I have a Maxent 42" EDTV that started getting bright blue static interference 14 months after purchase, soon after the warranty ran out. It has a direct coaxial cable input and a DVD/VCR combo connected through composite video. I tested the dvd playback to see that both the cable and dvd signal is affected before calling a Best Buy tech to come out and look at it. He hooked up a different dvd player to test and decreed that my signal board is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced. I called Maxent for a replacement board and the tech on the phone did not beleive the diagnosis - he asked me to set the dvd player on progressive scan, which gave me a clear dvd signal. The cable signal is still messed up. Calling the Best Buy tech again, he didn't seem to know why the progressive scan setting would work and held fast to his determination that it is the signal board and I need a new one. Before I order a new board that may or may not be the problem, can anyone give me any insights on why I am getting these two different views of the issue? I'd like to be as knowledgeable as possible when talking to Maxent again.
Thats a very Hard call, when you have one saying one thing and a company saying another. What did the company say after the DVD worked, what was the issue with the cable signal. Could you have been in the wrong mode for the DVD and maybe you have a bad tuner? See if they the Maxent can answer that one?. See if they can recomend another AUTHORIZED repair place to have a look? Also, see if the Best buy tech replaces the board, and it has the same problem, Are you going to have to eat the board? I would think not, unless the Tech is a fast thinker, and talker, stating there is a secondary problem.. Alot of techs can do this and get away all the time. Good Luck and let us all know the final outcome of this whole drama.
My Maxent is doing the exact same thing. What was the resolution for your issue?
I ordered a new signalboard from Regent USA as diagnosed by their tech support and the tech from Best Buy. Installing it did not help and the picture deteriorated further. At which point, Regent would not refund me for the signalboard which they now deemed "used" and has not offered any remediation for the failure of the product. The only offer they have given is for me to ship the unit at my expense to CA, pay for repair at their factory and pay for return shipping (estimated minumum of $600+) I have complained to the Better Business Bureau and Best Buy, which probably won't gain me anything but the slight satisfaction of adding to their already "unsatisfactory" business rating.
The take home lesson is I will never go with the lower end in major electronics again. The Maxent unit has already cost me more in repairs and hassles than I saved by buying cheap and it chaps my ass more than a little that they have a couple thousand of my hard earned dollars for such poor product quality and service. It's a really shabby company. Next time I go with a respectable name brand.
Best buy should have been able to supply tech support for this unit.
Well, as a former BBY tech I'll take a shot at this.
First off, Maxent is one of the low end line Plasma's Best Buy sells. I would NOT take Maxents techline word on anything due to not knowing just how knowledgable the tech is. Some of those badged manufacturers have a tendency to hire less than knowledgable techs.
By setting the DVD to progressive scan you are bypassing some of the signal processing that upscales a normal non-progressive scan to progressive. Not being 100% familiar with a Maxent, (frankly, most of the Maxents that came into service at BBY got RA'd back to the factory) I'd have to say the problem was probably diagnosed properly by BBY techs. I don't know if that unit has a seperate main/signal processing board and a seperate tuner/AV switching board but if it does here's my diagnosis. If it has the 2 seperate boards it could be on either one. I would've gone with a tuner/AV board as my first guess as well. If it has a single main signal board that handles everything I don't have a clue since you replaced it and it didn't fix the problem.
There's one thing in todays world of digital TV's that is different than in days gone by. Troubleshooting is often a hit and miss guessing game. The architecture and signal flow and processing in todays' Plasma's, LCD and DLP type sets is so far removed from CRT based sets as to be a completely different technology altogether. Symptoms on the screen can be extremely difficult to pinpoint to a circuit without replacing boards to diagnose a problem. As a consumer trying to fix his own set that can get VERY expensive. I think you're quickly finding out that the sets being made today should be left to the pro's to work on.
Unfortunately the PROs are $500 in shipping away. I've given the local Best Buy tech a couple cracks at it and he had no luck. I don't live in a major market so there aren't a lot of tv repair places that I would expect to be able to handle a plasma tv. They are all mom and pop type places.
I can't bring myself to order another component, knowing they'll make me eat that one too if it doesn't work.
Meanwhile it's a very expensive paperweight.
What is so weird is that there is still one connection into my plasma that puts out a perfect picture. My "RGB HV 15 pin" (the input used for computers) still works fine. Meaning I can plug my laptop into the plasma and the picture is fine. If I put a DVD in the laptop, again the picture is fine. Did anyone else have this happen? I am being told I can buy a "RGBHV/VGA - Component Video converter, transcoder, bi-directional " to convert my DVD output into recognizable code for my Plasma via this RGB 15 pin, but it's $400, so DAM!!
Well before you try it, I must tell you that it is very difficult (read $$) to get the DVD or Cable into that RGB 15 pin. I am working on another solution, I will keep you updated. (don't put a whole lot of effort tyring to find a cable that will convert it, they don't exist & if they do I am told they wont convert correctly). My solution is going to involve getting TV into the compter somehow and then sending that signal from the compter to the TV.
Sure those signal converters work but not just cables. this is a small digital converter that cost about 350 to 400 bucks. Read the threads above.
Check the 5V supply and make sure that you actually have close to 5V. Also, please post the exact model number and I'll poke around a bit. BTW, where are you that would yield a $500 shipping charge?
Dan
The model is the Maxent 42 inch EDTV Model #P4202YD04
$500 isn't one-way shipping, it's total estimated from Florida to California and back. The they've advised me I'd see at least a minimum $90 labor charge just for them to open the box ...
I have the exact same model number.
Maxent 42 inch EDTV Model #P4202YD
Also, Cookiepuss, I am actually in CA, who were you going to take you TV to? Maybe I am close enought to drive mine & get an assessmet for us.
I own a Maxent as well and it is making an extremely loud buzzing noise everytime I turn it on. Tried calling Maxent but they said it was within their noise perameters. I refuse to believe that. Anyone know anything about this?
JM, I was told to send it to the factory in City of Industry, California - don't know how close that is for you. How long past the warranty did your picture degrade?
Ofuhginc, I recommend if you are within your warranty period that you start raising a big stink right away - the minute you are out of warranty they stop offering any remediation whatsoever. Don't let them put you off. However, being out of warranty isn't the kiss of death either. I continue to research this and, although they try to convince you that there is no recourse once you are out of warranty, it is simply not true.
Okay, here is my follow up from Best Buy:
"Thank you for contacting Best Buy about your Maxent Television (TV).
I'm Cevin with Customer Care.
We are sorry to hear that you have encountered difficulties with your
television. For the most current information about and assistance with
your manufacturer's warranty, we would encourage you to contact and
work with the manufacturer directly. They are in the best position to
assist you."
So there won't be any remediation from the retailer, who ultimately,
are not the ones I have a problem with anyway. However the position I
take, which some may disagree with, is that it is the responsibility
of a consumer to make their dissatisfaction known when it comes to
product quality, even if it is only added to the retailer's equation
when making future decisions. This is a faulty product and the company seems to have a pattern of saying "sucks to be you" to it's customers.
My response:
"I understand Best Buy's position. I would like to know however, that
my complaint regarding the product quality on the Maxent is
communicated to the appropriate department that handles stock
decisions and what manufacturers and labels to represent at Best Buy.
I have been searching information about the company RegentUSA and have
found that my experience with premature product failure and service
dissatisfaction is far from unique. There may be a better lower-tier
manufacturer that Best Buy
should consider.
I appreciate you taking the time to forward my complaint as
appropriate."
To which I received an immediate and more satisfactory response:
"Thanks again for contacting us. Best Buy strives to provide our
customers with the highest level of service, convenience, and
selection. We take allegations of customer disappointment seriously. We value receiving your comments so we may use this feedback to improve the
shopping and service experience for all our customers.
A formal complaint has been filed on your behalf. Your concerns will
be provided to our management team(s) for review. While most formal
complaints are handled internally, please be assured that your
concerns will be registered and any appropriate action(s) will be
taken to resolve them.
Thank you for sharing your comments with Best Buy. Please do not
hesitate to contact us with additional questions or concerns."
I feel that was an adequate and thoughtful response on their part
under the circumstances - certainly more reasoned and polite than I
have gotten from the manufacturer for their shoddy product. Meanwhile
I am listing the POS "as is" for any electronics whizkids on craigslist and continuing to research my options.
Sounds like a very nice brush off on Best Buys part.
Not surprising though, BBY has a long history of purchasers buying these low grade "Deals" without any thought to what happens when these things start breaking. What's worse is the problems get dumped onto the service department who often doesn't even realize we were even selling this crap. Once the service department starts running into brickwalls as far as parts, service info, technical support, the buyers responsible have usually already transferred somewhere else and the next group on-board usually doesn't care to clean up their mess as they're too busy creating another mess with another badged, junk, cheap discount set to be sold next month.
Seen it waaay too many times in my tenure of 10 years at that place.
Yes, the "certified" technician at Best Buy knew less than my husband, frankly ... but at least it was, as you said, a "very nice brush off" and maybe they will dump Maxent if they get enough complaints like mine and stock a slightly less deficient lower tier brand. The Maxent people were dicks about the whole thing, like I should be happy I got 14 months out of their crappy unit.
I thought if a product was sold in the US, the manufacturer had to provide parts and service for that set and not just in one place?
They have allegedly a certified technician here in town, but he was unable to do a thing with it - my husband had better success tinkering around. I could possibly take it to a Best Buy in a bigger city and hope they have savvier certified technicians, which is really what Best Buy or RegentUSA should have suggested if they were trying to be helpful. But I doubt I'll be able to convince my husband at this point to lug the giant albatross to Jacksonville or Orlando.
Oh so your biggest problem is that your a distance away from a large city. I too am at least 100 or so miles from a large city. the closet thing is a small town with a population of maybe 6,000 or so. One repair shop and they pick and choose what they work on and for who.
Yes, since the Best Buy tech couldn't help me I am SOL. The local repair shops won't touch one of dem newfangled plasmas. The RegentUSA people said the certified tech should have been able to handle it but he has been out twice and gets a vote of no confidence from us each time. It's very likely that even if I could find someone who can figure out what is wrong with it I would spend more in repairs than I would now spend on a superior tv. I'd hate to spend a lot of money on repairs to get another year or so out of it. My impression from other posters here having nothing but trouble with the Maxent is the units are simply poorly constructed.
your first mistake was buying an off brand piece of technology without purchasing an extended service contract!!!
Larry
3/2/10- I have a Mx26x3 purchased at Costco on the warranty card it reads to contact:
I have a 46' Maxent manufactured in 5/2006 and suddenly the picture is awful. The color is very dull and the picture is spotty I can't get it bright enough to watch even at highest setting. Any input on cause or does anyone of a repair man? Thanks
I have a 46' maxent that recently lost brightness and color? It is very black and spotted. Any idea what this could be or who can fix them? Thanks
i just took mine for repair,because the screen flickers.i was told it was the main board,but he didn't show me which one.i see three boards.