Digital TV update

Since my column on buying a digital TV set ran in the Daily News, I've gotten a lot of e-mail, learned quite a bit that I didn't know, both from readers and elsewhere, and we also bought an HDTV set.

I'll go into all of that soon enough, but for now, I'll just say that we went for the low-priced ($350) Vizio 22-inch model at Costco.

That's pretty cheap. I didn't think that the service and warranty of Vizio and the other relatively unknown TV makers (Olevia and others) were all that great, and this article from the HD Guru confirms that.

However, Costco extends the warranty on these TVs to two years, I'm in the same state as Vizio as far as shipping the thing back (and yes, I am saving the original box in which to do it if needed), and if the set dies within the first 90 days, I can take it back to Costco for replacement.

According to the HD Guru, we should have gone with the Samsung at $479, since it is made by a major manufacturer with more sane warranty, parts and return policies.

I acknowledge that Vizio has a less-than-optimal return and repair policy, but I also realize that in this day and age, things like TVs, especially those costing $1,000 or less, are more disposable than we've come to think. I can't remember the last time I had a TV repaired.

I'm older than you think, and I fondly remember taking the TV to the repairman on Oxnard Street near Woodman Avenue (Phillip's TV, I think it was called -- and the guy's name was Phillip), and he would fix whatever was broken, usually a bad tube.

But since the '70s -- and we're talking 30 years here, I haven't had a TV, VCR, DVD player, piece of audio equipment, or anything else repaired.

So I'm more than willing to save $125 over the Samsung and a) have the TV fit in the space I have, b) gamble that it will last 5 years with no trouble and c) be willing to replace it if it craps out before then.

That said, if you're worried about future repairs (instead of future replacement), I'd go for a name brand, and certainly if you're spending a couple thousand on a TV, you'll want a Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, or something of similar ilk.

But down in the low-priced trenches where I live, anything that replaces a nearly-20-year-old 13-inch Sharp color portable is going to be knock-my-socks-off great. The bar is low, and so far, I'm loving every minute of HDTV.

And I'm comfortable rolling the dice on this, especially with 90 days within which to bring the Vizio back to Costco, should it die in that time period. I'm gambling that if set will make it to 90 days, it stands a very good chance of making it 5 years, and you can't ask for much more (although I'm fairly accustomed to getting it).

Coming up:

• Technical clarifications (thanks readers!)
• I get almost every digital channel out there with RABBIT EARS