Looking to upgrade to a hi-def TV? Now is the time, says Consumer Reports. Price are down as much as 40% and quality is up. They tested a whole bunch of TVs and rated as Best Buys the Sony Bravia KDL-46S3000 $1900 46-inch and Toshiba Regza 42HL67 $1,150 42 inch LCD TVs. Based on their surveys, repair rates have been very low, and so they still recommend skipping the extended warranty.
consumer reports
Best Internet, TV, Phone Service Providers
By 1.23.08
Lots of companies are pushing deals for their bundled internet, tv and phone plans, but which are best? Consumer Reports surveyed its readers and here’s how they ranked the service providers:
Top 12 Most Gas Saving Cars
By 1.3.08
Consumer Reports tested some new compacts and a sporty car and found twelve cars with the most fuel efficiency. Some of them even bring in numbers close to what the best hybrids can offer.
By 12.18.07
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24% of consumers say they won’t finish shopping until December 23rd. [Consumer Reports]
$40 Coupons For Digital TV Converter Boxes
By 12.6.07
If you have an older TV, you may be eligible for two $40 coupon good for the purchase of two digital converter boxes starting Jan 1, 2008. The boxes will probably cost $50-$70. New federal mandates will require all TV signals to go digital and that means you need to get a digital box, buy a digital TV, or subscribe to cable or dish-based programming if you want to watch TV after February 17, 2009. After the first of this year, you can get your coupons by calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or visiting dtv.gov.
12 Least Satisfying Cars Of 2007
By 12.4.07
Here are the 12 cars drivers enjoy owning the least, according to a Consumer Reports survey of its readers, which asked, “Considering all factors…would you get this car if you had to do it all over again?
Individual Insurance More Horrific Than Employer Plans
By 12.3.07
Consumer Reports’ investigation found that, in comparison to employer offered insurance, individual insurance sucks and it’s expensive. Here’s the results of their survey, published in the January issue, asking consumers about their experience with both types of insurance.
Amazon Pulls Fisher-Price Medical Kit After CR Lead Report
By 11.6.07
Mike Antonucci from the Mercury News tells us that Amazon.com has pulled the lead-tainted Fisher-Price Medical Kit from its website after fielding questions about a Consumer Reports investigation that found “troubling” levels of lead in the blood pressure cuff.
Consumer Reports Dissects Ad For Restless Leg Syndrome Drug Requip
By 11.2.07
Consumer Reports deconstructs the ad for “restless leg syndrome” drug Requip in this amusing video. Restless Leg Syndrome, while a real condition, affects less than 3% of adults, but the ad offers a vague enough definition that it could apply to anyone. The ad does warn against some of the side effects, like nausea, diarrhea, drowsiness while driving and increased gambling and sexual urges. Consumer Reports tells us that in one Mayo clinic study, two people with no previous gambling history took it and subsequently went to lose over $100,000 in gambling. But, hey, at least their legs weren’t restless underneath the roulette table.
What Do Women Most Want For Christmas? "Gift Cards"
By 10.31.07
Consumer Reports conducted a survey to determine the consumer mood this coming holiday season. They found that of the poll respondents:
By 10.11.07
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If you want decaf coffee on the go, your best bet is McDonald’s, says Consumer Reports: cups from Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, and Seattle’s Best Coffee varied unpredictably, spiking as hight as 20-30 mg of caffeine per serving, while McDonald’s was consistently under 5 mg. [Consumer Reports]
Home Depot's Eco Options Program Fails To Impress Consumer Reports
By 9.7.07
Home Depot really wants you to think of their much ballyhoo’d “Eco Options” program as a quick, easy and painless way to be an environmentalist.
10 Fancypants Kitchen Features You Don't Need
By 7.31.07
Consumer Reports lays the smack down on 10 kitchen features that aren’t worth the money. “Overhyped” and overpriced items include multimedia appliances, professional-grade ranges, “appliance drawers,” steam ovens, and “turbocharged” dishwashers. Thankfully, not even knowing what an “appliance drawer” is, we haven’t wanted one yet. Whew. Consider this your opportunity to expand on CR’s list: What kitchen appliances and features does no one really need? Or which ones suck?
Crash Test Your Car!
By 6.8.07
Ever wanted to see what your car would look like if a dummy drove it into a wall (a dummy other than the cousin who borrowed your car for a joyride)? Admit it, you think about it when you get a lousy trade-in price. Thankfully, there’s the Consumer Reports Crash Test videos, where you can see how your car will hold up against things like short concrete walls and other typical objects found along a highway.
Don't Let Crunch Gym Crunch Your Bank Account
By 5.23.07
The following is reader David’s consumerist report on how Crunch Gym stole from his bank account and how he made the bastards pay, a process akin to squeezing sweat from a stone.
Consumer Reports Loses Some Independence Following Flawed Car-Seat Tests
By 4.3.07
Consumer Reports will consult with outside experts when developing product testing protocols, rendering the staunchly independent organization slightly less so.
Consumer Reports On Baroody Nomination
By 3.2.07
Consumer Reports weighs in on Bush’s nomination of Michael Baroody, former National Association of Manufacturer’s (NAM) spokesman (emphasis added):
Smokey Bear Says 5-Light Multi-colored Floor Lamps Cause Campus Fires
By 2.22.07
SUNY Fredonia warns a cheap decorative lamp is setting dorm rooms on fire. Pretty, inexpensive lamps like these can often be found in college dorms and studio apartments.
In two separate student rooms, the plastic shades melted on the lamps. In one room, this caused the build-up of toxic fumes and the melted plastic from the shade burned a hole in the bedspread. The second instance involved another student who had turned on the lamp and, within 15 minutes, the shade melted and the heat began to turn a poster on the wall brown.
Underwriters Laboratories, the group that certifies that things won’t burn down dorms and studio apartments, believes the lamp in question is different from the one they approved. They are withholding their seal from new lamps, effectively shutting down production.
