Ever heard of Christmas in July? I just had Christmas in June! (Imagine a good commercial voice for the next couple sentences) Best Buy is having a deal where you can get a TV, TV equipment, cameras, movies, games, game consoles, and a few other things (it's specified in that annoying small print what you can't get) and not pay interest for 3 years when you open a Best Buy Card!! Not to mention, my brother from another mother (BFAM) told me about Amazon's similar deal involving a Samsung TV and sound system which is comparable and includes free shipping and setup! (Best Buy charges for delivery and installation) However, I knew about the Best Buy deal first. So Monday, after I said sad goodbyes to wifey (Word Thief) and adopted sister (Fashion Sheet), BFAM and I went to Best Buy to start this whole process and make my wallet that much heavier with plastic cards. I'd already decided I wanted to get between a 40-46 inch flat screen and I was told to get an LCD because of my sunny apartment living room (ask all three aforementioned people, they would know).
The reason for this is that LCDs have a matte finish on the screen to reduce reflection. Plasmas are very reflective and are recommended if you have a darker room that it will be in. I mean, if you have an in-home movie theater type room, by all means, go crazy! (But then sensible electronics people would ask... Why not just get a projector?) ... I ramble.
I walked in, settled on a Sony 46 inch LCD for $989.99. When it came to ordering however... I'd picked the time and day that they were switching delivery systems and couldn't order it for me. I was told they might have the Samsung 46 inch LCD for the same amount. I said I would take it. Again, ordering problems occurred. It was then that I asked about the PS3 that I wanted to purchase (slim version with a 120gb hard drive) and they told me they were out of that too. Apparently I underestimated how much Memorial Day was a shopping holiday...
So it was just not meant to happen on Monday. I didn't have time until yesterday to go into Best Buy, and man was I excited to upgrade to this huge wonderfully HD TV. And before I go through the process, let me just say that Best Buy workers are really to be admired. They are working retail, they are expected to know a lot about the entire store, they get paid retail wages and they are constantly judged on customer service. I walked in and within 2 minutes of my standing in front of the TV I wanted, I was asked if I needed help with anything. I don't know if that is because I'm a 23 year old female in the electronics department, or the guy wanted to help me out. After my experience, I tend to think the latter. I told him what I wanted (the Sony) but if they didn't have it, I wanted the Samsung. He took both cards, checked his computer, and they had a Samsung in stock. It now had my name on it. I told him I didn't want a mount yet, I was in an apartment and didn't know how long I'd be there. I also didn't want the protection plan because while I can be a klutz, usually the carpet has more of a chance of inadvertent dying than my expensive TV. Then I was told they have PS3's, but none of the slim versions, just the 250 gb version which was only $100 more. I said I'd take that too. Again, he was diligent and asked about a protection plan. To this one, I said yes (it was $70.99 for 2 years). I saw BFAM's cousin go through a terrible time with Sony customer service because his PS3 decided not to read PS3 games anymore. He even let me take it apart to fix it (which always voids the warranty... for obvious reasons, they can't warranty something you've messed with), but no dice. Then I told the Best Buy employee I wanted to get a camera, and he led me over to the camera section and asked if I had one in mind. I ended up with a Kodak EasyShare (what? they have really good advertising! I mean, you hit a button to upload to facebook/youtube etc). Again, said no to the protection plan. He did help me pick out a case though. Also, he took me to check out HDMI cables for my new PS3 and my current XBOX 360. He even saved me money with the rocketfish XBOX 360 HDMI cable ($29.99), but for the PS3 there was no alternative, so I just took the Monster cables for $79.99. Then, on our way back to the check out, I picked up Avatar on Blu-ray. After reluctantly agreeing to paying $100 for shipping/delivery (I live on the other side of the shopping plaza and I offered him $50 to just come help me haul it up into my apartment but he respectfully declined) I was all set. Trust me, if someone else was there with me I would have declined it, I just don't think my awesomeness extends to hauling a 46 inch HDTV up a flight and a half of stairs by myself. I declined the installation because I'm too much of a geek to let someone else set up my pretty HDTV. I also declined their offered service of setting up my PS3 (wtf?). Apparently they set up your PS3 for you so you don't have to go through the hassle(?) of the 5 screens to set up your user name and internet access along with the date and time. I mean really, who would pay for that?
So, as I looked around my living room with plastic bags, boxes and manuals strewn about, I was content with the electronics in my living room. Of course, I'll be even better when my TV is delivered on Tuesday!
Technology Tip of the Day:
If someone offers you a setup service for any electronic, for a price, you must really decide how much your time is worth. If you can reasonably use a computer, do not pay for someone to set up a game console. Or, if you know any gamers in their 20's, pay them $10 and they will happily come over and set up your game system. Also, with HDTVs, I promise it is not that hard to set up! Just follow the flow of cable from the wall to your TV. (Because let's face it, your TV never sends anything to your cable box. Your TV is just one big receiver and the cable box is the transmitter. The only thing the cable takes as input is from the controller, like when you change the channel). Cable comes OUT of the wall and IN to the cable box, then through the cable box and OUT. Then it goes IN to your TV. And to be honest, those connections are very well marked on the back of your TV and cable box. So, next time you're offered a service from a retail store, have a little confidence and say "No Thank You". Even if you have problems, there has to be someone you know that can help you for free or for less than what you would have paid for the store to do it for you... or maybe I'm just that cheap :)
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