Shopping for a high-def TV to watch Sunday’s Super Bowl? Just think about the BEARS before going to the store:
Budget — Determine your limit and stick to it. Don’t get the in-store warranty; use that money to get a better TV instead. You’ll get more immediate and long-term enjoyment.
Environment — Know your room. If your room has lots of sunlight, LCD is good because it doesn’t reflect light. If you have lots of space, DLP gives you a big screen for not a lot of money. If you’re in a tight space and love movies, a wall-mounted plasma will bring colors to life.
Accessories — Know how much you want to spend for extra speakers, a TV stand or wall mount, installation and other goodies to make your living room better than the multiplex. You can spend as little as $350 to $400 for a stand and an HDMI cable, or you can go whole hog with surround sound speakers, a wall mount and more. In that case, double the cost of your TV (i.e., if you budget $2,000 for a TV, budget another $2,000 to get the home-theater experience).
Ramifications — Determine how you will share the TV, because everyone will want to see their shows in high-definition glory. Recent TV buyer Melissa DeGrazia, a lawyer, playfully suggests couples should play Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who watches the new TV and who watches the old one. Whatever your strategy, consider getting a dual-tuner HD DVR cable box, so you can record shows for viewing later.
Specs — The buzz phrase right now is “full HD.” Those sets, also known as 1080p TVs, are great only if you regularly play PlayStation 3 games or plan to buy high-definition movies in the Blu-ray or HD-DVD format. Only those three options take full advantage of full HD right now. (And if that sounds good to you, budget $600 for a PS3, $1,000 for a Blu-ray player or $500 for an HD-DVD player. Add in $60 for each PS3 game and $25 for each high-def movie).
Extra points:
On going with your gut:
“It comes down to personal preference. If you see a 32-inch TV you like and it’s in your budget, go for it.”
— Jaime Gutierrez, North Side, TV shopper
On how to choose a TV in the store:
“Look at the letters on the screen. They should be sharp. If they’re not, move on.”
— Frank Tomlin, New York, TV shopper
On how to choose a TV in the store:
“Look for a set that delivers crisp pictures with fast-moving video, good color accuracy and deep black levels. Be careful that you don’t focus on how bright the TV looks. Pay more attention to how much detail there is in dark scenes, which are harder to reproduce. If a television does dark scenes well, it’s probably a high-quality set.”
— Paul Meyhoefer, vice president of displays for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.
On why design matters:
“Bezel design, cable management, mounting options, etc., make a difference. Sony’s XBR3 line now has color bezels to choose from. Philips has the backlighting that . . . is about integrating the experience into the room environment.”
— Mark Rolston, senior vice president for frog design, a California-based industrial design firm.
On whether you should wait to buy:
“Prices are very favorable. You can get fantastic technology at a good value these days. You’ll be really happy with your purchase for a long time to come.”
— Brian Travilla, Firedog manager for Circuit City’s Chicago district
On owning an HDTV:
“I love it. I just love it. Now, I spend my time going up and down the high-def channels. Even if it’s something I don’t care to watch, I’m like, `My god! Look at it. It’s in hi-def!'”
— Kevin Johnson, Streamwood, recent HDTV buyer
