The Internet Speaks Out About RCA Products

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I have an RCA 32" 32v550t xbox ready tv for just a year and no problems right now, but one night something crazy happened. The tv shut off, then turned back on with the screen distorted, and it said the channel I was on was locked. No response from tv buttons, controller, and the POWER BUTTON. I pulled the plug on that one. When I plugged it in, the volume skyrocketed to max and I quickly unplugged it again. I left it off then plugged it back in and no other problems. It's going to suck when this tv goes the way everyone else's has. They are the only one's that make the vport which I love for xbox, but I'm going to be angry if my luck runs out.
Shawn Rhoderick
- Tuesday, December 28, 2004 at 00:28:43 (EST)

Hello. I am eagerly looking for an instruction manual for the RCA SCENIUM HDTV 52" television. Can anyone help me? Thanks.
LAURIE <shrieves3@yahoo.com>
VA - Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 21:55:31 (EST)

If I had done my homework, I wouldn't have bought the RCA 27" Entertainment Series +PiP TV with Guide Plus in 2001. On Christmas Eve 2004, the tv began 'squealing' then there was a loud pop followed by wisps of smoke, then it died. Of course the warranty period expired (1 year Mfgr + 2 years Extended) . I have since purchased a Panasonic; maybe this one will last longer than 3 years!! Yes, RCA is not the company it used to be......
Dissapointed <arelle@canada.com>
ON Canada - Sunday, December 26, 2004 at 14:35:45 (EST)

I am not one to post on any forum however I stumbled upon this site as I was searching for some sort of manual on how to repair my rca guideplus gemstar hunk of you know what television. Yes, I was attempting to fix it myself. Happily it lasted longer than some others but only 3 years????? The interesting thing is the television it replaced was an Orion television that lasted 12 years. I am in agreement and share the sentiments of the other posts, DON'T BUY RCA.
jakebarnes <jakebarnes_29@hotmail.com>
wurtsboro, ny america - Saturday, December 25, 2004 at 17:24:13 (EST)

A friend got a RCA DirecTV satellite receiver which died after 7 months or so. It has a warranty for 1 year, but that is for parts only. The warranty for parts and labor is 90 days. RCA (or the company which actually does the warranty work) will not send the parts out and instead forces you to exchange the unit and pay a fixed fee for labor, which is around $74. The interesting thing is that the MSRP is listed at $49.95 on RCA DRD430RG http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI700057,00.html?, so it costs you more to have it repaired than to buy a brand new unit, although they do not sell it directly. There is only one main part inside the unit, they swap that out and I am sure that the "labor" cost covers all the parts as well, especially based on the listed MSRP. All the fuses are also inside and soldered in, so even if it is the fuse it is not possible for the user to replace it unless they have the skills needed and a soldering iron. They won't even say anything about the fuses because it is so dangerous to open the case. Even if you are a trained technician, they will not send you the parts, because it is so dangerous to open the case. In other words there really is not a 1 year warranty on parts. The nice thing is that I bought a used model on eBay for less than I sold the old broken unit for, for some reason people like the football access card. Yes, I listed that it was broken.
Kemasa <rcaweb@kemasa.com>
CA USA - Friday, December 17, 2004 at 14:10:36 (EST)

We purchased a 32' RCA with all the bells ands whistles in 11/02 and same story as many here. For the past three months the TV will just black out. Today, the it stopped working. When I tried to call RCA about my 2 year warranty, I was put on a waiting list. Does anyone know about a class action suit?
laura <brig57@hotmail.com>
SC - Saturday, December 11, 2004 at 17:13:00 (EST)

Where can you go to SUE these rip-offs
LYLA <sguaby@aol.com>
Bagley, MN USA - Thursday, December 09, 2004 at 14:36:35 (EST)

I FINALLY was able to save up to buy a big screen TV. I went with RCA, because of their name.. BIG MISTAKE!!!! I bought a 56". I didn't use it more than 9 months. It just quit. I took it in and was told it was a manufacture defect.It leaked into the pic tube. I got it in writting. But since it is no longer under warranty. I FINALLY found a number to call, and THAT was a process to track them down, but have just gotten the run around from them... I WANT TO GET THEM!!! I don't care what I have to do to put the word out. DO NOT BUY RCA!!!!!! E-mail me if you have had it with them too THANK YOU FOR THIS SITE! LYLA
LYLA PLATOW <sguaby@aol.com>
Bagley, MN USA - Thursday, December 09, 2004 at 14:32:19 (EST)

WE NEED to get together and do something about this RIP-OFF!!!! I have already talked to an attorney, as I am tired of the rip off and run around.. If interested in doing something rather than just giving up, e-mail me please..
LYLA <sguaby@aol.com>
Bagley, MN USA - Tuesday, December 07, 2004 at 23:14:01 (EST)

I have a 2003 rca -model (27v550t) x-box ready T.V. it plays great for about 25-30 min's then it starts to eathe loos all the color, or it will start to tremble until the picture roll's like it's on out of tune. but the menu screen comes in clear, and the sound still works great. in order to get the pic to come back in i must turn the T.V off and back on. But the picture is still Black/white, unless i let the t.v stay off for awhile the the same process repeats.
joe henderson <hcream32@aol.com>
spartanburg, sc us - Saturday, November 27, 2004 at 14:03:57 (EST)

I have an RCA TV that we purchased in 1996. To its credit, it worked fine for years, and I still don't have any sound or picture problems with it. However, it was clearly poorly and hastily designed. It is a model with a built-in VCR. The VCR quit working after a digital cable box was removed a year ago. It now eats any tape you put in it. The TV also has no menu button, so I can't reset my TV to the type of service our local cable company offers if you don't use a digital cable box. So I pay for 70 channels, but only get about 10 because there is no menu button to reset the TV. There also is no pause button. Not that that matters anymore, since the VCR quit working. Back in the day I think RCA was a good company..I used to have an RCA TV older than I was..it even had an old fashioned knob on it..and it worked great. I dunno wth happened to the company, but i'll be sure never to buy another RCA.
Julie
USA - Saturday, November 27, 2004 at 00:43:45 (EST)

It seems pretty clear after reading all these other complaints that, RCA sells pieces of shit to everyone. I also purchased a 32" Guide Plus Gold Gemstar piece of fucking shit that only worked for less then 2 years! What an unbelievable waste of money RCA,s products are, I also purchased a DVD player at the same time and it doesn't work anymore either!! I bought a VCR, DVD and the TV all at the same time and the only thing that works is the VCR and it is getting ready to die as well. I don't care if RCA starts giving hteir crap away, I will never have another RCA junk box in my home. I hope the management and quality control assholes at RCA burn in hell for ripping people off out of their hard earned cash.
MCoppola <mcoppola@socal.rr.com>
Chatsworth, Ca USA - Monday, November 15, 2004 at 21:29:13 (EST)

Hi everyone, Okay my story, I bought an expensive RCA entertainment series PIP tv with Guide Plus Gold. What a piece of junk, I have tried everything to make it work properly, but it keeps muting and flashing to the audio menu and just making me nuts. I don't know how to fix it. I Thougth if might be the remote, but it isn't, then I thought maybe it was the receiver, nope, it is the fucking t.v. What a piece of crap. Never will I buy RCA shit AGAIN EVER!
Cynthia Solares <bluecar@sbcgloblobal.net>
Little Rock, AR USA - Saturday, November 13, 2004 at 22:18:27 (EST)

I read these testimonials about RCA products, and I come to one conclusion. We are not alone. I bought a 32 inch RCA home theater, with Guide Plus (gold edition). It has the PIP and oodles of interesting features. The story starts with me going to the Brick and buying it for $1,500. I got it home and within 5 minutes of being in my living room, the picture went through every colour of the spectrum and then stopped at BLACK. I contacted the Brick right away, they told me to bring it back and they would give me a new one. The second one worked perfectly... for the first year. Now it produces a snowy image for channels 2 through 8 and it has horrible speaker problems, where the sound is distorted and there is nothing physicly wrong with the speaker cones. Occationaly I will see shadows in my image and a purplish ghost next to the speakers. What drives be totaly crazy is the fact that the TV is now discontinued and RCA wont even talk to me about my problem. The service tech just shakes his head and says "It's discontinued... I dont know how to help you" RCA is the biggest joke ever. I will definately buy a sony or a panasonic next time.
E. Sherman <emds@telus.net>
Slave Lake, AB Canada - Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at 01:23:40 (EST)

We purchased a TRU flat 27" RCA. The picture went within two months of purchas. It is going to take 4 weeks for the shop to get the part to fix my TV. No one wants to give me an answer as to why. My guess is they are using the Pony Express to deliver products. I'll never buy another of their products.
Nicole Spring <mitchellsmommy@shaw.ca>
FORT MC MURRAY, ON Canada - Monday, November 08, 2004 at 22:05:02 (EST)

Bought a RCA camcorder for our honeymoon. Tried and tried to download digital pics to teh computer, and it doesn't work. Service Center says to buy a new cable, so I bought one. It doesn't work either. Now they say, "Oh well". They SUCK a BIG ONE>
David Clark <DSClarkLaw@netzero.com>
Hickory, NC USA - Sunday, October 31, 2004 at 19:39:22 (EST)

I BOUGHT A DIGITAL CAMCORDER CC9360 ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I DONT USE IT MUCH BECAUSE IT HAS VERY POOR PIC AND SOUND I CANT DOWNLOAD PICTURES AND CANT FIND ACCESSORIES PAID 450.00 ITS A PICE OF SHIT !!!! LIKE OTHERS I WILL NEVER BUY A RCA PRODUCT AGAIN
JESSICA <JESSYANDDANNY02@JUNO.COM>
CA USA - Saturday, October 23, 2004 at 02:10:12 (EDT)

i have a 32 inch RCA COLORTRAK tv that the channels keep cutting out but everything else works fine i was wondering if anybody knows how to fix this problem
Dylan <guintman502003@yahoo.ca>
edmonton, alberta - Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 18:26:08 (EDT)

I had a RCA T.V.for only 2 years,after the first 3 months,my t.v.went out.They fixed it.But after the 2 year it no longer works.I will never buy one again...On a fix income I did't expect this to happen.
N-Anderson <littlegranny1124@yahoo.com>
- Monday, October 18, 2004 at 12:49:09 (EDT)

I have a 32 inch RCA model 32V550T that I bought on Dec 23, 2003. Not even after 1 month of owning it the picture startedshrinking in and out, started making a horribe loud noise, and then just cut itself off. I put it in the shop, they replaced fuses and wires and it seemed fine for a month! Then it started again, back to the shop where they told me nothing was wrong with it. Now here we are again and now when you turn it on the picture cuts off after a second. Back to the repair shop again. RCA customer service has been very rude and ignores the fact that there is a very severe problem with this tv. I bought it from my power company who's own floor display unit does the same exact thing. RCA refuses to replace it and my warranty is just about out. I really believe with all the complaints and problems that a class action suit should be filed. I would be the first in line. RCA sucks!!!
Tricia <hottiangelbabi23@hotmail.com>
Wilmer, AL USA - Friday, October 15, 2004 at 20:21:15 (EDT)

Great site here. Just acquired a 1986 26" RCA Colortrak that I found sitting beside a dumpster near my residence. A sign taped to the screen said "Works" and the remote was included. Brought it inside after some deliberation and indeed it does work and quite well. Previous owners obviously took good care of it as there is little wear on the housing and it merely required a bit of dusting. Would be interested in more information about it. Apparently, RCA made some good TV's back in the day but I agree the quality has suffered greatly since then.
GL <kurosio40@yahoo.com>
- Wednesday, October 13, 2004 at 09:04:43 (EDT)

Hi to All, I was just reading all of your comments on http://www.netnoise.com/boycott_rca We too bought an RCA 27" TV Model# F27442 and paid a pretty penny for it. A few months after plugging it in we started experiencing temporary blackouts. We were on satalite so figured the problem was there and just waited for it to come back on. After all, it was a brand new TV, what could possible be wrong with it? Cable was finally installed down our street (dirt road). After switching we experienced the same blackout problems that were lasting longer or not coming back at all. Mother in-law was coming so we boxed the RCA up, put it in a closet and bought an Orion. It has worked fine. So now it's a year later and we are closet cleaning. After plugging the RCA in, getting sound but no picture I got on the internet for info. I called RCA at (580) 634-0151. and found out that a class action suit had been filed with respect to this model, I was given this number to call (800) 876-2934 . This 'recording' gave me the following information. The suit has been settled on May 24 2004 The deadline for filing claims has passed for information contact: Class Council Micheal J Flannery David Danny DANIF Law Firm PC 8235 Forsyth Blvd Suite 1100 St Louis, MO 63105 I have seached several look-up sites as well as reverse look-up sites with no luck in finding a phone number. Althought we legally purchased and registared our set, we never recieved any notice of a class action suit and never saw an advertisement for one. I don't know if all of us together can do anything about this, but it's got to be worth a try. If any of you find out anything further Please email us at Gilligan@triad.rr.com Thanks very much and Good Luck to all of us, Greg and Theresa in North Carolina
Greg and Theresa <Gilligan@triad.rr.com>
NC USA - Monday, October 11, 2004 at 18:45:21 (EDT)

Sounds like those of us who own RCA's have simular stories. Our set costs us 1,000 every time it requires repairs, which seems to be once a year. The set is now experiancing power problems, sounds like a vcr in rewind, loud noise, unit turns it's self off/on but never powers on fully. Speakers went out last year but we decided to use external speakers to save the repair bill. Guess it is time to fork out money on a new product, you can bet it WILL NOT be an RCA!!!!!
Jay <JayBoy@hotmail.com>
AZ USA - Monday, October 04, 2004 at 12:00:25 (EDT)

I bought an RCA D52130 HDTV about a year ago. Worked great up until the time we got cable and come to find out the cable connection is bad. Of course you are asking why didnt you notice sooner. Well the answer is be cause the first year we had satellite and the S-video and RCA (how ironic) jacks worked good so no need to try the cable jack. Well now the 1 yr warranty is over and so I am left with the decision of getting it fixed or not. I called several places and the minimum charge for service is $90.00 plus any parts. I guess I will be watching through my VCR which works great by the way. If I need to record something I will do it upstairs. Great site
Russell S.
Brandon, MB Canada - Tuesday, September 28, 2004 at 11:42:52 (EDT)

(HD61W140) I BOUGHT THIS TV IN DEC OF 2002. IN MARCH OF 2003 THE TV WENT BLACK AND NO PICTURE.SAME PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT ON THIS WEBSITE, CALLED RCA AND IT TOOK THEM 4 MONTHS TO FIX MY TV. TONIGHT I AM EMAILING YOU THIS PROBLEM CAUSE IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON SEPT 24 2004. THE SAME RESISTOR ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD BURNED UP. SAME PROBLEM I HAD IN MARCH OF 2003. NOW I HAVE TO DEAL WITH GETTING THIS FIXED WHEN IT SOUNDS LIKE AN RCA PROBLEM WITH THE TV. FOR THIS TO HAPPEN TWICE ON A $4000 TV IS RIDICULOUS.SAME PART THAT WENT OUT TWICE, FISHY HUH? MAY BE WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE CAUSE I AM GONNA WRITE A LETTER TO RCA. I DONT FEEL THIS IS MY PROBLEM. NICE TV JUST WISHED IT WORKED. I WILL NEVER BUY THEIR PRODUCTS AGAIN.
SCOTT DIVINE <SDIVINE@HTS-TX.COM>
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78260 - Sunday, September 26, 2004 at 03:22:35 (EDT)

I have the same problem picture went black and tv died out. If you ask me, this sounds like a class action law suit. With the amount of people I have seen with the same problems and no one is getting a response from RCA. This could be a call back for repair and we should not have to pay for the cost of repair.If we get a large amount of people to be willing to persue this it sounds to me we have a case. Please respond via-email. Help me fight RCA and getback what's rightfully yours! A GREAT TELEVISION!
Diana Quinones <obe1990@msn.com>
Lowell, MA USA - Sunday, September 19, 2004 at 08:39:42 (EDT)

I bought a 32-Inch RCA TV at Circuit City and is nothing but junk. The stupid thing shuts off unexpected and most of the time I can't get it to stay on for even a minute. I called RCA because I bougtht it 2 months ago, they referred me to an authorized repair specialist, this guy checked it say my antenna is the problem. He says that my power antenna does not provide a strong-enough signal for the TV. My reply is, why did it work fined in the first month and why does it shut off with the DVD as well? DVDs DON'T USE ANTENNA SIGNALS!! I went on the web to see if other had similiar problem, it turns out many more people are having the same problem. In the mean time, I have no TV until the repair person finds out what the problem is (I'll have to give him the solutions others made). Thanks for reading guys
Carlos <cdomino@hotmail.com>
Fresno, CA Fresno - Saturday, September 11, 2004 at 12:52:29 (EDT)

For our honeymoon my wife and I bought a RCA CC6384 Camcorder 2 years ago. We have only used it twice for a total recording period of less then 4 hours. An error message of E04 appears on the display screen. I have done the RCA website manual review and troubleshooting, only to be redirected to a RCA auth servie agent. I have been to two with no help. The authorized agents look as if they have better things then to diagnose then my problem. "Just leave it here and I will give you an estimate, By the way deposit $45 for the estimate which will be applied to the total cost." EXCUSEEEEE Me, money for doing their job. When I go and get my car estimate for repair does the mechanic require a deposit? So, I asked if the estimate is greater then the value, do I get my DEPOSIT back...The answer is NO, and the AUTHORIZED AGENT then tells me that the $45 would then be considered a fee for the estimate. I have called RCA, been to 2 agents and called a third. I will no longer buy any RCA product.
joe hay <jhay1234@yahoo.com>
Miami, fl - Wednesday, September 01, 2004 at 17:56:36 (EDT)

i found an rca big screentv on its side outside a residence here in my home town i thougt i would use it for parts after connecting it to a sat system and reprogramming it the tv performs surprising well (considering some one kicked the screen in)has excellent color contrast and tint the wodden cabinet has a few scars other than that the tv works this one was american madein the late 1990s im happy and it was free
charles mcclelland <charles8869@aol.com>
statesville , nc usa - Monday, August 30, 2004 at 00:30:19 (EDT)

Bought an HD61W140 January 2004. Worked OK for about five months and then poof! The local RCA authorized service center has been in various stages of repairing the set for the last two months. It's true that RCA is unreachable. I'd like to be able to just talk with a live person about the problem and see what the hold up is. I see problems with the service center (no proper test equipment, no idea of what a modern consumer wants out of their HD set) and RCA not having parts on hand. I fixed TV's in a shop for years and I had to tell the service man how to access the service menu! Good thing I bought the four year extra warrantee. I bought this set because my 35" RCA TV worked great for the last 15 years. If RCA is going to survive they need to take care of their customers! Oh, by the way my 61" still isn't fixed!
Erik <e_thorsen@hotmail.com>
Poulsbo, WA USA - Wednesday, August 18, 2004 at 16:31:16 (EDT)

I bought a mp3 player the rd1075 it worked fine fopr about two months then it started to loose sound quaitly then the head phones when out and now it doesnt work at all and i dant have the recipt so i cant send it in for repair Thanks a lot rca you suck!
patrick <Speer320@hotmail.com>
vancouver, wa usa - Tuesday, August 10, 2004 at 17:39:34 (EDT)

I purchased a HD61W140 back on 04/23/03. I started doing some research after I bought it and found there were problems with the HV splitters. I just kept my fingers crossed. But alas, mine crapped out on 04/06/04. It has now been four months and I still don't have my tv back. RCAs policy is to deem the product unrepairable before they replace it. Four months of trying to repair it, wouldn't that justify unrepairable? I have another RCA tv that has worked flawlessly for the last six years, which was one of the reasons I bought this one. My advice, research, research and reasearch befor buying any big ticket electronics.
Tod Golden <mcgoldenx_1@yahoo.com>
hugo, mn - Friday, August 06, 2004 at 09:38:40 (EDT)

purchased 31" RCA tv 3/02, picture tube just went out. just over 2 years old! warranty expired in march!!!!!! 4 month ago
deb <broeker.1@osu.edu>
columus, oh usa - Friday, August 06, 2004 at 08:31:48 (EDT)

My RCA 38" HDTV (F38310 DTV306GCB) just died. I've had it for about 16 months. First, it switched from input to input uncontrollably, and then it went off and I couldn't turn it on again. My TV repair guy said that I should have gotten the extended warranty because he's noticed a significant decline in TV quality across the board in the past few years due to manufacture in Mexico, like my set. I am dreading the cost of repairing this.
K. Brewer
- Wednesday, August 04, 2004 at 15:14:55 (EDT)

We bought a 32" Proscan TV that looked great at Circuit City. Unfortunately it was zero in reliability - the sound conked out in no time. Sure it was still under warranty (the first time) but my wife and I had to lug the 100# set out of the house and into a truck; then drive 50 miles to the nearest authorized service center. Then a week later had to retrieve TV. The next time the sound gave out, it wasn't under warranty so it was the same process plus a $150 bill to pay. We have another RCA TV (slow learners) that is equally poor - periodically the screen gets snowy requiring the viewer to turn it off and on to restore the picture. Never buy RCA and don't buy French products!
Roger Hoff <rd_hoff@bellsouth.net>
Winchester, TN United States - Wednesday, August 04, 2004 at 10:05:40 (EDT)

This is exactly how my 1991 31" ColorTrak2000 works!!! I found that if I leave the back loose, I can reach inside with a wodden stick and hit the ceramic resistor where the power supply comes in from the plug. I don't know how I found that to be the 'sweet spot', but it works like a charm. The TV plays DVDs so beautifully, it's a shame to trash it just because it acts like it wants to blow up... jf - Wednesday, July 28, 2004 at 15:52:32 (EDT)
jf
- Wednesday, July 28, 2004 at 15:53:48 (EDT)

Our family bought 2 RCA tvs in April2004. One was a Rca 52'inch Scenium and a 32 inch. BOTH of them never worked right from day one! The built in dvd player in the 52' inch would not play DvDs right. The 32' inch the picture would flucuate in and out and it would kick off by itself. It was like the screen was getting readt to explode. The localplace we bought them from replaced both tvs. The big screen 52' works fine but now the 32'inch does the same exact thing and we haven't even had it a month. I WILL NEVER BUY RCA PRODUCTS NEVER AGAIN! And I will advise anyone else not to either!!!!! Parthena Bartley <sodapop_75@yahoo.com> McDowell, Ky USA - Friday, July 23, 2004 at 15:04:31 (EDT) This is exactly how my 1991 31" ColorTrak2000 works!!! I found that if I leave the back loose, I can reach inside with a wodden stick and hit the ceramic resistor where the power supply comes in from the plug. I don't know how I found that to be the 'sweet spot', but it works like a charm. The TV plays DVDs so beautifully, it's a shame to trash it just because it acts like it wants to blow up...
jf
- Wednesday, July 28, 2004 at 15:52:32 (EDT)

I just stumbled onto this site while agonizing over throwing out, or repairing my old RCA XL100 which has been working flawlessly for 16 years until it finally crapped out a few weeks ago. The picture tube seems as good as the day I bought it in 1988, but the remote control/power unit seems to have died. Apparently, this is another case of a good company being bought out and ruined by the new owners. I have been amazed how well this TV has performed. I will certainly think long and hard before buying a new RCA though.
kim <T0300@aol.com>
- Tuesday, July 27, 2004 at 05:19:52 (EDT)

In my university dorms, there is an old 1991 RCA projection television that is still running strong after all these years. It is on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and has been abused. It appears that it has never been repaired before. Very incredible
Walter Chan
- Sunday, July 18, 2004 at 23:06:25 (EDT)

I thought I would go All American made. WRONG RCA is JUNK!!!! JUNK!!!! JUNK!!!! I Purchased what I though a high quality RCA television w/VCR built in, within 1 year it stopped working. Before that I purchased what I thought was a high quality RCA DVD player, it has stopped and froze up during a movie for the last year. I have a 36" RCA Television, I'm just waiting for that to show it's true quality.
Jenny <jgrimes@worldnet.att.net>
Cicero, IN United States - Thursday, July 15, 2004 at 21:27:37 (EDT)

I used to work in a TV repair shop and fixed a lot of RCA sets..problem is the tuner...it's built-in the main chassis and so it's hard to repair. All other sets have a tuner that is easily removed and replaced..but not RCA! In the old days these sets would last 20 years or more. I have a good one that's maybe 15 years old. The components used were high quality not the cheap capacitors etc. that we have now.
brian <briangetmail@yahoo.com>
monterey park, ca usa - Thursday, July 08, 2004 at 22:54:57 (EDT)

Go to RCA.com and click on "Become a Dealer". That opens up to allow you to make comments. Kinda hidden huh?
Mark
Baltimore, MD USA - Wednesday, July 07, 2004 at 21:38:36 (EDT)

To send an e-mail to RCA you need to go to the RCA.com and choose "Become a Dealer" (oddly enough) and you can send them e-mail there. That is the only place on their site I found that you can send comments. The customer service area redirects you in a loop with no where to make a comment. So.....there ya go. Have at it and good luck to you all.
Disappointed
Md - Wednesday, July 07, 2004 at 21:36:21 (EDT)

It is impossible to speak to a PERSON at RCA...only pre-recorded directions that are worthless, and their website has constant tech problems. I need suggestions for repair on my RCA camcorder. Any suggestions? I will NEVER purchase RCA products again!
Dorothy <magicdragondb@webtv.net>
Diamondhead, MS US - Wednesday, July 07, 2004 at 01:57:57 (EDT)

I had just received my set back from the repair facility. We had to call the facility every week just for them to tell us that the repair items are on back order, and it will be another week- and this went on for 6 weeks. RCA would announce the date of shipment, and then reset a new delivery date. The set works very well, just like it did prior to the failure. It also cost me $388.00- to have the high voltage splitter and associated items replaced. Hopefully this will be the end of this issue-
Sean Avner <savner@columbus.rr.com>
Delaware, OH USA - Monday, July 05, 2004 at 08:44:08 (EDT)

I bought an RCA Scenium TV in 2002. In 2003, it shut off and wouldn't come back on, but it was still under manufacturer warranty. The tech advised I get a GE warranty. My credit card company extended my warranty for year two, and GE said extending in 2004 would be no problem. Now GE says they've never covered HDTV, and no one else will write a warranty (including Thomson) because the TV is two years old. Does anyone know a company that will cover this?
Anne Brady <richanne2@cox.net>
Phoenix, AZ USA - Thursday, July 01, 2004 at 18:01:05 (EDT)

Well, my RCA product is my boombox, and this forum seems to be really TV-focused... but have no fear, all, because the boombox sucks too. It was a $150 boombox, sent it back to be replaced no less than three times because the tape deck doesn't work, and guess what... still doesn't work. I just got sick of sending it back, and couldn't get a refund for it. What a piece of *##$! Anyway, as a result of this experience, I will never, ever buy anything electronic made by RCA again. They are truly a terrible company.
erin s <dandykins@yahoo.com>
St. Paul, MN USA - Wednesday, June 30, 2004 at 16:27:34 (EDT)

No more RCA for me, Model P61310 died after 1 year, took 4 months to try to repair it, RCA replaced ste with Model HD61W144, died after 1 year, dealed said RCA has a 25% failure rate on its products. I was told by customer service that I have bad luck and that there was no problems with their product.
JACK F. PEACO <hijack644@hotmail.com>
KINGMAN, AZ United States - Monday, June 28, 2004 at 20:30:53 (EDT)

I have just got an 19in rca tv from walmart about 6 months ago. the other night the remote stoped working (due to the kids and dog dropping it.) on the tv is stucked on one channel with the volume turn on low and nothning works...i called rca people and told me to unplug for a hour...I did it for on day and still dont work..please advise anyone out there.....
lori russell <lorussell@mycbsmail.com>
pismo beach, ca usa - Thursday, June 24, 2004 at 14:58:57 (EDT)

I have worked as a TV tech and fixed a lot of RCA tv's, so know what you're talking about. Problem is they decided to bulid the tuner into the chassis. Every other company makes the tuner a unit by itself that can easily be replaced but not RCA! It just seems like a complex set to me and there is special test items needed to work on it.
brian <briangetmail@yahoo.com>
LOS ANGELES, CA USA - Thursday, June 24, 2004 at 13:16:20 (EDT)

I forgot to say in my previous post that I'm still in the process of tring to get a responce from RCA and I will post the end of my story. Maybe forwarding this site to rca tech help will get a responce.
Rod <joe111@aol.com>
mansfield, oh usa - Monday, June 14, 2004 at 18:27:14 (EDT)

I just want to be the next one to add my story. RCA 52in HDTV, model D52130 (15 Months). Called the repairman, because my TV turned off one day and never turned back on. He said about $400 dollars if he can fix the existing board and $800 dollars if he needs to get a new one. I picked my brand of electronic equipment about fifteen years ago and it was RCA-- VCR's, DVD players and when direct TV gave out RCA receivers I was happy, but none of the good performance can fix a $1800 dollar screwing, that seems to be all to common. Even if I saw this site prior to buying my big screen I would not have believed it. Oh well live and learn!!! Now I know why I got a good deal about $400 dollars less than comparable products at that time, they new I would have get a new Power Supply, about $400!!! CRAP
Rod <joe111@aol.com>
mansfield, oh usa - Monday, June 14, 2004 at 18:14:01 (EDT)

I have an RCA F35760MB with a bad flyback (high voltage) transformer. After 6 weeks of being told the part was on backorder because it is in such high demand, they now tell me the part is discontinued. Customer relations is a joke. RCA should stand for Really Crummy Attitude. Does anyone know a substitute or a parts rebuilder that does this. WHERE DO I FIND THE LAWYER DOING THE CLASS ACTION? Paw's pissed.
Larry Provost <larryprovost@earthlink.net>
Croton, NY US - Friday, June 11, 2004 at 13:15:13 (EDT)

I totally agree with the rest of these stories. RCA should be sued and all of the TV's be replaced!!! We have a ProScan 60in. TV and it has been in the shop for 3 weeks(this time). The part they need is a tripler. It's a 1997 model. We have already spent 500.00 on this thing. We deserve some money back!! It has already been repaired twice. For the same thing, TV going off and not coming back on. The first time it did it, we got it repaired and it worked fine. Second time, humming noise coming from it. This last time, the TV went off and never came back on. RCA sucks!!! If anyone has any suggestions, please help!!!
Amy <mrsdp503@hotmail.com>
Kernersville, NC USA - Wednesday, June 09, 2004 at 20:04:17 (EDT)

I bought a small 13" combo TV/VCR in December 2003. It lasted until May, 2004. A repair service told me the transformer had gone bad and I would have to pay about $100 for the labor to repair it - that only the parts were under warranty. That's about what I paid for the darn thing. I tried calling and calling several different numbers at RCA/Thompson - both toll-free and toll calls to Oklahoma or wherever. Could not get to talk to a live person. Kept getting recordings. I agree that lawsuits should be filed in every state. I hope an attorney reads all these complaints and initiates the action.
H.C.
Morris County, NJ USA - Saturday, June 05, 2004 at 20:59:53 (EDT)

I have an RCA CTC 5 color console that died after only 48 years of service. That really tees me off; I do wish RCA would learn to build television sets properly!
fred <frederickpreston@mail.com>
Glen Burnie, Md USA - Tuesday, June 01, 2004 at 20:52:41 (EDT)

We had the MM52100 for 1 year and 3 months- 7 months of that was trying to identify the intermittent on-off condition by various electricians and the power company(suggestion that the issue was my home power supply), and by certified repair facilities. Finally, the conclusion was drawn that the tv was unrepairable, and the 52w140 was delivered in exchange(through multiple conversations with customer service as well as letters to the BBB, and the Attorney General). Now a year and 3 months later, that exchange unit emitted sparks and smoke filled my great room. I unplugged the unit and moved it away from the wall, all the while my wife and kids choking from the smoke and smell, and I can see glowing embers through the backside of the set. Instead of dousing it with water, causing further damage not only to my set, but also to the other electronics I have on that wall, I removed the rear cover with a torx bit and cordless drill. I took a damp rag and picked up the glowing remains of a resistor, and also smothered the area on the circuit board from where it came from. That resistor is the R14705, which from the information I have read on the internet, this is a very dangerous failure and has the potential to become a major fire hazard. Tomson electric has stated that due to my removal of the back cover, they can't assist me with repairs, unless parts are unavailable for the unit. It would appear quite obvious that no one at Thomson owns a 52w140 that had almost caught their home on fire, and during this watching their family choke and gag from the smoke and that horrible 'burning electric' smell. They showed no sympathy or empathy, and I believe this company has absolutely no standards, ethics, or morals. Do they even have a mission? Are they even remotely concerned about what they look like in the public eye? 5-19 my unit will be picked up from my house to got to a repair facility, and I will follow up with results upon receiving them.
Sean Avner <savner@columbus.rr.com>
Delaware, OH USA - Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 05:44:29 (EDT)

I AGREE THAT RCA IS AN AMERICAN NAME AND IT IS DISSAPOINTING THAT THE FRENCH OWN IT. I HAVE BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR MANY YEARS NOW. IF YOU HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH RCA PRODUCTS, YOU MAY WANT TO BLAME THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THE EQUIPMENT MORE THAN THE EQUIPMENT ITSELF. RCA IS BY FAR THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY. THEIR PRODUCTS ARE USER FRIENDLY AND EASILY REPAIRED WHEN THEY HAVE TROUBLES. THERE ARE OTHER GOOD PRODUCTS OUT THERE BUT SONY IS CERTAINLY NOT ONE OF THEM
JOE RIZZO <TVFAM@YAHOO.COM>
WEST PALM BEACH, FL USA - Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 22:26:05 (EDT)

I bought an RCA 61" P61310 in April of 2002, the Power supply went out in October of 2003, after 5 months in the repair shop RCA replaced the TV with a Scenium HD61WI40, I received the tv on April 8 of 2003. The power supply just went out on that one yesterday May 12, 2004. I called RCA and I was told that the warranty was off, I would have to pay for the repair, they said they didn't show any problems with the sets. I'm writing their Review Board to see what they will do. I believe this is also my last RCA product.
JACK F. PEACO <hijack644@hotmail.com>
KINGMAN, AZ United States - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 18:23:15 (EDT)

I'm glad I'm not alone. In the past 8 years I've gone thru 4 RCA televisions, 1 personal CD player and now the home theater system only half works. The life of an RCA prouct seems to be no more than 2 years. I'm going to try customer service and hope I have better luck than those in this list of stories.
Bob <rwh1948@yahoo.com>
Bristol, CT Hartford - Saturday, May 08, 2004 at 14:14:12 (EDT)

I have an RCA Dimensia that I bought in 1987. It was an expensive set back then and I would like to know I parts can be found for it. I need to replace the entire chassis with a rebuilt one if they are still available. It has many problems, tuner no longer works, and it keeps going on and off. I'd trash the set but it's a keep sake. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
Pat Ryan <patrick_ryan@webtv.net>
St. Louis, MO - Tuesday, May 04, 2004 at 05:52:10 (EDT)

38 month old 52 inch HDTV monitor and it and won't turn on. A fuse is blown on the board. You replace it and it pops. The service tech says the repair will run between $300 and $500. Ouch. Wish I had bought a Sony. Consumer reports says RCA has the worse repair record at 22%. Sony is best at 8%.
WRS <wslabey@wideopenwest.com>
Canton, MI USA - Monday, May 03, 2004 at 19:33:34 (EDT)

I bought a 52" HTDV model 52100 on Feb 20, 2001 for $1711. 90 including tax and delivery. When new, the picture was great for the first year but has since deteriorated. Today, or 38 months since purchased the HD TV monitor, I returned home from a weekend trip and the damn TV won't turn on. Yes, it is plugged in. Yes, I had it protected by a surge protector. I even replaced the power cord with a new cord. Now I have to call a service tech since the warranty is expired and pay him a $100 or so to probably tell me the TV is bad. I am getting fed up with big screen TVs and RCA in particular. At least the last Misusbishi I had lasted 7 years before the transformer failed and none was available for repair. But this is ridiculous. I have had other problems with Thomson products when I was using DirectTV units they produced. They would burn up regularly.
Bill S. <wslabey@wideopenwest.com>
Canton, MI USA - Sunday, May 02, 2004 at 18:30:17 (EDT)

My family purchased the RCA FKC2600E. It's the black television featured here. http://www.cedmagic.com/museum/dimensia/fkc2600-1.html It's currently about 20 years old, the poor thing has been through hell, and we only needed to get it fixed once. It's been used damn near everyday since it was purchased, minus the service time, and people still compliment on the picture quality and extra features. Glad my parents wait to buy a new tv later on in life...
Melissa <mdistaul@eden.rutgers.edu>
New Brunswick, NJ USA - Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 00:14:28 (EDT)

I purchased RCA 52" HDTV (mm52110) one & half years ago. It quit working so I contacted RCA authorized service center. They took parts of my tv 2 diferent times made 3 trips to my home. Two months later after several calls they put it back together. Told me 3 tubes were bad after I paid $400.00. They said the tubes would be at least $600.00 + labor. They told me to contact RCA & demand they replace the tubes. Tech said it was circuit protected & it failed to work. RCA told me it was to late they guid line to follow. All I wanted was the tubes I think a tube should last more than year & half.PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE ANY RCA PRODUCTS THEY CRAP!!!!!!!!! PS. Customer support is even worse. 4/19/2004
Tom <klt1522@zoomtown.com>
New Richmond, OH USA - Tuesday, April 20, 2004 at 01:15:55 (EDT)

I bought RCA 52" HDTV (mm52110) a year and half ago. It stop working I called RCA authorized service center. It took 3 trips to my home & 2 months to get it back. Then when it was put back together after I paid $400.00. They said the tubes were blown it would be at least $600.00 more + labor. They told me to contact RCA and demand they replace the tubes. The Tech said this was cicuit protected & it failed to work. I contacted RCA twice talked to 3 people. I was told they only cover it for 1 year. To bad, this Tv is year & half young and would cost more to fix than to buy. All I wanted were the replacement tubes & they said no. RCA PRODUCTS & SERVICES ARE CRAP !!!!!!!!! PLEASE DO NOT BUY RCA PRODUCTS. 4/19/2004
Tom <klt1522@zoomtown.com>
New Richmond , OH USA - Tuesday, April 20, 2004 at 01:02:30 (EDT)

I bought RCA 52" HDTV (mm52110) a year and half ago . The TV just quit working I contacted authorized RCA service center it took 2 month to get it back. Then they put it together told me all 3 tubes were blown. I already paid $400.00. They said it would be another $600.00 + labor. Told me to contact RCA & Demand they replace the tubes, that this should not haved happened. That it was circuit protected and it failed to work. I contacted RCA was told they would do nothing. This Tv is year & half old and would cost more to repair than to buy. I'm out $1800.00 for the tv $400.00 for repair which led to nothing. PLEASE NEVER BUY RCA PRODUCTS THEY ARE CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!! 4/19/2004
Tom <klt1522@zoomtown.com>
New Richmond, OH USA - Tuesday, April 20, 2004 at 00:47:21 (EDT)

I bought a RCA HD52w140 projection tv directly form RCA. I had many problems with this set after day one. Finally the second tech that looked at it found about ten items wrong with the unit. Finally RCAD agreed to send me my money back. That was back on around Jan.2 I am still waiting for my refund. They told me they would send me my money rather then switch units. I thought fine. I just got one lemon. I order another one right away from them, but I paid alittle more for a bigger one HD61w140. I received that one. The face plate was damaged, but it still worked. I had to do all the tracking down between all the shipping companies & RCA. Finally they agreed to send me the part. I am still waiting for that part. They told me that I would get my refund in 6 to 8 weeks. They finally recieved a tv that ship from MN to Texas on Jan 13. on Feb 19. I could have walked the tv there. There 8 weeks joke deadline is almost up. I will see a lawyer about them if they go past. Please email me if there is a lawsuit. RCA has bad consumer service. Meleah review board #580-634-0005 She is not a good person for that position. Leave her some good messages about your concerns. Meleah is the worst person ever!!!
John <crashnb444@yahoo.com>
Stanchfield, MN usa - Tuesday, April 06, 2004 at 10:33:21 (EDT)

Bought a RCA digatal camera for my wife for christmas in 2001. What a piece of junk!! Has been replaced 4 times under warrenty. Now it is out of warrenty and will not power up. Do NOT by RCA!!!
Edward R. Kohn <econ101@att.net>
Grand Rapids, MI United States - Saturday, April 03, 2004 at 12:55:35 (EST)

I have a RCA (MM52110) 52" Projection TV and it just quit on me a few days ago. It had been cutting off by itself ever since I have had it but I thought nothing of it, until today, when the TV would not cut back on. My warranty expired a few months ago. I called RCA (Thompson) and got NO HELP! I told them about my problem and all they said was that they could give me a list of service centers. I asked if they knew what the problem could be and they told me that they have no idea since this is not a major problem with their products. I then began to state how I know of alot more people with the same problem and you should have something on file. They still played dumb. I then said, "You know if you have a problem with your products you would want some sort of documentation on file so that you would know how many people have had this problems". They still acted like my tv was the first one. I would not suggest any RCA products, simply, because RCA (Thompson) does not care about it products or customers. If anyone knows how I can get a wiring schematic for the MM52110, I really would appreciate it.
Chris C
- Wednesday, March 31, 2004 at 22:09:58 (EST)

My 2 year old F38810 38 inch HDEF TV has been plagued with problems since I bought it. Its had a new tube and now a new chassis since the local RCA authorised dealer could not find the problem. Now it needs a good calibration. I hate RCA! is the law suite still going on? How can I contact in RCA to help me out on these repairs?
Jim Nash <jtnash@hotmail.com>
Houston, TX USA - Wednesday, March 24, 2004 at 15:17:30 (EST)

Anybody have information on RCA uvu model tvs? i have one that doesn't work and i did get it fixed back in the 90's but it broke down again a few years back, been in storage ever since. Don't want to get rid of it, it had alot of features for being a tv of the early 90's. anybody with informaton on that would be great.
Steve F. <SFig23@yaho.com>
Lancaster, Pa United States - Tuesday, March 23, 2004 at 10:24:27 (EST)

I bought the F38310 it lasted nine months. Im waiting for a check for three months now. Would like to see another class action lawsuit against them, im in!
ivan schweikert <ifxs2@aol.com>
nj - Thursday, March 11, 2004 at 19:04:58 (EST)

I bought the f38310, it lasted nine months. Thompson claims the part is not maid anymore.So they bought back the tv or stole it from me because its three months later and no check. We need another class action lawsuit! Thompson is the worst dont buy there crap.
ivan <ifxs2@aol.com>
nj - Thursday, March 11, 2004 at 19:01:45 (EST)

I bought the f38310, it lasted nine months. Thompson claims the part is not maid anymore.So they bought back the tv or stole it from me because its three months later and no check. We need another class action lawsuit! Thompson is the worst dont buy there crap.
ifxs2@aol.com <ifxs2@aol.com>
nj - Thursday, March 11, 2004 at 19:01:19 (EST)

I bought the f38310, it lasted nine months. Thompson claims the part is not maid anymore.So they bought back the tv or stole it from me because its three months later and no check. We need another class action lawsuit! Thompson is the worst dont buy there crap.
ifxs2@aol.com <ifxs2@aol.com>
nj - Thursday, March 11, 2004 at 19:01:09 (EST)

I have an old 33" RCA tv , it's junk , but it's big and image quality is still decent , it's already 13 years old and the colors faded a bit but I can live with it , it could break anytime , it's an RCA ... I knew I wasn't buying quality when I got it , RCA doesn't even offer a pro line , I mean come on , if your buying the thing at wallmart or cheapstake city don't expect better btw don't think it's junk because the parent company is french , it's junk because it's cheap , do you think they are even imported ?!? it's not worth it import tvs would cost more shipping than the entire set !! it's still american-made , and sorry to brind the bad news , but it's also why it's junk , all low quality consumer grade stuff -has- to be made locally because shipping quickly cost more than labor , and when they don't even bother to import it , you can be sure they don't bother to do proper Q-A , if you want quality you buy professional hardware , like top end Sony vega (for tvs) , yes this mean you will pay at least 35% more than the price of the hunkajunk of the same size at wallmart but if you don't ... YOU LOSE YOUR RIGHT TO COMPLAIN so stop being cheapstakes and buy QUALITY or STOP CRYING
J-F <djhack@altern.org>
- Thursday, March 11, 2004 at 01:51:49 (EST)

These stories are amazing! Our 52" goes off by itself. Of course the warranty just expired. It's been in the shop on and off for 10 months. They can't fix it. I guess we lose. I wonder what brand we should be buying.
Gerald & Charlotte Butler
Utica, MI USA - Tuesday, March 09, 2004 at 22:03:56 (EST)

Here's my history: 19 inch rca xLl00- bad main board after 3 repairs during warranty. Finally had to pay for a new board after fixing it again after the warranty. RCA camcorder-junk after one year- could not be fixed economically. RCA VCR - you guessed it-junk after two yearsw-cost more to fix than buying a new one. Because when I was a kid my father had a tv repair shop, I thought RCA was the best. So, I bought a 46" Rear projection PMR-475 You guessed it! Picture going out during warranty. After warranty, the high voltage splitter for the three tubes went bad. $300.00 and 4 months later it was fixed. Then something else caused it to start going to snow again. ($375.) and a few months later I got it back again. Then, about a year later-you guessed it broken again-no picture but repair shop fixed it for $150.00 after about 3 weeks. Oops cabinet chipped off at bottom due to being moved so much. The next time it broke I let IT SIT FOR ABOUT 4 years. Finally I decided to have it checked out for a minimum shop charge thinking that if the estimate was too high they could keep it. The guy replaced a $3 capacitor and charged me $100.00 but the picture seemed better than ever. Since I paid him $35.00 when I dropped it off, I decided that $65.00 was OK since the Super Bowl was coming up and there was no way I was watching it on a small TV. That was about 6 years ago and since I hooked up Dish network to it, I find that it has a better picture than any projection TV I have ever seen IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! The color looks so real when it is adjusted properly that I don't know what I will do when it goes out! Since it is a 1983 or 1984 model or something and I originally paid $1995.00 plus all the repairs, ($925 plus 2 warranty visits totalling a few months)I am thankful it is working 20 years later except for 4 years of sitting idle. BUT I will buy SONY, PANASONIC, or something else next time. Never an RCA. BUT THE PICTURE FROM THIS SET IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL COMPARED TO HIGH DEF SETS AND THE SUCH. HOPE IT WILL LAST UNTIL I FIND A WAY TO GET SOMETHING RELIABLE WITH A COMPARABLE PICTURE BUT IT WON"T BE RCA EVER AGAIN FOR ANYTHING, AS EVERYTHING (EVERYTHING) RCA I EVER OWNED HAS CRAPPED OUT AND ALL (ALL) MY OTHER STUFF STILL WORKS!!!
Curtis Washington <cjwash@peoplepc.com>
louisville, ky usa - Sunday, March 07, 2004 at 06:10:57 (EST)

I am throwing out a 3 year old F38310 HDTV Rca set for crashing for the third time. Thompson will do nothing. Is there any class action planned? Jim
Jim Matthews <magicbulletinc@excite.com>
Jax, FL USA - Thursday, February 26, 2004 at 18:13:36 (EST)

I bought the 25" in the Spring of 2001, by August 2002 this TV was dead. Got it exchanged for another except an 27" (F27450) and now it is acting up! The DVD player likes to say 'elle' when powering up & the VCR Hi-Fi mode likes to crackle from time to time when playing Hi-Fi movies encountering low bass. I do not need the worry of any electronics being faulty & possibly posing an hazzard! These problems aren't only limited to RCA, I have also read about many similar problems on the net had with Sony & Toshiba, Zenith tvs as well. What are you suppose to do now? Buy an television every year & hope it doesn't burst into flames while the parts are melting inside in the meantime?! It doesn't help when you read about the recall on the RCA amp and that if it remains unfixed you could get zapped! Home electronics are becoming so cheap and so freaking dangerous that it may really not be worth having any of this junk in your home from possbily any manufacturer!
Ticked Off
- Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at 08:25:42 (EST)

I bought a 27" RCA tv from Walmart in Sept 2002. The picture was sometimes staticy, but I thought it was the cable cord (later found out it was the TV.) Then, Oct 2003, tv started turning off/on by itself. It would start clicking in the back as it was trying to turn back on. Finally, it turned off for good, and made a high pitched noise. Of course, the people at Thomson offered nothing more than paying for PARTS. I told them I was not spending $200 to get a tv set when it was due to the company's shitty work and use of cheap parts. I hope all those top dogs at Thomson or RCA or whatever, have the worst luck, and all their stocks go down and their spouses cheat on their greedy asses, and their dogs bite them, and they get a terrible case of diarrhea!!
DJ <ihmw2001@aol.com>
Raleigh, NC US - Monday, February 23, 2004 at 22:43:42 (EST)

As a rabid RCA fan, it really pisses me off to see what the French and good old Generally Erratic have done to the greatest name in electronics. I would rather flush my hard earned cash down the toilet than buy the crap those miserable little frogs are trying to sell us today. I have three RCA ColorTraks, dating from 1980-85, several old VCR's, and a couple of SelectaVision players, all of which still work as perfectly as the day they were made. My friends new RCA crapped out after only one stinking year. And you are all correct, the people at Thomson are utterly useless for anything other than swilling down croissants and thumbing their noses at America while they import this garbage into our country. Here's a message to all of you at Thomson Consumer Electronics: You can all get down on your knees and kiss my ColorTrak
Mike
Phoenix, AZ USA - Monday, February 23, 2004 at 20:55:12 (EST)

As a rabid RCA fan, it really pisses me off to see what the French and good old Generally Erratic have done to the greatest name in electronics. I would rather flush my hard earned cash down the toilet than buy the crap those miserable little frogs are trying to sell us today. I have three RCA ColorTraks, dating from 1980-85, several old VCR's, and a couple of SelectaVision players, all of which still as perfectly as the day they were made. My friends new RCA crapped out after only one stinking year. And you are all correct, the people at Thomson are utterly useless for anything other than swilling down croissants and thumbing their noses at America while they import this garbage into our country. Here's a message to all of you at Thomson Consumer Electronics: You can all get down on your knees and kiss my ColorTrak
Mike
Phoenix, AZ USA - Monday, February 23, 2004 at 20:46:24 (EST)

As a rabid RCA fan, it really pisses me off to see what the French and good old Generally Erratic have done to the greatest name in electronics. I would rather flush my hard earned cash down the toilet than buy the crap those miserable little frogs are trying to sell us today. I have three RCA ColorTraks, dating from 1980-85, several old VCR's, and a couple of SelectaVision players, all of which still as perfectly as the day they were made. My friends new RCA crapped out after only one stinking year. And you are all correct, the people at Thomson are utterly useless for anything other than swilling down croissants and thumbing their noses at America while they import this garbage into our country. Here's a message to all of you at Thomson Consumer Electronics: You can all get down on your knees and kiss my ColorTrak
Mike
Phoenix, AZ USA - Monday, February 23, 2004 at 20:45:58 (EST)

As a rabid RCA fan, it really pisses me off to see what the French and good old Generally Erratic have done to the greatest name in electronics. I would rather flush my hard earned cash down the toilet than buy the crap those miserable little frogs are trying to sell us today. I have three RCA ColorTraks, dating from 1980-85, several old VCR's, and a couple of SelectaVision players, all of which still as perfectly as the day they were made. My friends new RCA crapped out after only one stinking year. And you are all correct, the people at Thomson are utterly useless for anything other than swilling down croissants and thumbing their noses at America while they import this garbage into our country. Here's a message to all of you at Thomson Consumer Electronics: You can all get down on your knees and kiss my ColorTrak
Mike
Phoenix, AZ USA - Monday, February 23, 2004 at 20:45:40 (EST)

My father purchased a 20 inch RCA colortrak TV in 1981, when I was a mere 6 years old. He paid $500 for it, and it was one of the top of the line sets of the time, with a cable-ready tuner, A/V inputs, and an infra-red remote control. Yes it was more expensive than many of the Japanese branded sets at the time, but it was also one of the best! That set, still works perfectly, and is sitting in my bedroom. RCA was at it's best at that time, and was the leader in television technology. They even had produced a surround sound system, the Dimensia, well ahead of the home-theater boom of the 1990's All that changed when G.E. bought the company out, and then sold the electronics division to Thomson of France. Cutting corners in engineering began to become commonplace, and the quality went down the tubes. I am an electronics technician myself, and have seen the downword slide through the 90's as the sets keep getting worse and worse. It's sad to see a nameplate that Americans trusted as the best, most advanced electronics on the market become discount-store junk that won't even last past the first year. It's not just bad that thomson won't recognize the engineering failures they have made, but they will not even back up their products after the sale. Obtaining parts to repair RCA sets is a real challenge, and you pay dearly for them. Telephone support for even qualified service centers is non-existant. Thomson closed the Bloomington Indana assembley plant that had been manufacturing television sets since they were invented. All the sets now are made either in China or Mexico. G.E will allow basically anybody that wants to manufacter electronics to sell them with the RCA nameplate. You really don't know what you are getting with this brand, where it came from, or how it was built in some third-world country. The RCA nameplate is sold at Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, and a host of many different discout retail outlets. There are thousands of different RCA models for sale at any given time. Very few of the models are built by the same manufacturer, and rarely have interchangable parts.
Steven Winner <cybrvanr@yahoo.com>
Richmond , va USA - Monday, February 16, 2004 at 22:45:15 (EST)

I bought an RCA 31 tv, Model F31633SB in 1996. About a year ago, the pin cushion went out, and now, I have no picture, only sound. Instead of having it repaired, I'm scrapping it and buying a new one. (Something OTHER than RCA) Does anyone happen to know the WEIGHT of that model TV? I can't find my owner's manual, and I've looked all over the web. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Tony Falco <tonyfalco2@yahoo.com>
Ft Walton Beach, Fl USA - Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 18:55:37 (EST)

The RCA DV Camcorder CC9360 purchased from Radio Shack in Apr 2002 is still bugging me. Since purchasing it for approx $700.00 I have spent an additional $500.00 trying to get to download photos to PC. I've purchased four (4) different Video Capture Cards, Pinnacle Studio 8 editing Firewire capture card/software CD but still can not download photos. Studio 8 list an error when trying to capture from PC "Pinnacle Studio cannot initiate the DV capture"; Pinnacle's solution "the driver for the camcorder, when loaded properly, is called "Microsoft DV camera and VCR" and is listed under the heading imaging Devices. On 9 Feb 2004, I tried again to get a driver downloaded from RCA website(none were listed). I called RCA Customer Service at my expense(no 800's available) and after 45 min, I talked to three different individuals, then put on hold, then cut off by their 2 min hold time therefore, I never received any positive information other than "they don't have that driver anymore". What a way to "Run a Customer Service Department plus the SLY way of disconnecting their phone while the customer is ON HOLD and paying LD rates. To anyone who reads this Story and has a simular problem, or a CC9360 camera Driver, I would appreciate you sending that to me by email. Otherwise it's just more RCA Garbage to store or destroy.
Donald S House <donaldhouse@fuse.net>
- Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 10:02:49 (EST)

The RCA DV Camcorder CC9360 purchased from Radio Shack in Apr 2002 is still bugging me. Since purchasing it for approx $700.00 I have spent an additional $500.00 trying to get to download photos to PC. I've purchased four (4) different Video Capture Cards, Pinnacle Studio 8 editing Firewire capture card/software CD but still can not download photos. Studio 8 list an error when trying to capture from PC "Pinnacle Studio cannot initiate the DV capture"; Pinnacle's solution "the driver for the camcorder, when loaded properly, is called "Microsoft DV camera and VCR" and is listed under the heading imaging Devices. On 9 Feb 2004, I tried again to get a driver downloaded from RCA website(none were listed). I called RCA Customer Service at my expense(no 800's available) and after 45 min, I talked to three different individuals, then put on hold, then cut off by their 2 min hold time therefore, I never received any positive information other than "they don't have that driver anymore". What a way to "Run a Customer Service Department plus the SLY way of disconnecting their phone while the customer is ON HOLD and paying LD rates. To anyone who reads this Story and has a simular problem, or a CC9360 camera Driver, I would appreciate you sending that to me by email. Otherwise it's just more RCA Garbage to store or destroy.@#$%^&*()_+|
Donald S House <donaldhouse@fuse.net>
- Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 10:02:11 (EST)

The RCA DV Camcorder CC9360 purchased from Radio Shack in Apr 2002 is still bugging me. Since purchasing it for approx $700.00 I have spent an additional $500.00 trying to get to download photos to PC. I've purchased four (4) different Video Capture Cards, Pinnacle Studio 8 editing Firewire capture card/software CD but still can not download photos. Studio 8 list an error when trying to capture from PC "Pinnacle Studio cannot initiate the DV capture"; Pinnacle's solution "the driver for the camcorder, when loaded properly, is called "Microsoft DV camera and VCR" and is listed under the heading imaging Devices. On 9 Feb 2004, I tried again to get a driver downloaded from RCA website(none were listed). I called RCA Customer Service at my expense(no 800's available) and after 45 min, I talked to three different individuals, then put on hold, then cut off by their 2 min hold time therefore, I never received any positive information other than "they don't have that driver anymore". What a way to "Run a Customer Service Department plus the SLY way of disconnecting their phone while the customer is ON HOLD and paying LD rates. To anyone who reads this Story and has a simular problem, or a CC9360 camera Driver, I would appreciate you sending that to me by email. Otherwise it's just more RCA Garbage to store or destroy.@#$%^&*()_+|
Donald S House <donaldhouse@fuse.net>
Bellevue, Ky USA - Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 10:01:30 (EST)

The RCA DV Camcorder CC9360 purchased from Radio Shack in Apr 2002 is still bugging me. Since purchasing it for approx $700.00 I have spent an additional $500.00 trying to get to download photos to PC. I've purchased four (4) different Video Capture Cards, Pinnacle Studio 8 editing Firewire capture card/software CD but still can not download photos. Studio 8 list an error when trying to capture from PC "Pinnacle Studio cannot initiate the DV capture"; Pinnacle's solution "the driver for the camcorder, when loaded properly, is called "Microsoft DV camera and VCR" and is listed under the heading imaging Devices. On 9 Feb 2004, I tried again to get a driver downloaded from RCA website(none were listed). I called RCA Customer Service at my expense(no 800's available) and after 45 min, I talked to three different individuals, then put on hold, then cut off by their 2 min hold time therefore, I never received any positive information other than "they don't have that driver anymore". What a way to "Run a Customer Service Department plus the SLY way of disconnecting their phone while the customer is ON HOLD and paying LD rates. To anyone who reads this Story and has a simular problem, or a CC9360 camera Driver, I would appreciate you sending that to me by email. Otherwise it's just more RCA Garbage to store or destroy.@#$%^&*()_+|
Donald S House <donaldhouse@fuse.net>
Bellevue, Ky USA - Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at 10:00:34 (EST)

I purchaes an RCA 200 watt home theatre system, after 2 months I had to return it for repair, it quit playing DVD's. After many problems with Radio Shack I got my home theatre back & now it is broken again. Will not play any dvd or cd's. Did I mention it was a year old this December? RCA SUCKS! I will never purchase from them again! I make sure all my friends & collegues know about crappy RCA.
Toby <toby_hillen@hotmail.com>
Ft Myers, Fl USA - Tuesday, January 27, 2004 at 12:47:37 (EST)

This is a follow-up to my previous post regarding a 32" RCA TV that all of a sudden, one day would not turn on. It would click three times as if it was trying to turn on and then nothing. At the time it was about five years old. I had the TV repaired at a cost of around $400 Cdn. (I can't remember exactly). The problem was something called a "Flyback Transformer". Apparently it is a common problem with RCA TV's. Once fixed the TV has worked as well as it did before which is very well. It offered excellent picture quality for the price and was the cheapest TV I could find ($1,100 Cdn.) that had a digital comb filter. However, after reading the customer support problems that others have had I probably wouldn't buy another RCA product.
Tony W. <tonywebman@telusplanet.net>
Cochrane, AB Canada - Monday, January 26, 2004 at 10:36:03 (EST)

I bought a VR688HF many years ago after working at rat shack and this thing played the store tapes for over a year and _never_ had an issue. It is apparent that someone cared back then. Anbyway, I am looking for a schematic due to an arc in the power supply due to dust buildup. Thanks for your help! netnoise.com at hamsrc dot com BTW You will get an error when posting, but your message does post without the email address.
Jason
Bow, NH - Sunday, January 25, 2004 at 18:57:48 (EST)

I bought a VR688HF many years ago after working at rat shack and this thing played the store tapes for over a year and _never_ had an issue. It is apparent that someone cared back then. Anbyway, I am looking for a schematic due to an arc in the power supply due to dust buildup. Thanks for your help!
Jason
Bow, NH - Sunday, January 25, 2004 at 18:56:28 (EST)

I bought a VR688HF many years ago after working at rat shack and this thing played the store tapes for over a year and _never_ had an issue. It is apparent that someone cared back then. Anbyway, I am looking for a schematic due to an arc in the power supply due to dust buildup. Thanks for your help!
Jason
Bow, NH - Sunday, January 25, 2004 at 18:56:23 (EST)

I bought a 52inbig screen from circuit city 2years ago and like most people who shell out 2 grand for a TV I didn't get an extended warranty. TV was great for a year and nine month, then one day that all changed when the TV went blank. I called rca (that was a joke,they really do suck) they said that they could refer me to someone in the area. After 3 months of having people come and look at it we find out it will cost $800 to repair the 400 pound paper weight. My complaint is with circuit city and with RCA they both suck and we will never do business with nietheragain for any out there do yourself a favor and run from an rca product.
Dan <bolt8614@yahoo.com>
Rowlett, TX US - Friday, January 23, 2004 at 16:51:43 (EST)

I know that RCA sucks, but mine is still working and I don't want to buy an new one unless it dies. However, I need a remote.. If anyone has a remote for TV MOD#:F25165GG, or VCR MOD#:VR688HF, I would be willing to purchase either or both of these remotes if anyone has them.. The new remotes, you guessed it, don't work with the older units.. Mine were both built in '92. Thanks.. JD
Jim Davies <davies.james@ensco.com>
Endicott, NY USA - Monday, January 05, 2004 at 12:30:05 (EST)

I purchased an RCA F19430 from Walmart 2 years ago. The picture has always been ok but in the last six months we can get no sound! What's up?? The only way we get sound is to plug in a game system. I need help. I'll never buy RCA again!!!
Cindy Bearce
Bham, AL USA - Saturday, January 03, 2004 at 20:02:43 (EST)

In the early to mid-ninties i bought an RCA 26" television which worked for about 3 months. After that, the connector at the back became defective and the picture a terrible quality. This could not be repaired and i was stuck with a shitty TV for a very long time. About ten years later(Aug 2003) i was moving to a new house and had to buy some electronics. I told a salesmen that i hated RCA becuase of this problem and he assured me "Oh they had some problems in the mid-ninties, but they are a quality company now" so i bought a 20" Truflat TV/DVD combo for my bedroom. Here we are in december and my remote is already broken(4 months). I cannot view burned DVD's without the remote nor use many of the features. This may not seem like that big of a problem but it is IMPOSSIBLE to come in contact with these french assholes. So i say we should indeed boycott them.
Jason Colucci <JayC@rogers.com>
Toronto, On Canada - Sunday, December 28, 2003 at 18:27:28 (EST)

I have A RCAcolortrak plus MD#F25653BC Chasis CTC187AB 1996 yr. I was switching dish providers so i was just watching what I could get with a antanna and all of a sudden all i get is static i can't even seem to get it to work with the dish connected.HELP any idea's?
Cecelia Miller <cnckennels@netzero.com>
Galt, CA USA - Saturday, December 20, 2003 at 18:52:02 (EST)

I purchased an RCA XL-100 19" TV (chassis CTC185A7, model F19261) just over four years ago. I have since had the set repaired twice for the same problem (RF port snapping off the tuner PC board) at my own expense--the warranty did not cover either repair. (In fact, the service technician who repaired my set, who works for a TV shop in the next town, told me, if this problem ever occurs again, to throw the set out and get a new one.)I purchased an extended warranty contract that runs until 2006, but don't know if or when (!) I'll have to use it. My set works well now on cable, but since the darn thing is an RCA, I don't know for how long. I do, however, know this much--if it goes bad any time after the warranty expires (or if it should develop a problem the warranty will not cover), I will discard it at once and get a Sony, JVC or some other brand with a better reliability record than Thomson-manufactured RCA TVs. After reading the comments in this forum about how the RCAs are now manufactured (very poorly, and certainly not to last) since Thomson acquired the company, I am thoroughly disgusted with today's RCA. The stylized RCA logo under the CRTs of all new sets means nothing--it is just a marketing symbol these days. Like many people here have stated, I will never again buy another RCA product--they work well when they work (mine has a wonderful picture on digital cable), but are too darned much trouble to get repaired when they go bad (which, I gather from having read the posts here, is quite often). I am now using my set on digital cable, with the box hooked up to my stereo as well (for the digital audio channels on the cable system in my area). The TV is working very well at the moment, but who knows about tomorrow, the next day, or . . . ? I may turn my set on tomorrow morning to find it *won't* power on, or has some other problem which my extended warranty may or may not cover. RCA has hit rock bottom since Thomson acquired the company in the late '80s. Unless they shape up in a hurry (wishful thinking), this company, in my opinion, is going to find itself out of business in very short order. People do not remain loyal to brands they cannot trust to be trouble-free.
Jeff Strieble <jeffhs@ameritech.net>
Fairport Harbor, OH USA - Saturday, December 20, 2003 at 04:49:49 (EST)

I made the mistake of purchasing an RCA CDS3600 digital camera for my wife 2 years ago. They have zero support for their products. It takes days to get an e-mail response that says that can't help you. I will NEVER buy anything RCA again! The camera is a poorly engineered piece of shit.
Mike Ryan
Jeromesville, Oh USA - Wednesday, December 10, 2003 at 10:07:00 (EST)

I too am an electronic technician in the TV repair business and have watched RCA go from a rather reliable set to a total piece of shit. The major downhill slide came when RCA and General Electric merged. I don't know what rock they find their engineers under but they have some real winners.. it has gotten so bad over the years that I won't even let an RCA in the shop because most of the problems can't be repaired in the shop and if it can be fixed its only a short time before something else goes wrong, unfortunately the customer does not understand this, and because you worked on it they expect this fix to be done under warranty. Technical support is like calling a 900 number it costs the hell out of you and the Techs are less than no help. The best way I have found to fix an RCA and this is temporary at best is to send the board to a re-builder someone other than Thompson. Before I stopped taking them our local Wal-Mart had a sale on RCA's,only days after the warranties expired we had a steady stream of people with General Electric's and RCA's needing repairs. The problems ranged from totally dead to just ticking. the average price of a main board is around $200 and its life expectancy is only about a year.. By the way we don't let General Electric's in the door either, same boards same problems..
Dan Yrick
AZ USA - Wednesday, December 03, 2003 at 00:33:40 (EST)

Sorry about the multiple posts. I got an error each time I "added my entry" and uncontrolable clicking ensued...
ed <dalton@venus.net>
- Friday, November 28, 2003 at 01:43:06 (EST)

I have an 30" ColorTrak Plus tv. How do you get the AUX input to become active? I can get it to switch to channel 4 but the DVD does not sow up....Help me...paleaze....
ed <dalton@venus.net>
in us - Friday, November 28, 2003 at 01:40:14 (EST)

I have an 30" ColorTrak Plus tv. How do you get the AUX input to become active? I can get it to switch to channel 4 but the DVD does not sow up....Help me...paleaze....
ed <dalton@venus.net>
dill, in us - Friday, November 28, 2003 at 01:39:35 (EST)

I purchased a 61 in Semium projection HDTV last november and the set worked fine until The !5th of November 2003 when a resistor on the power supply board and a voltage devider block failed taking out other resisters on the power supply board. The repair shop says that they can't get the board and may take up to 4 months to become available. When you buy rhe state-of-the-art equipment at a price greater than $3500 uoy expect support but uoy won't getit from Tompson (RCA, GE and Sylivania) all tompson products.
Kenneth E. Brown <brown1302@cox.net>
Greeb Valley, AZ USA - Tuesday, November 25, 2003 at 17:31:15 (EST)

Thirty years ago, my dad worked for RCA. After serving in the Navy in WWII, he worked his way up from TV repairman to service manager. I recall he worked tremendously long hours and was a dedicated worker. At the time, employees had to have 25 years with the company before being vested in their pensions. After 24+ years, and about THREE MONTHS before he was eligible, he and other employees in similar situations were fired without reason and without notice. This was done to keep them from getting any retirement benefits. It broke his heart and his spirit. I have never bought another RCA product since then.
Annie Green <parrotheadxx@sbcglobal.net>
Fort Worth, TX Tarrant - Friday, November 21, 2003 at 10:18:50 (EST)

What does RCA stand for " Recall Coming At yah" Bought at 52 inch rear projection brand new ,so far after 8 months of that one watch it 50 percent of the time the other 50 the picture would go black finally the store gave us a new one same model exactly it's been in the repair shop for the last month had it two months and watch it for one of them ,picture was shit still haven't got it back and they don't know what's wrong with it. So all in all if you are thinking of getting one "What the hell is wrong with you go to the dump and you find something better"
Jeff Perkins <perjkins@escape.ca>
Brandon, MB Canada - Thursday, November 20, 2003 at 22:11:19 (EST)

What does RCA stand for " Recall Coming At yah" Bought at 52 inch rear projection brand new ,so far after 8 months of that one watch it 50 percent of the time the other 50 the picture would go black finally the store gave us a new one same model exactly it's been in the repair shop for the last month had it two months and watch it for one of them ,picture was shit still haven't got it back and they don't know what's wrong with it. So all in all if you are thinking of getting one "What the hell is wrong with you go to the dump and you find something better"
Jeff <perjkins@escape.ca>
Brandon, MB Canada - Thursday, November 20, 2003 at 22:10:43 (EST)

What does RCA stand for " Recall Coming At yah" Bought at 52 inch rear projection brand new ,so far after 8 months of that one watch it 50 percent of the time the other 50 the picture would go black finally the store gave us a new one same model exactly it's been in the repair shop for the last month had it two months and watch it for one of them ,picture was shit still haven't got it back and they don't know what's wrong with it. So all in all if you are thinking of getting one "What the hell is wrong with you go to the dump and you find something better"
Jeff <perjkins@escape.ca>
Brandon, MB Canada - Thursday, November 20, 2003 at 22:10:33 (EST)

Just like another entry, the CD changer/player on my son's RCA RP-9325 System stopped working about the fourth time it was used. What a huge waste of money
Heidi
- Sunday, November 16, 2003 at 23:04:23 (EST)

Just like another entry, the CD changer/player on my son's RCA RP-9325 System stopped working about the fourth time it was used. What a huge waste of money
Heidi <kar84me@comcast.net>
Concord, NH USA - Sunday, November 16, 2003 at 23:04:06 (EST)

I purchased a 35" Proscan from Sears back in '95 or thereabouts. At the time, it was Thomson Consumer Electronics. It worked flawlessly until exactly one week after the warranty expired. It was almost as if it was designed to go bad once it was no longer "covered." The FIRST time I had it repaired, it took Sears six weeks - yes, SIX WEEKS to get functional, at a cost of around $375.00. That repair lasted just over a year. Then the set et developed exactly the same problem as before. No signal, and some image in the top half of the screen that resembled an illustration of a printed circuit board. While trying to figure out what was wrong with it, I pressed buttons on the remote, and I got a set of technical troubleshooting steps to appear on the screen. Don't ask me how. At any rate, here we go with Sears again. This time, it didn't take so long, but the "repair" didn't last as long, either. Once again, the same symptoms about 3 months later. By that time Sears didn't even sell Proscans anymore, and they were no longer an authorized service center. Since I had paid 3 grand for the damn thing, I couldn't very well just leave it. So I hunted down another place. This tv set weighs about 400 lbs, so every time it breaks, they have to come to my place, remove the chassi