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Liquidation: Is it the Best Deal?

1080e.TV knows you don't have time to compare prices so we did the math for you.

Nothing is held back, everything must go, it sounds pretty good, but we wanted to know if a liquidation sale is really the best deal in town.

"I think people are drawn to it, in fact i've been there myself to see how the prices are looking," Kelly Bayles said.

Circuit City is closing up shop.

Selling off everything in their stores, almost everything is 10 percent off, but that barely covers the tax.

The signs bring in the business, but you might not walk out with a deal.

"I don't really anticipate any drop in our business because of it," Bayles from Wal-Mart said.

Action News checked out how much a liquidation sale could save you.

For a 46'' Sony LCD HDTV Circuit City was giving 10 percent off, meaning you'd pay about $1,530, but over at Wal-Mart the same set costs about a $130 less.

If a Plasma's more your style you could pick up a 50" Samsung Plasma HDTV for 10 percent off at Circuit City, costing you about $1,260, but Best Buy had it found it for $1,000.

For a digital camera I found the Nikon Coolpix S210.

Circuit City was selling the display model for $126, Wal-Mart has it for $120 brand new.

We asked local retailers if they planned to match prices with customers that could find it cheaper at Circuit City.

"Our price matching policy is we will match prices with any competitor at any time but when it is a liquidation sale...we don't necessarily match the prices," Bayles said.

Best Buy told us that they don't match it because they usually don't have to, it doesn't hurt their business.

In fact liquidators can raise prices that the original retailer already set.

So don't assume that your getting the best bargain when a business goes bust.

If you have a Circuit City gift card you can still use it until the shop closes up, then it's goodbye.

We also checked out warranties and found that those are backed up by the manufacturer so it won't affect you if you bought something at Circuit City.

How to Buy a Flat Panel HDTV

Great 'how-to-do' from CNN Money

LG Says LCD HDTV Prices Have Hit Bottom

The price of LCD based HDTV panels have finally hit rock bottom, so says LG Chief executive Kwon Young-Soo. If you’re sitting on the fence about a new LCD panel purchase – the steep price drops might have already subsided, if LG is to be believed. As the world’s second largest LCD manufacturer LG should know a thing or two about their value. After all, the company was one of those implicated of LCD price fixing earlier this decade. 

It’s been a tough quarter all around, the pain of recent financial hard times hasn’t spared South Korea’s LG. The company reported its worst-ever quarterly loss, mostly due to the free-falling price of LCD panels. That it was treated to a $400 million US fine for its part in the price fixing scandal certainly hasn’t helped. 

The troubles aren’t unique to LG. The LCD market worldwide is soft on profit due to declining prices and limited demand in the wake of our current financial crunch. Analysts predict all LCD manufacturer’s will suffer further losses in the first half of 2009. 

But Mr. Kwon sees a silver lining for the LCD market. He believes it has hit bottom, now the only direction it can go is up. 

“TV panel prices will likely stop the downward trend and recover.” Kwon said. 

This could mean the significant price drops we’ve seen on big-screen HDTVs quarter after quarter could be at an end. If prices level off it might not be great for consumers looking for a bargain but it might mean a more stable market for manufacturers. 

In the face of short-term bad news for HDTV LCD panels, LG plans to adjust investments by putting its money behind premium LCD screens for mobile devices. 

The company is investing heavily (to the tune of $427 million) into LTPS or low temperature polysilicon technology. The new mini- LCD panel technology will help LG remain competitive in the growing Smartphone market.

Hottest HDTVs for 2009

We scoured every super-thin, powerhouse and unconventional new HDTV at CES. Check out the hottest upcoming HDTVs in 2009.

Panasonic Viera Z1 Series Plasma

Measuring a measly 1-inch in thickness, the Panasonic Viera Z1-Series Plasma television turned many heads at CES. But it wasn't all about the beauty of unmerciful thinness, for the Panasonic Viera Z1 Series had an attractive little list of features that would cater to the stylish and the sophisticated. We're talking wireless HD, much like the Sony Bravia XBR9 Series LCD HDTVs. The Panasonic Viera Z1 Series ships with a separate AV box, which governs all inputs like DVD players and Wiis. But what about Widgets, you say? Sony's going hog-wild with Widgets. Well, the Z1 Series will have Viera Cast for Widgets and Amazon video-on-demand, in addition to 24fps video content for that authentic Hollywood cinematic experience. One of the Z1's highlights was its picture quality for us, dazzling everyone beneath the murky CES lighting. That's due in part to LED back-lit Plasma technology, and we wanted one right off the show floor. Panasonic opted for a gunmetal grey, but it worked for us, offering a classy presentation. The Z1's ridiculously thin structure was what attracted most, but rest assured, there's a lot more HDTV than meets the eye.

Samsung 46-inch Super-Narrow-Bezel LCD LTI460AA04

Samsung's magazine-thin 46-inch Super-Narrow-Bezel LCD HDTV was the talk of the show floor. We marveled and salivated over how uncannily thin the screen actually was, resembling a thin glass tabletop with swanky black gradient borders. At this point, we're not concerned with the amount of features the Samsung LCD LTI460AA04 has to offer, just with image quality. Samsung assures consumers that the new super-slim screen has better color balance, is 40% brighter than a typical TV and has higher contrast ratios, compared to other DID panels. The new Samsung LCD LTI460AA04 is looking like an advertiser's monitor of choice, as it is conducive to stacking multiple screens together to create a mega screen. We know celebrities will also spring for the latest in super-slim, and we'd like to get our hands on one too. From a marketing perspective, Samsung needs to do something about the name "Samsung 46-inch Super-Narrow-Bezel LCD LTI460AA04." How about "Samsung" and then a clever name like "Suave" or "Sheet"? Samsung Wafer? It needs work…

Sony Bravia XBR9 Series

Wireless functionality and Widgets join forces to strengthen Sony's top-tier LCD HDTV line. The Sony Bravia XBR9 Series allows users to check sports, weather, financial news and other random tidbits of useful information via a built-in Yahoo! Widget Engine. Furthermore, the Bravia XBR9 Series HDTVs only require a single power cable while all other peripherals like DVD players and Xboxes possess the ability to be linked to a wireless hub that rocks a 30-foot range. Sony's Bravia Internet connection promises one of the largest selections of free movies, TV shows and music, and all XBR9 HDTVs can play content from a USB storage device. Zoinks! Sony's new XBR9 Series is all about performance, rather than style. We're not concerned as much with thickness as we are with streaming content and cable-free home entertainment. Luckily, video quality is no slouch either. The Sony Bravia XBR9 Series flaunts Sony's Motionflow 240Hz refresh rate, which is at the head of its class. This is definitely an HDTV worth investigating at Best Buy this Spring.

LG 55LHX

We saw a seemingly endless streak of wireless HDTVs at CES, so here's another one! LG is hyping performance to the max with the LG 55LHX LED Backlit LCD HDTV, which incorporates between 1,000 to 1,500 backlights compared to the standard 300 to 400. The picture quality on this sheet of HD goodness was top notch in our opinion. The LG 55LHX has a TrueMotion 240Hz refresh rate, which trumps entry and mid-level HDTVs with 60Hz and 120Hz rates. Like the Panasonic Viera Z1 and Sony Bravia XBR9, the LG 55LHX ships with a separate AV box for hooking up DVD players, Playstations and top boxes and accommodates a range of up to 30 feet. We're really into the LG 55LHX because it reduces power consumption by 73%, thanks to its dimming of the backlight. Aside from some highly impressive specs, the LG 55LHX is the thinnest LED-Backlit HDTV in its class, measuring less than one inch. So far, the LG 55LHX LED-Backlit HDTV looks like the winner of the wireless.

Sharp Aquos BD Series

Want to know what the modern incarnation of the TV/VCR combo looks like? It's big, stylish and offers beautiful picture quality. Oh, it also has a built-in Blu-ray slot. We're talking about the Sharp Aquos BD Series HDTVs, of course. Aside from sleek, undulating style with blue accents and a swivel stand, the new Aquos BD HDTVs can accommodate standard DVDs and CDs, but Blu-ray is what most consumers will want to capitalize on, due to its high quality. Unfortunately we didn't hear anything about Internet compatibility, which is essential to access BD Live features. Either way, you can check the new Sharp Aquos BD line out in January and February. We're just excited about the possibility of an HDTV as thin as the LG 55LHX someday stocking a Blu-ray slot. 

Circuit City liquidation: Deal or dud?

 

TAMPA, FL--Shoppers are searching for deals at Circuit City. But, many are leaving empty handed. “It’s only a ten percent discount so it's really not that much," says shopper Megan Knapp. But, shopper Jeff Hurwitz says he haggled to get the right price on a set of speakers. "I bought a Bose stereo system for about $225," Jeff says. However, we discovered some prices were actually better before the liquidation sale began. Our cell phone cameras captured the prices of four items; three high definition televisions and a home theatre sound system on Friday January 16th, one day before liquidation. 

Consumer Reporter Kerry Kavanaugh went back into the Circuit City on Dale Mabry in Tampa on Monday with her cell phone camera in hand to see how the prices compare. We found a Sony 32 inch 1080p LCD HDTV with the original Circuit City price of $1099.99. On Friday, it was on sale for $899.99. Today, the discount is 10 percent off, or $989.99. It costs $90 dollars more today than it did on Friday A Sony 40 inch 1080p LCD HDTV is normally priced $1299 at Circuit City. Pre liquidation it was on sale for $1099. With the current ten percent off, it's $1169.99. That’s a $70 difference. We also found an Onkyo home theatre system is now $20 more expensive than it was on Friday. We did find one of the four items cheaper in the liquidation sale. A Samsung 67 inch micro display TV is now $40 cheaper with the ten percent discount. 

ABC Action News contacted Hudson Capital Partners, the liquidator running Circuit City prices. They explained they take the stores temporary sale price and return it to the regular selling prices and discount from there. However, the liquidator will honor the Current Circuit city ad and give the consumer whichever price is cheaper. Currently most items are just ten percent. There are some exceptions. Music and DVD’s are 20 percent off and furniture is 30 percent off. 

As the weeks go on, the discounts get deeper. But, before you buy, compare prices in other stores and online. Remember anything you buy during a liquidation sale is a final sale, no returns or refunds.

Great Deal - 42 inch Sharp Aquos LCD HDTV

If you're planning on upgrading your TV viewing experience, the Sharp Aquos 42 Inch LCD HDTV is definitely worth checking out.

This large screen LCD HDTV weighs in at 65 pounds and offers full HD 1080p resolution, so picture and sound quality is top notch, making

TV viewing of Blu-Ray DVD and HDTV programming a true theatrical experience. The Sharp Aquos offers 5 HDMI inputs and is

compatible with 1080p signals, and has 2 HD 1080p component video inputs.

This flat screen television is versatile and can be mounted or set on top of an entertainment center for viewing. Watching this large screen television from a side angle isn't a problem, unlike other flat screen TVs on the market today.

HDTV Technologies and Trends at CES 2009

CES 2009 is over, but there’s still much to talk about.  As with every year, there are a lot of technological advances that stand out as big successes and those that just flop.  With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the hit or miss HDTV Technologies and Trends of CES 2009.

Thin is In! - HIT

Sure it’s a cliché, but that doesn’t make it any less true.   Last year it seemed like each company had only one goal in mind; to make the biggest HDTV possible.  The pull of a television bigger than any room in my house is amazing, if a bit ridiculous.  It’s a bit surprising that no one rolled anything out this year to beat the 150” Panasonic from 2008’s show.  What did make an appearance though were ridiculously thin televisions.

From Samsung’s 7mm thick LCD to Panasonic’s plasma measuring just one third of an inch (about 8mm), televisions that used to take up more floor space than anything else in the room are now so thin that they can hang as art on a wall.  Tacky art, but art nonetheless.

3D - MISS

Since man created film, there has been a constant quest for further realism.  Color and clarity have been nearly mastered, with HDTVs showing pictures with such realism that it’s sometimes difficult to tell reality from television.  There is a realm that hasn’t been captured fully yet, and that’s 3D.  There are a few inherent problems, such as the goofy glasses and expensive monitors, but the biggest flaw seems to be the style of 3D that television companies are implimenting.

Television is like a window, we look at it, but in a way we look through it to somewhere else.   We absorb ourselves in it so that the show, the movie, or game is all we are observing, and anything else ruins the experience.   When 3D images pop out of that window, they ruin the experience by showing us exactly where the edges are.  The U2 video on display, for example, Bono seemed to be closer than the television, but when the camera panned and his arm disappeared, the edge of the TV became apparent and the illusion was broken.

Gaming companies like NVIDIA took a different approach and rather than having the images pop out, had the backgrounds pop further in, making it seem as if the viewer actually was looking through a window.   It still wasn’t perfect, but at least the illusion was never broken. 

All-in-Ones - HIT

Silicon Mountain’s Allio was among the All in One televisions on display, and it really showed a lot of promise.  So what is it?  Take a capable media center PC and slap it right on the back of a pretty LCD and there you have the Allio.  Starting at about $1600 for a 32” 720p version, the pricing is fairly equivalent to what consumers would pay to purchase both products individually.  

The higher models include bigger screens, more RAM, more hard drive space, a Blu-Ray player and touch screen capabilities.  The only aspect the All-in-One models seem to lack is a really good graphics card, but the onboard card should be sufficent for what’s needed.  With reasonable price tags and a large feature set, it willl be interesting to see what happens when these start hitting the market!

LED Backlit LCD -  HIT

Clearly a popular technology, LED backlit displays were everywhere.  Samsung’s fully backlit Luxia series looked nothing short of amazing, with a brightness and vividness that put my poor Sony Wega to shame.  LG also debuted some excellent LEDs touting a 240Hz refresh rate.

Vizio got in on the game as well, with a 55 inch backlit display.  Featuring a 240Hz refresh rate and a million to one contrast ratio, the VF551XVT comes in at just under $2,000.  A note for next year though, the jail scene from The Dark Knight makes for a really good display of the contrast ratio, but boy did the Joker creep me out.  Some images just don’t need to be that clear.

OLED - MISS

Well, missing anyway.  Weren’t there a ton of these at CES 2008?  Weren’t they larger?  The technology that was to take 2009 by storm is not the technology that might hit high end consumer pricing in the next few years.  They still look amazing, they’re still flexible, and sadly they’re still a few years off.

Integration - HIT

A common theme with new HDTVs was integration.  Whether it was Samsung, Toshiba, Sony or Vizio, it seemed that everyone was out to make the TV a one stop shop for internet based applications.  At the push of a button, different widgets pop up at the bottom of the screen for use.  Checking finances, keeping tabs on a fantasy football team, and hitting up Flickr will soon be as easy as hitting the widget button.

Perhaps more exciting is the announced integration of Netflix with several of the models.  Streaming movies don’t look amazing, but they’re instant and they’re easy.  Having thousands of movies available at the touch of a button for $8 a month?   Expect to see this feature gain in popularity in the future. 

Refresh Rates – HIT

To a point anyway, the difference between a 60Hz and 120Hz rate is clear.  The motion smoothing technologies on said displays made it even more evident.  Going 120Hz to 240Hz was less obvious, but side by side there was certainly a difference.  Whether watching action movies, sports, or playing games, there’s definitely a benefit to the rate upgrade.

240 to 480?  Not so much.  Perhaps they didn’t have the best images on display to show it off, but there wasn’t a difference large enough to be truly noticeable to most consumers.  Certainly it’s beneficial, but for now, not really needed.

Gesture Control – MISS

Let me get this straight, rather than the inconvenience of grabbing a controller and hitting a few buttons, I can move into the right spot and make certain hand and arm motions to control my television?  Folks, this isn’t a Wii, it’s a television.  When I sit in front of it, it’s not because I’d rather be waving my arms around, it’s because I want to be sitting and watching.  I will give the gesture control one credit, it sure was fun to watch people try and use it.

Price Point – HIT

The recent economic decline certainly isn’t helping high end home theater companies stay in business, but a great deal of economy televisions certainly will.  With the digital cable change looming in just a month, many households will be getting their first High Def set, and every company wants to be attracting those consumers.

HDTV Extended Warranties

HDTV sales are always hot in January ahead of the Super Bowl and the digital transition is only going to add to that. Inevitably you’ll be asked if you want to buy an extended warranty.

Tim Kessling turn on his two-year-old high-def TV recently and found a very low-def picture on its screen.

Tim had bought an extended warranty on the TV - it took 6 weeks, but the warranty company eventually offered him an $800 store credit for the unrepairable off-brand TV.

The good news, problems with HDTVs are uncommon. Our partners at Consumer Reports recently surveyed HDTV owners.

The survey covered more than 168,000 LCD and plasma TVs, 16 different brands, bought between 2005 and 2008. The overall repair rate was 3 percent, with little difference between plasmas and LCDs.

A previous survey showed many repairs were covered under a standard warranty, and that if a consumer did pay out of pocket, repairs averaged $300 to $400, which can be the cost of an extended warranty.

Consumer Reports says it all reinforces their position that an extended warranty seems like a poor investment for most consumers.

Consumer Reports says you may want to consider the extended warranty if you buy a rear projection TV because if the bulbs fail, it can cost a lot of money to replace them.

Samsung LN46A950 46″ 1080p LED LCD HDTV

Getting an ND home video indulges just one aspect of our senses - sight. For everybody, sight is nothing more than the ability to perceive or interpret information from visible light. An HDTV’s most fundamental performance is intimately linked to its ability to produce light. HDTVs use a variety of light-producing mechanisms, but the Samsung LN46A950 uses a wide-color-gamut LED backlight, offering a dynamic light source that optimizes a color’s hue for reproduction of natural, lifelike colors.

When it comes to the LN46A950, that’s just the beginning. A full HD 1080p resolution delivers the highest video resolution currently available. It has 1920 x 1080 pixels scanned progressively with a super-fast 4ms pixel-response time for the smoothest, most lifelike image around.

Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus 120Hz frame-rate conversion technology delivers accurate reproduction of film-based content for a true home-theater experience. Also, there’s no shortage of color, brightness, and detail across the LN46A950’s 16:9 widescreen panel: a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) in combination with a wide color enhancer optimizes color reproduction while a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio conjures up precise, stunning detail, scene after scene.

Finally, enjoy video from a variety of digital and analog sources thanks to a built-in image scaler and integrated ATSC and Clear QAM digital tuners.

120Hz image processing shows 120 frames per second, showing each film frame five times and each TV frame four times, allowing TVs to reproduce unconverted, evenly extrapolated 24 fps movie and 30 fps television programming. The LN46A950’s Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology virtually eliminates any motion blur and creates smooth transitions between frames. The result is a clearer picture you have to see to believe.

Samsung also added a Touch of Color to some of their TVs, like the Series 9 LN46A950. Touch of Color (ToC) is a manufacturing process that infuses a rich color hue into the solid bezel during production, eliminating the need for paints or plastic veneers. With a Touch of Color, your Samsung TV will make a bold design statement hanging on your wall.

DNIe is an innovative technology that delivers a crisp, lifelike picture that more closely resembles the look of film regardless of the input signals used. Five image processors and a six-times density enhancer ensure the best picture from any source. Plug in your standard DVD player, and the LN46A950 will increase the quality of the picture. This technology guarantees the truest colors and highest contrast, while virtually eliminating digital artifacts.

Picture is only half of the high definition experience. Sound makes it complete. If you don’t have the full surround sound setup, you can still get a rich sound from the LN46A950 with its SRS TruSurround XT. TruSurround is a patented SRS technology that solves the problem of playing 5.1 multichannel content over two speakers. TruSurround delivers a compelling, virtual surround-sound experience through any two-speaker playback system, including internal television speakers and headphones. It is fully compatible with all multichannel formats up to 5.1 channels. Take full advantage of this virtual surround-sound experience with the LN46A950’s built-in dual 10W speakers and integrated woofer.

Video comes from more than one source these days. Four HDMI inputs provide optimal HD connectivity, while two component-video inputs and one S-video input are great for DVD and VHS input. Use the new Samsung flat panel as a computer monitor for watching online content with a PC input, and hook up your portable media player, digital camera, or digital camcorder thanks to a Wiselink USB v2.0 port.

Bringing you the absolute best in connectivity, Samsung’s LN46A950 features four HDMI connections. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the only interface in consumer electronics that can carry both uncompressed high-definition (HD) video and uncompressed multi-channel audio in all HD formats including 720p, 1080i and even 1080p. Your incoming media content comes in a variety of sizes, resolutions and formats, and with that in mind, HDMI systems automatically configure to display that content in the most effective format. Since HDMI carries all channels on video and audio, there is only one cable to plug into any HDMI-enabled source and display device. No more complicated cable set-up when installing your home theater system, and no more ugly cable mess behind your components. HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on this single cable. Also, HDMI is fully backward-compatible with DVI.

A variety of video content sources mean you have a variety of viewing needs. The LN46A950’s Entertainment mode allows customized picture settings, optimized for different content, such as sports, movies, or gaming. Picture-in-Picture (PIP) enables convenient simultaneous viewing of TV programs and video or PC sources. Finally, because your place will become the new favorite for movie night and game-day viewing, you’ll need the LN46A950’s wide 178° x 178° viewing angle to give everyone a clear view of all the excitement.

Just in case you spend so much of your time with your new LN46A950 that you forget to spend the appropriate amount of time surfing the web, Samsung has included the InfoLink RSS feature on this TV. You’ll enjoy access to news, weather, sports, and stock information from USA Today right on your screen via RSS link.

LG uncovers work, HDTV-oriented LCD monitors

LG has announced a host of new LCD monitors at CES, concentrating on the M237WD, a new 23-inch display. The panel is unusual in that it doubles as an HDTV set, mainly through the inclusion of 1080p resolution and an ATSC tuner. It is designed in the cinema-standard 16:9 ratio instead of 16:10, and features built-in stereo speakers as well as a bundled infrared remote. Dynamic contrast is rated at 30,000:1, and response time is pegged at 5ms.

The bulk of LG's monitors are to be found in the new 53 series, which provides six models ranging in size from 19 to 27 inches. The screens also share the M237WD's 16:9 ratio and 1080p resolution, but are intended for mainly for video and graphics work; as a result, one of the series' features is a sensor that adjusts imaging based on content and ambient lighting. The screens also have HDMI inputs, a 2ms response time, and 50,000:1 dynamic contrast; more cosmetic differences include a Cinema Mode, which reduces brightness and contrast where no video is onscreen, and touch controls that light up whenever a hand approaches.

The L226WU-PF is a 22-inch, 16:10 screen meant for more general work purposes, and as such is limited to 5,000:1 dynamic contrast and 1680x1050 resolution. Height, swivel and tilt can be adjusted however, and as a USB monitor, it can be daisy-chained with up to six other displays.

LG has, as of yet, not published prices or release dates for any of the new LCDs.