Tina
Mishawaka,#2Consumer Comment
Mon, September 15, 2008
Thomson Multimedia is owned and operated the French Government. They purchased RCA brand from GE many years ago. They closed all the plants in the US and moved them to China and Mexico for cheap labor and shoddy manufacturing. My grandfather and 2 great aunts retired from the Marion, IN plant and when they closed the doors 4 years ago and moved the last plant operating in the US to Mexico my dad, 2 uncles and 6 cousins were left out of work. Dad had been there for just shy of 34 years and was the last Thomson employee out of the plant. He was a security guard and had to turn the keys over to the new security company that offered to hire him for less than half of his current wages and less than his unemployment benefits. I know for a fact that for at least 14 months before they closed the Marion plant they were having quality issues with units manufactured in Mexico. So much so that places that ordered the units were refusing shipments that were made in Mexico because of all the issues. What did they do to solve this issue? They took the TV's to the Marion plant and changed the manufacture sticker on the outside of the box to one that said it was manufactured in Marion and sent them back to the company that just returned them. RCA was an excellent brand when it was American owned and operated. GE bought out RCA esentially because they wanted the RCA music and video rights, smart move since those holdings included the rights to many Disney movies and almost all of Elvis Presley movies and music rights at the time. But they sold off the electronics area to Thomson.
Hammsailor
Shorewood,#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, August 28, 2008
My son had the same problem that you have. After removing the power cord and TV back, he removed the bulb and then Googled the manufacturer listed on the bulb. He got a replacement bulb from the manufacturer in Singapore for $150 plus minimal S&H. Don't know the name of the manufacturer, but it's on the bulb and the bulb is simple to remove and replace.
Thomas
Anderson,#4Consumer Comment
Wed, February 27, 2008
Well, OK, maybe not quite.... If you ever find a source for your bulb (I know, I'm being an optimist, here) buy two or three to have a spare or two so you don't shorten your life with more aggravation. Estimate how long you expect to use that set. Start looking for a replacement as soon as you install your (last) spare. A 'direct view' plasma or LCD set might be a better choice next time. Maybe.