Need advice on a possible used TV purchase (1 Viewer)

[Robert Elrod]

I have a chance to get a 2.5 year old 65" Toshiba Cinema Series HD-Ready TV. The TV is the standard ratio. The owner just purchased a new widescreen Toshiba and needs to get the other one out of his house. He told me that I could have it for $1200. I know that he is the only owner and that the set is in excellent condition.

Do you guys think that $1200 is a good price?

Thanks for any help,

Robert

 

[Robert Elrod]

I found some more info on the TV Model TP61H95, here is the link...
Link Removed

 

[Matt Stryker]

Honestly, I'd say $900-1000 would be more in line. Its a 4x3 set that does not squeeze 16:9 content without service menu modification, and the other big question is usage. If the guy had the brightness cranked all the way up and watched 3-4 hours of TV a day, the set may not have a lot of life left in it. When you go take a look at the set, check the contrast and brightness settings. If they are up all the way, I'd considerably reduce my offer.

 

[Masood Ali]

$1000 would be my offer on it.

 

[Allan Jayne]

Bring your Video Essentials or AVIA and view all 7 solid color screens running the brightness up and down a bit to check for shadows of logos, "MUTE" or video game lines that may indicate screen burn. Take off the back and poke your head in to inspect the CRT's for brownish stains that may indicate screen burn.
Reject the set if there is screen burn.
Run through some of the other Video Essentials or AVIA test patterns to get an idea of how good the convergence, geometric distortion, overscan, ability (including ease of...) to squeeze the picture to 16:9 optically, etc. In 16:9 mode turn the brightness way down and the contrast way up, and if you see scan lines at the extreme top and bottom of the letterbox bars, you do not have a true optical squeeze and should reject the set.
If there is only one composite jack and only one S-video jack, test to be suer you can view sources on each using the TV remote while both have things plugged into them. Otherwise reject the set.
Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Jack Briggs]

The whole idea of buying a used television doesn't sit well with me--especially a used RPTV that can't collapse the scanning-line raster into a 16:9 window. As you've been told, the current owner could have been running the thing with the white level cranked to the max.