Hitachi 61SWX01W 61 in. TV
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- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 16:9 Enhanced
- Weight: 255 lb.
- Screen Size: 61 inch
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Hitachi 61SWX01W Service Dispute
Pros
Fantastic picture with bright color.
Cons
Very heavy. Dispute relating to shipping for needed service.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Excellent if everything is working. Poor if you get caught in a service dispute. Risks involved when purchasing a very new model.
Following is a summary regarding a service dispute I am currently trying to resolve. My journal is approaching five pages at this writing, 4/22/01.
1. I purchased this model from Video Only who gave me a competitive price with an opening bid from eBay. They even trucked the unit beyond their local area at no charge. That was a month ago. Their driver and salesman unloaded the unit at the steps to my front door. The unit is very heavy. My neighbor and I are both pretty big guys but it was very difficult for the four of us to move that set (still in the box) up the curving flight of ten broad concrete steps and through the door.
2. The next morning, after the unit had warmed up for two or three minutes, I heard crackling and popping sounds. They were louder when I turned up the speaker volume. To prevent any possible damage, I turned the volume down to zero and disconnected all audio input to the set. Turns out that this is a new problem with Hitachi but then they admit they don't have much of a history on this new model.
3. I wasted a good two weeks on the first service company who finally admitted to Hitachi that their technicians were not trained on HDTV. I made several calls to Hitachi Customer Support and they contacted a second authorized service company, about 40 miles from my home. This service company sent a technician to the house but he couldn't find the cause of the problem.
4. I made more calls to the service company and to Video Only to see if they could swap out this unit or at least to swap out the audio sub-assembly. Video Only has units of the same model in their warehouse but they want me to pay for a hired (four-man) trucking team. Alternately, the service company will pick up and deliver curb side. They presently have a one-week backlog and they don't know if they will need to wait further for Hitachi parts until they determine the cause of the problem.
5. At this writing, we haven't resolved this service issue. Why should I have to pay anything extra when the problem is a Hitachi malfunction? Tomorrow, I'll call Hitachi Customer Service again and see if they will authorize payment for whatever extra charges are necessary, to include replacement from and to the present location within the house. If the unit must be moved out of the house, I want to swap it for another set. Let Hitachi fix the set on their time, not mine.
UPDATE May 18, 2001
Well, well, well! Hitachi Customer Relations were very interested in giving me good service and even offered to fly one of their diagnostics engineers out to my house from their Illinois office. Didn't happen, though.
Instead: two months from purchase, installation, and reporting the above audio defect, Hitachi DID send the (2nd) local Authorized Service Center (ASC) a brand new audio surround sound board (with a modification). The ASC swapped it out, at my house, in about an hour and everything is fine. Whew!
Hitachi agreed they did not have much history on this new model. I guess that is a risk we consumers must take, right. RO . . .
1. I purchased this model from Video Only who gave me a competitive price with an opening bid from eBay. They even trucked the unit beyond their local area at no charge. That was a month ago. Their driver and salesman unloaded the unit at the steps to my front door. The unit is very heavy. My neighbor and I are both pretty big guys but it was very difficult for the four of us to move that set (still in the box) up the curving flight of ten broad concrete steps and through the door.
2. The next morning, after the unit had warmed up for two or three minutes, I heard crackling and popping sounds. They were louder when I turned up the speaker volume. To prevent any possible damage, I turned the volume down to zero and disconnected all audio input to the set. Turns out that this is a new problem with Hitachi but then they admit they don't have much of a history on this new model.
3. I wasted a good two weeks on the first service company who finally admitted to Hitachi that their technicians were not trained on HDTV. I made several calls to Hitachi Customer Support and they contacted a second authorized service company, about 40 miles from my home. This service company sent a technician to the house but he couldn't find the cause of the problem.
4. I made more calls to the service company and to Video Only to see if they could swap out this unit or at least to swap out the audio sub-assembly. Video Only has units of the same model in their warehouse but they want me to pay for a hired (four-man) trucking team. Alternately, the service company will pick up and deliver curb side. They presently have a one-week backlog and they don't know if they will need to wait further for Hitachi parts until they determine the cause of the problem.
5. At this writing, we haven't resolved this service issue. Why should I have to pay anything extra when the problem is a Hitachi malfunction? Tomorrow, I'll call Hitachi Customer Service again and see if they will authorize payment for whatever extra charges are necessary, to include replacement from and to the present location within the house. If the unit must be moved out of the house, I want to swap it for another set. Let Hitachi fix the set on their time, not mine.
UPDATE May 18, 2001
Well, well, well! Hitachi Customer Relations were very interested in giving me good service and even offered to fly one of their diagnostics engineers out to my house from their Illinois office. Didn't happen, though.
Instead: two months from purchase, installation, and reporting the above audio defect, Hitachi DID send the (2nd) local Authorized Service Center (ASC) a brand new audio surround sound board (with a modification). The ASC swapped it out, at my house, in about an hour and everything is fine. Whew!
Hitachi agreed they did not have much history on this new model. I guess that is a risk we consumers must take, right. RO . . .
