Strange comment from a sales-person in a B&M store... (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Reckelhoff]

I've been following the Samsung DLP line for several months, in anticipation of an eventual purchase. Recently, while at a Tweeter store (mid-level A/V store), a salesperson spent several minutes talking about the various tv's with me. While we were looking at a 50" Samsung model showing LOTR, I asked about the black levels on the DLP--on that model, and that scene, they were washed out and looked rather bluish-gray. Specifically, I asked whether they calibrate their televisions, and whether that could improve the black level.

His response was that "we don't do that, because we're not smart enough to know what looks best to you". I know this the Best Buy/Circuit City's of the world wouldn't spend time on it, but I was surprised to get that response at an A/V specialty store. I know it's not a high-end chain, but still. Does anyone know if this is the standard practice at Tweeter (i.e., showing tv's out of the box rather than fine tuning the picture)?

 

[Allan Jayne]

I'm not sure about Tweeter.

It may be noted that when several TV sets are displayed side by side, it is desirable to match the overall brightness levels even when using Avia or Video Essentials (100 IRE square). This may be a trial and error issue if no light meter (to measure foot lamberts) is available.

Still, calibrating is better than not calibrating.

Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Paul Pratt]

Howdy,
I work for Best Buy in Indianapolis and before I got promoted I was in the Home Theater area. The Projos and the larger (30"-40") TV's were all calibrated almost every week if they looked off. The Best Buy service people would come in when they got off early to check out all the TV's so they could get a full days pay and tweak out all the TV's that looked "off" to them.

We told people that too. I'm not sure why people at your Best Buy and Circuit City were so afraid to answer that for you.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Did they lower the contrast too, or leave it on torch mode?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

I have to say that I demo'd a Samsung DLP for about 40 minutes at the Mira Mesa Best Buy and there was a big difference in the overall brightness levels on the various HD sets. Nobody had adjusted much.

It does take a good bit of time to adjust these sets so I doubt the stores take the time.

At a nearby Magnolia Hi Fi (now owned by Best Buy), the higher-end televisions in the demo room WERE calibrated, but the units on the floor/shelves were not. The higher end units were a Pioneer Elite and a Panasonic Plasma unit.

The only store that did have all their displays calibrated that I have found was a Cambrige Soundworks in San Ramon. The manager Glen is a ISF Calibrationist so he works with the units between customers.

 

[Brian Schucher]

I think saying that BEst Buy "calibrates" their TVs every week is unlikely. Maybe playing with the controls but surely not calibrating them...

 

[Paul Pratt]

Wow, you people really hate Best Buy don't you.

 

[Bill Lucas]

Paul,

No one "hates" Best Buy. It's just that your service techs idea of calibrating a television and a true calibration of a television are two different things. Best Buy serves a purpose. Inexpensive quasi-pseudo Home Theater for the masses.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Well there is a "www.bestbuysucks.com" where both customers and employees can post about problems. It's fun, but scary reading.

Best Buy offers good prices, but the consumer pays for this because they hire cheap/inexperienced/young sales people.

There is a false perception that the guy standing in the TV department actually knows something about the technology/issues.

I have to repeat my mantra whenever I go into Best Buy:

"I am not the technology cop! I am not the technology cop!"

or else my outrage over the mis-information I hear them saying would cause me to garrot them with a Monster video cable.

Go to Best Buy for the prices, but NOT for the salesmans advice. There are some competent people working there, (even some members of this fourm), but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Roy Moon]

There is a point that seems to be overlooked by most people here. If you go through the extended calibration today, it will be OFF a couple months down the road. Face it cathode ray tubes are constantly changing. And I dont mean they get better with age! As to Samsung DLP. The one we have seen in our shop used special lamp assy and a color wheel (in effect). No convergence and no grey scale. What's to tinker with?

 

[Eric Samonte]

Yeah...Best Buy or CC for that matter is for the masses. We who have more wisdom than the rest take advantage of deals in these stores, most of the time coming in with our minds set on something.
On the idea of being a technology cop, sometimes I just have to hold myself off, almost laughing when a salesman is pouring on his crap on unwitting people. But sometimes I have to interject as most of the time, the crap seems to far fetched and its blatant fraud...

 

[Aaron Cohen]

I hate Best Buy Paul. Their customer service department is horrific and my brother and I were recently accused of trying to steal when we in fact we were not (They told us we "isolated" ourselves in the Box sets aisle right before closing and were glancing left and right to see if anyone was coming, we reviewed the tape with the store manager and with my father there and we were glancing left at right at THE ULTIMATE TOY BOX AND 24 BOX SETS DECIDING WHICH ONE WE WANTED TO GET! Upon leaving and purchasing the Ultimate Toy Box we were told to not bother coming back in here. They ended up giving us each a 75 dollar gift card to shut us up after we were treated like crap and wrongfully accused and harrased around the store. My brother had a fever and was wearing a jacket because he was cold and we were followed several times by employees who said "isn't it a little hot for a jacket there tough guy?" and other crap like that). www.bestbuysux.org should be required reading for any best buy employee stooges who think they can get away with the crap they're pulling. It's all being documented and you will be fired.

 

[Aaron Cohen]