those settings... and now Ive changed them completely. Go to the 'deal discussion' forum on FW and search for the thread on this apex and read the pages 40-45 or so... using the service manual some of us have altered some of the 'technician settings' for brightness/color etc and it has made a WORLD of difference. Adjusting the convergence correctly also makes a tremendous difference.

If anyone here can figure out what the other options in the service menu do, they will probably help make the picture even better. After all the tinkering Ive done I must say the picture is now nothing short of spectacular for a non-HD projection TV.

 

[cjchaps]

I just got the TV delivered... I plugged it in, and then pressed the power button on the TV itself. The green light came on, but that's about it. Is it supposed to show a picture then, or do you need to use the remote to turn it on? I tried pressing the TV button on the remote, and then the power button on the remote, and I am not getting a picture on the TV? Any help?