PDP-LX508D Non-Review

I know it is neither famine nor death, but to someone who spends most of his time calibrating and reviewing flat panel television, there’s no sadder sight than this:

This is the Pioneer PDP-LX508D I was going to review that’s broken out-of-the-box… now it is the most expensive door step ever. As you can see, the plasma glass has cracked probably due to maltreatment during transport. In case you’re wondering why the screen looks so grey and not as black as a Kuro should be, I had to use camera flash when taking the photo, or else you won’t be able to see the cracks clearly.

This sort of thing – unfortunate though it is – do happen in the real world. So what can you do to protect yourself?

• If you’re unable to inspect the television on the spot when receiving the package (which is most likely to be the case), jot down “Unchecked” beside your proof-of-delivery signature so that you (and the dealer) have some comeback should insurance need to be claimed.
• Buy your television from a dealer who’s known to provide good customer support, even if the price isn’t the cheapest. In my case, I called Tony at TLC Broadcast up, who immediately arranged to send new one out early next week and collect the broken one at the same time. It’s when things go wrong that you discover who cares and who doesn’t.
• There’s a reason manufacturers specify that the box containing the plasma TV should be sat upright during transport: if left horizontal, the sheer weight of the panel could easily crack the glass when the van/ truck goes over a bump.

It’s a real shame, because I’ve been looking forward to running in and tweaking the Pioneer PDP-LX508D (which I expect to be a cracking screen given the past performances of the Kuro plasmas) this weekend. Ah well, a brief respite then…