Buying a TV

How does anyone buy anything these days? Thanks to the internet, anyone contemplating a major purchase might justifiably sink into terrified inaction for months on end. That was where I stood on the TV question until recently forced into action.

After my son's "ex" demanded her TV back, and I gave him mine, I finally got around to shopping for a new flat TV, which I've been desultorily researching for 2-3 years! I quickly realized that, to make an informed decision, you would need to spend several hours a day for several months to get up to speed -- and by then most of what you learned would be obsolete. With an empty spot where my TV used to be, I couldn't wait that long, so I resolved to get this done!

First, I decided the technology: I opted for LCD over Plasma, because LCDs are more lightweight and energy-efficient, and the deeper blacks and wider angle of view offered by Plasma didn't mean that much to me.

I figured the next thing was to choose a size. The advice columns say most buyers wish they bought something bigger, so after thinking 40-42 inches would be fine, I expanded to 46 inches. But even then, there must be hundreds of models to choose from! If you start from "Consumer Reports," you get good advice, but they cover only 15-20 models. Other comparison sites cover more, but how can you trust any old enthusiast who says "This is a great TV" when you have no way of vetting their knowledge, judgment, or honesty!

Head swimming, I decided to let others narrow the field for me, so I re-joined a discount membership retailer and had a look at what they had to offer. Even side by side, it was hard to tell which TVs were really better, and whether they had all been set up comparably. In the end, I decided that I just didn't want devote my life to the problem, so I went with Sony, on the theory that if they are consistently more expensive, they must be better. (I know, it's a dumb argument that plays into the hands of the market leader, but Sony owners are satisfied, and I reckon at worst I'm overpaying, but at least I'll a decent product.)

Having settled on a model, I went back online to check prices. Not surprisingly, I found some better prices, or so I thought. First, I decided I could go a little over my initial budget, say $300 over. Then, I thought, buying mail-order, maybe I can avoid sales tax, though it's a trade-off with shipping. OK, here's a place, they list a shipping charge but no tax. I go with them, adding $150 in shipping, but wait, it turns out they charge sales, too, so another $150. Then, it turns out I have to "confirm" my order by phone, which is really where they try to get you buy more stuff! It turns out I just ordered last year's model, but this year's model is so much better, and only $150 more! Well, who could say "no" to that! And don't forget those HDMI cables...

Needless to say, the budget is distant memory. I'll report on what happens when the beast gets delivered.