I have 4 Plasma TVs All Panasonics I love their quality pictures Also they are great value
just don't purchase any large TV by mail Large TVs like this can't be transported by UPS or FedEx without the possibility of damaging such sensitive electronics
Purchase it from a local store Take a mail order prcie and have yor local stores match it
Most local stores transport using trucks rather than UPS/FedEx If yo do find a TV with shipping tag on the box Remember King's advice and don't buy it
actually most decent on-line stores ship televisions like these via a trucking company, and not UPS/FedEx due to the oversized package and weight (100+lbs) so they will be delivered by two guys in a truck, and if you get white glove service, they also bring the TV into your house and set it up for you.
That's true Wolf But Sadly many other online stores ship only UPS/FedEx ground If yo can only see how's yor TV getting handled by the automated belts in each hub stationthen yo'll be mad
Trucks are OK
Go on Amazon.com Locate yor TV brand and price Print specs Goto yor electronics store ask them to match the pice
Shopping around is important But handling the large screen is even more important If yo care yor TV to last long enough for yo
I had a 50" Panny shipped without any problems. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another TV online. Just do some homework, read reviews for the store and call and see what they will do if the TV is defective. I made sure I bought from a store that would replace a defective TV without me having to pay for shipping the TV back. Most stores will price match. Just find a reliable seller then find the lowest price and have them match it. I bought mine from ABT with a Fry's price match.
The only TV you will find better than the Panny plasmas is the Pioneer Kuro, which uses a Panasonic panel these days.
Mostly depends on lighting wheather you want LCD or plasma. In a bright room, LCD, in a dark or not too bright room, plasma. If you have a window directly opposite the TV and watch during the day, LCD may be the right choice.
I've been working on electronics for a long time and can tell you that Panasonic is far better at reliability than Sony. According to Consumer Reports last year, the 1080p Panny plasma had the lowest breakdowns in the first three years of any flat panel TV made, LCD or plasma.
Then buy Sony. You're the one that asked about Panasonic. Your DVD/VCR isn't actually a Sony, it's a Samsuck with Sony's name on it. You could do a lot better than Sony for audio products.
Good luck getting a B&M store to match an online price. I live in a place where almost every store accepts coupons from other stores and the same goes with price matching, I've yet to find a B&M store that will match an online price.
Truth. I was going to point out what David just said. Brick and Mortar (B&M) stores only match prices of local stores on advertised, in-stock items. They will generally refuse to match on-line pricing, or prices of items currently out of stock at the competition's store, whom they will call to verify before matching. This holds true for CC, BB, and so forth. The only store I had match an on-line ad was Sears, on a Mitsubishi RPTV, and that was 8 years ago.
The only thing that could be easily damaged on a plasma would be the panel itself, which you'll know right off if it was. You could take the circuit boards out and put them in the dishwasher and it wouldn't harm them as long as they were dry before applying power to them. Shaking them won't harm them. If you think the TV was babied from the manufacter to the store, it wasn't.
Most dealers have a minimum number of pixels that need to be bad before they will replace the TV, if they will replace it at all, some won't. Some manufacterers are the same way. That would be something to keep in mind when buying online. Dead pixels aren't much of a problem these days like they were years ago though. Also, some manufacterers only offer a warranty when their products are bought from an authorized dealer, Pioneer for one on all products they sell, there are no doubt others too. Just be sure to do your homework before buying online and you'll be fine.
I contacted Panasonic before buying my TV online and they said ANY dead pixels would be fixed under the warranty, no minimum.
