Helpful Information For Those About To Impulse Buy A TV For The Superbowl
We know you just can't handle the thought of watching the magnificent Arizona Cardinals in standard def, so before you run out and buy the biggest TV at the store — here is some information from Consumer Reports that will help you be set up and ready to go by the time your Larry-Fitzgerald-jersey-wearing friends show up.
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Get the right picture. Many TVs have pre-set picture modes that are already optimized for certain types of content, such as sorts or movies; other TVs require you to adjust each setting individually. Try using one of these settings first to see if you get an acceptable picture.
Often, though, you can get the best picture by manually adjusting the individual picture settings—brightness, contrast, color and tint, and sharpness. You can use regular program material, such as a familiar Blu-ray disc or DVD, or you can buy a special calibration DVD, such as Avia and Digital Video Essentials. Don't be afraid to play with the settings—if you're unhappy with the results, there's generally a “reset” button or “default” mode that lets you restore the factor settings. For more detailed information about calibrating your TV, see our online article, How to Fine-Tune Your HDTV.
You'll notice that at no point did they tell you to pay hundreds of dollars to have your TV's brightness settings tuned by the store. Just pointing that out.
For more TV shopping tips, click here.
If you're wondering why we're directing this advice at Arizona Cardinals fans, it's because Steelers fans probably already have a nice HDTV left over from the last time the Steelers won the Superbowl. Television wasn't broadcast in color the last time the Cardinals won a championship, so it might be time for an upgrade.
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Comments:
& don't be one of those jerks that tries to by a new 60" TV for the super bowl with the intention of returning it on monday. bad consumer!
I'd strongly recommend going to Circuit City to get the best deals on the TV's they're liquidating and/or getting a professional tuning of digital tv. Modern technology is very complicated and professionals like FireDog or GeekSquad can not only suggest a good TV but make sure it's tuned properly.
(fakepost, clearly.)
@mac-phisto: I hate those people. Deal with your standard def TV or keep the TV. Don't rent it and send it back. Arg.
The Super Bowl already happened. University of Florida won. Boo!
@Rashied Amini: They can recommend the best cables for the job as well. I understand that the color of the sheathing can have a significant impact on the picture!
I'm not in the market for a tv so I don't pay that much attention but Costco seems to have them cheap.
STEEEEELERS!!
Ok jk I was already comment banned from Gawker, don't want to get banned across board :o/
@pecan pi:
I have considered being one of those people who goes and buys a marked-down open box tv after someone returns it the Monday after the super bowl.
Step 1: Go to Costco
Step 2: Get no annual fee Amex card from Costco
Step 3: Buy TV at low Costco price, get two additional years of warranty
Step 4: Pay off card at the end of the month
Step 5: Hopefully watch Steelers get destroyed in HD
Also... WATCH THE DAMN GAME ON A REAL HD CHANNEL!!!
I was at a friends house for the inagural and they had the standard def cable channel on wide screen-- I took the remote, zapped it over the HD channel-- and nearly everyone in the room was amazed at the difference in picture--
cable companies need to figure out a way to help non-techies understand how to watch HD.
@downwithmonstercable: I heard a Costco ad on the radio today that Costco is also offering a $10 gift card when you open a Costco Amex. I don't know if it's a nationwide promotion or just in the D.C. area.
@madanthony: that is the guy to be
got my stereo open box. 10 years later, I'm still happy.
/obviously, i am not an audiophile
@HIV 2 Elway Resurrected: We got ours at Costco - they had the best price anywhere. Plus the extra warranty stuff.
@JGKojak: I'm just now teaching my in-laws how to stop relying on "Channel 5" and start going to "Channel 91-4" (same thing in HD). It's FREE with their regular cable subsciption (with QAM tuner-equipped TV set, which most have)
I think they're intimidated by the 4-digit channel entry or something.
@downwithmonstercable: Don't forget that you have to make enough money to be able to pay it off by the end of the month and not have to live on ramen for three weeks.
Personal responsibility FTW
Oh, and I totally agree with Step 5 (I'm a Ravens fan)
@Ash78: Let's be honest, the remote intimidates them. I sometimes chuckle when my Dad picks up my Kameleon 6in1, and gets wide eyed.
@downwithmonstercable: If you currently are or are planning on becoming a Sam's Club member, major electronics purchases there are warrantied for as long as you are a member. This information was given to me by an employee, so make sure to look at the terms carefully just in case.
What is a "sorts"?
"types of content, such as sorts"
@SWM,30isoSWF_GitEmSteveDave: Don't even get me started on trying to explain aspect ratios to my grandmother (age 87, has Netflix...which I manage for her).
She's so irritated by those black bars on the screen and wishes she could get rid of them. She seems to think they're blocking something. No amount of explanation of zoom or pan&scan will make sense to her.
In related news, salt can be added to food which you find too bland.
Here we go Steelers, here we go! (CLAP CLAP)
We're wvin' those Trrbl Twls n'at Sunday! (Pittsburghers disemvowel themselves when they speak.)
Oh, and don't say "Super Bowl" to risk running afoul of the NFL and their lawyers. Say "Big Game on February 1" or "Game with a super bowl of nachos".
@MikeGrenade: Remember to get the cables that are easily confused with miniature golf courses, online job search boards, energy drinks, or the left field wall at Fenway Park!
@Ash78: Ah. Now I understand. I always wondered why they HAD to put "The black bars on the top and bottom of the screen are normal" on letterbox DVD's. Now, thanks to your Grandmother, I know.
How about don't buy a TV until they mark them down AFTER the superbowl?
@mac-phisto:
When I worked at CC a few years ago, our store (not sure if this was company wide but we did it) enforced the often ignored 15% restocking fee around superbowl time, and we made sure to mention it several times during the sale. The rest of the year it was pretty much ignored, although there were few other times someone returned a TV within a couple weeks and didn't get one to replace it...
@Rashied Amini: I have used their CABLE STRAIGHTENING service in the past and have been very pleased.
After a while your Digital Cables become all tangled and since Digital Signals are made up of "1"s and "0"s, the "0"s can slide through, but the "1"s can get stuck and cause problems.
Regular Cable Straightening by a licensed professional keeps the "1"s and "0"s flowing smoothly and provides for a more enjoyable Digital TV experience.
Now that they are going Bankrupt, I just don't know where to take my cables.
I may have to go back to my analog TV and get a converter box.
@Ash78: Hmmph. I'd agree with you if we were talking NBA Finals but football is a whole 'nother beast.
My favorite part of Sunday will be the lack of discussion on whether the Texans or Panthers should be playing instead of either team.
@Oranges w/ Cheese: Best advice on the page. A buddy of mine paid $2k for a TV right before the Super Bowl two years ago. The day after the game they marked it down to $1500.
The proper way to watch the super bowl is as follows.
1. Record the game on TIVO HD from an over the air antenna.
2. Don't start watching the game until the third quarter starts.
3. Fast forward through all commercials and dead time between plays.
You should be done watching the game when it's over, and you only have to spend time watching the actual game.
@varro: I miss Pittsburgese...did you ever notice how it is common to drop the verb 'to be' when speaking? I grew up saying things like "the dog needs washed" and "the baby needs fed" until people I went to college with started correcting me. There is even a joke that goes "if Hamlet had been from Pittsburgh his soliloquy would have read 'or not'."
@Oranges w/ Cheese: How about it really shouldn't matter when if you buy it before the Superbowl because most stores price match now. So buy away.
And how about:
--Don't buy a HDMI cable from the store, you can buy them for $1-2 on Amamzon.
--Don't worry about "settling" for a 720p TV, unless you're watching tons of Blu-Ray, you'll be set with a 720p TV
--Don't pay for in store calibration or a calibration DVD...a bunch of DVDs you already own (like Fight Club) come with the THX Optimizer for free and it works just fine
For those that are obsessed about getting the best picture, try avsforum.com.
Remember those audio/video geeks in high school?
Avsforum.com is where they hang out and play now.
They have a database of settings for the best picture for most HDTVs, all shared and voted on by users. Amazing resource. Before you make that big purchase, consult these guys.
@JulesWinnfield: Sony fails at everything lately, and I have a burning hatred for them because of Blu-Ray.
@wastedlife: That is a pretty sweet deal. I don't shop at any Wal-Mart owned stores though. That definitely would give you peace of mind, but I am hoping that my TV lasts more than three years.
@Ash78: The only thing worse is when they take a pan&scan and "make" it letter box by adding bars. That really chaffs my willy.
@dohtem: "Remember those audio/video geeks in high school?"
They were wrong then.
They are wrong now.
@Ben_Q2:
You think that's confusing?
I didn't know there was a button to restore the "factor" settings on my TV!
@pecan pi: Actually, go ahead and RENT one for the week. One of the few times those "rent" stores might be a good idea.
@JGKojak: What? You mean you don't enjoy watching SD channels all stretched out to "fill" the screen?
As an Arizona resident and Cardinals fan, I'd like to point out that... well, actually, that's all true. I would have used "exciting" instead of "magnificent," but I am expecting them to beat the Steelers. I am, however, going to be watching it in standard def (not black & white) and I will be fine with that. Go Cards!
@tkozikow: That joke is the +1 of my day.
Now just mix it with a little PA Dutch: "The house needs redded up." Ahhh, that's just right.
Are the Arizonacardinals and Pittsburghsteelers playing in the Superbowl? What happened to the Newenglandpatriots? Can we stop runningtogetherwordsthat don'tbelong that way? Or will we end up like the Germans with words like Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän?
Zing