buying plasma TV

[fnewman]

I 've been watching the prices fall on specific brands and models of a plasma set that I am now ready to buy, but the choices are all over the map. The 'big box' stores (like BestBuy) and mainstream mail orders houses (like Amazon and Crutchfield) are several hundred $$ higher than places that I see on cnet, or nextag, etc. So, the question is, does anyone here have any experience in buying a large plasma set from one of those mail order locations like Buydig, Butterfly, Abe's, or Beach Camera, for example?

Any experiences, good or bad would be appreciated. I really don't trust the on-line accoloades because I know that many of the glowing recommendations are fake. TIA

 

[DaveNV]

I've never bought a large screen TV like that online, as I tend to like using local retailers like Costco, where I have live people to deal with. If you received the set from your online purchase, and it had a problem, it might be difficult to deal with things long-distance. If you buy a new set, that has a full warranty, then you'd probably be okay, but you'll want to make sure returns and such are handled correctly. And then you'll want to completely test out the TV right away, to ensure it all works as it should. Your online dealer is only selling the set made by someone else - so the maker is the original source, regardless of who you buy it from.

The main reason I'm replying to your question is to make note that I heard just yesterday where plasma TV makers are starting to scale down, and even stopping production of plasma TVs. LCD TVs are outselling plasma by enough of a margin, that sellers are no longer stocking plasma sets as they once did. The expectation is that plasma as a form factor may be coming to an end.

That news made me stop and think a bit. With a TV like a plasma, which may need to be recharged after about five years, it may not be the best investment you can make. You may want to revisit your plans, and reconsider whether you might actually want to get an LCD set instead. It's sort of like the battle between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Now that Blu-Ray has won the battle, HD-DVD players are selling for a fraction of the prices they once did. I'd hate to buy a TV that might become obsolete soon after I purchased it.

Food for thought.

Dave

 

[fnewman]

Interesting thoughts, for sure. However, Consumer Reports just published their large screen tv reports and didn't have anything to say in that regard. Do you have a source for the information (about plasma going away) that we coudl review?

 

[Kal]

I have purchased a big-screen LCD thru an on-line vendor and the transaction was perfect. The price was considerably lower than any conventional shop.

BTW, have you looked carefully at plasma sets compared to LCD? The problem with plasma is reflection and glare from the screen. The performance is terrible if the room has any light. A small lamp might be okay depending on placement but a room with sunlight is really bad. Not too many people like to see their own reflection and everything else in the room on the screen. LCDs don't have that problem whatsoever.

 

[murphyjim]

plasma v lcd or projector

I have a 5 foot electric projector screen and a 2200 lumens projector. perfect...when finished just use remote to electrically roll up screen into the pelmet...completely hidden from view when out of use.

I also have a 32in LCD perfect even in the UK it was only $750

Jim

 

[lprstn]

I purchased my LCD and my Plasma from Walmart online, and was pleased with the transaction. One TV was delivered to my home and the other was delivered to the store. I will have it delivered home next time. I like both TVs the same, and I should have save the $$ on the plasma and jut got another LCD, but its nice having both.

 

[riverdees05]

Might check out

http://reviews.cnet.com/tv-buying-guide/?tag=tnav

 

[Seti]

Three guys I work with all bought large LCD tvs from Abes of Maine (located in NJ I believe) with no problems and huge savings.

 

[Icarus]

Take a look at resellerratings.com if you want to see what other people think of other etailers.

Personally, I would only buy from an authorized etailer, and very carefully check the return policy. For example, amazon's return policy on TVs is terrible.

Crutchfield is great. You might also check onecall.com, they are pretty good.

I think my friend bought his Sharp Aquos from buydig.com because they were a bit cheaper than other places. But, unfortunately, he got a bad unit out of the box and couldn't return it. He had to do a service call (and wait for some time) to get his unit fixed. I bought mine (same model) from crutchfield at a higher price, but didn't have the same exposure to a no-return policy that he had. (Also, in my case, Crutchfield was one of the few places that had a reasonable price for shipping the unit to Maui.)

Plasma isn't going away anytime soon. If that's the technology you prefer, you should get it. I went with LCD, because that's what fit my needs.

-David

 

[DaveNV]

Interesting thoughts, for sure. However, Consumer Reports just published their large screen tv reports and didn't have anything to say in that regard. Do you have a source for the information (about plasma going away) that we coudl review?

I can't find the exact reference I read about plasma going away, but I did find this one, that says Pioneer is stopping production of plasma TVs. They were seriously into it for awhile, and it's interesting that they would stop making them. I doubt they would if they felt there was a market for the technology: http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/plasma-tv-is-dead.

Buy what you like - I only offered what I'd heard as something to look into. Good luck!

Dave

 

[RonB]

David is right -always check a new etailer at Resellerratings.com
.There are some real horror stories out there.
Ron

 

[mas]

I can't find the specific link but I know I read in PCWorld that Pioneer would shut down their Plasma manufacturing line. It didn't say they would stop selling Plasma TVs; but that they would use Panasonic as a source for their plasma TVs.

I did find the link

 

[Deb from NC]

We bought a 50 inch Pioneer plasma about 2 years ago and love it. I'm surprised that they may stop selling them, as they have been top-ranked on C-net and are almost always ranked in the top 2 or 3. They are a bit more expensive than other brands, but we thought the color was the best on the Pioneers. Oh, well, I'm still glad we did it! We bought from Invision in Seattle and had it shipped (free) to NC. No problems at all and they had the best price by far. I believe we found them through a price comparison chart on C-net. I do love the plasma sets, I still think their colors are the best & brightest! Ours has been totally trouble free.....
Deb

 

[DaveNV]

You might also want to take a look at pricegrabber.com or techbargains.com, since you can compare side-by-side buyer ratings on specific items. If you know what it is you want to buy, you can find a good source for it there.

I'd suggest taking some of the posts on sites like resellerratings.com with a grain of salt. Just like with Tripadviser.com, in many cases, the only people who complain are those who have a problem with something. And very often it's because that person did something wrong, or had expectations that weren't met, and not because the seller or supplier was doing something wrong. How many thousands of online orders take place every day with no problem at all? The buyer is totally happy, but it never gets reported.

Buying online is a slippery arena, and you should be cautious about where you spend your money. But don't hang everything on the results posted on one site. Check several sites, at minimum, and then buy from a name you trust. If you've never heard of them, there may be a reason for that.

Case in point (since I mentioned them earlier) is the Costco.com review at resellerratings.com. There are 49 reviews there posted in the last six months, compared with how many tens of thousands of orders placed? Unknown numbers, but it seems skewed in favor of complaints, and nothing is said about all the invisible-but-satisfied customers.

There are several misleading and erroneous reports there. People reported being "on hold for half and hour" or such. Truth: If you call their Customer Service line and they're all busy with other customers, you have the option to leave your number and they will CALL YOU BACK when they're free. No waiting on hold required. But the complainer didn't mention that. It goes on, but it shows that the complainer doesn't always give all the facts.

Another issue: Shipping to the wrong address ONLY happens when the buyer puts in the wrong address, or hasn't updated their membership address when they last moved. The shipping label is taken directly from the buyer's own data, based on the membership record, or the shipping address entered by the buyer. So it isn't Costco's fault if the buyer made an error, but they're being blamed for it.

I buy from Costco.com regularly, and I've never had a problem with an order. But I'm cautious about what I'm buying, to make sure it's what I want. And if I receive the item and decide I don't want it, I can return it in person to my local warehouse, and not only receive immediate credit for the purchase, but I also get back the shipping charges and sales taxes. Many online dealers won't do that, and may even charge you a restocking fee, if they'll even accept the item for return.

The biggest reason I like buying electronics from Costco, whether in the warehouse or online, is because they will take it back, no questions asked, for 90 days from date of purchase, regardless of the reason for the return. I don't know of any other company with such a generous return policy.

I hope you find the TV you want at a great price, and that everything goes smoothly. It's always a bit tricky buying online. As I said before: Good luck!

Dave

 

[Icarus]

I can't find the exact reference I read about plasma going away, but I did find this one, that says Pioneer is stopping production of plasma TVs.

I also read that Pioneer is getting out of the plasma production market, but that doesn't mean that they are going to stop selling plasma TVs. They just aren't going to make the panels themselves anymore. They were only the #5 manufacturer of plasma panels, and they were loosing money year over year.

Pioneer makes nice stuff, especially at the higher end of the market. Even their panel business concentrated on the high end of the market. They didn't even try to compete with Panasonic at the low end of the market, which is probably where most of us buy.

Here's a quote from the article you cited:

For those concerned, this doesn't mean that Pioneer will exit the plasma business. It simply means that they are, in the interim at least, looking to leave the plasma panel manufacturing business, opting instead to purchase their panels from a company like Matsushita (Panasonic).

If/when we hear that Panasonic is exiting the plasma panel manufacturing business, then in that case the technology will probably truly be dead.

-David

 

[travelguy]

Interesting thread so I thought I'd weigh in. I owned a chain of higher-end Audio/Video stores awhile ago and still keep in touch with the industry. Pioneer is not going to stop selling Plasma, they are stopping production. Two problems with them is they are a domestic Japanese producer (very expensive like an American producer) and have always had poor production efficiency. They usually end-up having a third party (most of which you've never heard of) making product with Pioneer's proprietary technology. The end result is usually a top-end product at a fairly good price. Also, I've never heard of a plasma being "recharged".

I personally have three plasma, four LCD (several combo computer/TV LCD) and one large DLP front projection. The front projection picture quality crushes them all but that's another story. I prefer the Plasma much better than LCD because it has better "blacks" which gives it deeper color and has great off-angle viewing. The plasma also have better fast motion capability than LCD (sports, action movies, etc.) This means that the colors of uniforms don't "bleed" as they move, etc. LCD does not have any glare but the solution to this is not to shine a spotlight at the Plasma. Glare has not been a problem for me with plasma.

Obviously, I'd buy a plasma in the 42"+ category and LCD for anything smaller. Buy it from an authorized dealer because you WILL need service at some point. And don't buy a dirt cheap anything .... because is will look dirt cheap!

My opinions, hope this helps.

 

[dwmantz]

Very well said Travelguy!

I've been researching and looking at 40/42 inch plasma and LCD sets for around a month. In the end, I decided on plasma because of picture quality and price. I'm even buying current model (Panasonic TH-42PZ700U) rather than the new models which are about to be released due to price. The 700U series is fine for my money - $1300 vs the newer models $1700. LCD is fine, I'd just be buying a 40 in Samsung for $400 more for what? Less size, more money. I don't think so. Amazon actually has decent pricing and often free shipping! Not certain, but I may buy through them.

 

[Icarus]

Amazon actually has decent pricing and often free shipping! Not certain, but I may buy through them.

Make sure you read and understand amazon's return policy on TVs before buying from them. I love amazon.com, and buy from them all the time, but I would not buy a TV from them. However, many electronic items listed on amazon.com are actually sold by third parties. If you buy from a third party, like tigerdirect or J&R, make sure to read and understand their return policy. You want a return policy that doesn't put any limits or requirements on 30-day returns or exchanges minimum. (For example, see crutchfields return policy on amazon.com)

Check other reputable resellers with better return policies like onecall.com and others. onecall.com will often give you a better price if you call them. onecall also sells through amazon.com

The cheapest prices will often be from etailers that don't have a good defective return policy.

-David

 

[london]

Plasma's vs LCD's

Seems like most of the flat screen advertised late by Best Buy and Circuit City are the LCD model's.

Appears that the LCD is the wave of the future vs plasma.

In ten years will LCD's become obsolete????

 

[PGtime]

LCD online

We purchased the Sony 52XBR2 on line last April from Abe's of Maine. Aside from some pressure to buy an exended warranty, the sale and delivery went very smoothly.

Paul

 

[bogey21]

The main reason I'm replying to your question is to make note that I heard just yesterday where plasma TV makers are starting to scale down, and even stopping production of plasma TVs. LCD TVs are outselling plasma by enough of a margin, that sellers are no longer stocking plasma sets as they once did.

Just go to Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, Sam's Club,etc and check out their Plasma inventory and their LCD inventory. Then use your own judgement.

GEORGE

 

[fnewman]

While all the comments were being posted I went ahead and ordered the TV from Amazon when I saw the price with one of their partners (6th Ave)dip to a level a little below the best I had seen earlier (it is almost $200 higher now). It has ebeen less than a week and I just got a call from the freight company saying that it would be delivered this (Friday) afternoon. Once I unpack it and try it out, I'll let all know the results. Many thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

 

[VictorB]

HD TV Purchase

Any experiences, good or bad would be appreciated. I really don't trust the on-line accoloades because I know that many of the glowing recommendations are fake. TIA

I did the research (and there are a lot of things to consider) - LCD vs. Plasma is the first one and really depends on the room size, amount and direction of light (for instance - plasma TV's serious reflect light).

I also researched a variety of on line retailers and can say that I highly recommend them - saved $900 on my 52 inch Sony XBR4. HOWEVER, "buyer beware...." There are a lot of bait and switch tactics out there including

1. Base or Brakets Extra - you may not hear this until you get to the very end, having given them your credit card number. Some wanted to charge $200 for the base (which is included in the Sony model and always shipped this way. I can understand the wall mounting brackets are extra - but they will be far more expensive than local retail - and then there is the shipping/handling (see item #3)
2. Free Shipping - the only free option takes a lot longer (ten days+ from East coast) and they do not call ahead. If you want that service, it costs. Then there is the insurance. You might think that you should not have to pay to insure it. The tag line here is "well if it arrives broken, we will not send a replacement until the broken is returned and inspected, who knows how long that will take! turns out, all in shipping and handling was $250.
3. Free HDMI Cables and DVD Player - while they might be free, the fine print says "$29.95 S/H per item" - not worth it.
4. Their on site warranty may not be a bad deal - I prefer Square Trade http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/on all my electronics. Although, I recently received a notice from the company handling my home warranty plan offering to include electronics.

I would definitely check around - but saving the sales tax, especially where I live (8.125%) - it was well worth the research

 

[fnewman]

Excellent !!

Could not have been better. Excellent price (no tax or shipping). Since I ordered, prices have increased about $125, so I am happy about that. No follow-up phone calls to try and sell 'add-ons'. Prompt shipment, delivery 7 days later. Delivery driver helped unpack and inspect the TV. We were watching it less than 30 minutes later. Picture is beautiful - no glare problem, as the Panasonic set has an anti-glare screen. I alsoo appreciate hte fact that I can see tha pircure while sitting to the side at the computer. I am very satisfied with Amazon and thier reseller, 6th Ave Electronics.

 

[DaveNV]

Could not have been better. Excellent price (no tax or shipping). Since I ordered, prices have increased about $125, so I am happy about that. No follow-up phone calls to try and sell 'add-ons'. Prompt shipment, delivery 7 days later. Delivery driver helped unpack and inspect the TV. We were watching it less than 30 minutes later. Picture is beautiful - no glare problem, as the Panasonic set has an anti-glare screen. I alsoo appreciate hte fact that I can see tha pircure while sitting to the side at the computer. I am very satisfied with Amazon and thier reseller, 6th Ave Electronics.

Congratulations, Frank. It sounds like you got a great deal!

Dave