HDTV deals: Watch for doorbuster specials and “derivative” models

We’re always excited in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, the traditional three-day shopping period right after Thanksgiving. It's become almost a sport seeing how low prices on TVs will go—and what "doorbuster" deals we'll miss out on when we decide that it’s just not worth getting up before dawn to try for one of the limited-quantity offers.

Although it’s still early in the deal-hunting season, several Black Friday sites, such as BlackFridayInfo and GottaDeal, have already posted what they claim are Sears’ and Kmart's Black Friday ads. Walmart also jumped the gun with a series of weekly specials leading up to Black Friday. Amazon's now also doing something similar (in its Gold Box), apparently matching some of Walmart's deals.

A quick review of the promoted models we've seen so far doesn’t reveal any “gotta have” deals. But we have noticed some nice price cuts on several major-brand models, which this year dominate the Sears ad, for example.

Even Samsung’s 6000-series LED-backlit LCD TVs are making an appearance in Black Friday ads.

For example, a 42-inch 1080p Panasonic plasma, the TC-P42S1, s listed in the Sears ad at $650, or $150 less than in our plasma TV Ratings. An LCD set,  Samsung's LN46B650, which is priced at $1,450 in our Ratings, will be on sale for $1,310. An LED-backlit model, the Samsung UN40B6000, which is listed at $1,500 in our Ratings, is sale-priced at $1,400 in the ad. We're all about saving a hundred dollars or more, but it’s not the kind of savings that would drag us out of a warm bed on a cold morning—especially knowing that everyday TV prices seldom rebound to pre-Black Friday levels once those sales are over.

In fact, Kmart's ad has Panasonic' s TC-P42C1 set, a 720p model, listed at $550. That's the same price I saw the TV this weekend at Target as part of a "pre-holiday" sale.

Holiday Headstart: The electronics deals are starting early

It’s never too early to start planning for a major electronics purchase during the holiday season—and it may make more sense than ever this year.

Traditionally, the season’s first (and often best) blowout sales on electronics are on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. But in anticipation of tightfistedness among electronics consumers, retailers are already cutting prices sharply, as many analysts have been predicting since early in the fall.

We’ll track some of the pre-season deals in a series of "Holiday Headstart" posts in the coming five-or-so weeks that lead to the bird and Black Friday. First up, our audio-video specialist Jim Willcox will blog on some of the enticing early offers on Blu-ray players and flat-panel TVs. We’ll also offer buying tips and in other product areas, too.

Meantime, where are you at on your buying plans? Are you already planning your purchases? Share your thoughts with us below. —Paul Reynolds

Boxing Day sales: Last-minute tips for Canadians

The day's title baffles Americans—a celebration of pugilism, perhaps? But Canadians like me—I'm a transplant from Ottawa—know the day after Christmas, named for the long-lost tradition of giving boxed gifts that day, as one of the biggest shopping days of the year, not least for electronics gear.

Like Black Friday south of the border—a non-event in Canada, since Thanksgiving falls in early October—it's a day replete with early openings, frenzied crowds, and often-deep discounting. Unlike Black Friday, of course, it's almost all people shopping for themselves, trying to snap up stuff they didn't get given the day before.

This year, much as with Black Friday, some Canadian retailers began their sales before the actual day, especially online. For example, the major Canadian electronics chain Future Shop began its Boxing Day sales online at 8pm on Christmas Eve.

Digital cameras: Good values for under $150

Many low-priced digital cameras are so-called compact models that are small enough to fit in a bag, if a bit bulkier than pocket-sized subcompacts. How good a value are these budget models, some of which cost less than $150?

The best are very solid values, according to an analysis of the price and performance of the compact cameras tested for our recently updated Ratings (available to subscribers).

The data is in the chart below. Using a tool called the Consumer Reports Value Index™, which we launched last month with an analysis of superzoom cameras, it plots the approximate retail price against overall score for compact cameras we've tested. Then it places groups of cameras into value zones – Higher, Medium, and Lower – based on the price and performance of all models in those categories. Products on the upper right side of the chart offer better values than those further to the left and bottom.

To use the Value Index, first roll your mouse over a circle to find out a bit more about the model it represents. To learn even more about a model, subscribers can click on its name to go to its page, which includes our expert review, a detailed breakdown of the model’s overall test results, Reliability data, user reviews, and a link to compare online prices for that model.

(More on the Value Index and our updated Ratings after the jump.)

Deal-of-the-day sites: Narrow, but potentially good, offers

The constant churn of electronics products and prices online includes a type of Website whose deals come and go according to a fast and prescribed schedule. So-called deal-a-day sites sell only one product at a time: a manufacturer's surplus, end-of-product closeout, refurbished item, or occasionally, introductory model that's offered for just 24 hours, or less, if it sells out, at a supposed bargain price.

The original deal-a-day site, Woot.com, began in 2004 with electronics and computer deals. The concept has spawned hundreds of one-day/single-item sites, some of them beyond electronics—such as hat-of-the-day or outdoor-gear-item-of-the-day sites. There are also deal-a-day offers from established retailers, including Amazon.com and Buy.com, and even a few manufacturers, such as the storage-drive brand Iomega.

Electronics gear offered on deal-a-day sites runs the gamut of gadgets and accessories, as well as kinds of products. Consumer Reports does not rate such sites. But one day our reporter checked four deal-a-day sites' prices against the lowest prices for the same goods on price bots PriceGrabber, Google Product Search, and Yahoo Shopping; in this unscientific sampling, all of the deal-a-day prices beat the bots'. The best deal, about 65 percent off a pair of new $20 earbuds, was found on a manufacturer's site.

Daily bargain sites come with an important caveat: Return and refund policies can be very limited. Ordering from a deal-a-day site should be avoided if there's any likelihood you'll have buyer's remorse. If you're looking for electronics bargains and are familiar with prices and specs, checking these sites daily could net real savings.

Deal-aggregator sites: One stop for bargains across the Web

With the churn of prices on the Internet, even the most intrepid electronics shopper can't keep track of every deal as it appears. Two types of website promise to help. Another blog will soon cover deal-a-day sites that sell a single bargain-priced product—manufacturer's surplus, end-of-product closeout, refurbished item, or occasionally, introductory model—for just 24 hours. Today, we look at so-called bargain-aggregator sites that find, check, and link to limited-time-only deals from a host of retailers, some of which may last only a few hours.

Such sites, which include dealnews.com, dealslist.com, techbargains.com, and techdeals.net, can help you find good deals. But they aren't for everyone. Rather, they're most useful if you're open to a range of different models or brands. If you're shopping only for a specific model, look elsewhere; it may never rise to being a good deal compared with other models—and so may never be listed by a bargain-aggregator site.

To get the best bargain with a deal-linking site, follow these tips:

Use price-comparison tools. Some deal aggregators include a price-search engine like PriceGrabber.com. Take advantage of it to see if any better deals for an item can be found online. To be sure you're getting the lowest price, consult more than one bot.

Consumer Reports has not rated deal-aggregator sites, but our reporter tracked 10 deals for laptop computers, TVs, monitors, digital cameras, and GPS navigators listed on dealnews.com or techbargains.com against PriceGrabber, Google Product Search and Yahoo Shopping. One of the best deals depended for its lowball price on a mail-in rebate, which can result in delays. The best immediate bargain (without shipping) came to nearly 10 percent less than all bots on a $600 Olympus camera. But more than half the time at least one of the bots matched or bettered the price on the so-called "deal" sites.

HDTV values: Consider plasma, 720p, less-familiar brands

If you're out shopping for a flat-panel HDTV this holiday season, you're likely wrestling with which models and technologies offer the most bang for your buck. The chart below (after the jump) aims to help by grouping LCD TVs and plasma TVs, in two popular sizes, into value categories.

The chart uses a new tool called the Consumer Reports Value Index™, which we launched last week on our Money blog. Based on a survey of median online prices taken earlier this week, it plots price against overall Ratings score for LCD and plasma sets in two screen sizes: 40- to 42-inches, and 50- to 52-inches. It places the sets into one of three value zones—High, Medium, and Low—based on the price and performance of all sets in those categories. Products on the upper right side of the chart offer better values than those further to the left and bottom.

The upshot: The High and Medium values are all among the sets we recommend in our plasma TV Ratings and LCD TV Ratings (both available to subscribers). That's not surprising, since value factors heavily into those recommendations (also available to subscribers). The results also jibe with our general HDTV buying advice, including our updated video buying guide on TVs. (Click on the player embedded on the right to watch.)

Here are highlights of our advice on flat panels, with some specifics on how the chart's data reinforces these points:

Black Friday HDTV "specials": How do they compare to standard models?

Many of you have asked us how "special" derivative TVs differ from the standard models in a manufacturer's line.

Generally, these sets are made to hit specific retail price points during promotional shopping periods. They allow bigger-name companies to compete on price with lesser-known secondary or tertiary TV brands. Because the derivative sets are lower-priced, they typically have lower specs and lack some features found on standard models.

Panasonic, for example, is offering a 50-inch 720p plasma, the TH-50PE8U, at Best Buy and Kmart. Compared to the standard TH-50PX80, the set has a lower claimed contrast ratio—10,000:1, instead of 15,000:1— and one less HDMI input (there's no front HDMI input as there is on the 50PX80). There are also slight cosmetic differences.

Samsung has several special models—A300-, A400- and A500-series sets—that are widely available this week. These sets also have lower claimed contrast ratios, fewer HDMI inputs, and fewer features than its regular line. For example, a new 40-inch 1080p LCD, the LN40A500, has joined the standard LN40A550 model at some retailers. Compared to the regular model, the A500 has a lower contrast ratio (20,000:1, instead of 30,000:1), only one HDMI input (the A550 has two), and no S-video input (it does have a PC input, which isn't included on the A550). It also lacks a picture-in-picture and WiseLink Pro (for accessing photos and music stored on a removable flash drive) features, and weighs 15 pounds less.

Derivative models typically sell for at least a few hundred dollars less than standard models, but in this season of ultimate volatility, it's hard to pin down pricing. We can't comment specifically on the performance of derivative models because we test standard products that are available widely, and not limited to specific promotional periods or retailers. However, you can use our Ratings of LCD and plasma TVs (available to subscribers) to see how similar sets from these manufacturers have performed.

—James K. Willcox

Black Friday deals on LCD and plasma HDTVs

If you're among the bargain-hunters who plan their post-Thanksgiving shopping strategy like a military invasion, you're no doubt aware that price cuts have been accelerating in recent weeks, especially for HDTVs. (For more information, see our latest report, LCD & plasma TVs: Lower price and higher quality add up to good deals. And check out our free HDTV Buying Guide for help on choosing a set that fits your needs and budget.)

Several TV manufacturers lopped about $200 off prices, and retailers announced pre-Thanksgiving sales, both in stores and online. What can you expect this weekend?

Major-brand deals

In past years, many of the best TV deals were from second- or third-tier TV brands. But with the sluggish economy and slower-than-expected second-half sales, big-name manufacturers seem less willing to abdicate any business to lesser-known rivals. Several major brands have come out with so-called "derivative" sets, lower-priced models sold under a unique model name or number. Available only during holiday promotions, these TVs typically have more-basic specs and fewer features than standard models. This allows a major brand to compete with offbrands without cannibalizing sales of their regular line of higher-priced products.

Both Samsung and Panasonic—brands that have generally done very well in Consumer Reports' Ratings of HDTVs (available to subscribers)—have introduced promotional LCD and plasma sets for retailers to sell during the Black Friday period. Specific examples include Panasonic's TH-50PE8U, a 50-inch 720p plasma, and Samsung's A300-, A400-, and A500-series plasma and LCD sets. So far, prices for these promotional models have been fairly consistent from retailer to retailer, so you won't save much, if anything, by shopping at one retailer instead of another. For example, Best Buy is selling the 50-inch Panasonic set for $900, the same price as Kmart.

Money-saving tip: Don't overspend on electronics

In light of what looks to be a difficult holiday shopping season for consumers on a budget, Consumer Reports is here to be your resource for frugal gift-shopping.

Consumer Reports veteran deal-finder Tod Marks recently launched his new blog, Tightwad Tod, as part of the CR Money Blog. Tod highlights ways to cut costs and sounds the alert on scams and dubious "bargains." Be sure to check it out for daily money-saving tips.

The CR Electronics team is also here to help you buy high-tech gear without emptying out your wallet. Our recent report, "Buying electronics," rates the best electronics retailers and offers 10 money-saving tips.

Here's one example:

You don't have to pay top dollar for outstanding performance.

Many readers who look at our product Ratings believe that the top-ranked model is the only one to buy. Not necessarily. Models that rank a few positions lower in our Ratings often offer fine performance at a lower price.

Don't just look at the Ratings order. Check a model's overall score and scores for the attributes that matter most to you. You might find there aren't major differences between a model at the top of the list and another in the middle. Also be open to products that score very good rather than excellent. The differences between a TV rated very good and excellent for picture quality can often be very subtle, most obvious when the TVs are viewed side-by-side. Our model recommendations—which take price into account—can help to narrow down the list.

Check out the other nine tips in "Buying electronics" from the December issue of Consumer Reports. And if you have a tip for saving money while electronics-shopping, share it in the comment section below.

—Nick K. Mandle