You’ll probably find that major chains, specialty stores, and online retailers have similar pricing, at least on non-clearance prices for identical models. But different retailers have clearance discounts on different models at different times. Also, online retailers and discount chains often carry larger selections of minor-brand products, which can be less expensive than the major advertised brands. Retailers also differentiate themselves with added-value services (delivery, installation, extended warranties).

Your first stop may be the major chain store, like Best Buy or Circuit City. Among the advantages to major chains: They show all the display technologies we’ve talked about in operation (that’s important, since what TV technology to buy is as much an aesthetic decision as anything else). You can drive home with your purchase. You know where to go for service issues.

Among the disadvantages of major chains: Customer service can be spotty. Salespeople, when they are available, might be more interested in what they want to sell than in what you want to buy. These chains also offer online shopping, but product selection and pricing may be different online than in the chains’ brick-and-mortar outlets. (Walmart and Radio Shack, in particular, offer far more DTV products on their Web sites than in their stores.)

In many metro areas, independent stores and regional chains, like Abe’s of Maine and Vann’s offer every level of electronics including high-end audio and video gear. Some offer more handholding, more attentive salespeople, more comprehensive warranties, and in-home installation assistance. As these stores cater to mostly local customers, much of the added expense to the consumer is customer service. Extra customer service may may fine for some people, but it isn’t what everyone is looking for when they are purchasing a television.

Shopping online is usually more convenient and safe, as long as you deal with reputable companies. When you shop online, keep the delivery charge in mind—it should be included in the final price, but many stores offer free shipping. Disadvantages you might encounter include not seeing the equipment in action before you buy and if the TV has a problem (such as the dreaded “dead pixels”), you might have to repackage and ship the entire unit back and wait days or weeks to get it back. You’ll find many great deals along with a large selection of LCD, Plasma, DLP and OLED televisions from these leading retailers.

• Sony
• Amazon
• J&R
• Buy.com
• TigerDirect
• Walmart
• onSale
• Vann’s
• Abe’s Of Maine
• ShopNBC
• TheNerds.net
• Overstock
• Electronic Express
• Big Screen Center

Use an aggregator or price-comparison shopping Web site to quickly locate and compare offers from many online retailers. Delivery, service, and support are handled by the participating retailers, not by the Web sites that carry their listings. These sites include:

• Buyer’s Edge
• CNET Shopper
• dealnews
• eBay Stores
• Google Product Search
• mySimon
• NexTag
• PriceGrabber.com
• Yahoo! Shopping

Online Auctions

If you’re willing to settle for last year’s technologies, you can pick up a real bargain at eBay and other auction sites. Just beware of the usual caveats involving auction buying: Check the seller’s reputation. Use an escrow service, so the seller won’t get your money until after you’ve checked out the goods. Beware of scam artists.

Before you bid, determine the shipping cost of the item. Digital TV hardware can be big and heavy. Ground shipping costs (including insurance, which you should definitely get) could negate any price advantage of auction buying, unless you bid only on items from sellers in your own locality.

Consumer alert! Some notes of caution when visiting brick-and mortar retail outlets: Some stores feed HD signals only to the more expensive sets on the floor, leaving more modestly priced, but still HD-capable, sets to show non-HD programming. Or, store personnel might deliberately adjust a particular higher-profit-margin unit to display a better picture. Or, they might not even know how to properly set up and adjust the sets they display.

Samsung LN-T4665F 46″ HDTV LCD TV with Integrated ATSC Tuner

Samsung LN-T4665F 46″ LCD HDTV Features
1920×1080 Pixel Resolution
15000:1 Dynamic-Contrast
178 Degree Viewing Angle
Built-in digital tuner (ATSC/Clear QAM)
HDMI-CEC
High-Speed USB 2.0
Hidden Side Speakers
1080p