Product Description

Prepare to be amazed. The future of television entertainment has arrived. The RCA 38" Diagonal HDTV has a widescreen picture that gives you similar proportions to a movie screen - and ten times the resolution of traditional television sets (2, 000, 000 pixels versus 200, 000 pixels). The built-in high-definition decoder and DIRECTV receiver make it easy to begin enjoying television in a whole new way. In addition to the convenience of the F38310, the picture is rich and has accurate color and pinpoint detail.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #164423 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: RCA
• Model: F38310
• Display size: 38

Features

• Widescreen TV receives and displays high-definition broadcasts in 1080i resolution
• Advanced twin-tuner picture-in-picture (NTSC only)
• PERFORMAX 16:9 picture tube with 3D Y/C digital-frame comb filter and SYNCROSCAN HD component-video inputs
• SRS Focus audio technology, optical output for Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound
• Master Touch universal glow-in-the-dark remote included

Amazon.com Product Description
The 38-inch-diagonal screen in RCA's F38310 HDTV has similar proportions to a movie screen--along with 10 times the resolution of traditional television sets (2 million pixels versus 200,000 pixels, 1,280 horizontal by 1,080 vertical). Translation: it offers an unbelievable experience in picture sharpness, color, and detail. And with theaterlike Dolby Digital surround sound capability (via an optical connection to your surround receiver), movies will sound, as well as look, like movies.

The set's built-in high-definition decoder and DIRECTV receiver make it easy to begin enjoying the best in digital and high-definition broadcasting, as well as premium-quality images from your favorite DVDs.

You'll get full 1080i (interlaced) display of high-definition signals on the F38310's PERFORMAX 16:9 picture tube, whose tight, 0.78mm center dot pitch (the pixel width) and 3D Y/C digital frame comb filter ensure sharp, detailed images.

Advanced twin-tuner picture-in-picture is available for standard NTSC signals, and RCA's SYNCROSCAN HD component-video inputs automatically adjust to either normal component-video or progressive-scan signals.

SRS Focus audio technology electronically elevates sounds coming from the speakers beneath the screen and "repositions" the sound from the middle of the screen, as you'd hear it in a movie theater.

Customer Reviews

RCA 38" HDTV and the Answer is......
The answer is YES: Yes the picture quality is awesome, YES movies look better viewed the way they are supposed to be (widescreen), and YES TV is a whole new experience. If you are in the market for a TV and don't have room for a rear project massive TV this TV gives you close to the same size screen, arguably better color quality, and the versatility of putting this TV anywhere just like any other "tube". If you watch TV on a regular basis or if you are like me and love movies wide screen is the way to go. Enjoy!!! : )

F38310 - Review
Purchased and began using this TV this past weekend. I have found that it seems to be a product rushed to production. Simple problems such as no satellite outputs. If you wish to tape something off of satellite, this set does not have a satellite output to hookup to your Tivo, Ultimate TV, or VCR. Are you a big fan of PIP? If so, this isn't the TV you want. You can only view PIP if you are viewing an analog channel and if the PIP is tuned to an analog channel. So it isn't possible to view a satellite or digital CATV program and pull up your PIP. Selecting channels is also cumbersome. If viewing satellite and you want to go to ESPN from another channel, you would have to enter '206', then press 'OK' for the tuner to switch. I know, just one more button to press, but try finding that button in the dark. Picture quality is Good with my satellite, and Best when viewing DVD's. RCA included the HDTV tuner with this set which will save you money down the road and allows you to view HDTV broadcasts currently being offered. In St Louis, 3 local stations are broadcasting HDTV, and with my over the air antenna, the quality is outstanding. Out of 5 stars I would rank the picture a 4 as quality seems to go along with digital broadcasts (HDTV, DVD etc). With limited HDTV broadcasts, picture quality suffers right now. The absence of the satellite output bothers me most especially when you pay this much for a TV and it's the "latest and greatest" offering.

Love lost....
When the TV works, it has a beautiful picture with HD and DVD sources. Because the TV has a DirectTV tuner, the HDTV signal from that source is wonderful.

The TV (when it works) has some quirks: it's difficult to manuever around the menus, the owners manual is incorrect in places, and the internal fan(s) are noisy 24/7; you can hear them over movie sound tracks during quiet breaks.

But the real problem is that my TV has been unreliable. In just 11 months, the main circuit board and picture tube went out and I was without my TV for 3 months of the 11 waiting for repairs. The tube went out just 10 days after the circuit board was repaired. The retail price for the tube (not including labor) was [price]. The only parts that haven't had to be replaced are the plastic casing and speakers, and the right speaker now appears to be going out.

RCA/Thompson Customer Service/Relations was simply unresponsive. They did not care that the TV was out of service for 3 months, and did nothing to speed up the process. They certainly weren't going to replace this obvious lemon (according to the repair tech). To talk to a human at RCA, it will cost you; it's not a toll free number. I was on the line waiting for someone for 75 minutes over 3 periods. I've had to get time off work on 6 occassions to deal with in-home techs and pick-up and deliveries.

A product is really only as good as the company that stands behind it, and this is an obvious example of a company that does not stand behind its product, which makes purchasing this TV a significant gamble. With so many nice TVs to choose from, this TV is just not worth this hassle.