26" Westinghouse widescreen for $250

Yup! You read right! Buy.com is offering the Westinghouse 26" Widescreen 1080P LCD Monitor for $250 and with free shipping and handling. This has obviously a 1920X1200 resolution (thus the 1080p moniker), along with HDMI/HDCP (arggg), 60Hz, and black finish.

No rebates and free shipping and you can get up to five units. You don't have to buy five units, but you can buy up to five if you wish to. This is model L2610NW-SP.

REFURBISHED Philips 42-inch 1080P Flat LCD HDTV for $700

Buy.com is offering the refurbished Philips 42-inch 1080P Flat LCD HDTV for $700 and with free budget shipping. This has 1920x1080P resolution, brightness at 500 cdm, with 29000:1 Dynamic Ratio, 4 HDMI inputs, QAM and ATSC tuners, and things like that. The formal model name is 42TA648BX. Again, please note that this is a REFURBISHED model, not a new-in-box.

Other notable features include 5ms response time, built-in speakers (25W), 90-day warranty (refurbished item), screen format adjustments to deal with the global confusion, and things like that.

4th of July HDTV deals at Circuit City!

HDTV fans, Circuit City has some special deals to celebrate the 4th of July weekend! The deals are good on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so don't sleep on them! Say goodbye to your analog TV, and hello to HDTV! And don't forget that in February 2009 over the air transmissions will switch to digital! So, let's take a look at the 4th of July HDTV specials at Circuit City!


HDTV LCD specials
We start the party with the Samsung LNT4069F, a 40" LCD HDTV going for $1400. This is a 1080p full-HD television, with 120hz frame rate, 3 HDMI inputs, 8ms response time, and HDTV tuner (ATSC, NTSC and QAM). This screen size is great for viewing from 5.3’ to 10.5’ away. The dynamic contrast ratio is 20000:1. Also supports HDMI-CEC.

And now we move on up to the Sony KDL46XBR4 Bravia XBR-Series LCD, a 46" HDTV going for $2440. You obviously get 1080p full HD resolution, 120Hz frame Motionflow rate, 3 hdmi inputs, HD tuner, 18,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, Energy Star friendliness, 1920 x 1080 panel resolution and one PC input too, and all the other Sony goodies you come to expect from the Bravia XBRs. The weight for the body builders out there is 73 pounds. Add an extra 11 lbs if you use the optional base.


HDTV Plasma Specials
But not everyone is dying ot get an LCD, some people prefer Plasma for various reasons. And we have two specials for you, starting with the Samsung FPT508 50" Plasma HDTV going for $1600. This 50-incher is full 1080p resolution, has 3 hdmi inputs, 10000:1 contrast ratio, HD Tuner (QAM, ATSC, NTSC), and weights 107 pounds.

And now we have the Panasonic 50" VIERA TH50PZ80U Plasma HDTV offered at $1800. This has a built-in SD memory card slot for those who want to showcase their pictures on the TV right away. As you can expect it has full 1080p resolution, 20,000:1 contrast ratio, 3 hdmi inputs, HD tuner, and such. It weighs 84 pounds for those weight-lifters out there :)


More Circuit City 4th of July special offers
The above are exclusive online HDTV specials offered at Circuit. There's a lot more offered, so be sure to check more HDTV Specials.

For all the 4th of July specials at Circuit City, not just HDTVs, be sure to check the link in this sentence!


Tuners Demystified: NTSC, ATSC, QAM
It sounds like an alphabet soup, but these are three different types of tuners. NTSC is the traditional analog tuners we have in our older TVs, VCRs and DVD recorders. ATSC are digital tuners that pick digital TV signals over the air. These can be standard definition digital signals or high definition digital signals (HDTV). QAM is a tuner found typically in dvd recorders and DVRs and tune (unencrypted) digital cable channels. The number of channels your QAM tuner can pick up without using the cable box varies from cable provider to cable provider. Some are stingy and only allow the basic cable channels, others offers more.

Dell HDTV televisions coupon specials!

Dell has a few limited edition coupons for various HDTVs! So if you need a television, take a look at these offers from Dell. Here we go!

First up, Save $220 on Sharp® AQUOS® 26" LC26D43U 720p LCD HDTV. Only $679 after savings! As you can see the prices even for the big names have dropped. It's no longer just the OEMs and store-brands that are "affordable"!

Moving on up, in price and size and features, Save $200 on Philips® 42" 42P FL5332D 720p LCD HDTV. Only $1199 after savings!. Keep in mind this is 720p, not 1080p, which is why you are paying a lower price. Not that there's anything dramatically wrong with 720p, considering that only BluRay offers true 1080p, broadcast and cable/satellite do not!

And now an even bigger one, Save $500 on Sony® 52" KDL-52W3000 1080p LCD HDTV. Only $2499 after savings!. As you can see, it's not just the size and the Sony brand that double the price compared to the 42" Philips in the previous paragraph. It's also the 1080p.

So ultimately what do you get? 1080p or 720p? Well, that is a very good question. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your needs, and also what you plan to do with the TV in question. Will you be watching mostly TV? BluRay discs? Will this be your primary TV? Will it be a secondary TV? Will it be the centerpiece of your home theater or a bedroom TV? Or will it be used at the office to watch some programming or will it used in an art studio to showcase arts and pictures? I could go on for years, I hope you get my point... :)

HDTV specials at Circuit City this week

Let's take a look at some of the many HDTV sets offered by Circuit City and featured in this weeks circular.

There are dozens of TVs featured, we will only spotlight a few of them. For the complete list, check the weekly ad listed below.

We start with the Element FLX2611B 26" LCD HDTV at $450 and without any rebates needed. You can also take advantage of a current Circuit City promotion where you receive 0% interest for 12 months when you make a purchase of $299 or more. Be sure to check the terms and conditions of course.

The Element 26" LCD has a 720p resolution, HDMI input, PC connectivity, 16:9 aspect ratio, ATSC and NTSC tuners, along with the usual assortment of features at this price level.




Moving on to the 32" size, the Vizio 32" LCD HDTV, model VX32LHDTV10A is offered at $630 and no rebates! This Vizio has 2 HDMI inputs, 720p resolution, 8ms response time, zoom and freeze function, virtual surround sound, NTSC, ATSC and QAM tuners (nice!), 16:9 aspect ratio, 1200:1 contrast ratio, 178 degree viewing angle, and a weight of 33 pounds.




Staying at 32", we have the Sony 32" Bravia M-Series LCD HDTV, for $800, without any rebates. This is Sony model KDL32M3000. It has 720p resolution, two HDMI inputs, 8ms response time, 3D Comb Filter, 1000:1 contrast ratio, an ATSC, QAM and NTSC tuner giving you flexibility for analog, over the air digital and unscrambled cable tuning directly from the television set. It even has a PC Input so you can work on your laptop and view the results on a 32" screen instead of a tiny 13" screen :) Weight is 31 lbs, or 36 lbs if you use the optional bse.

As you can see, there is a $170 price difference between the Sony and the Vizio above. It may come as a surprise that the price difference is not even higher. Not that we can complain about lower prices. The lower the better :) We do not have a recommendation as to which one to get, be sure to check the specs, and various discussions and reviews at the various audio-video forums. Two of our favorite A/V sites are AVSforum, and DSL Reports.

Moving along, we have a 50" Plasma HDTV for $1000! That's right, just $1000 gets you the Element PLX5002B 50" Plasma HDTV. Remember, this is PLASMA not LCD, like the ones mentioned above! It has 720p resolution, 2 hdmi inputs, 15000:1 contrast ratio, simulated surround sound, digital comb filter, a trio of tuners (ATSC, NTSC, QAM), PC Input, 16:9 aspect ratio like just about all new TVs, as well as detachable stand and full-function remote control for those who don't want to fuss with those programmable remote controls. Weight is 110 lbs. Circuit City is also offering a combo meal with this: For an extra $150 you can get a wall mount and an hdmi cable. Fries not included :)


More weekly Circuit City Specials
Be sure to check out the latest weekly Circuit City specials!

Free HD-DVD player with purchase of select Toshiba HDTVs!

The good people at OneCall have a great special! If you purchase a select Toshiba HDTV, you get an HD-DVD player for free!.

Which one is the free HD-DVD player? It is the Toshiba HD-A30 which goes for about $150 at the moment. If you followed the CES 2007 coverage at the various gadget blogs, such as Crunch Gear and Ubergizmo, you will have seen that BluRay is perhaps winning over HD-DVD, but the backers of HD-DVD are not folding up the tent just yet. Oh the drama of the high def format wars. And how sad that the techc companies have not learned from history!

One of the Toshiba HDTV participating in the promotion is the Toshiba 42LX177 for $1630. This is a 42 inch 120hz 1080p LCD Cinema Series Regza, with shipping included. And S&H is not cheap for TVs, so having shipping included is a good thing!

If you prefer a 46" version of that HDTV, you can get the Toshiba 46LX177 for $2200, also with free S&H.


52" inchers
If you want a bigger television set, then you have a choice of two of them from Toshi. First, the Toshiba 52HL167 for $2170, and then the Toshiba 52LX177 for $2800. Free shipping for either one. The difference between the two? The former is just a Regza, while the latter is a Cinema series Regza at 120hz

I want my 42" Toshiba LCD HDTV for $1000

I want my HDTV! And I want to pay exactly $1000!

With those demands in mind, how about the Toshiba 42HL167? It is a 42-inch REGZA 1080p LCD Flat Panel HDTV offered by the good people of OneCall.com for $1000! Shipping is additional and starts at $150.

This HDTV features full 1080p, Pixel Pure 3G, Color Burst, ATSC, QAM, and NTSC tuners, 3 HDMI inputs, along with PC input, and of course component, Dyna-Light backlight control, CineSpeed, 60hz refresh rate. It weighs 75 pounds. For more details, please visit the Toshiba 42HL167 page at OneCall.com

HDTV specials at OneCall.com (new one added!)

The good people at OneCall.com have some interesting HDTV specials for those interested in them!

One more HDTV added today! The Toshiba 47HL167 is a 47-inch REGZA 1080p LCD Flat Panel HDTV for $1575, but you can use coupon code HOLIDAY07 to take an extra $75 off, bringing it down to $1500. Expires 12/15/07.

Sony KDS-60A3000 which is a 60-inch BRAVIA A series SXRD 1080p Rear Projection HDTV at $1775. Take $75 off that price if you use OneCall coupon code HOLIDAY07. Free shipping and the offer expires on 12/14/07.

Toshiba 42HL167 is a 42-inch REGZA 1080p LCD Flat Panel HDTV at $1250. Take $50 off when you use OneCall.com coupon HOLIDAY07. Shipping is included, and the offer expires December 14, 2007.

$300 BluRay high def movie player from Samsung on Amazon

If you are ready to take a side on the nasty war between HD-DVD and BluRay, and you are leaning towards BluRay, this may help tilt the scales: The Samsung BD-P1400 BluRay player for $298 and free shipping at Amazon.

You also get five BluRay highdef movies after mail-in rebate. This player plays 720p, 1080i and 1080p. 1080p is through HDMI only. There are 38 customer reviews on this one at Amazon.

Four HDTV specials at OneCall.com

The good people at Onecall.com have a four-pack of specials for those interested in HDTVs (high definition television sets). Here they are:

1. Sony KDL-40XBR3, a 40-inch BRAVIA XBR 1080p LCD Flat Panel HDTV for $1970. Use coupon code HOLIDAY07 to save an extra $75 off the listed price.

2. Prefer an even bigger LCD screen size? Then part with $2950 and consider the Sony KDL-46XBR3, a 46-inch BRAVIA XBR 1080p LCD Flat Panel HDTV. Save an extra $100 with coupon code HOLIDAY07.

3. If you have plenty of space, and don't mind the space-eating rear-projection DLPs, and want to spend less, then the Samsung HL-T5076S, a Samsung HL-T5076S is yours for $1335. Use coupon HOLIDAY07 for an extra $50 off.

4. If you want an even bigger screen size, the Samsung HL-T5676S, a 56-inch Slim 1080p DLP Rear Projection HDTV can be yours for $1475. Use coupon code HOLIDAY07 to save an extra $50.

The coupon code HOLIDAY07 can be used on just about any purchase made at OneCall.com. The more you spend, the more you save!

Panasonic TH-50PX77U for $1400 from OneCall.com

Reputable online retailer OneCall.com (1Call.com) has a great special for those interested in a 50" Panasonic plasma HDTV. The Panasonic TH-50PX77U is on sale for $1400 after you use promotion coupon code HOLIDAY07.

This Panasonic HDTV features 1366 x 768 resolution, 2 HDMI inputs, a built-in SD/MMC memory card reader (oh Panasonic you are so smart ;-), side-firing speakers, 720p/1080i, built-in HDTV tuner (ATSC and QAM), contrast ratio of 10000:1, the darned V-chip, peedestal stand, a variety of inputs and outputs (component, composite, RF, optical, HDMI), and weight of 88 pounds. For more details, check OneCall.com.

For those note familiar with digital tuners, ATSC is the digital equivalent of NTSC, it can pick up digital channels off the air, using your antenna or your coat hanger ;-) QAM is a digital cable tuner and can pick up channels from your cable signal, providing the channels are not encrypted by your local cable provider. Different regions and cable providers decide to encrypt different channels so your mileage may vary. Usually you may get the basic cable channels (network, PBS, etc) plus a few more digital sub-channels of those. But as I said, check in the Audio/Video and TV forums to find out what's available in your area.

This offers ends today - Cyber Monday November 26, 2007, so don't sit on the decision for too long :)

HDTV deals at Best Buy this week!

As I mentioned before, there is a correction on the front page Panasonic Plasma HDTV. The model at that price $1710 ($1800 - $90) is the 42" model, not the 50" model. Best Buy is not handing them out for free you know :)

So let's see what they have in-store for us!

LCD HDTV

17" Insignia NS-LCD19 720p $250

26" Insignia NS-LCD26 720p $500

32" Toshiba 32HL67/U 720p $850

32" Westinghouse SK-32H240S 720p, 2 hdmi $580

32" Sharp Aquos LC32D43U 720p $900

37" LG 37LCD7D 720p $1000

42" Philips 42PLF5332D/37 720p $1150

46" Samsung LNT4661F 1080p $2250

46" Sharp Aquos LC46D82U 1080p 120hz $2520, available online only

48" Sony KDL40V3000 1080p $1800

52" Sharp Aquos LC52D82U 1080p 120hz $3500, available online only


Plasma HDTV

42" Panasonic TH-42PX75U 720p $1400 minus unrevealed savings

42" Panasonic TH-42PZ77U-8501757 1080p at $1710. The front page of the ad incorrectly lists the 50" Panasonic TH_50PZ77U- 8501711 Plasma HDTV at that price.

50" Panasonic TH-50PX75U 720p $1800


Other technologies

50" Samsung HLT5075S 720p projection DLP plus Xbox360 with hdmi input for $1200 together. The tv alone is $1000. The Xbox360 alone is $350. Combined purchase savings of $150. (Wow I can do math while blogging!)

50" Samsung HLT5076S slim depth 1080p DLP projection $1500

56" Samsung HLT5676S slim depth 1080p DLP projection $1800

61" Samsung HLT6187S 1080p LED DLP projection $2400

60" Sony KDS60A3000 1080p 120hz projection $2500

64" Mitsubishi WD-65733 1080p DLP projection $2000

HDTVs at Best Buy this week

First, some special financing offers. All Panasonic Plasma HDTVs can be had for no interest for three years. Also two years no interest on all home theaters and installation $999 and up. And save $200 when you buy an LG 42" or larger combined with installation. Also for HDTV purchases $999 you can get the HDTV Complete Advantage which includes savings on Xbox360 or PS3, DirecTV, home audio, BluRay or HD-DVD players and GeekSquad. Visit the store or the website for all the details.


LCD

15" Sharp LC15AV7U $280

19" Philips 19PFL5422D/27 FREE after mail-in rebate when you sign up for DirecTV HD!

19" Westinghouse SK-19H210S $300

19" Samsung LNT1954H $400

26" Westinghouse SK-26H590D 720p with embedded dvd player $580

26" LG 26LC7D 720p $700

32" Sharp LC32AV22U 720p $700

32" Toshiba 32LH67/U 720p $850

32" Samsung LNT3253H 720p $1000

32" Sony KDL32XBR4 1080p 120hz XBR $1250

37" Philips 37PFL5322D/37 $985

40" Samsung LNT4066F, 1080p, $1800, a Best Buy exclusive model

40" Sony KDL40S3000 720p, under $1600

40" Sony KDL40V2500 1080p, $1600

42" Toshiba Regza 42HL167 1080p $1500

42" LG 42LC7D 720p $1400

42" HP SK4278N Mediasmart 1080p $1900

46" Sony KDL46W3000 1080p, $2700

46" Sony KDL46XBR4 120hz 1080p XBR $3240

47" Toshiba Regza 47HL167 1080p $2000

47" HP SK4778N Mediasmart 1080p $2200

47" LG 47LB5D 1080p $2300

52" LG 52LB5D 1080p $3200

52" Sony KDL52W3000 1080p, 3 hdmi, under $4000

52" Sony KDL52XBR4 120hz 1080p XBR $4050


Plasma

42" Panasoinic TH42PZ7OOU 1080p for $1750

42" Hitachi P42H401 1080i for under $1500

50" LG 50PC5D 720p $1600

50" Panasonic TH-50PX75U for $1790

50" Hitachi P50H401 1080i $1500


Other

24" Insignia digital flat tube SDTV $200

27" Dynex DX-R27TV digital tube SDTV $210

37" Sony KDF37H1000 720p LCD projection HDTV, 2 hdmi, $900

50" Sony KDF50E3000 1080p LCD projection HDTV, 2 hdmi, $1600

65" Mitsubishi electric WD65733 1080p DLP projection HDTV, under $2200

HDTVs this week at Best Buy

A lot of what we said in the Circuit City post just below applies to the Best Buy circular as well. They offer a 60-day HDTV price guarantee. So without any further ado, here are the advertised specials good for the whole week (Sunday through Saturday September 8, 2007):

LCD

19" Dynex DX-LCD19 720p $230 (min 3 per store, no rainchecks please)

19" Insigna NS-LTDVD19 720p with built-in dvd player $350

19" Philips 19PFL5422D/27 720p $380

26" Insigna NS-LTDVD26 720p with built-in dvd player, $500

26" LG 26LC7D 720p $700

32" Sony KDL32S3000 720p $1000

32" Samsung LNT3253H 720p $1000

32" Panasonic TC-32LX700 120hz 720p $1100

32" Sony KDL32XBR4 120hz 1080p $1300

37" Philips 37PFL5322D/37 720p $900

40" Sony KDL40S3000 720p $1400

40" Samsung LNT4066F 1080p $1700, a Best Buy exclusive model they say

40" Samsung LNT4071 120hz 1080p $2400

40" Sony KDL40XBR4 120hz 1080p $2500

42" Philips 42PFL5332D/37 720p $990

42" LG 42LC7D 720p $1250

46" Sharp Aquos LC46D62U 1080p, clearance $1900

46" Samsung LNT4665F 1080p $2500

46" Sony KDL46V3000 1080p $2500

46" Sony KDL46W3000 1080p $2700

46" Samsung LNT4671 120hz 1080p $3050

46" Sony KDL46XBR4 120hz 1080p $3240

52" Sony KDL52XBR4 120hz 1080p $4050 (the price is not a typo!)

52" Sony KDL52W3000 1080p $3600

52" Samsung LNT5265F 1080p $3600 (are the prices same as Sony, or is it me? :)

52" Sharp Aquos LC52D62U 1080p, clearance $2800

Plasma

42" Insigna NS-PDP42 720p $800

42" Panasonic TH-42PX75U 720p $1200

42" Panasonic TH-42PZ7OOU 1080p $1950

42" Pioneer PDP-4280HD 720p $2430

50" Insigna NS-PDP50 720p $1200

50" Samsung HPT5054 720p $1700

50" Hitachi P50H401 1080i $1900

50" Panasonic TH-50PX75U 720p $1790

50" Panasonic TH-50PZ700U 1080p $2850

50" Pioneer PDP-5080HD 720p $3150

50" Pioneer PDP-5010FD 1080p $4500

Space Eaters - not LCD nor plasma

46" Samsung HLT4675S 720p slim DLP projection $900

50" Sony KDF50E3000 1080p LCD projection HDTV $1600

60" Sony KDS60A3000 1080p 120hz projection HDTV $2565

61" Samsung HLT6176S 1080p slim DLP projection $2160

65" Toshiba 65HM167 1080p DLP projection $1900

65" Mitsubish WD-65733 1080p DLP $1900 with free Callaway Golf X460 driver by mail from Mitsubishi

73" Mitsubish WD-73733 1080p DLP $3000 with free Big Bertha 460 driver by mail from Mitsubishi (oh the gimmics to get you to buy!)

High Definition TVs (HDTV) @ Circuit City this week

The Labor Day weekend and special sales may be over but there are still some nice HDTV deals that last for the whole week (Sunday through Saturday). These are from the weekly circuit city circular (say that three times fast) found in the sunday paper.

If you are interested in getting DirecTV HD they have some special promotions this week as well so be sure to check that. Also you pay no interest until 2010 on all TVs and installations over $1000. Something to look into as well but be sure to read the fineprints.

This time is about as good as any to get a new high definition tv as prices continue to drop. This especially if you are looking for a bang for the buck purchase, as the latest and greatest always costs more.So let's get started!

1080p LCD HDTV
This is the latest trend and best quality (at least in theory because of 1080p). What's available then?

32" Sharp Acquos LC32D62U $1200

37" JVC LT37X688 $1300

40" Sony KDL40V3000 $1800

40" Sony XBR KDL40XBR4 $2660

42" Sharp LC42062U, a closeout, $1300

46" Sharp LC46D62U, a closeout, $1800

52" Sharp LC52D62U, a closeout, $2500

LCD HDTVs (not 1080p)
This is where the bargains and best bang for the buck can be found.

15" Sharp LC15SSH7U $280

19" Element FLX1910 $250

19" Toshiba 19HLV87 with built-in dvd player $450

20" Vizio VX20LHDTV 720p $380

23" Samsung LNT2342H $550

23" Toshiba 23HLV87 with built-in dvd player $600

27" Olevia $400

32" Polaroid 3211TLXB 720p ATSC $650

32" Panasonic TC32LX70 for $700

32" JVC LT32E478 720p $750

32" Toshiba 32HL67U $800

32" Samsung LNT3242H $900, with side speakers even

32" Sony Bravia KDL32S3000 $1050

37" Element FLX3710 $650

40" Polaroid 4011TLXB 720p $900

42" LG 42LC7D 720p $1250

50" Element PLX5002B 720p $1250

1080p Plasma HDTV

50" Samsung FPT5084 $2600

Plasma HDTV (not 1080p)

50" Hitachi P50H401, 3 hdmi and pc input $1500

Space Eaters
Even though they have gotten slimmer they are nowhere near as slim as LCD or plasma, thus space eaters :)

46" Samsung HLT4675S, closeout, 720p slim DLP $1000

50" Samsung HLT5075S 720p slim DLP $1200

50" Samsung HLT5076S 1080p slim DLP $1700

55" Sony SXRD KDS55A2020, a closeout, 1080p, $1800

65" Mitsubishi WDY657 1080p DLP, $2000

73" Mitsubishi WD73734 1080p DLP, just 18" thick, $3200