A friend of mine has been bouncing between stores in the Tracy area looking for a high definition TV to purchase. After talking with him this morning, here are a few hints you might be able to use when talking to the sales people.
1. You do not need a super duper, noise reducing, costly, power strip. When I first plugged in my HDTV three years ago, I did it on my oldest power strip. It worked great. Last year I took a trip to Orchard (OSH) and bought a new power strip for about $20.00. It also works great.
2. If you can afford it, get full 1080p resolution capability (1920 x 1080).
3. Do not buy an HD-DVD high def player. If you have the money and need high definition DVD playback capability buy a Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray appears to have won the battle, but, if you are still unsure then stick with your old DVD player and wait until the dust settles completely. It is better not to buy anything. Do not let a sales person talk you into an HD-DVD. Chances are you will be wasting your money, and they will be more than happy to dump their inventory of a dead product.
4. Most HDTV sets I have seen (I will go look again to make sure) have slots for your digital camera memory stick. Question the sales person who says the TV you like does not have one.
5. Do not buy the most expensive HDMI cable. I bought a cheapy and it works great. Some devices come with an HDMI cable. Use that one.
6. I like LCD, but, don't be swayed. If you like plasma, or lots of mirrors (DLP), go for it. The video quality is great on all.
7. Check to see if the HDTV set you are interested in has a slot for a cable card. Mine does and I receive HDTV programming perfectly from Comcast....at no monthly cost. I lose pay-per-view and interactivity, but, I do not care right now (and have not cared for over three years) and I save a few bucks a month. On Substitute Teacher's pay...a few bucks means a lot! :-)
More to follow.....in short do not be talked into buying more than you need (or want). Contact me if you have any questions (web site, or email).
