For centuries families have always gathered together at the end of the day to catch up on the day’s activities, current events along with some form of entertainment. The evening gathering place has evolved from a evening fire, to the dinner table. In the early 1900′s, the radio was a gather point for the family. Today, it is the television.
The past year was marked by the television reception going all digital. This improved the clarity of the picture and the number of channels we could watch. Going all digital now gives many households a very good reason for getting a new television for Christmas.
Prices have definitely gone down. A 42″ LCD television can be purchased for around $700 to $800. A 42″ Plasma with start at $800 and go to $1500.
There are two competing technologies. Plasma and LCD. To get the gory detail I recommend that you read. http://www.lcdtvbuyingguide.com/lcdtv-plasmavslcd.shtml. LCDTVBuyingGuide.com will help be informed about LCD’s, while Plasmatvbuyingguide.com will let you know about Plasma TV’s.
All our computer monitors are LCD. We are happy with them. So for a Christmas replacement, to our old television, we are looking around at LCD televisions. Since our television has a 27″ screen, I think a 32″ screen would be a nice upgrade for us.
Fred Meyer is selling a 32″ Magnavox for just under $380. The Sony 32 ” is just under $530.
Wal Mart sells the Sony 32″ sells for $450, while the 32 ” RCA goes for $348.
Best Buy offers a 32″ Insignia and LG are going for $500.
Going on line will drop the price $100. However, between the cost of shipping and possible warranty work. We will stick to buying from a local store.
If you noticed I did not list any model numbers. The reason being is that one model will be sold to one store, say Best Buy. The model number is changed with the change in a piece of trim then sold to Wal Mart. Then not all stores sell the same brands.
My recommendation is that you shop by size and features you want. Then read the reviews. Pick one or two brands you like. Then you can go shopping.
Don’t just price the television. Compare the prices on cables, brackets, stand and whatever else you want. Some stores will sell you the LCD as a loss leader and get you on accessories and installation.
