I am in the market for a new TV. I’m one of those people when I buy something I analyze it to death to make sure I get a good deal. It’s what I did when I bought a fridge, and it is ten times worse now that I’m trying to buy a TV.
Here is the thing, despite the fact I want to get a really nice TV, I probably don’t need one. I’ve gone over two months without any Cable TV and while I sometimes miss it, I have definitely found other things to occupy my time. It’s been rare when I sit around and think, “Gee, I have nothing to do now. I wish I had a really great TV.”
And the thing is, I not only save money not buying the TV (and not buying something is as good as earning that money), but I don’t pay for cable. I would probably get satellite and I would get an HD setup since I would have a HDTV. That would cost me somewhere in the neighborhood of $70 a month. Something I could definitely afford but doesn’t hurt me not to spend it.
Now that I think about it, I actually don’t spend much more money living in California vs. Washington. My rent is $1700 per month. That is about $300 more than a similar place in Washington. Add to the fact that I do not pay for water, trash, gas, a second parking space, or anything else other than electricity and the gap narrows even more.
I have the Samsung LCD and like it. If you’re a big sports fan like me, a nice, big screen TV is a worthwhile purchase (Especially if you can’t always afford to buy event tickets or attend the away games).
If you have TIVO or DVR, having a big screen to rewind plays is the best. You don’t have to wait for instant replay. Not to mention in some many cases you can see if a ref’s call is bogus.
A big screen TV is not a matter of need but it’s also not a matter of money (at least for you it shouldn’t). If you have $20,000 saved just for the purpose of this journey, then you should have about $2,000 to $3,000 to spare comfortably for a big screen. Technology will keep evolving, so will there ever be the perfect time? Now, big screens have been available for a while so at least it’s not brand new (and there’s a mandatory de-bug phase). You have enough selection, pick one and go for it. My personal opinion: if you’re paying top dollar (LCD, plasma, or others), you’re going to get quality. Will there be slight differences? Yes, but very slight. Go for it!