Sony's XBR4 Bravia LCD TV

Have you ever had a problem with a 46-inch Sony XBR4 or XBR5 Bravia LCD TV? If so, note that Sony has effectively extended the warranty on those sets, which were mainly sold in 2007, to cover the replacement of the LCD panel through October, 2012.

Sony acknowledges that some of these sets may develop “picture anomalies” on the screen related to the LCD panel, and it will replace the LCD panel on affected sets. Also, Sony says it may reimburse parts and labor costs for those who had paid to repair the LCD panel. To receive reimbursement, you have to fill out a claim form, which must be postmarked by June 30, 2010.

Though the company doesn’t specify the issues, some owners had complained of a clouding issue (mura) on some earlier XBR models. Sony says that it will try to repair affected sets via its service network within 30 days of contact. You can call Sony at (888) 649-7669 for diagnosis, warranty service, or if you are not provided a repair within 30 days.

For more information about the extended warranties on XBR4 and XBR5 sets, visit Sony’s customer support website. 

Let us know if you've had an issue with one of these sets, and how satisfied you are with how the repair or reimbursement was handled.

—James K. Willcox

With only six days to go till the Oscars are handed out, you might want to bone up on the nominations, try your hand at picking winners, or view trailers for the flicks you missed. You can do all that and more—including printing out a ballot for your Oscar bash or dishing with other movie mavens–at the official site for the Academy Awards.

A few interactive features could be fun for film fanatics. Play trivia games and vote for your favorites or even for designer outfits for the glitterati. If you’re totally consumed, you can sign up for mobile alerts there too.

Moviefone also has a wealth of info on all things Oscar, including a list indicating which films are still in theaters and which are available on DVD or Blu-ray. About half the best-picture candidates are available on disc, so if you hurry, you can see the full-length feature before the awards ceremony on March 7.

For more, see our guide to movie-streaming services and our Ratings of rental services (available to subscribers).

—Eileen McCooey

Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist:

• Staples:  Acer 23-inch Widescreen Dual Input LCD Monitor $150 Shipped
• Geeks: Philips 1080p HD Upscaling DVD & DivX Player $36
• Dell Home: Canon SD970 IS 12.1MP Digital Camera $269 Shipped
• Sony Style:  Sony Vaio Y Core 2 Duo Widescreen Notebooks $100 off with Coupon
• Buydig : Lowepro 14" Laptop Messenger Bag for $14.95 w/ Free Shipping
• Newegg : Yamaha 5.1 Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver for $149.99 w/ Free Shipping
• Lenovo:  Lenovo Q700 Dual Core 2.5GHz HTPC $499 + free shipping
• Lenovo: Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 15.6-inch Laptop $474.05 + free shipping

• Lenovo: Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t 10-inch Netbook/Tablet $499 + free shipping
• Amazon:Save up to 52% off Movies and Series on Blu-ray Disc
• Amazon : Xbox 360 Play & Charge Controller Kit for $39.99 w/ Free Shipping
• Microsoft : 30% Off Select Xbox 360 Game Titles w/ Coupon CLR-MSFT-Games-30%
• Walmart: Walmart Video Game Bundles: Two Xbox 360 games for $20 + $5 s&h, more

Related: TV Ratings and buying tips; Digital camera Ratings and buying tips; Video game console buying tips and video: "Choosing a video game system"; Computer Ratings and buying tips; DVD & Blu-ray player Ratings and buying tips.

Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in
exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely
informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or
products becoming unavailable as the day progresses.

These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or
the Web sites that sell them—though some of the sites may be included,
and recommended, in our Ratings of retailers for computers and other major electronics (both available to subscribers). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.

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