So you have been thinking about the purchase of an LCD Flat Screen Tv.
In days past the choices on where to purchase highly regarded home theater equipment was pretty limited. If you were lucky enough to live near a big city you had several specialty electronics stores to choose from. If you lived in suburban America you had one or two big name electronics stores, while if you lived in rural America you were sometimes out of luck until you made an excursion out to the "big city".
Today, that has all changed with the arrival of the Internet. Anyone with access to the Internet now has access to a gigantic specialty electronics store right in their own home. Practically any LCD flat screen tv known to mankind can be purchase online with the click of a few buttons.
While the choices are limitless, it is more important then ever to do your research and become a smart consumer. The following 7 things will help you be an educated consumer and help you get the best bang for your hard earned buck.
1. What size tv do you need? - Know the size of your room and how much space you have available, but also know what is the best size for optimum viewing. If you sit to close you take the risk of noticing scan lines or pixels, but sit too far away and you begin to lose out on picture details and the immersive feel of a wide screen tv. It is recommended that you can sit anywhere between 1.5 and 3 times your HDTV screen size for the best viewing experience. So for a viewing distance of 8 feet (96inches) you would want an LCD that is at least 32 inches, but not more then 63inches. If your viewing distance was 12 feet (144 inches) you would want a screen size with a minimum of 46 inches and a maximum of 96 inches for the best viewing experience.
2. Know what features are important - Most people are going to want a 1080p tv, but what about contrast ratio, response times and refresh rates. Do you watch sports or movies with a lot of fast action? If you do then you will want something with low response times and may want to consider a 120Hz LCD for smooth motion. Is the look of the tv important. Some manufacturers have begun releasing LCDs with stylish bezels where the tv looks great when turned off as well as on. Some people will say that one of the disadvantages of shopping online is that you don't have the benefit of a helpful salesperson to guide you through the buying process. While that may be true of a specialty home theater store I would argue that you can get much more helpful information by doing a little research yourself online then you can from listening to some of the downright bad advice that is shared in some of the big electronic chain stores.
3. Price - Lets face it, the biggest advantage of buying online by far is the price. The local brick and mortar stores with there overhead costs simply can't match some of the prices that can be found online for the same exact LCD flat screen tv. But prices can also vary greatly from one online retailer to another. When you compare price make sure to take all things into consideration such as shipping fees and taxes when determining the actual cost of the LCD. The price savings can be significant, particularly on the mid to high end displays. At the same time, you can't simply rely on price alone when buying an LCD online which brings us to the next consideration.
4. Company reputation - Make sure the retailer is reliable. What good is it to save a bundle of money on a new tv only to find out that the retailer is shipping faulty products. Is there a company phone number to contact with questions? Is the site professional? Are all transactions placed on a secure connection? Have you heard of the retailer before? Check out customer rankings and reviews online. A good, reliable site will allow customers to place reviews of the product, but also of the service that they received from the retailer.
5. Return policy - Another extremely important consideration for buying an LCD tv online is what is the return policy? If the tv is damaged will they return it, no questions asked? If so, who is responsible for the shipping fee? Will they pay shipping or are you responsible for shipping? What if you want to exchange the tv? One of the things about going into a store is that you can actually take a look at the tv. What if you order the LCD, get it sent home and then realize it is not what you were expecting? Can you exchange the tv and if so what is the restocking fee if any? An upfront knowledge of the return policy is essential when purchasing an LCD online. The good online retailers will have a return fee that is as good or better then many of the brick and mortar stores.
6. Shipping - It is important to understand several things about shipping. What are the shipping costs? Will the product get damaged in shipping and if so who is responsible. Some people feel that there is a much greater chance of receiving a damaged product when buying online and having it shipped, however many times there is less handling of a tv from a large online retailer who ships the tv from their warehouse then there is in some of the local stores where tvs are shipped from one warehouse to another until it eventually enters the stores warehouse and then delivered to your home. Is white glove delivery available to bring the LCD directly into your home? Can you have someone setup the tv for you and if so what is the cost.
7. What about cables, accessories and extended warranties? - Cables, accessories and extended warranties have long been a major profit center for the brick and mortar stores. Do you ever notice how the sales personnel seem to save there most passionate sales pitches for the extended warranties? Many times that is when they have the opportunity to earn a larger commission based on the warranty sales. Today's flat panel LCD tvs are much more reliable then in years past and it is generally not worth the extra cost of an extended warranty. Not to mention cables. Stores often push the sales of overpriced cables saying that you need them in order to get a quality video and audio experience. These cables are one of the areas where a store can make a lot of money. The truth is that there is very little difference between cables, particularly the digital cable such as HDMI. Local stores won't carry the discount cables, so ordering cables online is a perfect way to save a great deal of money.
Buying an LCD flat screen tv online is a great way to get a high quality tv and save a lot of money at the same time. With a little bit of online research you can buy that perfect tv from a reliable retailer and have it conveniently shipped home where you and your family will be able to enjoy the latest movie release or sports event on your new big screen tv.
Check out my recommendation for the best online retailer for LCD flat panel tvs. For a review of some of the best LCD flat panels stop by http://familyhometheaterguide.com
The Family Home Theater Guide is an informative guide to home theater, with a particular emphasis on family entertainment.
Samsung Rigmarole
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