I'm thinking about getting my folks an HDTV.

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Permalink Reply by Nicki Laycoax on March 6, 2009 at 12:17am

Talk to Patric Welch. He's the man!

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Permalink Reply by Arik Flanders on March 6, 2009 at 8:25am

It depends on what you want to use the tv's for. If you like fast action movies and gaming I certainly would not suggest a Vizio as Chris mentioned. If you're planning to pay cash I would suggest looking online (specifically at Amazon). Actually, now that I think of it they do offer 12 month financing as well. There prices are usually $100 - $300 cheaper than the big retailers. Best Buy is not a bad option, as I'm not sure what Chris is talking about. They can be pretty flexible with there financing and have much higher quality sets then you would ever hope to find at Walmart, Sam's Club or Costco.

After about 8 months of research I found that your best tv's (price, quality, picture) are Panasonic, Pioneer and Samsung. Sony too does get pretty good ratings, but not as high as the other three i.e. Consumer Reports. These brands have a much higher dynamic contrast ratio than Vizio will give you and most of them also put out more mgz which will give you a more crisp and clear picture, especially for fast moving screen shots. After shopping around I decided on the Samsung 550. HH Gregg had the best price, but Best Buy had better financing options (24 Month NO INTEREST!). Considering Best Buy prices matches they lowered their price to match HH Gregg's and still offered there unbeatable financing package.

Therefore, my suggestion would be to take your time and shop around for awhile. There are great deals out there you just have to find them and then negotiate them even more.

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Permalink Reply by Arik Flanders on March 6, 2009 at 12:36pm

Also my comments on television quality are not simply based on consumer reports. The majority of my claims come from close friends that have worked in the electronic industry for years. All you have to do is ask them what they have, because more often then not they will have the best.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Davis on March 6, 2009 at 11:01pm

I'll try to make a compromise of both of your points. :)

I think that getting 2 years at 0% is a good deal.

I would highly recommend that a person only have one card with that big of a purchase on it. If they have other credit cards, then make sure the ballances are low and paid off monthly and that other bills are paid off. If a person can't do that, they should not sign up for a 2 year finance deal.

Like Arik, this is why I would go the way of financing. If something bad happened tomorrow, I have extra cash in my bank to take care of it. If I had paid cash for the tv and needed money, I would have to sell it and would lose money. Over a 2 year period, I would be able to find a new job if I got the axe or go out and get a part time job if I wasn't going to be able to pay off the balance at the end of the 2 years.

I will say this about Best Buy financing, pay that damn thing off before the end of the free interest. If you don't they'll hit you with interest that has been accumulating at a ridiculuos rate for 2 years.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Morgan - Video Production on July 22, 2009 at 7:25am

Incredible reply - 10 bonus points...

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Permalink Reply by Patric Welch on March 6, 2009 at 8:35am

I have to agree with Chris. I have helped several customers of mine purchase new digital televisions and not once could a brick and mortar store even come close to the price at Amazon.com. And I'm not talking a few dollars, I'm talking hundreds of dollars.

Most televisions (at least 40" and up) on Amazon.com also come with free delivery and setup. They unbox the television and set it up in a room for you and make sure it works. Good luck getting that without paying extra anywhere else.

And even though my CPA sister hates when I say this, you don't pay sales tax at the time of purchase when you buy at Amazon.com. Whether or not you report it as use tax next April on your tax return is a different story.

Let me end with a blatant self promotion. My company, Noobie, offers a concierge service where for $10, we research the best television for you that fits in your budget, has the right features, is high rated, etc. We'll even recommend where you should buy it. If you are interested, head to www.noobie.com/concierge or just email me at pwelch (at) noobie.com

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Permalink Reply by Arik Flanders on March 6, 2009 at 2:00pm

Very interesting business concept.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Davis on March 8, 2009 at 1:16am

The 37 inch LG model I was looking at was only $50 cheaper on Amazon. There are a few reasons why I would go with a store instead of going with Amazon:

I think if something went wrong, it would be easier to return to a store
I also don't trust some of my neighbors. I have a feeling a large package sitting outsite my condo might get stolen. I also don't want to deal with having the package at work.

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Permalink Reply by Patric Welch on March 8, 2009 at 10:56pm

Brett, I don't think Amazon is going to leave a 37" television sitting on your doorstep. :)

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Permalink Reply by Brian Morgan - Video Production on July 26, 2009 at 11:59am

Many things I buy are done so due to the "convenience" of the purchase...sure we could all research the heck out of every single purchase, but what fun would that be? Some things are simply "random" and that's what I enjoy ...

i.e. I know people that drive across town to get their Banana's on sale > waste of life ...

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Permalink Reply by Brett Davis on March 8, 2009 at 1:17am

BTW, no one offered an opinion on which option I should do. :)

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Permalink Reply by Patric Welch on July 25, 2009 at 3:25pm

I'd go option with 1. The though of giving someone a used television (no matter how good it is) as a gift doesn't sit well with me. Especially if the motivation behind it is to get yourself a new television.

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