Circuit City…
I bought my first digital camera and my camcorder at Circuit City. They were great for credit terms. Over that past few weeks I have been eyeing a new plasma HDTV. I had it picked out. CC had a deal of 18 months same as cash. This is not a problem for me personally and I already have a CC credit card.
When I heard that they were liquidating today, I shot an IM to my wife saying that it looked like the TV wasn’t going to happen for a few months. Then this evening I had a small gathering at Houlihans, basically right next to Circuit City. I decided to actually take a look at the TV I had been slobbering over for the past two weeks online.
As I walked in the store, the sign for 18 months/ same as cash was prominently displayed. I started to say to myself that this might actually work out even better for me. Moments later I walked by the store manager who was assessing the number of employees that had shown up for work. Apparently, several had just decided that they were done and this was a source of concern.
I found my plasma (50 in, 1080p, beautiful) and fondled it a little and then wandered around for a few minutes. As I was walking out, one of the employees was tearing down all of the 18 months/same as cash signs.
Damn, looks like April before I get my TV.
Tags: The Economy
Why plasma, and not LCD? Just curious.
There is still a valid reason, that at 50″, a plasma may be slightly better than an LCD. Greater than 50″ though, plasma’s may be more cost efficient. Although I have a 50″ plasma, I think the best picture I’ve ever seen was on a 42 inch LCD 🙂
Pasted from the consumerist
Are liquidation sales good places to find bargains?
No. Most of the time the liquidator raises all the prices back to their original number and starts marking down from there, with the markdowns getting steeper week by week. He’s still allowed to make big signs that scream 50% OFF!!!! even though that price at the time might be the same or even higher than the price before the liquidation. By the time prices actually get below what they were pre-liquidation, most of the inventory has been picked pretty clean. Except for the most dedicated bargain sleuths, liquidation sales are a ripoff.
I had heard that. Thanks for the confirmation.
Since I have a CC store nearby in Dover, I’ll wander in for games or blue ray discs if I’m in the mood, but I doubt I’ll spend any real money until the end of the month 🙂 I’d never dream of buying a big ticket item at one of those liquidations though.
My reason for the plasma, rather than LCD is for the viewing angle. the orientation of my room and the placement of the TV would give me about a 140 degree area that I want to have good views.
I heard the plasmas have a finite lifetime and when they die, they die. To me, that seems an expensive investment.
I crack up, though, at the thought of “visiting” your TV.
I am a geek…
The lifetime is something like 14 years based on my viewing habits. That seems pretty reasonable to me. I’ll get a new one for my 30th anniversary.
I’m expecting about 5 years of use out of mine. The same could be said about older TV’s. I had a projection TV that died after 4 years. Considering I have my computer, PS3, xbox360, Wii (yes I’m a bigger geek than you :)) hooked to my TV, I might be lucky to get 5 years out of it 🙂
plasma sucks up 2x’s as much energy. $200 a year verse $100.
Considering I have 7 computers in the house 🙂 I’m not sure I considered the power ramifications. When I bought my first Plasma (2 years ago) you couldn’t buy a 50″ LCD. so I went with the Plasma.
Plasmas have a better viewing range than LCDs, so people watching from differing angles in a smaller room have way less distortion.
But then the two TVs that I have are about 10 years and 20+ years old. A flat screen TV would be awesome to get back some of the space that the regular TVs take up (and Costco had some tempting 2 for deals during the holidays).
Circuit City famously fired most of its senior sales force a year or two back (offering to hire them back at way less money) which created abit of a customer backlash which they just never seemed to recover from. There are probably other reasons for Circuit City decline, but I just remember this crazy move and an effort to boycott them over this as the beginning of really bad news for Circuit City.
Agreeing with DV, plasma TVs are electricity hogs vs. LCD. Conversely, of course, plasma is much better viewing (although HD LCD aren’t “bad” by any means).
One other thing, though, is it true that a well-lit room can cause bad viewing of plasma TVs???
Smitty, the short answer is Kinda. I hate trying to play games in my house in the early afternoon. When we watch movies/TV we turn most of the lights in the house down. Tweaking the various color settings allows for a bearable daytime picture. Note that a bearable daytime picture is still pretty good.
For all you frugal types out there…. there are zillions of perfectly good 36″ tube TVs out there. Usually you can pick them up for $100 or less on craigslist. I have one right now, and by the time it breaks, the big screens will be better and cheaper, and use less power. Also, don’t forget the big screens suck at displaying standard definition pictures, so you have to factor in the extra monthly cost for HD.
Anon, yes they do. But once you’ve gone HD, it’s hard to go back 🙂
“…there are zillions of perfectly good 36″ tube TVs out there. ”
Yep, I have a 32″ tube type HDTV. It weighs 186 lb. and can heat a small room.
Personally, I’m OK with a $100 luxury tax on screens bigger than 36″.
And, don’t you know:
3 Flat-Screen Makers Plead Guilty to Trying to Keep Prices High
“… LG Display of South Korea, Sharp of Japan and Chunghwa Picture Tubes ”
Should I be glad I bought a Sony?
“Personally, I’m OK with a $100 luxury tax on screens bigger than 36.″
Screw that. A 32″ LCD HDTV and a$12 pair of 1.50X drugstore reading glasses = a 46” plasma TV.
Howsabout saying g’bye to TV altogether? MUCH cheaper and you’ll get more exercise.
Or is that verboten in geekland? 😉
I would project a population explosion.