HDTV Best Price Blog

Vizio will abandon its plasma TV efforts so it can focus solely on its LCD TV line that helped give U.S. consumers another low-cost brand to choose from when shopping for a new TV.
Although the Vizio web site still shows several plasma models, the company didn’t announce any new plasma units during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last month in Las Vegas.  If Vizio and Pioneer both exit the plasma TV market, then U.S. consumers will be left choosing from Samsung, Panasonic or LG Electronics.

Vizio’s current plasma TV inventory is dwindling fast, so consumers interested in purchasing a Vizio-made plasma TV should likely hurry.

The news comes days after rumors surfaced indicating Pioneer will also abandon its plasma TV efforts so it can focus on LCDs.

Manufacturers are able to charge more for LCD TVs and can sell them much faster and easier than plasma TVs.  Furthermore, manufacturers are able to generate higher revenue from LCD TV sales, and shoppers interested in environmental friendly technology avoided plasma TVs in the past.

Moving forward, Vizio will focus on adding new features to its LCD line of TV models.  For example, Vizio is putting the finishing touches on its first LED-backlit LCD TV, which will be available in July — it’s a 55-inch model using 240Hz technology, and will cost $1,999.

Although it has carved out a niche market for itself as a low-priced TV manufacturer since its creation five years ago, Vizo understands that it must branch out and offer a wider variety of products.  Aside from TVs, Vizio plans to launch its first standalone Blu-ray player in May for $199, which will be significantly less than most other Blu-ray players available on the market today.

Technorati Tags: cheap LCD TV, cheap LCD TVs, Cheap Plasma TV, cheap plasma TVs

When you think of the brands you want to consider before buying an electronic equipment, one of the names that comes to your mind will be Panasonic. Panasonic is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the electronics industry mainly due to the technologically advanced quality products they offer. So if you are considering your options while buying a television set, Panasonic is one name you certainly want to keep in mind.

As a renowned company, Panasonic gives utmost importance to meeting the high expectations of millions of their customers across the globe who uses their product everyday.

The Various Options Available for Panasonic LCD TV

Of the various Panasonic LCD TV models available in the market, the one model that you certainly want to consider is the Panasonic TH-50PX77U. This being a new model can be considered to be a great pick.

There are quite a few features in this model which will ensure a unique viewing experience. With very high contrast ratio of 10,000:1 which offers rich blacks and stunning whites and the anti-glare screen which works this is considered as one of the most detailed plasma TVs available today in the market. That’s quite a reputation.

This Panasonic LCD TV model is very economical when it is compared with the high quality features in it . TH-50PX77U also contains 2 HDMI connections which helps to transfer high definition video and audio through a single cable. This feature makes the model more convenient and attractive.

The Panasonic TH-50PZ700U is another great model which may be considered. With 1080p resolution this Plasma television has a great feature- the impressively improved EZ-Sync remote. This device links Panasonic consumer home entertainment and video products, allowing a virtual control of the whole system all with the use of a single remote.

The SD memory card slot with photo viewer is another attractive feature of this model Panasonic LCD TV. This feature transforms the TV into a digital photo gallery. With high pixel count which ensures impressively high picture quality this Panasonic LCD TV is one of the best models available in the market today.

Be Patient and Make a Wise Decision

TV is still a major investment and you sure don’t want to rush to any decision. It is advisable to take your time while deciding on the model and brand to be purchased. Though there are great deals on TV purchase available these days, it is still worthwhile to be patient and while deciding on the television which best suits you.

Technorati Tags: cheap LCD, cheap LCD TV, cheap LCD TVs, Panasonic Plasma Television

Have you been waiting to pounce on your dream Plasma TV, but cannot bring yourself to fork out the dough? Well, your wait is about to be over because all you need to do is look for a cheap Plasma TV that doesn’t skimp on the quality.

Actually, buying that cheap Plasma TV can end up saving you a lot of money. I mean, you are not going out as much for your entertainment because you have an awesome television at home that provides you with all the cheap entertainment you want.

It is true though, that just because you are buying a Plasma TV does not mean that you need to spend a fortune. You can actually get quite a bit for not too much cash.

First of all, it is important to know what features you want your television to have. Then you can look around and see which brands fit your list. There are a few very cheap brands that actually have great quality, such as Hitachi and Vizio.

Also, try to snatch up your cheap Plasma TV on sale or clearance to save even more money. You can get a lot more bang for your buck by doing this. Even though you can get your Plasma on the cheap, that does not mean you should go for low quality. Even if you are saving hundreds of dollars, you are still spending a pretty penny and should get something great.

Make sure to check out third-party reviews and ratings of different brands. There is no point in buying a brand no one has ever heard of because it is the cheapest one on the block. Also, be sure to check if there have been any recalls on the model you are considering. The internet can make this process much easier and can take you from start to finish. You can even buy your Plasma TV online.

Make sure to shop around and don’t cut corners in quality to save a few bucks. Plus, you never know, the deal of your life may be just around the bend. Just keep your eye out until you find a cheap Plasma TV.

Technorati Tags: best plasma TV, Cheap Plasma TV, cheap plasma TVs

When you buy a cheap Plasma TV or any consumer electronic item you should bear in mind more than just the purchase price, you should also think about the future repair costs and the life expectancy of the TV.

Major brand TVs from manufacturers such as Pioneer, Panasonic, Philips, LG, Samsung, Hitachi, Sharp ,JVC and Hitachi always retail for more than inferior brands of televisions with unheard of brand badges on them. The unbranded cheap TVs from unknown manufacturers look like good value for money when compared to the known brands of televisions. The styling and features may make justifying the difference difficult.

How do the major brands of televisions justify the premium?

It is easy to think that you are paying a premium for the badge on the branded models of TVs, whilst this is to some extent true there are other differences that justify the extra cost of the branded televisions.

Another explanation for cheap unbranded Television brands being cheaper is that they dont operate from costly offices in the UK backed up with warehouses, and staff. They often ship the products directly from the factory in China, Eastern Europe, etc to the retailers warehouse with no or hardly any personnel and premises in the UK. This may seem to be good thing and would help explain the price differential.

The manufacturers of unbranded cheap TVs dont have the same incentive to protect their TVs from being unreliable or poor quality. It doesnt matter to them if the televisions are unreliable or if they last for 4 years or 7years. Ultimately you wont know which factory manufactured the television, so you wont be able to avoid it in the future if you purchase an unreliable Television.

The probability of unbranded Cheap televisions becoming faulty during the first year or later is greater than for branded TVs because they dont boast the same stringent quality control systems.

Cheap TVs dont have the same quality of internal components and circuit design as those in the branded Televisions and as a result the chance of a cheap Television going faulty is greater. This is evident in reliability surveys that the consumer magazine Which has carried out where brands such as Sony and Panasonic consistently out perform other cheaper non brands.

Less likely to be repaired

Spare parts are not as readily accessible on cheap Television brands as they are for the major TV brands. This is often because there arent any parts kept in the UK by the manufacturer for the unbranded cheap televisions unlike the main brand televisions so it takes longer to obtain the parts.

If an repair engineer is struggling to come across the cause of a fault on a main brand Television they can obtain technical help from the technical department of the UK subsiduary. In a number of cases if the repair engineer can’t resolve the fault then the Television manufacturer will even carry out the repair. The unfamiliar cheaper TV brands dont have this type of back up. So not only is it more likely that the unbranded cheap Television will go faulty but when it does it will be more difficult, if not impossible to obtain technical assistance. Furthermore it will in all probability take longer to get a hold the parts. If the problem cant be resolved, due to no technical support, then the unbranded cheap Television is more likely to become unrepairable earlier than the major brand televisions and will need replacing at an earlier time.

It is not unknown when a branded TV has had very poor repair history, for the manufacturer to swap, repair or subsidise the cost of the repair outside of beyond the 12 month guarantee as a good will gesture. It is improbable that this would happen for a cheap Televisions from an unfamiliar brand, which means that you would have to buy a replacement one at an earlier time than if you had bought a recognized brand of TV.

Main brand TVs have superior picture and sound quality.

Another reason for the difference in the price between unknown brands and known main brands is that the main manufacturers invest in research and development to discover methods of advancing existing technology to improve the performance compared to unheard of brands. Quite often the technology and specification of cheaper LCD TVs and cheaper Plasma TVs from unknown brands is at least a year or more behind the technology in the equivalent major brand LCD TVs or Plasma televisions. The consequence of this is that the performance of recognized brands is superior to the cheaper unknown brands. Ultimately magazines such as What Hifi and What Video give the unfamiliar brands of cheap TVs low ratings compared to the branded TVs.

Conclusion

The cheaper brands of televisions arent as reliable and dont boast the same specification and performance as known brands such as Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, JVC, Pioneer, Philip, Hitachi, LG etc. For the small premium that main brand TVs sell for over cheaper unfamiliar and poorly supported cheap Plasma TV brands, it isnt worth buying the cheaper ones for the reason that you will almost certainly pay more in the long run - Especially if you spread the price difference over the life of the Television. In fact in all probability the cheaper televisions are more costly when all factors are considered. So buy a known major brand of television and save money in the long run.

Technorati Tags: Cheap Plasma TV, cheap plasma TVs, plasma TV

Are you thinking of buying a great television set? You have to check out what kind of value a plasma television can offer you. You want to get something that is worthwhile for the money and time you’re going to spend. It’s definitely worth looking into.

With so many different brands and models of plasma televisions out there in the market, it is not easy to determine which one is best for you. You need to consider several factors before you can decide on which brand and model is the one you want to buy.

You need to shop around in order to find the best deals. Take your time. There are so many different choices available to you. You can afford to be fussy about the one you’ll pick.

Imagine the kind of things you want your plasma television to have. Look at all the different features that you can choose from that’s available in the market. You’ll have a great time arranging your options as you look at the many creative options available to you.

It is most important to get the best deal available for your money. Be careful when you’re looking for a cheap plasma TV, just like shopping for any other things. Look for great deals that will work within whatever budget you may have.

Be sure that you’re doing whatever you can to carefully check out what’s available to you in the market. Find a product that you’re comfortable with that meets your budget. You must get something that’s worth the money you’re going to spend. You must ensure that you’ll spend the time necessary to look at all your available options. Something that looks good on paper may not necessary be that great after all.

Be a little cautious when you’re selecting the television set you’re going to buy. Check out on the brand to see if any current problems have been reported or any recall have been issued that you may need to know about. Different televisions offer somewhat different features. You may want to get all the newest features that’s offered.

Once you’ve set your budget, you can then take you time looking around for the television you want to buy. You can use the Internet for your research. Also, visit the various stores out there. You may want to check out any clearance sales. If you shop around, you may find the deal of a lifetime on a cheap Plasma TV.

Technorati Tags: Cheap Plasma TV, cheap plasma TVs

Study says if the weakness continues, “we may see some manufacturers exit the flat-panel television business.”

02.09.2009 — The price index for 50- to 59-inch plasmas dropped 6 percent last week, according to PriceSCAN.

PriceSCAN also recently found the price index for 40-inch plasmas dropped 3.4 percent in one week, after falling 2 percent during the holidays.

Shipments of plasmas fell 12 percent year-over-year (Y/Y) to 3.8 million units in Q4 2008, the first Y/Y decline since Q2 2007, according to DisplaySearch.

“Vendors seem to have attempted to hold the line on large plasma pricing through the holidays. Some may have hoped for an early ‘09 buying surge, bolstered by pent-up demand and inauguration-fueled good feelings,” says Jeff Trester, PriceSCAN co-CEO and chief economist.

“With these hopes now vanished, it appears merchants are throwing in the towel. If this weakness continues, we may see some manufacturers exit the flat-panel television business.”

Pioneer, makers of the highly-rated Kuro plasmas, is one of those potential manufacturers. The company plans to exit the TV market and spinoff its DVD operations into a joint venture with Sharp, according to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper.

This year’s marquee specification is a refresh rate of 120 Hertz, which manufacturers claim make movies and video appear smoother on HDTVs. How much is true and how much is hype?

If you’ve been walking through the local electronics store, or browsing HDTVs online (and I’m sure you have), you may have noticed a lot of attention being payed to “120 Hertz,” that is, the refresh rate of some newer model televisions. The refresh rate refers to the frequency with which the image on the screen is updated, or re-drawn. “120 Hertz” means that the image you are looking at on the HDTV is updated 120 times a second.

In the past, most TVs had refresh rates of either 30 hertz (30 or 60 frames per second). While this was fine for viewing broadcast or cable television shows that are filmed at 30 frames per second, it created some minor issues when watching motion pictures, which are filmed at 24 frames per second. In order to make the 24 frames of film match with the 30 frames of the TV, a process known as “3:2 pulldown” was employed, in which the extra frames were filled with repeated images. In scenes with high motion, the imbalance of the repeated frames could cause the movie to look jerky and not smooth. Whether it’s truly noticeable is up for debate: true videophiles claim to be able to detect the problem, while the average TV viewer might never notice that anything funky is happening to their display.

For those who are bothered by the “3:2 pulldown,” 120 Hertz is a welcome solution. 120 is a multiple of both 24 and30, meaning that the framerate of a film and the framerate of a TV show can be repeated evenly, and both types of video content will look its absolute best.

Is this really important? Is it worth spending a few extra bucks to get get? That depends on what kind of consumer you are. If you read the above information and thought “I’ve never noticed anything weird about watching movies on my TV,” then maybe you wouldn’t really care if you had a 120 Hz HDTV. In any case, now that you know what 120 Hertz means, you can shop more effectively and with a greater sense of what it is you’re looking at, and what the stores are trying to sell you.

What’s the deal with Vizio, the nation’s leading manufacturer of LCD TVs? Who are they and where did they come from?

The most successful manufacturer of flat-panel, high-definition TVs in North America isn’t who you might expect. It’s not Sony, or Samsung, or any other established, brand name manufacturer that might come to mind. It’s a small upstart electronics company out of California that has discovered a potent and powerful formula that has their HDTVs flying off the shelves.

Vizio: Making Things Easier for Consumers

Vizio has only been making televisions for a few years, but they’ve created quite the stir in the industry. Their approach to selling HDTVs is simple: provide the absolute lowest price and make sure people see the TVs. With prominent placement in high-traffic retail outlets like Wal-Mart, Sears, K-Mart, and Circuit City, Vizio has provided consumers who are interested in an affordable, budget HDTV an attractive option, especially when they get to look at it side by side with the more expensive name brands. Once shoppers compare the image quality and the price tags, it’s no wonder that they opt for the less expensive choice.

Consider the Whole Picture

Something for consumers to consider, however, is that while the price differences between Vizio sets and brand name televisions may be quite stark in a retail store, online, it’s a whole different story. HDTVs from major manufacturers can often be found between 20 and 30% cheaper online, compared to in-store prices at big box stores like Best Buy, Circuit City, and Wal-Mart. Shipping is often free or quite affordable, as well. Vizio televisions, though an excellent affordable option in the store, isn’t always the absolute lowest price if online merchants and prices are considered.

Vizio televisions are not widely available online. They’ve made in-store sales their primary focus, so unfortunately, their TVs do not benefit from the low overhead of online sales. Imagine how much cheaper their sets would be if they did!

Consumers should investigate Vizio further, compare the quality and cost of their HDTVs with those of more traditional manufacturers, but be sure to compare them not just against the in-store prices of competitors, but the online prices as well. You may find some surprising deals that are more attractive, more substantial, and more satisfying.

Moving Away From Their Roots

Despite the success that Vizio has had as a budget brand, they seem to be moving away from that market. Perhaps they wish to be taken seriously or considered in the same class as Sony and Samsung. Whatever the reason, it’s a somewhat troubling development. If you look at Vizio’s website, the prices on their available HDTVs are in line with what one would expect from bigger brands; finding a bargain there isn’t easy. For years now, Vizio has been forcing big brands to come to their level, to slash prices in order to compete with the remarkable deals Vizio has been able to provide. Now that Syntax-Brillian and their Olevia line of HDTVs is long gone, Vizio is the only significant budget HDTV manufacturer out there. If they move away from the strategy that made them so popular, we may see stagnation in HDTV prices in general. That’s not good for consumers.

Take a look at the fascinating new technology that will be included in high-definition televisions in the coming year.

The major television manufacturers have announced their opening salvos for 2009 at the Consumer Electronics Show, giving consumers a glimpse of what’s in store for the future of high-definition television. Some of the new features and technologies will bring consumers greater convenience, others may simply complicated thing, and a few are prototypes meant for future models. We’ll give you a quick rundown of what we’ve seen and what we think about it all.

Refresh Rates Now Twice as Refreshing

Refresh rates of 120Hz have been all the buzz over the past year, and the quest for smoother, more realistic pictures has not let up. This year, several manufacturers have introduced high-definition televisions with refresh rates of 240Hz. These TVs include models from the Samsung 7-series and 8000-series, LG’s LH55 series, Vizio’s 55-inch VF551XVT1A, and the Sony’s BRAVIA KDL-52XBR7.

We’ve always been skeptical about the benefits of plain old 120Hz televisions. While they do provide improvements to the smoothness of the image, their overall benefit seemed exaggerated. They certainly did not warrant the extra cost over a non-120Hz 1080p television. The same holds true of these 240Hz televisions. Early reports from those who have had an opportunity to evaluate 240Hz models indicate that much of this is simply marketing hype, and like 120Hz, does not significantly improve the picture in a detectable way. Basically, you’d be paying for a technological benefit that your eye cannot really perceive.

Our verdict: don’t shell out the extra cash for 240Hz. If it comes on a reasonably priced television, by all means, get it; it can’t hurt. But don’t go out of your way to attain what is, at best, a marginal benefit.

Sharp’s Built-In Blu-ray Disc Player

Why buy two devices when you can buy just one? Sharp has unveiled a series of HDTVs that feature a built-in Blu-ray disc player. The TVs feature a little bulge that houses a side-loading Blu-ray player. This solves one of the big problems of flat-panel televisions: where to put your set-top boxes when your set has no top!

The Blu-ray disc player will be featured on certain Sharp AQUOS televisions in sizes between 23 and 52 inches, and are marked with ‘BD’ in their model numbers, specifically the LC-52BD80U, LC-46BD80U, LC-42BD80U, LC-37BD60U, LC-32BD60U. The BD player will also handle CDs and DVD discs (with up-scaling) and integrates seamlessly with an on-screen on-load interface.

This is an intriguing step for Sharp, and moving toward convergence is a potentially smart move, saving consumers the trouble of figuring out which Blu-ray disc player they should get to go along with their new TV. These models will be available in January and February.

Internet-Enabled HDTVs: Netflix Streaming

HDTV manufacturers realize that most consumers want their flat-panels to be a part of their Internet experience, whether it’s streaming video or simply interacting with other devices. Both LG and Vizio announced televisions capable of directly accessing Netflix streaming videos without the use of an additional set-top box. All you need is an Ethernet connection (for the LG) or a wireless connection (for the Vizio), and you’re all set to stream all the Netflix movies you can handle. The Vizio also supports other online streaming services, like Blockbuster, Pandora, Rhapsody, and Amazon, among others. Vizio will be releasing these sets under the “Connected HDTV” label, while LG uses the term “Broadband HDTVs.”

A few simple adjustments can dramatically improve your picture quality.

If you’ve just unpacked your brand-new high-definition television and are feeling a little underwhelmed, you’re not alone. Plenty of consumers are dazzled by the vivid, high-energy displays of HDTVs in their local retail store and later disappointed by the dull, flat, lifeless images they see in their living rooms.

But don’t return your new set just yet. Usually, all it needs to display high-definition images with the clarity and brilliance you expect is a little fine tuning. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to achieve a pleasing HDTV experience, but a little preparation and research can make the difference.

Poor video connections are the root of most beginner HDTV problems. How you connect your television to its video source–be it a cable or satellite set-top box or Blu-ray disc player–is crucial. Make sure your video source has outputs for either HDMI or component cables. These are the best ways to transmit high-definition content to your television. HDMI, which stands for high-definition multimedia interface, is the best-quality digital connection. It carries video and audio over a single wire and will transmit full HD content. Component cables have three connectors on either end, and they are color-coded red, green and blue. They are a valid, analog alternative to HDMI cables and will provide excellent high-definition video. It is important to read the manual for either your TV or your video source, as some devices will not accept or provide 1080p content over component cables.

Make sure you don’t overpay for HDMI cables. Salespeople in retail stores will attempt to push premium HDMI cables from brands like Monster on unsuspecting shoppers. A 6-foot Monster HDMI cable could cost between $80 and $130, depending on the details. Those prices are patently absurd, and Monster’s claims of superiority are specious, at best. Digital cables made to the HDMI specification are virtually identical. Monster’s extra cost pays for fancy packaging and slick marketing, but it won’t buy you better picture quality. Consumers should not spend more than $10 or $15 on a 6-foot HDMI cable, and even cheaper prices can be found on Amazon or from specialty sites like Monoprice.com.

Connections are just the first step, however. It’s important to adjust your television’s picture settings to achieve a balance that appeals to your eye. Out of the box, a television isn’t set up to look good in your living room. It’s configured to appear eye-catching and appealing in a store, and usually set to a preset picture profile called “Vivid” or “In Store.” This setting dials up the white levels and brightness, so a TV looks better amidst a sea of fluorescent lights and competing screens. Clearly, this is not the best configuration for your living room.

You could simply change the picture profile to something different, like “Normal” or “Movie,” or you could dig into the fundamental picture controls: brightness, contrast, color and tint. Pop a movie you’re familiar with in, one that you know has a variety of dark, light and colorful scenes. As you watch, pause the film in one of these scenes and adjust the proper setting until you find a level that you feel makes the picture look right. In dark scenes, focus on the brightness control, which adjusts the TV’s black level; for bright scenes, manipulate the contrast setting, which handles whites. Colorful scenes are the domain of color and tint.

Room setup can play an important role in how your HDTV looks, as well. It’s important to make sure your couch is at an ideal viewing distance from the TV set, a distance roughly 2.5 times the diagonal size measurement of the display. Too far away and you’ll miss out on the high-def detail, too close, and you’ll be treated to a pixilated picture. Moving your lamps and adjusting your lighting helps too, especially if you have a glare-prone plasma set.

One of the most confusing issues for new HDTV owners is the difference between standard-definition and high-definition television channels. While HDTVs will provide extraordinary detail and excellent image quality when watching HD channels, they will, in most cases, make television on standard-definition channels look worse. That’s because the higher resolution of an HDTV makes the flaws present in SD video more apparent. If you want to make the most of your HDTV, you’ll need to watch HD channels. On cable or satellite services, HD channels are usually tucked away in the upper numbers. For example, the HD counterpart to standard-definition channel 7 is probably found on channel 807. Viewers who get digital TV over-the-air would probably find it on channel 7.2. Consult your local listings to make sure.

If you absolutely must watch a standard-def channel, do not use the “stretch” or “zoom” features on your TV’s remote control. Stretch fits the boxy 4:3 aspect ratio of SD video to the TV’s 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, eliminating the black pillar bars many people find irritating. Zoom eliminates the bars, but it also cuts off the top and bottom portions of the content. While these may get rid of one annoyance, they present another. Stretching distorts the video lengthwise, making people look unusually wide. Both options exaggerate the flaws in SD content even further.

Taking some time to check and double-check your television’s setup could save you from returning a perfectly good HDTV and missing out on the excellent image quality you so desire. With a few simple tweaks and some thoughtful preparation, you should have no trouble tuning in an impressive picture.