Wal-Mart Offering Home Theater Installation

[Attebery]

http://www.reuters.com/article/techn...technologyNews

[TheGreenDude]

The service spans help with basic television installation on the low end to setting up a home theater, wireless router network or a home office computer network.

Why would you buy any of this stuff from Walmart, let alone pay their electronics "sales people" for advice? I don't care how hard someone thinks it is or how someone might interpret this as helpful for the nontechnically-inclined, it's about ripping people off as much as possible by scaring them into it.

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by TheGreenDude

Why would you buy any of this stuff from Walmart, let alone pay their electronics "sales people" for advice? I don't care how hard someone thinks it is or how someone might interpret this as helpful for the nontechnically-inclined, it's about ripping people off as much as possible by scaring them into it.

1. Is there something wrong with WMs brands of comsumer electronics?

2. Is there something wrong with their pricing?

3. You are aware that they are contracting out the service aren't you?

Wal-Mart said it began rolling out the service this month with privately held N.E.W. Customer Service Companies Inc and is making it available through all of its U.S. Wal-Mart stores in time for the holiday season.

[comixguru]

I was in a Walmart recently. With all those big screen TVs in there (they must have had 30+ models hanging up), this makes sense.

I know many people are "too good" for Walmart. But there's plenty of people who find Walmart is just fine to buy a 50" LCD TV from, and if they wanted someone to come in and hang that TV, why not Walmart's subcontractor?

[Liqwid]

Wal-Mart rocks, but... a lot of the employees are very shady.

Wal-Mart just isn't professional enough for me (or anyone else that I know) to have them even get close to my house.

[psickmusic]

Ummmmmmmm, didnt Walmart just the other day say they are scaling down their DVD and Blu-ray disc selection?

http://online.wsj.com/public/article...132563199.html

Wal-Mart Cuts Down on DVD Displays

Yup. They did. So why would we go there to buy stuff that PLAYS those discs?

[Chief]

I think this is fine for people who just have no clue about this kind of thing but they should hire an expert for anything more than the basic.

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by Liqwid

Wal-Mart rocks, but... a lot of the employees are very shady.

Wal-Mart just isn't professional enough for me (or anyone else that I know) to have them even get close to my house.

Did you bother to read the OP?

Wal-Mart said it began rolling out the service this month with privately held N.E.W. Customer Service Companies Inc and is making it available through all of its U.S. Wal-Mart stores in time for the holiday season.

[psickmusic]

Originally Posted by Chief

I think this is fine for people who just have no clue about this kind of thing but they should hire an expert for anything more than the basic.

What's funny is, as the TV's get more technical, and further and further from the 1990's, the less help we need hooking them up. It used to be I could understand people needing help hooking up an old school 5.1 player to their DVD player which is connected to their Sony Trinitron. They needed to know if they use the white and red audio cables or the optical cable for the sound, and needed to know if they use the S cable or the Yellow cable for video, all while having a splitter..etc etc.

But now there's no need to pay someone $100 - $300 to plug in an HDMI cable. No need.

The only thing people need help with these days are HANGING/MOUNTING the HDTV on the wall (gotta find a stud and hope its in the correct spot. If not, make a piece of wood connect the two studs 16" apart and secure the HDTV mount/bracket to that, then connect the HDTV to that mount...etc)

[jedi.master.dre]

"So when you’re standing under the bright glow of Wal-Mart’s overhead lights this holiday season trying to decide between the Sylvania and the Westinghouse display and mulling over whether or not to shell out the extra few hundred dollars for a HTiB, you can take solace in the knowledge that a Wal-Mart associate will happily assist."

Sarcasm anyone... nice...

[KYThrill]

Originally Posted by psickmusic

What's funny is, as the TV's get more technical, and further and further from the 1990's, the less help we need hooking them up. It used to be I could understand people needing help hooking up an old school 5.1 player to their DVD player which is connected to their Sony Trinitron. They needed to know if they use the white and red audio cables or the optical cable for the sound, and needed to know if they use the S cable or the Yellow cable for video, all while having a splitter..etc etc.

But now there's no need to pay someone $100 - $300 to plug in an HDMI cable. No need.

The only thing people need help with these days are HANGING/MOUNTING the HDTV on the wall (gotta find a stud and hope its in the correct spot. If not, make a piece of wood connect the two studs 16" apart and secure the HDTV mount/bracket to that, then connect the HDTV to that mount...etc)

I don't know, do you know how bad some of the menu systems are on these cheap brands? If the service also includes going into the menu, and setting up options (not calibration, but turning off TV speaker for those with 5.1 setups, enabling DD or PCM output if you use optical out, selecting the correct resolution for the PC they connected, etc.) then it may be worth it to many.

Also, not everything is HDMI. I don't think your typical Wal-Mart shopper is going to be sporting all the latest HDMI equipped gear (where does the VCR plug in?). Many TV's have miltiple component inputs and some of them are 480/720 only, with the one next to it supporting everything.

It just depends on what the service offers. Heck, if they mount it to the wall, connect all your components, and zip tie up the cables for a clean look, it would probably be better than what most people can do themselves.

[jjpt4540]

Originally Posted by Lee Stewart

1. Is there something wrong with WMs brands of comsumer electronics?

2. Is there something wrong with their pricing?

3. You are aware that they are contracting out the service aren't you?

1. They are the bottom line of any brands. And no recievers,amps or anything that would take a person to set it up. A home theater in a box a blind monkey could set it up.
2. Not for the quality
3. Doesn't matter don't trust Walmart employees for any information.

[psickmusic]

Originally Posted by KYThrill

I don't know, do you know how bad some of the menu systems are on these cheap brands? If the service also includes going into the menu, and setting up options (not calibration, but turning off TV speaker for those with 5.1 setups, enabling DD or PCM output if you use optical out, selecting the correct resolution for the PC they connected, etc.) then it may be worth it to many.

Also, not everything is HDMI. I don't think your typical Wal-Mart shopper is going to be sporting all the latest HDMI equipped gear (where does the VCR plug in?). Many TV's have miltiple component inputs and some of them are 480/720 only, with the one next to it supporting everything.

It just depends on what the service offers. Heck, if they mount it to the wall, connect all your components, and zip tie up the cables for a clean look, it would probably be better than what most people can do themselves.

Good points. I concur.

However, my initial post was still not addressed by anyone in here

Wal-Mart just the other day say they are scaling down their DVD and Blu-ray disc selection:


http://online.wsj.com/public/article...132563199.html

Wal-Mart Cuts Down on DVD Displays

So again; why would we go to them for a set up when they dont support the things you play/watch on that set-up? It's kind of ironic, no?

"Yes it is, Psickmusic. Again, you're right"

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by jjpt4540

1. They are the bottom line of any brands. And no recievers,amps or anything that would take a person to set it up. A home theater in a box a blind monkey could set it up.
2. Not for the quality
3. Doesn't matter don't trust Walmart employees for any information.

1. What do you expect to be sold at WM?
2. You said the brands are bottom line - and the price reflects that - now you are complaining ? WTF?
3. You have some kind of a phobia?

[Rolltide1017]

Originally Posted by psickmusic

So again; why would we go to them for a set up when they dont support the things you play/watch on that set-up? It's kind of ironic, no?

?? That doesn't make sense too me. The AV electronics retailer I like to shop at doesn't sell BDs or DVDs but, I will always go to them for any HT equipment I may want. Why does a store have to sell DVDs to be able to sell TVs, that just doesn't make any sense too me? I can buy movies at Walgreen's but, they don't sell TVs. Should I not do that because they don't sell the equipment I need to view them. Maybe I'm just weird. There are plenty of places to buy media and I'm not going to rule out a store selling equipment just because they may not sell the media as well.


I also will never pay Wal-Mart to send someone out to install anything. You know they will use the cheapest subcontractor they can find. Then again, this services is not aimed at me and I'm sure there are many Wal-Mart shoppers who will love it.