Problem with new Insignia TV

It is reasonably clear from the set's "technical specifications" that it is stereo capable.

Have you gone through the setup menu to see that stereo is enabled? Have you verified that you are listening to the main audio channel and NOT to, for example, the secondary audio channel, which is commonly mono?

Have you read the setup guide, or are you a think different (Apple) guy?

It seemed reasonably clear to me, too, that it is a stereo TV. As I posted, yes, I have been through the setup menu. If there are any settings or adjustments for audio, I could not find them. The factory tech support in India was not aware of any. That does not mean that they do not exist. Neither mono nor SAP is mentioned in the scant manual.

No, I'm not an Apple guy, and yes, I did read the manual completely before calling India or BestBuy or before posting here. In fact, I even downloaded the manual from the insignia-products.com web site in case the manual had been updated since the printing of the version that was included with the set.

It is certainly possible that I am missing a setup parameter that will solve the problem. I would very much prefer to solve the problem than to lug the TV back to BestBuy and have to find another one. The picture is amazingly good as is the (mono) audio. If this audio problem can be solved, this TV is a good value. If the audio problem is a design flaw, this TV is worth purchasing only if the user does not want to watch analog cable or OTA signals in stereo.

Take it back and exchange it .

I don't see stereo mentioned on the best buy or Insigna websites. It does have l&R inputs, but that doesn't mean it is a 'stereo' TV. Did you call Best Buy where you bought it? ? Does it say "Stereo TV" on the box?

Here is the owner's manual:

Stereo is not mentioned anywhere that I can find. Why would anyone in

As I posted, I have read the printed manual and the downloaded manual. Neither mentions the problem that I am experiencing.

Regarding the suggestion to exchange the TV, if mine is defective, exchanging it is a good option. If there is a design flaw in the TV, exchanging only wastes my time to have to return the exchanged TV for a refund.

On Nov 24, 6:49 am, mcp6453 wrote: > Yesterday, I purchased an Insignia NS-F24TV 24" CRT television from > BestBuy.http://tinyurl.com/2hjzjqWhile the set is a cheap one, the > user ratings are quite high. After lugging it home and hooking it up, I > discovered a problem. All over-the-air and cable (analog) channels are > in mono. >

So your 'cheap' TV left out a stereo decoder for analog TV which will be turned off in 15 months. OK, analog cable will be around a while after but not for long. I guess that helped them keep the price down and many folks wouldn't care either way - but you do. Such is life.

GG

Or, the TV's have design defects and a whole slew of them BestBuy got their hands on for cheap!

Your problem is "BestBuy"///

Based on the manual, it looks like it can only receive stereo from ATSC. I guess they want to cut costs on the analog reception. If it could receive stereo, there would be a menu option for stereo/mono/SAP. The only audio option in the menu applies to digital TV signals.

Do yourself a favor and buy something a little better quality. These no-name sets will cost more in the long run unless you get very lucky. If price is that important, buy a used name brand TV. Andy Cuffe

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com

There you go making unfounded allegations against large corporations, with teams of lawyers. i hope that they take everything you own, idiot.

I speak from experience with Best Buy, How about you Jerk?

Andy, I think you've hit the nail on the head. Thanks for taking the time to look at the manual. It still amazes me that a company could produce such a piece of junk and yet no one blasts them on the company web site. Until now.

I'll return it for a refund before January 31 and buy something else. Maybe there will be some year end sales.

No, you can continue to jerk it all you want. They can sue over your claim that they knowingly buy defective equipment, and resell it.

It sounds like the TV has a stereo decoder fault if the specifications say that it can receive stereo from an RF source. In the store, their sets should be fed with regular cable via an RF distribution amplifier system. The RF distribution amplifier system should not modify the stereo carrier.

You should verify if the model is truly a stereo TV with the RF inputs. I have seen some low cost models not be able to decode stereo from the RF input. This is where they recommend to use a VCR or an external TV tuner unit for receiving cable stations in stereo.

Have you thought about putting out a few extra dollars and buying a good TV set???

--

JANA _____

There is apparently no switch or setting to cause the TV to work in mono. When I finally go through to India (after 30 minutes on hold followed by a disconnect and 45 minutes on hold followed by a disconnect), the genius offered the following suggestions:

2) Get a cable box with RCA outputs so that I can receive stereo.

Of course I declined in both cases.

There is no cable box. The set is hooked directly to the analog cable. The TV that this one replaced received all channels in stereo. Therefore, the problem is not in the delivery of the cable or OTA signals.

I went through the automatic channel programming routine, and that did not make a difference. The selector is set for cable, rather than air. I did not set it to air, since the results would be useless.

Don't all current TVs have to receive stereo audio? The set has dual audio amplifiers and has two front speakers. There are dual RCA audio inputs on the side and rear of the TV. The only technical limitation on receiving stereo audio appears to be the internal stereo decoder.

Thinking that the set was defective, I called BestBuy and asked them to check the display model to see if it was receiving audio in mono. It was. However, they have their own internal video distribution signal, so I don't know if their signal has the same MTSC-encoded signal that is delivered by analog cable and OTA.

Before I return it for a refund, am I overlooking anything? The reviews on the BestBuy web site do not mention the problem. A web search did not reveal this problem with this brand. Needless to say, I am dumbfounded to find a TV with stereo amplifiers and stereo speakers that does not deliver stereo in a conventional analog signal.

Do any of the 'good' makers produce CRT sets these days? They all seem to be busy trying to sell you LCD sets with a much poorer performance than the CRT ones they replace...

The answer is...the analog section does not have an MTS decoder. The digital channels (which I did not know that I could receive on cable without a box, but I can) are in stereo. Therefore, this TV is a piece of crap in regard to its audio performance. Back it goes.

If this set were my main set, I would buy a better one. Since it is in a small bedroom, the amount I paid is the limit that I wish to spend.

Which "good" CRT do you recommend? Samsung appears to be a good one, but I don't buy anything with their name on it, so I am limited.

There is a 27" Philips on sale in today's paper. Any thoughts on that one?

If you want some good advise when dealing with Best Buy, you better return it with in the local ordinance laws that forces them to take back items and even then, they'll make it hard for you if you can not prove to them that the item is defective. In their eyes, the item is not defective. Best Buy has a rock hard policy on returns goods even if you become a victim of switch scams that happen either in house or a return of an item with defective or incorrect contents in the box, which is how I become so acquainted with them.

I'm not going to go into great details but I can tell you that I had to get a lawyer on them. I wasn't going to take that sitting down..

In my case, it was a wireless keyboard and mouse combo. at that time $99.00/ some one had switched the contents with a standard keyboard and mouse that had the cords ripped out. It was the last one on the self and was shrink wrapped. Then found out, they don't come shrink wrapped and they have a sealer in house, to repackage items. In Lou of all that, they try to accuse me of switching the items, shrink wrapping it and then peal it open to make it look good. At that point, I took down names and indicated as to what was going to happen next. The manager just took it as an idle threat and asked me to leave the store.

I call them before I took a ride back to the store (30 miles), the shift manager absolutely didn't want to talk to me or give me any numbers to main headquarters. I had to go online to get them. As it turns out later, they fired the shift manager but nothing was said as to why.

There was a lot more things that transpired before it all came to an end but when it was over, All I lost over it was some sleep. My lawyer and I, for one days pay, was compensated.

Just some thoughts. Your store may have a better working manager but they are instructed from head quarters to follow a set of guide lines which they are willing to force you into legal battles.

Let me suggest something to you. Drop it before you make your self look even more of an idiot.

I have already dealt with them. There is no fantasy about Best buy..

All business will obtain products from the cheapest place possible around the globe how ever, this is not the issue at hand. It's when you're not happy with the product they are selling for what ever reason is when you'll find out what it's all about.

I suggest you may want to consider that before you drool over something you obviously have had no experience in.

Signed: A very experienced customer with their rock hard policy and victim of switch scams.

What the hell do you know about me, other than your constant stream of insults on multiple elcectronics related newsgroups? I haven't 'drooled' over any technology, since I was eight years old, and just HAD to have that transistor radio kit.

Then you are too stupid to control your own finaces. If you are stupid enough to fall for bait and switch, you are too stupid to be let out of the house, let alone have any money.

Sanyo is usually a pretty good affordable brand. I think Wal-mart has a few Sanyo CRTs. Unfortunately, most of the good brands have stopped making CRTs. Don't get a Toshiba since they are made by Orion (who probably made your Insignia). A lot of the other good brands are probably also farming out CRT TVs to no-name manufacturers. I've never been a big fan of Samsung, or Philips, but there might not be much choice left. Andy Cuffe

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com