Walmart & HDTV...

[DarrelSPowers]

So, I recently saw a wal-mart ad on tv highlighting their low HDTV prices... and since I've been looking to buy a new TV I decided to check out the deals that they have going on.

From what I saw, there wasn't any noticable difference compared to sites like newegg/overstock. I know everyone likes to hate one walmart, but if I can get the same tv there for a bit cheaper I don't really care where I'm getting it from. Anyway, anyone here have any experiences with walmart worth noting?

 

[Ruger22C]

If you're looking for LCD's, check our Sams Club.

Sams Club extended warranty (you pay extra) covers even a single dead pixel - very good warranty.

They're probably cheaper, too.

I'm on a 26" LCD Monitor with 3-year extended warranty that just arrived yesterday.

 

[krotchy]

The thing to know about Wal-Mart is they have good prices, but do not carry any of the high end models from any manufacturer. Also a lot of the models tend to be Wal-Mart specific models so you cannot price match to them. For instance the 32" Vizio my friend bought from Wal-Mart had a lower contrast ratio than the 32" Vizio available at Costco for 50 dollars more, and I personally could tell a difference in quality. That being said, if you want a good TV at a good price and you arent too picky it isn't a bad way to go, but I still would recommend a TV purchase from Costco as a better option, since it comes with a year extension to the warranty. Also Best Buy/Circuit City will haggle on prices these days so you can do quite well there if you know how to bargain.

 

[DarrelSPowers]

Yeah, when I saw the ads I kinda assumed that wal mart was trying to appeal to the people who aren't all that interested in learning about the technology that they're buying, and just trying to get the most TV for the least money, while myself (and most people on this forum I'm sure) tend to want to learn every little detail about an item they're throwing a significant amount of money at.

 

[mshan]

Warranties: http://hdguru.com/?p=107

Haggling at Big Box Stores: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03...business/23haggle.html
(I read somewhere that profit margins on hdtvs themselves are razor thin, but extended warranties are full of profit margin, so you might be more successfully getting them to throw in an all inclusive multiyear extended warranty at advertised sale price, rather than getting them to drop price aggressively).

 

[erwos]

I would recommend against buying an Olevia, since they just filed for bankruptcy.

 

[sivart]

Originally posted by: mshan
Warranties: http://hdguru.com/?p=107

I've seen this link several times here. It has been more than a year since it was updated (much less written). Something more current (since some of the newer brands (Vizio, Olevia, Westinghouse, etc) have been around longer.

Who cares what the warranty service is like if 98% of them don't fail within the warranty.