Customer Reviews
worst company ever 
2008-08-09
if you like having a tv that breaks down all the time.this the tv for you. and when you call costumer service and have a ghetto person say to you..wha cha want..this the company for you.
if you like buying a tv that breaks down in 6 months..have it replaced and the replacement tv breaks in 6 months too..this is the tv for you.
get the word out..syntex olivia is the worst company in america
Good value for the money 
2008-07-21
This product lived up to its hype. Very good picture and sound. Am very pleased with it. The company was very good to deal with. Fed Ex was terrible. They should be ashamed for their lack of service. I would definitely buy from this company again. Make sure you buy the HDMI Digital Video Cable. It doesn't come with the the tv but is available through Amazon at a very good price.
WARRNING 2008-05-08
Don't buy a Syntax Olevia! I bought one and it died almost to the day the warranty went out. Customer service said I would have to pay to ship it back and pay the parts and labor to fix it and that would cost over half of the TV's cost. They wouldn't offer to help with anything and they said they lost my registration card, the same one they used to call me with to ask me how I liked it a week after I bought the TV. So all I can do is to post this to every blog I can to try to inform others.
DID LOTS OF REASEARCH- this is a GREAT TV! (though not beautiful design wise) 2007-11-26
I love this TV. As far as picture quality go, it's top notch.
We researched TV's on CONSUMER REPORTS and this one gained great reviews so we went with it.
We have not been disapointed! The picture is crystal clear. There are a few cons though:
1. the look: I personally prefer the look of speakers on the SIDE of the TV, not underneath it. Also, I might have gotten a silver TV, not a black one... but that is just me.
2. some stations have this this strip of fuzziness at the top (looks like static?>) on SOME HD channels. I don't know if this is typical, but it sure is aggravating and it's been there from the beginning. You get used to it after awhile though.
For the price, though, we love it! BEAUTIFUL picture!
Olevia 542i HDTV 2007-11-15
Actually this is my third Olevia. I own a 27", 37" and now a 42". All three are a great value. The set-up was easy, the picture very sharp w/ my Direct TV. I have no idea of off-air quality. I wasn't real crazy on how the OSD worked, but I got used to it. Sure, there are other sets that have a better picture, colors, controls, but also at twice the price. The way I view buying TV's these days is why spend a lot of money on technology that will be out of date within a year. Unless you've got money to burn, Olevia deserves a close look.
TV dosn't last 2007-11-01
If you're ready to move up to high-definition TV, the 42-inch Olevia 542i HDTV is the ideal choice ? packed with the industry's top technology and innovative Olevia-first features. Delivering best-in-class video and audio, it is powered by MTK's state-of-the-art MDDI video processor technology, and features dual ATSC and NTSC tuners, super-wide 178-degree viewing angle, 1600:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, and fast response time. Its rich set of video and audio connectors enable the Olevia 542i to display everything ? high-definition digital TV and widescreen movies (up to 1080i resolution), standard analog TV, action sports, video games, and home videos. This 42-inch HDTV can even double as a computer display with support for resolutions up to 1360 x 768 through HDMI and VGA. The 542i's interchangeable mounted speakers complement its surround sound audio processor, making digital (SPDIF) theater-quality audio part of this outstanding new entertainment experience. Displays Standard Definition and High Definition TV ( HDTV requires special antenna. satellite, cableTV, or video souces, where applicable) User Friendly On-Screen Display - scrolling icon wheel simplifies use and features preset video and lighting modes for different environments Firmware upgradeable via USB OleviaCare - Live, in-house technical and customer support assure a total quality experience Two 20 watt horizontal (bottom)-mounted speakers Supported Resolution - NTSC & ATSC with High Definition (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i ) /Digital 3D Comb Filter/ 2 - 2/3 - 2 Pull Down / Progressive Scan Component Input - 3 Component + 3 R/L RCA Audio / Composite Video Input - 2 composite + 2 R/L RCA Audio Digital Input - 1 HDMI w/HDCP, PC + Video, Plug & Play / Universal Remote Unit Dimensions - 43.3 x 34.7 x 14.2; Weight - 96 lbs Manufacturer's One year On-Site Warranty
Olevia 42" 542i 2007-09-18
I looked, waited and researched before I bought. Not only did I think that it was "hands down" the best deal around, when I ordered a DVR to hook up with my cable provider, the agent that took the order, clocked out immediately and ran to the retailer before they closed to buy one for himself. Without the home theater audio system, the stereo sound was great, but with the 5.1 system, I feel guilty...it felt like I stole the entire home theater TV and sound station system! The great system with the add on Philips 5.1 was less than any other brand of 42" HDTV's alone.
Unless you want to immpress your guests with BIG NAME BRANDS, you'd be down right silly to not buy the Olevia!
I had high hopes and wanted to like it 
2007-08-24
I really wanted to like this TV. I bought it for my husband December 2006 as a Xmas present. Right from the first time that we turned it off, it made clicking noises. Customer service said it was cooling down... basically saying it's normal. After a month or so we started having color problems. Yellow, swirly marks would show up where it was bright white... and months later showed up where it wasn't white as well. Luckily (I hope) I had also purchased Target's extended warranty as a back up in case Olevia's warranty would suck (which I was right). I called Target customer service for help and through them I got to Olevia to send out a technician. However, the "parts" didn't come in for a month. So I had to wait a month for someone to come and fix the tv. Well finally the Syntax (Olevia) tv tech came to replace the main board in my tv. The color is great! BUT NOW THE TUNER IS MESSED UP! I call up Target customer service and they say that it is a manufacturer problem, so I call Olevia again. I was directed to try to input channels one by one and save them and see if the tv remembers. Mind you now I am missing SEVENTY-FIVE CHANNELS! I just did 3 to test, and lo, the tv has amnesia. The second step the Olevia tech (over the phone) said to take was to get my cable company to test the signal strength, which could be the reason why I was missing channels. So my husband calls Charter Cable and a cable guy comes out within two days. Nope, nothing is wrong with the signal strength and to top it off, he says, "I've been seeing these Olevia tvs with tuner problems a lot." Step three: If the cable/signal strength is fine, then "it's a tuner problem." These words came from the tech guy at Olevia customer service. So we call them back to tell them we tried steps 1,2 and now it was time to talk about number 3! We were speaking to another tech guy (you can never get the same person as last time) and this guy says to load new firmware. The old firmware might be the problem, he says. We load up the new firmware later (had to wait for husband to help with that) and nope, still missing almost all of my analog channels. My husband calls Olevia customer service this time to tell them of the newest findings. We are asked if we could lug the tv to them so they could look at it. I suppose if I wasn't pregnant and my husband could juggle the 42" tv there without damaging --- SURE WHY NOT? It clearly says in the warranty that if damage occurs during transporting it the warranty is void, so that would be dumb of us. Plus all the packaging, boxing, and shipping would be a royal pain in the a$$ to get and do. The tech then says that they could send out another tech but it might take several weeks or something like that. Tech said he'd call us back to schedule an appt. My husband asked to speak with a manager, and the tech support gave him an attitude, saying no managers were availabe. In order for us to get service, either my husband or I would have to take off of work M-F, because they only service M-F between 9-4. I've already done this. Why do I have to do it again? The first time the Syntax tech came out to replace the main board in my tv he said: If this (replacement part) doesn't work, then you'll get a new tv. Talking to customer service over the phone, that's not the idea I'm getting. I'm starting to feel like I'm going to have to push the Target warranty. Target warranty states that if they fix the same problem twice, and it requires a third repair, then they will issue a Target gift card not to exceed what I paid for it, minus taxes. I had really, really high hopes for this tv. I did a lot of research, reading reviews before buying it. There were lots of excellent reviews out there. Too bad. The worse part is my husband is so mad... saying today, "Never buy these off-brands again!" On Syntax's website, they have a slogan that states that their focus is customer satisfaction. With so many customers recently venting about bad customer support... Olevia/Syntax is failing in that respect. Again I must reiterate, I really wanted to like this tv/brand... but I don't think we'll be purchasing this again, nor will we be recommending it (to anyone we like and respect).
EDITED 10/18/07:
Ok, so the problem is now resolved! I emailed the COO of the corporation and immediately balls started rolling and the wheels started turning in my direction! It's a super long story, but the jist of it is - customer service was FANTASTIC and I had a brand new television delivered TWICE to my house. The first one still had issues, but the second one (a different model 242 I think) had NONE - no problems. The techs called on Saturday, came after work hours... was on call to help us with anything we needed. So I suppose the moral of this story is: When the little guys won't help - go over their heads to the CEO or COO of the company! I love my TV! It really is a great TV. I think all companies crank out lemons now and then.
I'd revise my rating to 4 stars for the TV and 5 stars for the customer service (if customer service and quality control is consistent). :)
Great Value, though Heavy 
2007-03-15
Great all-around TV, and everything the average person could want. There's TVs out there with slightly better specs and a more recognizable brand name, but they cost hundreds and hundreds more. I'd guess that more than 95% of people couldn't tell the difference between them if you told them where to look (myself included). I only have two complaints about this TV- first, it's tough to get out of the box due to its height and weight. And second, there's now one TV out there with slightly better specs all around, that weighs maybe 40% less and costs about the same - it's a Sceptre 42" I believe. Haven't seen it in person, but if I could do it over again, I'd have looked into that one and likely would have bought it instead.
Fantastic value! 2007-03-13
My first HDTV, and it looks awesome!! I am very happy with the decision I made to purchase it. Only two issues:
1) I have an HDTV ready cable box (Comcast), and I originally hooked up the TV to the box with a regular coaxial cable. The picture quality was only so-so. Then, I purchased an HDMI cable (about $70), and the difference was amazing. I strongly recommend the HDMI cable to maximize your picture.
2) I have to re-program my 3-year old to keep him from touching the screen. At least he does not eat peanut butter . . .
