HDTVThe prices of high definition televisions (HDTVs) are falling through the floor and increasingly becoming a staple in the typical American home. Many people who were stuck with standard definition cable before can now get hd-cable services like Time Warner Digital and Time Warner HDTV. You can now purchase a high-quality 32” HDTV for just $500 (or less if you get a real deal). Many of us consumers will be purchasing HDTVs for our homes this Christmas season and we need to be smart with our purchasing decisions. Once we have a model picked out and ready to take home with us, the commissioned sales person will surely ask you if you are interested in purchasing an extended warranty. Just Say “No!”

Recently Consumer Reports did an extensive write-up of the value of purchasing a warranty for high-definition televisions. Previously Consumer Reports was neutral toward extended warranties on some electronics purchases, but in their December issue they issued a resounding statement that HDTVs are extremely reliable and there’s just no reason to get the extended warranty. Their report states that there’s only a 3% chance that any given HDTV will need a repair during the first 3 years of ownership.

When the salesperson prompts you abuot an extended warranty, they’ll give you an amazingly smooth and convincing presentation to get you to take it, but just say no, no, and no. Many stores require their sales persons to get three objections from the customer before they leave you alone about it. Some have gotten so bad that salespeople will tell you the item is out of stock so that they can have the inventory to sell someone who will purchase a highly-profitable extended warranty.

Consumer Reports also researched the quality of high definition televisions and found that Panasonic is the most reliable brand for LCD and Plasma televisions. They found that Dells are the most likely to need repair! They also reported that the top two selling brands of HDTVs are Vizio and Olevia They make many 32” and 37” LCD’s at very inexpensive prices. They work well with HDTV over the air or HD cable services like Time Warner Digital Cable.