Check out these tips and tricks to save yourself some big money this holiday season.
Shop online
I know everyone loves waiting in line and dealing with holiday traffic and people's pleasant holiday demeanor, but if you skip the store, you can save some money. In most cases, online retailers will have lower prices on the same products. Many stores offer free shipping, an added bonus for big items (like TVs) that likely won't enjoy the car ride from the store to your home.
Check out my article on whether to buy an HDTV online or in-store for more info. Also check out Dennis O'Reilly's article on how to shop safely online.
Avoid expensive add-ons
No matter where you buy your new gear, chances are the retailer is going to try to get you to buy something else during checkout. This makes sense, as there is almost no markup on that new TV (even at over $1,000, amazingly). The way stores make money is through add-ons like cables and extended warranties.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of extended warranties. LCDs and plasmas have been found to be extremely reliable. Receivers and speakers rarely break, unless your kids have a party. Blu-ray players are practically disposable at this point. Sure you'll hear stories like, "Well, I know someone who met a guy whose TV broke," but statistically speaking, your TV is likely to last you decades with no problems. So if you still want a warranty, go ahead, get the peace of mind, just know it's probably a waste of money.
And DON'T buy cables at a store. HDMI cables shouldn't cost you more than $5. Check out my articles on why all HDMI cables are the same and why all HDMI cables are the same, Part 2. Even the "cheap" HDMI cables in most stores are $20, and this is way too much.
Avoid floor models and 'doorbusters'
Check out the comments on the "Should I buy a floor-model TV?" article. TVs in stores are left on all day, most all night as well. All TVs lose brightness over time, so if they've been on 24 hours a day for three months, that's years' worth of normal viewing. That means the TV will be dimmer, sooner, and will likely last less time. So are you really saving money?
Doorbusters, like $200 TVs, are worth what you paid for them. They aren't going to have the picture quality of name-brand TVs. If your goal is to just get a TV, then go for it. If you're looking for something good, these aren't a good deal, they're just cheap.
LED vs. plasma
Most TV manufacturers are pushing their LED LCD TV models, most of which are more expensive than their non-LED and plasma counterparts. It's worth noting that there's no such thing as an "LED TV," per se. This isn't a new type of television, it is an ordinary LCD TV that uses LEDs as its backlight instead of CCFLs. Generally, LED LCDs are brighter and more energy-efficient than "regular" LCDs and plasmas, but rarely is this extra brightness needed in a home. They'll look amazing in the store, but when you get them home, they'll be far too bright until you turn down the backlight, and then they're no brighter than the other TVs.
And as far as energy efficiency goes, you'll never make up the price difference in energy savings. All TVs are now required to show an Energy Guide label, just like refrigerators. Look at a similarly sized LED LCD and a plasma, and the difference per year is just a few dollars.
Also, just because a TV uses LEDs doesn't mean it has good picture quality. In some ways it can actually be worse. Check out David Katzmaier's review of the Samsung LN46D630, or my article on LED LCD uniformity issues.
Blu-ray players
The three most common features that more expensive Blu-ray players have are built-in Wi-Fi, 3D, and Internet streaming.
Built-in Wi-Fi is certainly convenient, but running a few feet of Cat5 network cable from your router is probably worth the few minutes of labor. Or maybe not. It certainly depends on your room. What does having a Wi-Fi/Internet connection get you here? Well, easy firmware updates (regularly needed with Blu-ray players, sadly), and Internet streaming.
Internet-streaming services like Netflix give you access to nearly unlimited content. They're great, but if you're buying a new TV, it likely has the same services built in already. You certainly don't need them in both your TV and your Blu-ray player.
And 3D? If you're getting a new 3D TV, or are thinking of getting one in the future (hint, most TVs will be 3D-capable within the next few years), then it's probably worth getting a 3D Blu-ray player now. The feature won't add a ton to the price. Check out David's 3D TV Buying Guide for more info.
Internet-streaming boxes
Web streamers like the Apple TV and Roku offer the potential of nearly unlimited content thanks to iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Video. I love these products, but they're not quite the value they first appear. You can find Blu-ray players that have the same or similar streaming services (especially Netflix and Amazon), plus they'll play discs. Many new HDTVs have these services as well, so like I mentioned in the Blu-ray player section, there's no need to duplicate your streaming.
On the other hand, if you just want to add streaming to your current system, streaming boxes are really cool.
Lastly...
This goes for all product categories: if a deal seems too good to be true, or offers a product at a price way below its competition, there's a catch. There's always a catch. Look very closely at the fine print. Rarely is a superspecial offer actually for a good product. It's just there to get you to come to the store so they can sell you something else. Just because something is cheap, doesn't mean it's a good value.
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