I love hanging around the HD sets at Best Buy listening in on the conversations of idoitic employees trying to have an intelligent conversation with unknowledgeable customers. It's really quite entertaining!!
The following conversation took place just the other day:
Customer: so what set do you recommend?
idiot: I'd have to go with Mitsubishi.
customer: Why?
idiot: Because Mitsubishi are the only sets with 7" guns, while everything else we carry are only 5" guns.
customer: Oh.
Me: ROTFLMAO!
Sony KP-46WT500
SA Explorer 8000HD DVR
Kenwood VR-606 receiver
Samsung DVD-P721M
Monster Power HTS 2600
Monster and Acoustic Research Component cables
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Odd that you should mention that. There's a big article in this month's "Home Theater" Mag where they sent out three reporters posing as consumers to Best Buy, Ultimate Electronics, and Circut City. I didn't get around to reading it yet, but I'm sure it will be good for a few laughs.
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I read it and it said that they were pleasantly surprised at how good the sales people were!!!!!!I find that hard to believe from my own experiences at Best buy...I actually helped a lady pick out a dvd player this past Saturday because the sales person was confusing her....not to mention he was full of crap....when I told her the real deal about the players she was looking..the sales idiot disappeared......the lady thanked me and took my # in case she has any problems and is recommending her friends call me too.....only too glad to help when I can...been thru same crap at PC Richards, CIRCUIT CITY, and of course the late WIZ
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If you want heavily discounted prices, chances are you will pay for it sometimes by dealing with poorly trained sales people (not saying that all BB people are poorly trained). If you want better, go to a specialty dealer and pay a higher price.
Mark
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"If you want heavily discounted prices, chances are you will pay for it sometimes by dealing with poorly trained sales people (not saying that all BB people are poorly trained). If you want better, go to a specialty dealer and pay a higher price."
My 'specialty' dealer is always lower priced than BestBuy, so that's not always the case.
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I have found that to be the case in many cases too. Developing a relationship with a specialty dealer usually pays off that way. As a general rule, BB does not carry the equipment that I would want anyway...but I would never curse a leopard because he had spots.
Mark
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>>
If you want heavily discounted prices, chances are you will pay for it sometimes by dealing with poorly trained sales people (not saying that all BB people are poorly trained). If you want better, go to a specialty dealer and pay a higher price <<
I was so happy when a Harvey's Electronics opened close to me. Finally, a high end place for me to shop. I was even willing to pay a little more for their service.
But alas, they seemed no better then the mass market dealers. Oh, they sure knew their stuff, but overbearingly so. And their prices! Whew! Not just a "little higher." They also had no in home demos or trials. BIG drawback when you want someone to lay out thousands for a unit.
I must have gone in there about 20 times (I did buy a couple of mid priced items), and I kid you not. EVERY time I went in to look at some speaker or DVD player, I would use the same sales person, and EVERY time he said he had "one of these at home." LOL! He must have had some system!
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I just go to the stores to kick tires and check out the pictures...[tee hee]...then when I've made up my mind I order online for $500.00 or more cheaper...I can't believe how much higher the prices are at the stores!...some of the better on-line stores insure and give great shipping...The Toshiba Cinema series 65HX93 I just bought was only $2,900.00 fully insured and included delivery!...I can't touch this unit for less than $3,400.00 plus tax and delivery at a high end specialty store!...
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Like I said, Harvey's prices might have been high, but I did buy a couple of mid ticket items that were priced right and didn't just go in and "kick the tires."
The higher end brick and mortar places provide a valuable service for consumers with their expertise and on site demo rooms. Where else can you go to watch and listen to what home theater should sound like? Maybe you'll never have the $20,000 to $100,000 it takes to get it perfect, but at least you can get a reference point to get it close. Keep using these places for those services without buying anything and they'll soon be gone. Where are you going to kick the tires then? So what if you have to swallow a higher price on an item or two? You certainly are gaining more back in service. They must love to see you coming through the door.
As far as your on line purchase of the Toshiba, are you sure they are an authorized dealer? Lots of companies won't honor warrenties from etailers. And just because the on line dealer says he is authorized doesn't mean it's so. You need to check with the manufacturer.
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Steve...yes, I'm sure that the on-line company is an authorized dealer...(not that it matters to me)...You can say what you will, but I think it's foolish to pay up to a thousand dollars more for a tv at a speciality store than you can buy the exact same item through an on-line dealer...As far as the stores "seeing me coming"...I tell them imediately when I walk in that I'm there to "kick tires"...I also tell them that when they get "within the realm of reality" with their prices, that I'll come back and buy something. Of course they always want to know what price they have to beat...and I tell them that too....[unfortunately they can never even come close]...so they way I see it, it's their own fault...or greed that people like me never buy from them...Look...I'll give you an example...we'll take a typical tv like the 65H93 Toshiba...ok?...That tv is "on sale" at BB for $2900.00...you go over to abesofmaine.com and it's $2000.00...thats a thousand bucks!...so the bottom line is on-line is the way to go.
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I managed to get my Samsung 60"DLP at P.C. Richards for the same price as the cheapest on line dealers were selling it for. I wouldn't have paid a $1000 more, but I would have gladly paid a couple of hundred extra for the privilage of dealing face to face and checking out the TV in the store. And you know what? There was something wrong with the original TV I bought and a new one was brought to my house and set up two days later. I wonder what kind of hassle Abe's would have put you through to get another one?
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"...[unfortunately they can never even come close]...so they way I see it, it's their own fault...or greed that people like me never buy from them..."
I'm sorry, but this has got to be the most ignorant statement. Its not greed or "their own fault" that an actual store sells a product for more than what you can get it for online. Its because they have overhead to pay for where the online store doesn't. They have to pay for "people like you" to come in there and look at the TV because you can't go online and look at it.
The real store has to pay for the building (own or lease), electricity, ads, etc. The online store is probably some guy out of his garage and he drop-ships the merchandise to you. Even if he actually has a warehouse its still cheaper than a show room.
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Let each one choose their own source for equipment.
Bear this in mind...
If the internet keeps pulling away market share from brick and mortar stores than the closest you will be getting to a TV you want to buy in the future is the picture on a piece of paper or your computer.
Richard F. Fisher
Have you been calibrated? ISF and HAA Trained
Mastertech Repair Corporation, Lawrenceville, GA
770-513-3987 E-Mail - help@mastertechtv.com
Factory Authorized Service
Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Toshiba, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL
Lumagen Scaling and Bravo D1 Dealer
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Richard...I can already see the future. It will be the manufacturers who will have little sub-station showrooms and they will allow people to kick tires and then go home and buy the tv of their choice on line at their web site...It can only go this way...but I think it's a great idea!...{sorry).
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Actually Dale has been talking about that for years now to promote HDTV. Make consumers the retail front. They have the system and typically know more than the retailers about HDTV. Pay them a referral fee. It could happen...
The price will also be higher than just buying on line, sight unseen.
It would take a long time to supplant that into our culture. The most difficult part in any enterprise is getting the consumer to change their habits. That is why HBO chose to crop 2.35 movies so the screen is filled out and customers don't complain.
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Richard...I know for sure it will happen...it has to. But as you said it will take years....Another scenereo I can't wait for is, High Def TV with 3 Giant screens...one in front for the main focus of the movie, coupled with a left and right screen to form a complete surround panoramic picture!...I can see it!...I'm pissed that I can't go out and buy one right now!...complete with a combo keyboard/remote control for operating the internet or selecting movies...[well, you get the picture]
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I am new to Rockville, MD where there is a Tweeter. I am deciding between two DVD players a Pioneer Elite and a Denon. Tweeter carries both, so i was hoping the sales guy would provide some insight.
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Tweeter sales people are generally better than most but I would recommend buying it for $400.00 less over here...http://www.tvcity.tv/productview.aspx?CatID=5&ID=704 (BTW, I have this dvd player and it's awesome!)...$937.96
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If you're not interested in sacd or dvda, don't spend that kind of money on those players. I'll stack my $245 Samsung HD945 (I think that's the model #)against the performance of the Elite and Denon anytime. If you have a DVI input on your TV, then it's a no brainer.
Don't get fooled into thinking the DVD part of those universal players are better then less expensive DVD only units. For the most part they are not, but you end up paying for all the technology that goes into cramming every do-dad into one box.
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"Don't get fooled into thinking the DVD part of those universal players are better then less expensive DVD only units. For the most part they are not, but you end up paying for all the technology that goes into cramming every do-dad into one box. "
Don't get fooled into thinking this is always true. My $1,200 Sony DVD player w/SA-CD has a far more incredible picture than the $300 one that it replaced (also Sony w/progressive scan but no SA-CD). No way am I going back!
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