Apex GB65HD09W 65-Inch Projection Widescreen HDTV
By: Apex Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 57
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 On: 2007-02-19
I bought a 50" Apex projection television from Amazon and it died 3 months after I got it. Even though the television supposedly came with a "One year in-home warranty" it took me nearly 2 years and almost filing a lawsuit just to get them to refund me my cost of the TV, and they didnt cover the $125 shipping cost.
BUYER BEWARE - It is NOT worth the hassle, spend $100 or $200 more and get a brand you can trust.
On: 2007-01-07
I bought an Apex 3 yrs ago. Sadly it pooped out right at Christmas. There are very few people who can service these TVs. I paid 700 bucks for it. The repairman charged me 160.00 to come out to tell me that it would need a new motherboard at the cost of 400.00 + labor to repair it. That was the bad news. The good news was there were no parts to be found. He recommended that I look at Sony or Samsung. Both have good quality and cheap and easy parts to repair them with. I went with the Samsung DLP and I also bought a warranty to go with it. To you recent purchasers of Apex I would buy a warranty plan or just return it.
On: 2005-11-22
Those of you who purchase any product from APEX, be very afraid. I purchased the APEX 65 inch widescreen TV. I have had nothing but, actually nothing from their customer service department. I have not been able to find not even one service person that is willing to work with APEX at all. I even went out of my state boarders to find someone, with no luck. I have received about 20 emails from them with the same response each time. I really like the television but the service is not good at all. "I VOWED TO LET EVERY CONSUMER OF THERE PRODUCTS, KNOW HOW BAD THEIR SERVICE IS". BE CAREFUL, BUY IF YOU WANT!!!! I too have a convergence problem as well. I read the other review and thought someone stole my thoughts.
 On: 2005-09-22
I have had my T.V. for a year and 4 months. Looks like the Digital Processor blew out. The convergence is WAY OFF to the point I cant even fix it.
Their support is poor. Their guys are in India or wherever and have heavy accents and seem to be very ignorant.
Getting repair work done on it is a task. No repair people want to touch it. When it worked it was a great TV for a great price. I just wish It would have lasted longer. It seems this is a disposable unit because I just cant find anyone that will repair it.
 On: 2005-03-22
I bought this TV back in Dec. of 2003. I use it with Comcast HD cable and the picture quality is amazing! I also decided to post a review here to 1: offset some of the negative reviews (sorry for your bad luck guys) and 2: Tell users of this TV how to access the Service Menu!
Only use this if you know what youre doing...
1) Turn volume to 0
2) hit mute on the remote
3) hit mute on the remote again and keep it held down
4) hit menu on the TV (not remote)
5) release mute and menu
You will see and S on the screen......
You can do very accurate convergence adjustments and overscan adjustment..... mine probably had 15-20% overscan. In 1080i mode, half the ratings bug would be cut off on the left, and half the station ID bug would be cut off on the right...
Once in Service Mode:
1) hit the "search" key on the remote. This will bring up the convergence grid.
2) The "Shift" key will cycle between Phase/Coarse/Fine. You want fine.
3) The Volume/Channel Keys will move the cursor around
4) The Mute Key will lock the cursor (where you want to adjust convergence). Then the volume and channels will adjust the convergence at that spot.
5) The ANT key will cycle between Green/Red/Blue Cursor
6) The MWIN Key will change the grid color
7) The P-MODE key switches between grid/dots/cursor mode
8) The recall key will bring up video under the convergence grid
9) The menu/down arrow keys adjust the stepping (how much the convergence changes with each arrow change change).
10) Hitting the key above search completely clears out all convergence info (dont do it)
11) the "0" key under the mute key will reload the last saved convergence data
12) The power key will save your newly adjusted convergence data
13) The search button will take you back out of convergence mode
Here are the recommended convergence procedures....
(This is all from memory... so may not be 100% exact)
1) enter service mode
2) enter convergence mode (search key)
3) Hit shift until it says "fine"
4) Hit MWIN until the convergence grid is green
5) Make the green grid as straight as possible. Use the arrow keys (Volume and channel) to move the cursor to where you need to adjust. Hit the mute button to lock the cursor. Hit the ANT button to make sure the cursor is green (to adjust the green gun).
6) When the green looks straight, align the red to green. Cycle through the grid colors (MWIN) key, until you get the yellow grid. Yellow is green and red together. Anywere you see red in the grid lines, move the cursor there, lock it, use the ANT key to turn the cursor RED and move the red onto the green to form yellow.
7) Repeat, to adjust the blue. You can adjust the blue to either the red (use the purple grid) or adjust the blue to the green. (using the cyan grid).
8) Now, turn the grid white again, and make sure it is white everywhere. If you see red or blue sticking out, lock the cursor there, cycle the cursor to the correct color and adjust.
9) This is optional, but you can change from a grid to rows of dots (using the P-MODE key repeated), I then do final adjustments.
10) again, adjusting the "Step" controls how much the grid moves with each keypress "Menu" to increase, Down arrow to decrease
Hit the POWER button and wait a few seconds--- you should see "Save OK".
Hitting the Search button takes you back out of convergence mode
Hit power again to "Lock in" convergence changes and exit Service Mode.
You can also change the Geometry while in Service Mode.
Hit the Up arrow key (that says BBE underneath it). Hitting this key repeated will take you through several screens of data.
One will have the general geometry settings.. the ones you are most interested in are "HSH" "HA" "VSH" and "VA". HA and VA change the screen sizes horizontally and vertically. HSH and VSH move the display up and down. Make sure you write down all settings before changing them.
Changes to these settings are immediate.
If you are going to change the geometry... do that before adjusting the convergence.
 On: 2004-08-31
This tv worked great when it worked. When it broke, that is when the fun began. So now I am taking action. If you have this tv and are not happy, please e-mail me at tazzie3979@hotmail.com and let me know. I am tired of being screwed over by Apex and I am going to get this product recalled. This is ridiculous that we should have to put up with this. Also I am filing a complain with the better business bureau. Please contact me to get Apex to pay up.
On: 2004-08-30
This tv worked great when it worked. When it broke, that is when the fun began. So now I am taking action. If you have this tv and are not happy, please e-mail me at tazzie3979@hotmail.com and let me know. I am tired of being screwed over by Apex and I am going to get this product recalled. This is ridiculous that we should have to put up with this. Also I am filing a complain with the better business bureau. Please contact me to get Apex to pay up.
On: 2004-08-04
i wanted to give you some feedback...about this 65" wide screen projection tv...i bought......and all i can say is......WOW!!!!
I work in the high digital medical field,.,,i have always been attracted to electronics...from a very,,,early age.
Ive grown up a lot since then....I am now a 48 year ..person....
Y just sod my Phillips 55" rear projection tv...that ive had no problem with for almost...8 years.....
i took a chance..on this....incrediable offer....( i have been keeping up to date w/all the technical improvement on rear projection High Defeniton TVs..)....
I bought the Tv...on line,,,,never have seeing it ,,,up live...
and let me tell you...working everyday in the high defenition medical imaging setting.........i am very.....very....picky.. HOWEVER"..i was really taken IN... by the ..increiable image. the picutre was awssome,,,the shartpness... the resoluton,,,the ...sound on its own was crips yet deep .. I was hook up to a HDTV calbe carrier,,,wich allowed me numerus HDVT channels form local to HBO,,,,ect.,.,all i can say is........WOW....
From a scale of 1 to 10... i give it a "9plus"!!!!for the money...i highly give it a VERY HIGH...rating
I have this tv hook up to a 5:1 surround 300 watts (w/subwolfer)Yamaha surround system....and i and all my friends/relatives,,,,are BLOWN away.......AS WELL
On: 2004-05-20
I BOUGHT MY APEX 65" PROJECTION TV ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO ....HAD IT FOR LESS THAN A MONTH AND ALL THE WHITE COLOR IN THE TELEVISION WENT "PINK" YELLOW IS NOW ORANGE IT LOOKS HORRIBLE! BARNEY THE DINOSAUR MAY BE PURPLE ON YOUR TELEVISION HES LILAC ON MINE...KINDA SUCKS! I HAVE BEEN WAITING 5 WEEKS TO GET IT FIXED AND GETTIN THE TOTAL RUNAROUND! YOU HAVE TO WAIT ON HOLD FOR HOURS AT A TIME TO GET THROUGHT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE ITS RIDICULOUS...I HAVE CALLED 10 TIMES AND BEEN ON HOLD FOR A TOTAL OF 11 HOURS!!!!!! BUY ANOTHER TELEVISION SPEND THE EXTRA BUCKS AND SAVE THE HASSLE ....I JUST WANT MY MONEY BACK THE TV SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-15
I decided to write this review because all of the other reviews were very informative and helped me inevitably decide to buy the TV. Just like everybody else, i thought the same thing... oooooo a big-screen for $1500 (and a 65" to boot), but "APEX"....hmmmmmm i dont know.Well i shopped around and did my research. Any other TV of similar size was at least $1000 more. Also, there were several customers who loved theirs and only a few that dispised "APEX" for various reasons. My feelings were that with anything you will have a few unlucky or just generally pesemistic people, so i focused on the positive feedback. I finally decided to give APEX a chance and i purchaced the TV. i intended on giving the tv every chance to look its best. (i highly recomend that whatever TV you decide to buy you do the same). Before i even opened the box when it arrived (and this was extremely hard) i went out and bought a good quality progressive scan DVD player w/ component outputs and a good quality but modestly proced home theater system. (note: neither the TV nor the video components i purchaced came w/ component cables, so save yourself a second trip and pick them up while your there the first time... lesson learned) I unpacked the tv (WOW that is a BIG SCREEN!) and plugged the rest of the components in. I read all of the instructions (for a change, again, just to make sure i was getting the most from the tv). The first thing we watched was the cable. i was expecting less that stellar quality based on other reviews, but was pleasantly supprised that it was pretty good and that screen is so big that you just gaze at the tv and dont even notice anyway. The different zoom options change the screen in different ways, and you will find one that looks good to you. Next was the DVD/progressive scan/component cable hook-up test. Drum roll please... first movie was "Pirates of the Caribbean". The picture was unbelievable. Clear, crisp, just all around very impressive. However, from a cinematography stand-point, "Pirates" is a litle dark, hazy, and monochromatic in the begining. So i put in "Finding Nemo" figuring that ought to have some vivid color. Let me put it this way, after watching for about 10 minutes, i finally picked my jaw up off of the floor. And every neighbor has responded the same way. Absolutely beautiful. You definately want this TV. Bottom line: i was as sceptical as the next consumer, but took the leap of faith and was rewarded with a low-cost, humungous, beautifully clear picture, TV. i have ordered SBC HDTV today, and i will update this review if i get some spare time in the future. If you have your heart set on another popular brand name, then buy that one. But if you are like me, and are not sure about buying this TV because it says "APEX" on the front, forget about that and buy this TV before you procrastinate too long and they go on backorder. Just take the time to buy the proper accompanying components and set up the TV properly as per the instructions to get the best picture, and get a truck load of popcorn! This is how movies were meant to be watched.
On: 2004-04-14
im interested in purchasing the apex 65 hdtv,amazon.com has discontinued the tv.does anyone know how to get in touch w/apex direct to purchase their products?????
On: 2004-04-04
I purchased this tv on Feb. 19th and it was delivered on Feb. 26. The tv was great for about two weeks. Now there is something wrong with the red picture tube. I have red trail lines and the picture color is HORRIBLE. I contacted customer service and was told there were no service agents in my area-ORLANDO,FL and given two numbers for agents over an hour away and told that APEX would find a service agent and contact me within 10 business days. Both service agents I contacted said they would not travel to Orlando and warned me about APEX customer service. One company said they had 25 APEX tvs waiting on parts and was not recommending APEX anylonger. It has now been 3 weeks since I originally called and no response. I called APEX again, was on hold for 45 minutes AGAIN, and told that they called several agents and are waiting for someone to call them back who would be willing to service my tv. Now Im stuck with a piece of junk.
On: 2004-04-02
We have had this television for less then two months and the color is gone! Apex keeps saying they have no service people in my area to come and fix it! Amazon just happens not to have returns on televisions bigger then 27 inches.And the warranty I purchased through Amazon from NEW is not going to help because they dont cover something that is covered under the manufactures warranty period.So if this had happened in one year it would cover it but since the manufactures warranty is still in effect it is not their problem!I guess Apex wants me to eat the $1400.00 I spent.I am so disappointed in Amazon! I was a very loyal shopper with them! I never thought they would sell something this bad! I bet I spent about $500 to $1000 at Amazon this year (thats without the television)! I can no longer trust them to sell good products that the manufactures back up! Sorry to say that this has lost them a good customer! Ill even be surprised if this gets posted as a review! UPDATE!!!! IT is now July 22, 2004 and still no part to fix my television!The repair center was shipped a part in late April but it was the wrong part!The repair center said that Apex does this so that they can say they shipped the part.However they dont ship the part that you need.Now the repair center says that Apex has the part on backorder and that it will be in around DECEMBER 31,2004!Almost a year later!!! ANd to top it off Apex will no longer talk to thier customers about the parts that they order!Its a new policy,they only give that information to the repair center!I will never buy Apex again and if you still decide to buy Apex after you read this review I feel sorry for you!If anyone can help get a class action lawsuit started I will be the first to join!
On: 2004-03-30
Ive had my TV now for about 6 weeks. Now my house is the place where my freinds and family watch movies. The tv is tough and very easy to move around. Has several inputs and a booming system in it. It has great quality and it was worth it. Its one thing that I really didnt care for at first. The process of cycling through the input using the remote. I fixed all of that though. Go to walmart and buy a learning remote. It costs about $15. Its a great tv and I would recommend it to anybody that wants a great TV for a low price.
On: 2004-03-25
I love this TV however, I just ordered Dish Network and it is blurry especially when watching BB games. Please email me if you have dish network and let me know how it is working for you(especially you BROOKINGS!) DVDs are awesome though.
I called Dish Network and they claim it is blurry because my TV is too big. They say that the data is compressed when they send it over the satelite and that to offer that many channels the image suffers a bit and you notice it alot on bigger tvs. But the image REALLY sucks. I could hardly read the cards on the "WORLD POKER TOUR". Please let me know if your tv is doing this too and what kind of cable you have.
Switching through the inputs is a pain as well as the input defaulting back everytime the tv is shut off. AS for the PIP with Dish Network someone was asking about- I dont think it is possible with a standard dish single input/output box. I have a dual input/output receiver and I think you have to have this type of receiver to have PIP. My email is jriggs@abe.midco.net
Please email me if you have dish network and this TV.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-23
So far so good for a newbie. I got the TV within a week of ordering. The delivery guys did an excellent job getting it into the house! Amazon was great, even gave me a rebate since at the time I purchased the price was $71 more than it was two days later. Whoo Hoo! The picture is great especially on the component out from the DVD and HDTV Cable. Not so sure about some of the other channels, it may be my cable or just the fact that at such a large picture you see a bad image of regular cable. Cable guys coming to check out my connection, again. Since Im new to all this Im spending a bit of time gettin everything adjusted just so (Cable HDTV, Progressive Scan DVD, PIP) Trying to make adjustments via the tv menus. Reading and re-reading the manuals. Too many remotes :) Its all the fun of a new gadget. Having fun with my new toy. My wife and kids love it. Now we really have movie night. So far so good
On: 2004-03-23
I ordred the TV Friday March 12th, shipped the same day. I received it Friday, March 19th (even tho) it was sitting at EAGLE USA docks since that Monday. I had to call them a couple of times before I got a response as to when would they be delivering it. I was overly anxious to get my 1st BIG SCREEN TV. (SMILE)I am not a TV techie, BUT this TV is amazing and I love it. I cannot figure out how to get my cable channels clear though. MY DVD Player with Progressive Scan looks wonderful the TV, but when I change it to CABLE, its not the clearest. I upgraded my CABLE BOX, with a COMCAST DVR HDTV box. I still do not see the difference. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT I AM DOING WRONG. I am at toni300z@yahoo.com Thanks! The sound is great. Nice little thump to it. I do not like how the INPUTS take forever to get through. I also do nto like how when u shut the TV off, and power it back on, it does not stay at the INPUT, u last left it at. I ordered a HARMONY REMOTE (Model SST-768) so that will solve all my problems. I found a really good deal on EBAY. Anyway, definitey a good deal though. Thank goodness I purchased it before the price went up $400. I purchased at 9AM Friday morning for $1399. That night I signed on, to check status, and checked the AMAZON link, and it had went up to $1799. WOW! Can anyone send me the information on how to get an extended warranty on this TV? Thanks a million! Hit me up if you can help me with these two questions please: toni300z@yahoo.com
1.) How can I make my CABLE TV clearer. What am I doing wrong? (I did purchase the MONSTER YGBR cables)
2.) How can I get an extended Warranty (4 year)on the TV?
by: Anonymous On: 2004-03-23
This is a must have HD TV. I connect with Dishnetwork, DVD/VCR combo. Super family enjoyment. BTW, have any of you figured out how to get PIP for singer tuner?
On: 2004-03-20
Yeah, I was scared of buying a cheap big-screen, especially sight unseen over the internet. Well, whats a tax refund for anyway? The set arrived in 8 days in perfect condition. The biggest box Ive ever seen. It works great, better picture than I expected. The tuner gets excellent reception from outside antenna, and there are plenty of inputs for all other sources that I use. The side inputs for games/cameras would be more accesible on the front, kinda dark down there. Decent sound and plenty of options for aspect ratio.
All in all, I am very pleased with this purchase.
On: 2004-03-18
I took delivery of my TV in Feb and couldnt be more pleased with its performance/price ratio. I tried to compare retail prices on it locally but none of the stores carry Apex. I was beginning to think I had made a mistake when I asked the guy at the local Best Buy about Apex and he laughingly said I should try K-Mart. Boy was he wrong. I would put this picture up against any of the higher priced brands out there. I did have a problem getting the PIP to work and spent about an hour on the phone with Apex customer service trying to resolve the issue. When that failed I tried reading the manual and found the answer there. PIP will not work with the picture mode in Zoom. I am on cable, Direct TV and Dish Network and all three are beautiful. Great job Apex!!!!!
On: 2004-03-17
This T.V is Da Bomb!!! It only took 12 days to ship and when it finally got here it was almost to big to bring inside the house. The tracking was kinda wack but besides that i cant find anything wrong with it. All the hook ups are in the back (Besided the A/V hook up and S video on the right) so its kinda hard to hook up all your HD cables but a reciever can change that. The UV remote can program almost anything you need so be looking forward to only be using one remote. If your into system link or watching 2 tvs at the same time your in luck!! The PUP system in this TV is great. For example..when your using the 1/2 1/2 feature(splits screen in half)it automaticly converts the wide screen into 2 "full" screen TVs and it takes all the black bars away. Your actually able to play 4vr4 halo on 1 tv!!..its insane!!
Just last week I almost bought a $2500.00 55 inch Mistibishi HDTV and this TV has the exact same qaulity and it even sounds better. The SOUND on this TV is top noch!(the best sound iv ever heard on a T.V.)I also just bought a $1,000.00 DD 6.1 sound system and 95% of the time..I just play my sound right through through my TV. Accorse it dosent bump like my system does, but this TV can defently wake the neighbors and cause some comotion. Go buy this TV now!! Its like having your own personal theater pluss having your own personal sounds system all in one cheap TV which can acually be 2 TVs so you can do everything at once. Go pick pick this TV up now!! You get great quality, great sound, great system link great everythin. This TV has everything you need. Get this TV Now..ITs DA BOMB!!
On: 2004-03-16
I wrote last time saying how great this tv was, well now that its a whole week and a half old I already need a new part. You see after three hours on hold and 15 minutes of spelling my name for the morons of their customer service I recieved four wrong numbers to a valid service center, after I finally got someone out to check the tv out they said APEX takes about a month or MORE to get parts out to their customers. This tv was not expensive but was not cheap either. I suggest you stay away and run if they try to sell you anything!
On: 2004-03-15
I wont elaborate much because I dont have the time on my hands, but I did want to take the time out to make these choice words. I recently purchased the 65 inch HD APEX through Amazon and thus far am extremly satisfied. I spent $1520 walk out, which included shipping. The picture on the website doesnt do it justice. The tv is beautiful. Picture quality is amazing and the price was half of that of your more predominant brands (Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, etc.)! I definitely recommend purchasing and I wouldnt hesitate purchasing through Amazon. I received my tv in about 7 days from the day I ordered it. I have a few friends who have Mitsubishis and even they have remarked how they liked mine better. Also, the 2 of them spent $3,000 on theirs and this did not include tax. If you are leary on warranty, I suggest by an extension with Apex. What is the difference if you have one with Circuit City or the manufacturer? All any manufacturing/distributing company will do when you have a problem is disperse a local repairman in your area to your residency to fix it. Come on people be logical! Why spend 2X the money for a Jap. tv? They are all made by the Japenese, so what are you getting when you pay that extra price? Thats right, you are paying for their marketing expenses! Well I will climb off of my soapbox, as I promised to be concise in my posting. If you feel uncertain about purchasing this product feel free to email me and we can debate at a further date.Regards, Jake M. Latimer
email: latim06800@yahoo.com *I have no affiliation with Apex nor any self interest for marketing their product or downgrading another. I am merely a satisified customer who used the postings of other statisfied/disatisfied customers postings to better guide me with making this purcase.*
On: 2004-03-10
I ordered this TV on Feb 13, 2004 and received it exactly 14 days later. A little slow but normal, I guess. The tv is absolutely huge, with an awesome picture, even on basic cable, which is all I have. Connected the component inputs from my dvd player and was blown away by the clarity. PS2 pictures are phenomenal. I would recommend this tv to anyone.
On: 2004-03-03
This tv is truely a great tv if you take in account the price, and quality. Cable can be fuzzy due to hd picking up on every flaw the signal might have. Answer to that is easy, hook up a s video cable to the tv and sat box or cable box and the problem is solved. Also has a good range of viewing!
On: 2004-02-26
Awaiting the arrival of my tv I went to Compusa to get component video cables to plug my dvd into the tv once it arrived. In the store they had the Apex 55" on display, I was immediately impressed with its appearance then I looked at the picture quality and had some concerns because it appeared washed out and not as bright as the "name" brand tvs sorrounding it. The arrival of the beast came the following day and being the man that I am I set the instructions aside and plugged the appropriate plugs into the tv and was extremely paranoid because of what I saw the previous day at Compusa. I turned on the tv and because I dont need to read instructions (man thing) nothing was adjusted and the picture coming out of my dvd was blue, of course I paniced and thought I just threw $1,500. out the window. I picked up the instructions and read some (we men can read and learn when we have/want to) then made some adjustments and was completely blown away at its clarity. The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars is because (1) Ive only had it for 2 days and (2) I really do not see the difference between the s-video and the component video coming out of my dvd. Does anyone who has this tv know what I might be doing wrong? Other than that I have been enjoying the mammouth size tv tremendously. I was one of the fortunate ones who received the tv within 6 days. Appearance-wise the picture on Amazon does not do it justice it totally blows all other "boxy" looking projection tvs away. It is a little slow when switching inputs. The inputs Apex hid on the side of the tv is a class act, just push it in and out comes extra inputs for your camcorder, etc. I am thoroughly satified and will recommend purchasing one. My neighbors currently trying to sell his 61" to get this tv. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions - jemj@excite.com , especially if you have the answer to my question.
On: 2004-02-26
tried to update my review last weekend, but it hasnt recorded yet.
The picture on this tv is great, even without the DTV box. I have Dish Network and they are so very back ordered on the box, but until then it is the clearest television I have owned.
Eagle USA delivered and they are great.
This TV is actually made by Chang Hong in China and the specs closely resemble the Samsung 65".
Sorry to see the price back up with only Target selling this product.
I did have to call to APEX because the projecter displays the pic slightly high on the right, but that is unoticable unless you have a lot of script showing. Their phone was busy a lot but on the third attempt I did get through and they are suppose to be calling back to schedule a repairman.
This is a high quality tv with no blurring and plenty of options.
Waiting and wondering why it hadnt shipped when it stated usually ships in 24 hours was the only worry so far. Total time 2/8-2/22 into my living room and unboxed.
On: 2004-02-26
Ordered Apex 65" Projection TV on the 20th February 2004...Amazon said it will be delivery between 26th February - 1 March 2004....On the 24th February...Amazon changes it to 2 March - 8 March 2004...Is Amazon gonna deliver my TV or what!! If the date changes again...I will be very dissatisfied with the whole ordering deal with Amazon. I will update this review on the next estimate of delivery changes...HeHe!
Cant wait for the Big Widescreen.
On: 2004-02-25
I will first tell you this is my first big screen TV. That being said, there are a few in my family and this one ranks right up there. Sure just like the other reviewers, having to switch between signals is kind of a pain, but for the money I am totally satisfied with the product. I am running progessive scan component video with surround sound and it looks and sounds awesome. A dental student on a budget, this tv satisfies all my needs and my friends too. They are all envious. It has everything that I was looking for. Definately a great buy for those just getting into the big screen/hdtv world.
On: 2004-02-22
I received the TV in less than a week and I set it up and all I can say is that it is Amazing. I hooked it up to my surround system and the picture is up there with the high priced sonys, toshibas and mitsubishi. My brother has a mitsubishi 65 and paid over 3 times what I did from mine and the pictures is the same quality. The only thing that bothered me ws having to switch between all the available inputs to switch between dvd and tv, but I got a Harmony remote and programmed it via their website and now with a push of a button it will switch everything automatically(that remote rules). I would definitely recommed this tv and with the money you save you can get a better surround system.
On: 2004-02-20
I ordered this TV about 1 month ago and it has been great. It shipped the next day, but the delivery carrier wouldnt deliver it for about 4 days even though it was at the local shipping deck - anxious to get the TV, we rented a U-haul and picked it up. It is huge - we had to call a couple of friends to help get it in the house!
We havent had any trouble with the picture or sound... only wish there were more HD channels and programming.
For the price, you cant beat it. We looked at the big electronic chain stores, and the picture is just as good as the ones we saw there for 3xs the price.
On: 2004-02-19
Watching PBS in HD 1080i right now, and the picture is spectacular. Bright, clear, really, really good! Make sure you hook this up to a digital TV HD set top box in order to really be blown away, or failing that, a progressive scan DVD player, using component inputs.Anything less, and you will be just amplifying a cruddy signal to a really big size (like reading newsprint with a magnifying glass, a big mess!). Honestly, there are a few small areas of the screen where the convergence is not absolutely perfect, though I plan on having a service come out and professionally adjust it. I can live with it...for the price of this TV. Other things to be aware of: Technical specs dont mention that several of the video inputs are shared (either SVideo or Composite, but using 1 disables the other). Doesnt mention up front that it doesnt natively support 720p mode (it downcoverts it). Doesnt mention that the PIP and Split screen DO NOT work when using component inputs (What else would you use a 16:9 TV for?) There is no direct entry button for accessing the different AV inputs... it is painfully slow switching between inputs by having to rotate through all of them, with large delays between each switch. TV doesnt stay on the input you left in on, when you power it off. Meaning having to rotate through 4 or 5 inputs to get to my HDTV tuner every time I turn the TV on. Probably doesnt mention that several of the on-screen menus dont function when the set is using component inputs. Lots of little gotchas.... keep that in mind. If you are a hard core videophile, this is probably not the set for you. If you are just getting into HD or even widescreen or projection, this is a great entry level set. My goal is for this set to get me through the next couple of years, while the price/functionality of truly digital sets become more functional and attractive. I think this set will do just fine for that.
On: 2004-02-16
I have had my 65in screen APEX for almost a year and I could not be happier with my purchase, plain and simple!Russell Nudo
On: 2004-02-15
I am already taking a big risk by ordering this tv sight unseen, but things can get worse than that and I hope someone at AMAZON is listening here.
1. Ordered on 1-29-04 and mailed in a check....check has still not been received that I know of...
2. February 8..notice that TV goes on sale...account does not reflect the sale price even though my TV is not shipped.
3. Original ship date 2-12-04.
4. Cancel order and reorder using credit card...account shows new sale price. AND new ship date of 2-20-04.
5. 2-12-04 place stop pay on unreceived check,,,,$20.
6. Still waiting while I drool at the widescreens for sale in stores.
7. Type review hoping AMAZON at the very least updates the "usually ships in 24 hours" statement.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-15
I just placed my order for this wonderul television yesterday morning. I spent a week going through all the reviews and all information I could find about this tv. Everything sounds so wonderful and at 1329.00 I cant really go wrong. Ill see in a few days. I will update once its here.
***update***02/17/04 I ordered this TV on 02/13/04. Already shipping late, according to order status it still hasnt shipped. The product page advised that it ships in 24 hrs. Well see how much longer it takes.
On: 2004-02-15
I took delivery of my GB65HD09W 65" on 2/13/2004. As soon as the delivery guys had it out of the shipping carton, I plugged it in to check for any issues. Immediately, I had multiple, rolling images that made the it impossible to even attempt fixing convergence (another issue) via the menu. Apex customer support has a max queue of 10 calls; if they receive more, you get a busy signal. Good luck with that lotto system if you need help. After leaving the set on several hours, the picture morphed into something readable still with very bad color separation (RGB). I was still excited, since I knew I could at least correct this with the convergence utility off the menu, but when selected the utility would not run - it would just return me to the same menu screen with the convergence option. I tried unplugging for several hours, but it is now bad again with all sort of test patterns it displays, along w/ a convergence that wont work...what a POS. I now wait for customer service to find a shop that will come on-site to my house (NW of Fort Worth, TX) per their warranty to fix. Ill post details on the resolution (assuming there is one...).Update: 02/19/04 - called customer service again yesterday (took literally all day to finally not get a busy signal) to get a status on a service call to my house. They had no information on my initial call(!) and took all my information again. They say I will hear from them or an authorized repair shop by end of week. If I dont hear anything, I will call again end of day Friday (tomorrow) for a status. Stay tuned (no pun intended)... Update: 02/20/04 - Called Friday end of day and it appears the service center called one repair shop in my area (no answer at that location, I already tried and told them) and gave up. I refered them to other cities they can try. At my urging, they have escalated my call - I wait to see what that really means. I will call Tuesday 2/24 for another update. Update: 04/08/04 - My repair shop received(!) the new parts last week and installed them on Monday - its now mostly fixed except: There is a red blotch right in the middle of the screen about 1.5" by 1/4". Also, in wide screen, the left side is losing part of the picture, but I think this is adjustable somehow. The picture, now working, looks fantastic. The conclusion to all this is - this TV is a gamble, for how long it will last and if something goes out, you will be out of a TV for 2 months waiting on parts (if you can even find a repair shop).
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-06
I bought this tv because it was cheap and i was told it would get rid of black bars well on some movies it did, some it made them smaller but still there and others it put the black bars on the side! someone please make them go away! ugh!
On: 2004-02-03
So far I have to give this TV 5 stars I havnt recieved it yet but just based on the price. We have been waiting to purchase this whopper of a deal for a few months now to see if anyone has returned with negative reviews. I will write again to let ya know how long it took to get here, and if i had any difficulty setting it up, as well as if the settings that were listed in the reviews section of:Brightness (44)
Contrast (51)
Color (67)
Sharpness (71)
Tint (-4) Are any good. As well as letting you know if PIP works with satellite. okay see ya soon hopefully
On: 2004-02-02
I baught this tv a year ago and just wanted to say it is a great buy. My parents went out and spent over 4,000 on a 60inch Zenith Tv. I was asked to go over and set it up for them and I must say the picture quality is like watching an old VCR tape compared to the Apex 65" And this was a dvd picture on there set, The Apex 65" is a good buy and has good service. After I baught mine I had the local repair shop pick it up and do a line buy line ajustment it just to make sure it was perfect. No charge to me and the set has never given me any problems.
On: 2004-01-31
Had the TV in home for about a week now. So far just a wonderful TV straight out of the box. Hard to pass up a $1400 price!!! Widescreen DVD come alive and regular TV programming takes on a whole new experience. Had been looking at other compariable models from Sony and the like, but with these in the $2K price range as well as another $400+ for like an extended Warranty decided would take a chance on the Apex. With a shade over $100 for an additional 4-Year RepairMaster Extended Warranty Policy, cant beat ~$1500 for this TV. Only minor complaint that cant totally fault Amazon for was the shipping situation. I live in the SW Colorado region and the TV was shipped via Eagle Global Logistics from Atlanta to Denver and Eagle had to farm this out to local RAC Transport to deliver. Well RAC doesnt do in home delivery so ended up having to have a couple friends come down to a location with a trailer to pickup the set and we carted it back home. After lugging the TV (yes at 380 shipping pounds its quite large) up the stairs and into the home, once out of the box quite easy to move around. As believe will fall to Amazons credit (once I see it finally appear on my credit card as they promised), after I contacted the customer service and expressed my unhappiness at not being provided the In-Home Delivery as their policy for large screen television holds, they agreed to credit me back the shipping charges for the purchase. Cant ask for more than that !
On: 2004-01-31
I bought one from Amazon; it took 4 days to get to me. After reading other reviews, I thought I made a big mistake. The TV is big, beautiful, and Lovely. The remote was pretty easy for me to operate. I am using both Cable and Satellite dish. The picture from the Satellite (Digital) is nice, crisp, and clear. The one from the cable is not that clear, because there do not have any digital signal at my end of the wood. I hooked mine up to Aspire digital AD-1100 Plus. It is a complete home theater System. I have the baddest System in my block right now. The sound, the picture, is short; the whole package is nicer than nice. If you are looking to get an HDTV, I recommend this one.
So far, I have not seeing any disadvantage. Cant wait to get home to watch some more TV.
Peace yall.
Eugeneaj.
On: 2004-01-10
Purchased the TV about a week before Christmas. First of all, it arrived in less than 1 week, at the height of the Christmas rush. Hooked it up and have been completely amazed with it. Greenville cable doesnt have HDTV yet, but there are plans for it in the next few months. Have thought about satellite, but not right now. Anyway, even without HD, its still amazing. I just love the big picture.It has several screen settings where you can either watch a regular TV signal with the black bars on the side, or stretch it out horizontally. I usually watch with the stretch. Everyone looks a little fat for the first day or two, then you get used to it. Working the picture in picture (PIP) was a trick with a cable box. You see, with your signal coming in from the wall, into the cable box, then out into the TV, you can only get 1 signal. (This is why you cant watch one thing and tape another thing on your VCR with a digital cable box, like you used to be able to do with "wall cable.") What I had to do was fairly easy. Just buy a cable splitter. Split the signal out of the wall. Run one cord into the cable box, then into the back of the TV. Run the other cable into your VCR. Then, instead of using the coaxial cable to hook your VCR into the TV, use the 3 sound and picture cords (red, white and yellow I think). That way, you have your normal TV signal coming from the digital cable box, and your PIP signal coming from the "wall cable" via your VCR. This was the only way I could think of to make it work, and it works great. I dont know how youd work PIP with a satellite signal (unless you dedicated 2 receivers to your TV), which is one of the reasons Im sticking with cable for now. If anyone has any other PIP ideas, please email me. If you can get PIP working, split screen is amazing. Watching 2 games, each on bigger screens than my old TV is awesome! Cant split the screen into any more windows, though, although I dont think I could get this to work even if it had this feature, unless I went to "wall cable" and stopped using a cable box. It does have a feature where you watch one channel on a big screen, with 4 smaller windows on the right which cycle through all the channels. Again, I dont think you can make this work unless you use "wall cable." If you know of a way, please email. Picture is great, as I said. Sound is equally as good...I usually dont even use my stereo speakers even though I hooked them up because the TV is good enough. I almost simulates a surround sound feel, although I must admit Im not much of a sound buff. Dont have a progressive scan DVD player yet, but the picture with my old one looks great to me. I had a guy at Best Buy tell me that the difference between the two is negligible. Havent had any encounters with customer service, and hope I dont have too. Ive read here that Apexs customer support is so-so, but then again, in reading reviews of other companies, it sounds like this is a universal flaw with all the companies. Ive had an Apex DVD player for about 2 or 3 years and have been very happy with it. Finally, the price was amazing. I looked around for a couple of weeks at the various stores, and this was the best price I could find by almost $1000!!!! Also, take advantage of the Amazon.com VISA where you get $30 off, a couple of $25 gift certificates, and most importantly, no interest for 12 months. Email if you have questions. Michael J. Bogle
michaeljbogle@yahoo.com
On: 2003-08-14
I purchased this TV through Amazon on July 17 and received it on July 29. Like others, what caught my attention on this bad boy was the price. It is half the price of comparable TVs. I was a little nervous having purchased the TV without seeing it first but I couldnt be happier with the way it turned out. The first thing one should realize is that this is a really big piece of equipment. Make sure and measure if you have stairs or any tight turns.The picture quality is simply outstanding. It takes a little adjusting out of the box but once thats done the view is amazing. This is my first HD experience and I am awestruck by the vivid clarity of the HD channels. Its all too easy to get couch-lock with this unit. Although I use a surround sound system, the built-in sound is exceptional. Watching a progressive scan DVD with the surround sound is a true theatrical experience. The remote is a little complicated. Many of the buttons have dual purposes so Im still referring to the instructions from time to time. But the features are incredible. Split screen viewing will come in handy during football season. Its like getting 2 TVs for the price of 1!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-07
I was greedy. I thought I could have my cake and eat it too. Oh well...Ill admit that I purchased this set before I had taken the time to fully evaluate it specs. Every other HDTV Id looked at in the past month had inputs to allow a computer to be hooked up--either DVI or VGA--so I assumed that this was a common feature on any high resolution display. In preparation for this TVs arrival, I had invested about $$$$$$ in an HTPC (home theater PC) only to find that the thing could not be connected up to the Apex! Grrrr... I now have a new $$$$ VGA card on the way that supposedly supports a component dongle, but why should I have had to go to the trouble? I guess thats just one of the many areas where Apex cut corners in order to maintain the low price point. As for the picture quality, I suppose its OK for the price but still not on the same level as other brands. Much to my surprise, when I compared the picture on my Apex (which I spent over 2 hours calibrating using an AVIA test disc in addition to some of my preferred "reference" DVDs like Fifth Element superbit and Toy Story) to an UNCALIBRATED Samsung DLP-based RPTV at the store, the Sammy definitely came out on top in terms of color accuracy, brightness, viewing angle, and quality of internal scaler Since I cant return it, I think Im going to have to gift this one to my parents...
On: 2003-07-15
I just purchased this TV on July 15th. I would like to give you my opinion on the whole process from start to finish. How long it takes to arrive to how the picture looks when its setup. Ill be using Time Warner Digital Cable with an HDTV connection. They only offer a few stations in HD but at least Ill be able to judge a normal digital signal and a HD signal. The TV Im replacing is a 5 year old 55" Philips purchased. I was going to buy a 65" Sony today at a retail store for over 2k but I thought I would take the gamble. Hopefully it pays off.
!!!! 8/1/03 Update: It arrived 13 days after I ordered. The movers did a great job. Beware; its a big box! Once its out of the box its easy to move - it has wheels. The TV is awesome. Ive had it for a week now. I use Time Warner Digital Cable and the picture is great on the digital channels. The TV even improves the nondigital channels! Time Warner offers 4 High Definition channels (HBOhd, ShowTimehd, DiscoveryHD, and ABChd) and Ive got to say the picture is outstanding! Was going to get DirecTV but they charge an arm and a leg for the HD dish and receiver. Time Warners HD receiver was exchanged for free! The TV has preset viewing modes - movie, vivid, normal, and personal. The preset modes have a washed out look so you will have to adjust the contrast and color to your liking using the onscreen display - see my settings below. I bought a progressive scan DVD player and it displays an excellent picture. The detail is amazing. I have the HD Cable box connected to the TV using the HD component wires for the 4 HD channels and the normal digital cable connected using an S-Video wire. All the audio is connected to my surround sound receiver. (the tv speakers sound great when used alone). After seeing the picture on other expensive sets at local stores I honestly cannot see a difference besides the price!! Just watched Monday night pre-season football on the HD-ABC channel and it felt like I was right on the field. The detail on the helmets and uniforms just amazed me! At 33, I find myself watching Leave It To Beaver, I Love Lucy, and Sponge Bob, just to experience the huge picture. The only problem with this TV is that you will never get your friends out of the house once they come over! I highly recommend this TV, its like having a movie theater in your own living room!Brightness (44)
Contrast (51)
Color (67)
Sharpness (71)
Tint (-4)
On: 2003-06-14
I had been looking at this television for a while now, but decided to finally pull the trigger on the last price drop. I do not regret the decision. A huge box was delivered to my house 5 days after I placed the order with Amazon. We actually had to take the box off to fit it through the door. This television is amazing. The box itself does not look or feel cheap (a concern i had with previous Apex products). Watching movies with a progressive scan DVD player and surround sound is a theatric experience miles above my old 32inch setup. I hooked up my Xbox and the games look amazing in 480p and in 1 case, 1080i (yeah, I know you arent suppose to play games on projection screen tellys). The picture quality is comparable to other HDTVs Ive seen (and at half the cost), provided you set it up correctly (just look online).
On: 2003-06-12
I THINK THE PRICE IS JUST GREAT AND FROM WHAT IVE BEEN TOLD THE APEX TV IS ONE OF THE BESTS, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT PRICE AND I WILL BE ON THIS WEB SITE FOR EVER
On: 2003-06-09
I got this TV and initially was worried due to DVD playback problems. The DVD movies looked dull and artifacts (ie: ghosts) appeared in darker sceens. I turned down the birghtness and this helped with the ghosts but made the picture even more dull. I decided to give a progressive scan DVD a try. .... Be sure yours has component out! When I tried the progressive scan for the first time using S-Video out, the ghosts went away but the pic was still a little dull. Then I tried the component out! WOW - what a difference! The reds are bright! The Blues as dark and blacks are truly black! In short use a progressive DVD with component out! As for regular networld TV, the non HDTV channels look about as bad a a 65 inch tv that is not HDTV but the HDTV channels are unbelievable! Right now comcast only offers 16 HDTV channels in my area but more are coming by the end of summer! HDTV is here! The main channel I care about is Comcast Sports Networlk and thats in HDTV!!!! Too bad the sixers season is over. Cant wait for the eagles to start!On a side note, component out is a standardized signal. This means the TV can adjust its picture to this standard and the screen is full. No more bars on the top or side regardless or the old term "format", meaning 4:3 or 16:9. Remember this, regular digital cable boxes dont have component out. You will need a box for HDTV. Digatal cable is not HDTV.
On: 2003-06-05
I kid you not. I shopped for a hdtv for six months before making the decision to go with the GB65HD09W. I have had the TV for a week now and am very happy! The TV looks better than you see in the pictures. The front is a very cool looking silver and black. And the unit is built well. I was especially happy to see that the top of the TV was large enough to put all of my electronics on. I know that I should move them to a place alittle further from the set but hasnt affected picture quality yet due to jamming from other electronics. Picture quality is just as good as the Rica senium and Samsung and all other sets I looked at. HDTV picture is awesome! I was worried about picture quality from a 65 inch set. Most sets loose quality with size. Not the case here. Compare price to other 65" wide screens. I recomend this unit. Cons: could have better remote. But plan on getting new universal remote anyway
On: 2003-05-23
Ok first off, the guy talking about HDTV stuff, is WRONG, the standard is set (Its a multiple standard from 480p up to 1080I) whats not set is which if any one of the desplay formats will become the standard) its being left up to TV stations, cable and satilite to deside what they want to brodcast in!! That is why all HDTVs currently have to desplay it all from 480p to 1080I, if they dont they caint use the HDTV label. AS far as the 80% in Homes this is wrong also, the law which was passed by congress over 6 years ago, stated that they estimated by 2006, 80% penatration, and that was to be when the switch (so to speak) would be thrown and no more NTSC brodcasts, so if you have an old NTSC TV, you will have to buy a converter to watch the HDTV brodcasts, with no improved picture quality. They have pushed back when this will happen several times, it still could happen in 2006 but more likely 2011, or even 2016, but as long as your set is HDTV ready now your already golden!! So now the history lesson is out of the way, THIS TV ROCKS 65in HDTV for 1500, is awsome the closest Ive seen at the same size (65in widescreen)and same features (Rear projection HDTV) was 3000$ for a Hitaichi. The only thing you got to worry about with this APEX set is APEX!! There a low end high volume company if you buy something from them, and it brakes its going to be like pulling teeth to get it fixed. So if you can get a extended Warranty you should, and make sure you get someone in your local area who is a certified repair specialest for APEX, do a little home work, and you will save on headaches later, and for that price, a little homework in advance is worth it....
On: 2003-05-08
Ive had my Apex 65" for a week now, and I am very happy with my decision to go with Apex. I am a 100% completely satisfied customer.
On: 2003-04-27
I just recieved my 65 in APEX widescreen hdtv to day and I love the picture perfect screen, its like being in the theater but better. It will take time to figure out all the options and the remote, but thats not bad becouse I love to learn new things. I had a regular 60 in Phillips Magnavox tv before so Im use to a big screen, but the picture on this hdtv is 100% better. This is the third APEX product I have purchased and I think their quality is right up there with the higher priced brands. between Hatachi for $...and APEX for $...and free shipping from Amazon a savings of $...is great. The picture and sound quality is just as good if not better than the high priced Hatachi so why pay more. The only down fall to this product is my wall unit I bought to place this TV in will have to be modified to fit the larger tv. Also I will have to have one of the tv repair shops in my area apply for becoming a certifed APEX repair men just in case something happens, becouse the closest one at this time is about 50 miles away. Hope this helps in your decision for your purchase.
On: 2003-04-12
Sure this tv sounds great 1995.00 65" hdtv. Thats about all it does. It says it ships in about 2 weeks. well Ive been waiting since 1/29/03.they keep sending me emails extending the delivery date. now the earlies I should get it is 5/07/03. Im just gonna order a different brand & see which one gets here first. hopefully the apex does it sounds nice. Ill write another review when one shows up.p.s I bought a Apex dvd player, it showed up broke. i figured out how to rig so it will play. I should have sent it back. I should take that as a sign.
On: 2003-02-10
...This is a great tv. Who cares if there hard to find i like being the only one on the block who can brag about this tv. The picture quality is great and it is gigantic. Who cares if i need to upgrade in 16 years for now im living the dream. I dont ever have to walk in a crummy movie theatre again! This TV Rocks!
On: 2003-02-09
Well, I wrote a review of this T.V. and gave it 4 stars, but this morning, after having the T.V. for about a month, the tube is already out. I will call Apex on Monday and give another rating based on their service. I also have an Apex Progressive scan DVD player and it broke today also (its only 6 months old) --- Not a good sign, if service takes care of it timely I will give good words, if not, more bad reviews to follow.
On: 2003-01-22
I previously wrote that this was a good TV, but after it broke about a month after purchase APEX is now ignoring my cries to get it fixed or replaced or even returned. If you are smart, you will never buy anything APEX, I learned the hard way and will continue to never buy APEX and make sure nobody I come in contact makes my mistake as well... Thanks [...]P>Jeff Saunders
On: 2002-12-02
Any product can have a great price, but if it never shows up then it is WORTHLESS. I contacted APEX about the situation with this TV and received ZERO feedback. Even allowing a single star is overrating this product and the associated service. I have have the best house because it is here and I am enjoying it. I have the best car for the same reason. The only reason one could possibly give this TV 5 stars is because he/she works for APEX, or because they missed the class where they discussed the roll of buyer and seller.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-20
Whether or not HDTV is here tomorrow or in 100 years,for that price it beats any other. Would like to see a professional review, before buying. Gave this a 5 star to balance the other review which has another agenda other than reviewing the actual product.
 On: 2002-11-19
isnt an HDTV combined with a progressive scan DVD player an incredible visual masterpiece? I cant worry about 6 or 16 years in the future...the next minute isnt guaranteed... so I bought my HDTV with progressive scan DVD in mind and watching movies on anything less will never be the same again. Texture, Detail, Color Accuracy... its like being "one with the picture".P.S. I do agree that the pre-order nonsense must stop, and isnt APEX the company that built a 27" Flat Screen WITHOUT component inputs???
by: Anonymous On: 2002-11-14
Adverstising an item that is not available yet should stop. This is a way for businesses to control consumer purchasing and a way to raise prices. This is a marketing strategy that should be outlawed. News to you all, HDTV will not be available in 2006 like they would want us to beleive. It is estimated HDTV will not become a national standard for 16 years to come. This is based on the Gov. ruling that 80% of households must have an HDTV before HDTV becomes the true standard. Also, the standard is not decided on yet. This means anyone who purchases an HDTV now will most likely have to buy an upgrade or a brand new model when the standard is decided on. Dont fall for the lies!
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