TV Stars [Consumer Reports]
]]>I am such an idiot! The Bravia XBR4 is the worst rated TV. Fully 1080P ready too but I can't get it to work. I got the best deal at Circuit City. Every place else can't give these pieces of crap away but I only paid $6,000.00 for mine. I know everyplace else is dumping these pieces of junk for $1,500.00 but I always try to do my part to help the economy.
]]>I think I've heard that every month, at least once a month, for the past three years. It seems like it's *always* the time to upgrade!
Except, HD TVs still look like crap to me. Over-saturated blown out colors, compression artifacts, so grainy they look like there's a screen door over the picture...
For now, the 28" tube TV I've had for seven years (It was given to me used and I've never had any trouble with it) is just fine, and comparable quality to what I've seen, no matter the brand, store, area of the country, or time of day I've looked at "HD" tvs.
I want high quality image- I'll watch video on my computer monitor.
]]>Timing is everything.
I don't have it.
]]>Happy so far.
]]>I'm in the process of shopping for an HDTV right now, and lemme tell you, trying to get the same price two days in a row at Amazon is quite difficult. At one point the LCD I was looking at fluctuated as much as $71 from one day to the other.
I'm thinking of waiting until March Madness gets closer, and then perhaps sales will lean more to my favor.
]]>Shame that you have to register to see the items they reviewed.
]]>@quagmire0: You mean the free HD Digital Cable Box I got from Time Warner? Oh, you mean you still have basic cable! A dying breed in these parts.
]]>I live in an apartment where mounting/locking a big appliance on a wall is a no-no.
@arch05:
@ninjatales:
No, I own those, they just dont sit on display while I am out. They are either on my person when I go out, or well hidden (talking about actual secret compartments here) or securely locked up.
I still own a heavy 5 year old "takes 2 people to carry" 35 inch TV. WIth razor blades affixed to the bottom edges. ;)
]]>@dirk1965: Uh, negatory. Vizio is a great value set. I've had a Vizio for 2 years and while it doesn't match today's models, it has stunning 720p/1080i output, works great as a 2nd monitor (for viewing Netflix online) and was a frickin steal at $950 in January 2006.
]]>Just got the Sony Bravia -- best deal was at ABC Warehouse (over Best Buy) -- and it's frickin' sweet! We did our homework on the best HD TVs out there, and over and over the Bravia kept coming up. The picture is so good that I may never go to a sports game again because live and in person may not be able to beat my TV picture! Couple that with a Blu-Ray and you're seeing things more clearly than you've ever seen them before.
]]>The correct formula for determining when to purchase technology is
(today's_date) + (6-9months) - (30_days_before_Xmas) + (30_days_after_Xmas) + (30_days_after_Macworld) - (30_days_after_Apple_releases)
Got that?
You'll notice there's a catch: it's always based on today's date,
so you CAN NEVER BUY at the right time. :-)
But seriously, here is the actual way to determine the "right time:"
Can I afford this?
Do I want it?
Can I afford this?
Do I need it?
Can I afford this?
Buy something because you can afford it, and you want it.
Don't try to anticipate price drops, technology improvements,
or product line refreshes too closely because it's not that easy
or useful for most people (industry analysts aside).
I look at it this way:
if the price of my (item) drops ($x) in the next (time_period),
will I have gotten ($x) worth of enjoyment out of it?
If yes, then I'll buy it, assuming the answers to the key questions above are yes.
Somehow I don't think my 2 hours of TV a week are worth that upgrade.
]]>Dirk1965: But costco's return policy and warantee rocks, so you get the set, if you like it fine, if not, you return it in a month or two.
]]>@Antediluvian: after what he did to the open side of the restaurant, and that poor car (I'm biased, as I just got a green sedan one), it should come free!
]]>@nweaver:
Vizio stinks!
@forgottenpassword: So I'm guessing you don't own an ipod, wallet, or jewelry because OMG ITS EZ TO B BURGLED!
]]>Smart people will wait until the Feb 2009 analog switch-off, at which point HDTV's will be ubiquitous and cheaper still. I'm sorry, but $1150 is too damn much for a 42" LCD. No wonder our econmy is in the shitter. Call me when they reach $500.
]]>@forgottenpassword: We wall-mounted it (on our own -- ridiculously easy, and it's actually level!) and there's a place for a padlock in a locking bar so you can't just slide the set off the wall. I didn't know the wall mounts did that until we installed this one -- I was actually concerned about this.
A set that just sits there on a table or stand is clearly no problem for burglars to carry off, especially the smaller ones.
We learned that flat TV's are just not that heavy in spite of being able to render Justin Timberlake unconscious -- the dad character was carrying a 42"+ screen while drinking a can of Pepsi.
I wonder if the "render JT unconscious" feature costs extra?
]]>still too expensive for a large-screen tv that can be easily carried off by a burglar while I am at work.
]]>krunk4ever: Yeah, thats pricey. :(
Costco has one 42" (Vizio 1080P) with coupon for $950 next week.
Heh, sure they will, it will be their portable game system/phone/gps/walkie talkie/parental monitor/media player/new sony format player/allowance dispenser.
]]>Looks like you're pretty lucky. At my store (a regional A/V store), Philips/Magnavox is our most repaired brand, especially Philips plasmas. In fact, it got so bad our TV buyer decided to replace them with LG in 2008, though from what I've read, that's not much better.
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