Shopping for a Big
Screen TV means avoiding lots of people trying
to dazzle you with new technology.
You have to side-step slick TV salesmen talking
about "DLP", "EDTV" or "1080i". You have to
outsmart internet con artists selling "gray
market" Plasmas. And you have to ignore
bone-headed advice from Fred, the neighborhood
know-it-all.
Mistake #1: Don't Buy A "No-Name" Plasma TV! The
most important decision you can make when buying
a big screen TV is to decide not to buy a
"No-Name". A device as complex as a LCD, Plasma
or DLP TV must be manufactured with the finest
components by dozens of expert technicians
working in multi-million dollar plants.
"No-name" companies use none of those.
Mistake #2: Never Trust A "Seeing Eye" TV
Salesman! If you walk into a TV showroom and
don't know EDTV from HDTV, some slick salesman
will smile and eat you for lunch! Don't let
salesmen make choices for you, or you'll end up
with some outdated TV his boss wants to get rid
of. Or you'll end up with screen burn-in on your
new Plasma when your son hooks up his
Playstation 3; or suffer with a dim display in
your brightly lit living room. Do a little
research before you make a purchase; it's not
difficult.
(If you're not familiar with some of the terms
used above - DLP, EDTV, LCD - Google the "123
Guide To Plasma TV.com")
Mistake #3: Don't Buy From A "No-Name" Retailer!
It's important to buy your Plasma TV from a
reputable dealer selling brand name merchandise.
The return of a faulty $2000 Plasma TV won't
bankrupt Wal-Mart or Sony; but could devastate a
Mom and Pop electronics store. Try to make major
purchases from a major retailer's website; make
sure they offer a good return policy and have
brand name Plasmas at a discount price.
Mistake #4: Don't Fall For Plasma Internet
Scams! We've all seen what look like great deals
on Plasma TVs online. But exactly what is a
great deal? It means getting GREAT MERCHANDISE
at a GREAT PRICE. It's not a great deal if you
get CRAPPY MERCHANDISE at a GREAT PRICE! You
don't want your "new" Plasma to be a returned or
refurbished item. Avoid "gray market" or "B
stock" merchandise, and avoid sellers who aren't
authorized retailers.
Mistake #5: Don't Play Video Games On A Plasma
Television! The chance of screen burn-in on a
Plasma TV has been greatly reduced by improved
technology, but not eliminated. Computer
programs, video games, stock tickers and station
logos can burn permanently into the screen,
ruining your expensive TV. LCD and DLP TV
screens cannot suffer screen burn-in, ever.
Mistake #6: Don't Let A Know-It-All Pick Your
TV! Your neighbor Fred says he's an expert on
Big Screen TVs, and volunteers to help you buy
one. Fred may be a good guy. . . he may even
know the difference between DTV and DLP. But
Fred may also be a Boob blowing smoke out the
rear of his shorts. How can you tell? Rely on
the only person you can trust to look out for
your interests . . . you! Listen to Fred, but
take him with a grain of salt . . . and do your
own research!
Mistake #7: Don't Try To Bring Home A Plasma TV
By Yourself! There was a time you could go to
Circuit City, buy a 19-inch color TV, throw it
in the back seat and take it home . . . those
days are over! Shipping a Plasma TV to your home
is the only sensible way to get it there; it's
too big, expensive, heavy and delicate to be
shoved in the trunk of a car. Your retailer will
arrange shipping for you; make sure that
insurance and order tracking are included in the
deal. Don't sign for delivery until you've
inspected your TV for damage.
Mistake #8: Don't Install A Plasma TV Without
Help! A Plasma TV, although thin, is actually
very heavy. A 50-inch Plasma TV can weigh over
160 pounds. Mounting a Plasma TV on it's table
stand is a three person job; call some strong
friends over. The delivery people will put your
TV on the curb, or in your living room,
depending on what you paid for. They won't
install your TV on a wall mount, that service
costs $200-$300.
Mistake #9: Don't Fail To Connect A Dolby Sound
System! You shouldn't settle for the sound
coming from your TV speakers. Attached to your
TV, a Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound amplifier sends
six separate channels of sound through speakers
in front of, on both sides of and behind the
viewer. Home Theater Systems start as low as
$250 and go into the thousands; they include an
amplifier, five speakers, wire and a sub woofer.
Dolby 7.1 is even more advanced with eight sound
channels.
Mistake #10: Don't Forget To Budget For
Peripherals! For full enjoyment of your new
Plasma TV, you'll need lots of other stuff: HDMI
cables for each peripheral, surge protectors, a
TV stand or wall mount, a HDTV DVD player and
digital cable for High Def broadcasts. You'll
also need a Home Theater System with at least
Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound and a comfortable
viewing area. I'm not trying to scare you . . .
a modest system can cost less than $300, A good
system between $800-$1000 and a Top-of-the-Line
system $1500 and up.
Well, there you have it . . . the 10 Biggest
Bone-Headed Mistakes you could make when
shopping for the perfect Plasma TV! Avoid them
like the plague!
Good luck . . . I hope you find the Plasma TV
that will thrill your family for years to come
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