Living in full color or fade to gray

MANILA, Philippines - Raise your hand if you love your TV, even in a way that doesn’t require couch potato tendencies. You love it for its elegant design. For the moving art it displays. Or maybe just because it brings you many pixels closer to Megan Fox.

These days, techno-philia shouldn’t be scoffed at particularly when, if you look to a brand such as Samsung, these home appliances and gadgets make life and entertainment options better and more enriching. Now that Samsung has Internet@TV and Content Library (has a built-in storage of recipes, games and art) features on its new Series 8 LED TV, there’s more reason to love and vow undying amazement over this living room staple.

But sometimes love can be blind, dyslexic or maybe just a bit too impulsive for anyone’s good. When we fall in love with a TV, we want it at all cost and by any means. Some even resort to doubtful tactics just to have that ultra-slim tech-candy displayed in their homes. They buy parallel imported units or gray sets, TV sets sold by unauthorized dealers, for a cheaper deal.

As with everything that starts out sketchy, buying your ideal set from a tech pimp can lead to a botched relationship later on. Would you seriously date or invest time and money on a chick or a dude with a questionable background? Maybe not. If you’re as passionate about your TV set, you shouldn’t settle for a parallel import buy either.

First, these parallel imported units aren’t accounted for. Each Samsung TV unit sold by authorized dealers are stamped with a serial number, which is part of a set that is exclusive to the Philippines. Parallel imported units have serial numbers but these don’t coincide with numbers assigned to our area — they’re probably meant for Malaysia, Indonesia or other countries. And, believe it, an unrecognizable serial number is just the start of many troubles.

You’re not granted the free one-year warranty that comes with all “officially-bought” Samsung TVs, for one. And considering that these units don’t go through quality check, you just won’t realize the value of a free warranty until a faulty screen or a busted power button hits you with a repair bill more phenomenal than your 55-inch LED screen.

Now, if you play it straight and purchase from an authorized dealer, you get the free one-year warranty, extendable to two years with a minimal fee, and superb after-sales service (authorized Samsung service centers won’t think you a miserly tech-hog). You’re on the priority list just because you bought right. Gray units will still be accepted for repair but a higher service fee will be charged. Parts can also cost more, and may take weeks or months to acquire because they may have to be ordered abroad, which brings us to the second point.

Samsung TVs bought from unauthorized sellers work on different viewing systems than those sold by authorized distributors. Have you ever bought a DVD in Bali or Bangkok and not have it work in your TV set or DVD player because the disc is set in another regional code? That’s the PAL viewing system flexing its viewing muscle. Most grays come with a PAL standard, as opposed to the NTSC viewing system that we use in the Philippines (and you thought they were just letters arbitrarily put together to make life difficult). Spelled out, your copy of the unrated two-disc special edition of The Hangover bought at AstroVision won’t play on the Samsung Series 8 55-incher you bought from some random stall in Greenhills reseller. Or if it does play, picture quality can be compromised since the set is not optimized for Philippine or NTSC viewing. Buy the same model from an authorized appliance center and you can watch Ken Jeong’s Mr. Chow sic it to the befuddled white-man crew over and over and over again — in full, glorious color and sound.

It’s a no-brainer: If you hesitate over buying a unit that runs on 110 volts, which is used in North America, instead of the 220 V used here, then so should you be extra wary of buying TV sets that feature a video system that is not compatible for Philippine viewing.

Parallel imports can also come with a different voltage regulation, which doubles the stress value of a set that you bought for only a few thousand pesos less. Considering the promotions and zero-percent plans offered by appliance centers these days, there’s no reason why you should even buy from an unauthorized dealer. It may be initially thrilling to buy a premium product for a cheaper price but the excitement quickly fades as soon as the first kinks of a parallel imported set start showing. Give it a few months and the bills might start piling up. You can just imagine the heartbreak.