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Getting the picture: Digital TV high on to-do list
Converter box coupon know-how |
The Federal Trade Commission has these recommendations for those using a government coupon to buy an analog-to-digital TV converter box: 1. Never pay for a coupon for a digital converter box. The coupons are free from the federal government. 2. Don't give your Social Security number or other sensitive financial information when you order — or redeem — your coupon. 3. If you return a converter box you bought using a coupon, you can't get the value of the coupon back. Before you buy a converter box, ask the retailer about the box's features, any manufacturer's warranty, and the store's return policy. 4. Before you leave the store with your new converter box, check to make sure installation instructions are included. If you have questions, ask the retailer to explain the installation — or check to see whether the manufacturer offers a toll-free help line. You can find general installation instructions at www.dtv.gov/publications.html. 5. Installing a converter box is easy, but if you decide to hire someone to install it, get the price in writing before you agree to the job, and put any personal information you may keep in your home in a safe place. 6. Ignore any offer for a "free" converter box, especially if it requires you to pay for shipping or a warranty. The companies that are making these offers are not certified by the government, and their converter boxes are not eligible for the coupon program |
Bargains should be plentiful
If you are going to buy a new TV, you’ll see some excellent prices.
“Retailers may be forced to make sure inventory doesn’t get held over to the first quarter, so you may see a highly charged promotional atmosphere through the holiday period,” said Paul Gagnon, DisplaySearch director of North American TV market research.
The most popular screen size for buyers now is 32 inches, he said, and prices on “32-inch LCD and plasma TVs should be under $500 pretty easily for most of the holiday season, especially during promotional periods like Black Friday or the week before Christmas."
On Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, “you should see 32-inch LCD TVs as low as $400, and maybe even slightly lower, while 42-inch plasma TVs could go for between $600 and $700,” Gagnon said.
While those are drool-alicious prices, remember that digital TV does not mean high-definition TV. HDTV is one kind of digital TV (generally the most expensive kind). Other types of digital TVs are enhanced-definition TV (EDTV) and standard-definition TV (SDTV).
“You don’t have to have a high-definition television in order to get the digital signal,” said Kelsey of Consumers Union.
“And in some cases, you may not want HDTV, because not all of the broadcasts that are free, over-the-air broadcasts are high-definition. They’re digital broadcasts.
“You need to make sure you get a TV with a digital tuner in it. But it doesn’t have to be high-definition.”
Screen downsizing
The consumer momentum toward 32-inch screens is a shift from the allure, prestige (and cost) of 40-inch and larger screens, which “had been the trend over the past two years,” said Gagnon. “That’s where the industry was looking for the best growth and most profitable growth.”
LCD remains “the dominant screen technology because it’s the most broadly available on a wide range of screen sizes,” he said. “You can get LCD TVs down to 15 inches and all the way up to 70 inches. On the other hand, plasma TVs are generally only available at 42 inches and larger, although this year we do see some smaller screens.”
There are plenty of smaller digital TVs this year, many of them high-definition, with 19-, 20- and 26-inch screens. Nineteen-inch screens, in particular, will appeal to buyers looking to replace older and secondary TVs in their bedrooms and dens, said Patel of iSuppli.
“I think you’ll see many 19-inch LCD TVs available for about $200,” Gagnon said.
Top-brand leaders such as Samsung and Sony each introduced more value-oriented lineups of flat-panel TVs this year. Samsung's line is its "3 series" and "5 series" of TVs; Sony’s is the "L series" and "S series."
For example, Samsung’s LN32A330 32-inch, 720p LCD HDTV was recently priced at $600 on Amazon and at Circuit City, considered a good buy for a top-quality make.
“What Samsung and Sony have done is put a lot of pressure on the more value-conscious TV brands in terms of narrowing the price gap,” said Gagnon.
Whether you go with LCD or plasma is largely personal taste. LCD screens “tend to offer a little better brightness (overall), and generally consume a little bit less power, although technologies for both have been improving quite a bit,” he said. “LCD TVs, on the whole, offer a little bit lower power consumption.”
Plasma screens “are known for having a little bit better picture performance, particularly when viewed from an angle. You don’t have as much of a loss of color and contrast as LCD TVs do. Plasma TVs also generally produce better contrast levels, with blacker blacks and brighter brights.”
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