TV madness

July 26, 2005 1:10 PM

Anyone every buy a large TV online?

I would like to buy a ~$4000 50" plasma TV online. It would save me over $1000 by buying online vs. at a store. Is this a good idea? Are there any things I should be careful about? Tips, tricks, etc?

The TV in question is this one. I would either buy it from here or Amazon.

http://www2.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?ref=pricegrabber&sku=PNTH50PX50U

Thank you!

posted by eas98 to shopping (18 comments total)

I just bought a 42" plasma online direct from Panasonic. They're offering free shipping now, which is a huge savings since they normally ship these things on trucks for a few hundred clams.

Just make sure the vendor is reputable and that you're prepared to wait around for a truck and delivery folks—these things are not shipped through UPS.

Also, if the delivery company happens to deliver the thing in any position except upright (i.e., on its face), demand that they wait for you to do a live test first. Plasmas are notoriously susceptible to breaking if shipped on their faces.

Good luck! I just completed my home theater setup and am quite pleased.
posted by symphonik at 1:22 PM on July 26, 2005

I bought a 50" plasma online a couple years ago (with a Dell coupon), and there were no problems whatsoever.

Two things come to mind:

1) You should use a credit card if possible, in case a dispute arises between you and the merchant, and

2) Use caution taking delivery. If the box is damaged in any way, make the carrier make a note of it before taking delivery, and if at all possible, have the delivery person stay for you to unbox it and make sure the glass is intact.

When moving it around, the glass should ALWAYS be vertical. i.e. you don't want the monitor to be a flat surface like a table, because this puts considerably more stress on the glass and make it more susceptible to breakage.

Amazon has a cool 30-day return policy that I've abused trouble-free on a couple very expensive items.
posted by trevyn at 1:25 PM on July 26, 2005

FWIW, mine was delivered by an abnormally large FedEx truck, and I didn't have to schedule delivery or anything.
posted by trevyn at 1:27 PM on July 26, 2005

Amazon has a cool 30-day return policy that I've abused trouble-free on a couple very expensive items.

Incidentally, most vendors, including Amazon, say that once you sign for it, you cannot return it.
posted by eas98 at 1:36 PM on July 26, 2005

Amusingly, I am just this afternoon unpacking an LG 42" monitor received from PCconnection.com -- ca. $2500, shipped free. They sent the wrong mounting bracket, which has to go back. But the plasma arrived in perfect working condition fresh off the plane at JFK from Korea. I do a lot of business (through my university corp. account) with PCconnection (actually, Govconnection, their corporate shop) and they are great about returns and so forth. I highly recommend you buy an extended warranty for a plasma display. LGs come with a 2 year warranty, the rest are (as far as I know) all 1 year. Given the problems one can have with this technology, about $120 a year for an additional 3 yrs. (for a total of 5) seems worth it. I would never buy any expensive gear from a carry-out shop, but that's me. I think they are all lousy. Of course, I have very busy accounts with Govconnect and CDW and B&H, so I get personal service, but I have never had a single problem that wasn't quickly resolved with PC/Govconnnection in years of doing business.

As for Amazon, the policy may be "you sign for it, you bought it," but I ordered my mother a 27" television from them last year, she signed for it, the unit was dead on arrival, I called Amazon, and they arranged for it to be professionally repacked, carried to the truck, and shipped back. A working unit came a day later. Fabulous service, restoring my faith in Amazon after I'd had a few gripes with them in recent years. My mom didn't have to lift a finger. My advice is to buy big ticket gear from an online seller you do a lot of business with, and with a strong reputation (PCConnection has a superb rep in the university/government market I'm in) and know the name of the salesperson with whom you place the order -- do it by phone, not over the web, and whenever you order, try to get the same salesperson. If they know you are a regular customer, they will bend over backwards to make you happy.

For what it is worth, the same unit I bought was 3-500 bucks more at any walk-in shop in the area. And just because you buy it locally doesn't mean you can just return a big-ticket item like a plasma display. Many stores have fine print that says once you walk out of the door with it, you have to deal with the manufacturer or distributor if there is a problem. Fughetaboutit.
posted by realcountrymusic at 2:07 PM on July 26, 2005

I know this isn't your question, but insofar as it might potentially save you several thousand dollars and enormous hassle, I can't help but ask:

Have you considered a forward projector, rather than a big TV? We love love love having a 100" screen, and a 6.5 lb box, for half of what you're spending. The only serious drawback is having to watch in near-darkness.

(I was set on a plasma until I saw a projector at somebody's house.)
posted by Aknaton at 2:20 PM on July 26, 2005

Thanks for the suggestion Aknaton, but our TV is in a bright living room, and we're pretty set on buying the pretty toy. :)

realcountrymusic, thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad yours was a positive one.

Everyone else, I'm still reading, so if you have anything to say, please do. :)
posted by eas98 at 2:58 PM on July 26, 2005

A good friend of mine just bought a 56" Samsung DLP from www.digital1234.com. It was delivered as promised to him, with no problems, and for about $1k less than Circuit City, Best Buy or Sound Advice (Tweeter).

I plan to buy the 61" (the 2005 model year 6168) the moment I see it in stock at that retailer.
posted by tomierna at 3:28 PM on July 26, 2005

I bought a Samsung DLP from amazon a while back, it came to my house in less than a week after ordering it, and it was also over a thousand dollars cheaper than brick and mortar competition. I was VERY satisfied.

I totally recommend buying a large TV online, I've ordered things from both buydig and amazon, and both have been excellent.
posted by petah at 3:32 PM on July 26, 2005

i bought my 42in plasma a few years ago, it wasnt $4000 but it wasn't as cheap as it is now, it worked out ok (panasonic from visualapex)

you want to inquire about the etailer rating (star ratings, customer reviews) and in particular look up return policy (who's paying for shipping, any restocking fee).. i think in general bigger companies are safer in terms of customer service (amazon, dell)

i think there were special instructions to look for damage on box before accepting and opening the package, so do taht
posted by kewlio at 4:09 PM on July 26, 2005

I've mentioned this in other threads, but I was very impressed with DTV City when I ordered my 42" Panasonic from them. They have an excellent reputation, were incredibly helpful on the phone, and it came in just 2 days. Plus, they have an indicator on the box that tells you if it's been jostled during transport, and if so, you can send it back. It looks like they run about $100 more than BuyDig, but I think it's worth it.

Whoever you go with, absolutely open it up and turn it on before the delivery guy leaves. Oh, and have a friend ready to help you set it up. They're very light, but still too awkward to lift on your own.
posted by Sibrax at 4:20 PM on July 26, 2005

Have you considered a forward projector?

I might add that our new LG plasma is specifically to replace a situation where we ran movies and computer-based presentations on a projector in a medium-sized seminar room, because we were never happy with the video quality of a very good projector and a proper screen, even in the dark. Projectors have their uses, but we were not satisfied with that technology, especially for movies. Even with a smaller image, looking at the plasma for hours is much more pleasant to my eyes.
posted by realcountrymusic at 4:23 PM on July 26, 2005

I ordered a 42" Panasonic plasma from Visual Apex a few months back and was quite pleased. The first unit arrived with the glass smashed all to hell (insist that the delivery guy stay while you open the box - my box had no damage at all but the display was most definitely broken); a quick phone call to VA had a new display out to me in a few days. Saved nearly $1000 compared to the local retailers and have been very pleased.

Might be worth your while to spend some time browsing the AVS Forums. That site is overflowing with great info on home theater and directly led to every decision I made building mine.

Good luck, and enjoy your new toy!
posted by mike9322 at 5:32 PM on July 26, 2005

I bought a 30" Philips HDTV online and it did not work. They wouldn't let me return it to a store, but the pickup was free and I got a replacement about a week later.
posted by Frank Grimes at 7:16 PM on July 26, 2005

I just extensively reviewed my recent experience buying a 32" plasma TV from Amazon. Scroll down to the July 3, 2005 review by "neurotome."

It was a good experience. You have to not let the movers leave until you verify that it powers on and shows audio and video, though. If you get a lemon, they have to recrate it and take it back, or else you're responsible for dealing with the manufacturers direct warranty service, and that can take months.
posted by ikkyu2 at 7:37 PM on July 26, 2005

Er. MY tv was LCD. YOUR tv is plasma. My typing fingers are morons.
posted by ikkyu2 at 7:37 PM on July 26, 2005

Another thing to consider is what inputs you might need. Some of the home theater units don't give you VGA or DVI inputs necessary for a computer hookup. I can't imagine why.
posted by realcountrymusic at 9:55 PM on July 26, 2005

Thanks everyone! Good answers, and I appreciate the feedback offered.
posted by eas98 at 8:22 AM on July 27, 2005