On my way to Best Buy to get a new TV. What should I get?

[Brigid]

All I need is one that can handle digital cable and a Blu-ray player.

[HopeHoops]

1. A new stereo.

[Colonel Schwartz]

2. If you can swing it, get an LED. You won't regret it. n/t

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. They can all handle that. 3d and LED are the latest. Before you go...

Stop by a post office and ask for a "movers guide".
There should be a coupon in there for 10% off BestBuy.

[Yavin4]

4. I hear that these babies are all the rage

[Richardo]

11. The model in the middle has the best legs.

<gratuitous joke about 'knobs' here>

:thumbsup:

[Yavin4]

5. Seriously, Before You Buy at Best Buy

Compare prices and ratings on this website. It's a pretty good site for all things tech, and they have a little video explaining HDTVs:

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category.aspx?Category=264&name=Televisions&cm_sp=Televisions-_-Electronics-_-na

[meegbear]

6. Do NOT get an Insgnia model ...

that's Best Buy own brand. I live in a five unit condo (bought the third unit in 2006) and one of the appliances that came with the units was an Insignia flat screen in the living room.

All of them shit the bed within 3 years. Some died, and in my case, the picture went to shit.

[LynneSin]

7. My friend loves her LG 3D TV she got.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/LG+-+47%22+Class+/+LED+/+1080p+/+120Hz+/+3D+/+HDTV+3D+Blu-ray+Player+Bundle/2970264.p?id=1218367938119&skuId=2970264

This is the one I want to get. And it comes with a 3D Blue Ray player.

BTW, if you are considering Blue-Ray remember this - some of the players require expensive glasses that cost about $100 to replace. If you break one of these glasses you can just steal a few extra from your local theater that shows 3D movies. My best friend got this TV in 55in and anytime they go to a 3D movie they bring home all the glasses so they have spares.

[helderheid]

8. You're buying a TV on Rapture day? Why not just wait until tomorrow and loot one?

[snooper2]

9. I would get one with color, it's all the new rage!

:hi:

[EOTE]

10. You're going to need to provide more information than that.

Any TV today can handle digital cable and Blu-ray. What size are you looking for? Do you intend to wall mount it? Do you mind if it's a tad thick, like a DLP set? Will the room it's put in have a lot of natural light? I use a projector, I've found that's the best way to get a big, bright picture for cheap. But everyone has their own preferences. I'd need to know some of those preferences before I could make a suggestion.

[haele]

12. Get an LED type - Wide screen - and the size you will need can be determined below -

Take a DVD case (one of those "book sized", not a CD size) and stand (preferably sit, but most of the time you have to stand) as far away from the TV as you would be sitting at home. Hold the DVD case in front of you at arm's length long-wise (long sides top and bottom.) The edges of the screen should just be visible around the DVD case.

Make sure you get your HDMI cables on Amazon. Those very same $35.00 - $50.00 HDMI cables you get at the stores can be got online for $3.00 - $5.00 - the only difference is that there is a name brand slapped on the packaging.

Oh, and don't get a Visio. Those are pretty much disposable TVs - they're cheap and they look great for the first three months or so, but everyone I know who got one says they start seriously crapping out right before the warranty runs out, and it's so much of a pain to work with their warranty people - they'll never seem to get your request until after the warranty period is over and you're stuck with a broke-down TV.

Plasma TVs run very hot and use a lot of energy.

Haele

[Gold Metal Flake]

13. Don't be in a hurry.

Best Buy may not have the best deal. I check the TV listings at the Fatwallet forums. Here is a (non-blind!) link:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/tv/

[jmowreader]

14. We kinda need to know two things

1. How much money you got?

2. How big of a room are you putting it in?

If you have, say, $700 in spare cash and you want a 40-inch television, take half of it to Best Buy and purchase a Dynex 40-inch for $349, then take the rest to the bank and buy savings bonds with it. Put the bonds in a safe place. The TV will probably last you three years--BUT! In that time television technology will have advanced to the point you'll be able to get a far nicer television for less money...and the bonds will have appreciated.

[Xithras]

15. IMO, you should never walk into an electronics store to find a TV to buy.

Do your research on the Internet, figure out which TV you want based on reviews and ratings, and THEN find the store that sells it at the best price.

I bought my last TV at Sears, but it was a model that they had to order in and didn't have on the floor. Many electronics stores, including Best Buy, put their HIGHEST MARGIN models on the floor, but not necessarily their highest quality or lowest price models. Why? Because that way they can make the most money on the unwary shopper who walks in and just wants to "buy a ... today", but doesn't know what they want.

And, FWIW, I'm still a fan of plasma. Yeah, they burn more electricity, and yeah, they have a few quirks, but if my Panasonic plasma were to burn out today, I'd still go out and buy another one.

[FloridaJudy]

16. A receipt. eom

[quakerboy]

17. Go to best buy. look at them. See if there is one you like

Then go home and sit on it a day or two. Check out the models that interested you online. Check consumer ratings (best buy website ratings tend toward high, amazon generally provides a better view. Look at other associate models. Check what the price difference is if you move up to the next product line.

Check prices. Amazon. Ebay. Google. Whereever else.

Then go back with a coupon and readiness to buy. You will generally save money.

Personally I like Samsung. And I dont care for the new "3D" stuff.

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. Why buy a TV? I just rigged up an oscilloscope.

[hyphenate]

19. I like my Vizio

It's only a 32" which is perfect for me, but Vizio has a good reputation. As long as it's 1080p, which is regular HD, the BR player will work fine. You should simply buy one that looks good to you, even though you can adjust it. I wanted something with an extra crisp picture and bright, because my vision is getting worse, but someone might want something different. Good luck!

[Bennyboy]

20. NOT A VIZIO! HORRIBLE

Wont last., My $1000 Vizio died about a month after the warranty ran out. Over 500 to fix it.

Took my 30 year old Sony Trinitron and plugged it in. Still works.

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. I don't want to hear that. I have 2 of them!

[Swede]

21. Extended warranty.

They are expensive to repair after the warranty is gone.

[TrogL]

22. Sony

They cost more but last forever.

[SkatmanRoth]

23. I would get a color TV (you will be disappointed with a black and white one)

[Bombero1956]

25. If you want to wait until Black Friday

Lots of manufacturers are announcing price reductions for the upcoming holiday season. Stay away from Vizio.

http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/22/8445781-buying-a-tv-on-black-friday-the-price-predictions-are-in

Vizio customers have been told that their defective 13.5-24 month old televisions are “un-repairable.” Vizio claims its sets are repairable and that miscommunications between customer service reps and set owners caused the problem. However, Vizio’s parts pricing policy often makes the repair cost greater than the replacement cost—even of sets that fail within a week of warranty expiration.

Even within the warranty period Vizio often opts to ship customers used, refurbished TVs Vizio calls “recertified,” rather than repairing them.

http://hdguru.com/