Narrowing Down Your Choices: Flat Panel Televisions

One of the most common mindsets that people go into looking for their new TV with is shopping only based on brand.  You had a Sony CRT that lasted you 25 years so your new TV has to be a Sony.  Your friend has a new Samsung so you have to have a new Samsung.  While these mindsets are in no way bad to have, they can often times lead you to inaccurate conclusions about your choice

Often times we hold onto ideas or stories that we once heard a while ago and keep the idea alive many years past the relevancy of the issue.  A "stigma" if you will.  This is the main reason why people STILL believe Plasma TVs to be bad which is extremely strange since if the average consumer actually looked at ratings and recommendations from Consumer reports and CNET, they would've seen that Consumer Reports had the top two sets this past year as Plasmas and CNET had four out of the top five sets as Plasma's.  It's a funny thing, this stigma, because people hold onto the idea that Plasma is bad but fail to remember that five years ago, Samsung was a value brand.

Brand loyalty is something I will never discourage.  One key thing though is to not be blinded by the name on the set and not look at what makes up the set itself.  You may see that Samsung makes roughly thirteen models of TV ranging from $500-$5000, convince yourself without even seeing it that you do not need the $5000 set and settle for the $500 set because… hey, it's a Samsung after all! This is a terrible thing to do that will often times lead to wrong choices and unhappiness with a set that will leave you have negative views on a brand when its really the fault of the consumer for not looking at specifications.  I've had many experiences with people saying they'll never buy a Sony again and jump ship to Samsung for something that a Sony model also has.  They would've known if they just looked past the brand name.

The type of consumer who has it the easiest is the consumer with an open mind.  The trick is to have the right strategy for narrowing it down.  You may walk on the sales floor, deny the sales person the ability to assist you just so you can wander aimlessly through an ocean of TVs instead of just asking a few questions.  Admit that you do not know much and have someone get you headed in the right direction.  I've narrowed it down to a few key things to help get consumers on the right track.

1. Technology Type:  Plasma Vs. LCD/LED – Does your situation call for the benefits of a Plasma or those of a liquid based technology?
2. Type of image: Natural Vs. Vibrant – Are you the consumer that will focus more on the pop and brightness of an image at the expense of accurate color tones of are you the consumer who will focus more on the realism of colors

After you get this down, you can then narrow it down to select brands.  Maybe even A brand.  At that point, see what models they have and what they offer to see what will fit your needs.  You may be shocked how you wind up being lead to a set that you initially weren't looking at or hadn't considered.  It'll give you good ideas for what to look for.

At the end of the day, its important to weigh all of your options.  You can read all the reviews you want or listen to all of your friends and what they think, but the end choice needs to be your own.  Friends will almost always recommend what THEY own.  Reviews are by someone saying what THEY see.  The most important person who should be making the choice is YOU.  Narrow it down and then choose your brand and then see which models fits your needs.  When all is said and done, your friend isn't going to refund you your money if you're unhappy and the review sites won't offer customer support over issues with your set.  It's YOUR wallet so YOU make the choice