Costco

Category Archives: Costco

Vizio Announces Some Black Friday Deals

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Vizio has announced lower prices for some of their HDTVs including a few Black Friday deals. Here are the details:

Vizio’s Costco Black Friday Deal

The Vizio 37-inch VW37L 1080i LCD HDTV will be on sale for $499.99 at Costco for Black Friday weekend (11/28-11/30) while supplies last. The VW37L has 2 HDMI connections, 5500:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and weighs 55 lb. LCD Buying Guide has a review up of the VW37L, rating it a 78.5 out of 100, which appears to be a pretty average rating for their site.

Link to official Vizio VW37L page.
Link to our review of buying an HDTV at Costco.

Other Vizio Deals

Vizio 32-inch VP322 720p Plasma HDTV $437.00 at Walmart effective Wednesday. It’s a new everyday low price, so no rush.

Vizio 42-inch VS420 1080p LCD HDTV $698.00 at Sam’s Club locations nationwide while supplies last for the Holidays. Pretty sweet deal also.

Vizio 32-inch VOJ32LF 1080p LCD HDTV $559.99 (yawn) at Sears nationwide through Sunday, 11/30/08.

Link:

Official Vizio press release.

Filed in Black Friday, Costco, HDTV, Sam's Club, Vizio | Comments (0)

CNET Reviews Vizio VP505XVT 50-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Monday, November 24, 2008

Vizio previously made inroads into the world of HDTVs as a bargain brand, but their most recent HDTVs are starting to impress reviewers with their quality as well as their price.

CNET recently took a look at the new Vizio 50-inch VP505XVT 1080p plasma HDTV ($1499 msrp) and was extremely impressed, rating it a 7.7 out of 10, the highest rating yet for a Vizio television. Reviewer David Katzmaier had this to say:

Simply put, the Vizio VP505XVT is one of the better-performing plasma TVs we’ve tested this year from any manufacturer. It delivered deep black levels, relatively accurate color, and solid video processing, thanks in part to HQV.

That’s a pretty strong statement for a bargain HDTV.

Katzmaier liked the Vizio’s cheap price, deep black levels, realistic shadow detail, accurate grascale, extensive picture controls, and 4 HDMI inputs. They didn’t like the fact they noted some false contouring and an inaccurate green primary color reproduction. But overall, they found the set to be “Vizio’s best effort yet” and find it stands toe-to-toe with similar-sized but much more expensive models from other brands. Playback Magazine also reviewed the VP505XVT recently and was likewise impressed.

The Vizio’s $1499 price tag is the suggested manufacturer’s price and is likely to drop quickly in the near future. Be on the lookout for the Vizio VP505XVT on the shelves of Costco soon.

CNET reviews the Vizio VP505XVT

Official Vizio VP505XVT website

Playback Magazine review

Filed in CNET, Costco, David Katzmaier, HDTV, HDTV Reviews, Vizio | Comments (1)

Costco Black Friday 2008 HDTV Coupons

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Costco has a few in-store HDTV deals for Black Friday 2008. If you’re looking for a huge LCD this Christmas, Costco may be your place. The deals require coupons. Here’s a link to a scan of the coupons from bfads.net. The coupons are good for November 28, 29, and 30. Check out the deals below.

HDTV	Coupon	Ad link
Vizio 37-inch LCD HDTV	$100 off	Link
Sharp Aquos 65-inch 1080p LCD	300 off	Link
Sharp Aquos 52-inch 1080p LCD HDTV	$300 off	Link

Filed in Black Friday, Costco, HDTV | Comments (1)

Collection of Vizio SV470XVT and SV420XVT Reviews

Saturday, October 11, 2008

This is a collection of reviews I’ve put together from the AVS Forums thread on the Vizio SV470XVT and SV420XVT. This is for your convenience so you don’t have to cull through dozens of pages of price questions, technical queries, and troubleshooting. (Note: The 47 inch and 42 inch models are exactly the same except for screen size.) The original thread can be found here.

Reviews:

Filed in 1080p, 120hz, AVS Forums, Bargain HDTVs, Costco, Full High Definition, HDTV, HDTV Reviews, LCD, Sam's Club, Sears, Vizio | Comments (1)

Bargain: AOC 42-inch 1080p LCD for $799 at Costco

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Costco has the AOC L42H861 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for sale at $799 (original price: $1,000) while supplies last. PC World has a review of the AOC L42H761, which is essentially the same television. The Costco version, the L42H861, has a much better looking television stand (very Sumsung-ish). Prices are getting pretty low for large LCDs, it will be interesting to see what kind of deals there will be on Black Friday 2008.

Link to Bargain:

AOC 42-inch HDTV for $799 at Costco.

Helpful Links:

PC World’s review of the AOC L42H761.

Engadget HD post about the AOC L42H861.

Official AOC website.

Filed in 1080p, Bargains, Costco, Full High Definition, HDTV, High Definition, Hot Deals, LCD | Comments (0)

52-inch 1080p Sharp Aquos LCC-5262U LCD HDTV $1699 at Costco

Friday, June 27, 2008

Costco has the Sharp Aquos LCC-5262U listed as a “hot buy” on their website at $1,699. To give you an idea on price drops over time, one year ago, this is the price I paid for my 47-inch Vizio 1080p LCD from Costco. The Aquos delivers an overall better picture than the comparable 52-inch Vizio.

Deal link: Sharp Aquos LCC-5262U at Costco for $1699.

Helpful Links:

Discussion of Aquos vs Vizio 52-inchers at AVS Forums.

Filed in 1080p, AVS Forums, Bargain HDTVs, Bargains, Costco, Full High Definition, HDTV, HDTV Shopping, High Definition, LCD, Sharp | Comments (0)

Bargain: 50-inch 1080p Pioneer Kuro PDP-5010FD $3,000 at Costco

Friday, June 6, 2008

Pioneer’s line of Kuro Plasma TVs are some of the best HDTVs out there, especially when it comes to deep black levels. This may not be a bargain for most people, but if you’re a Pioneer fanboy, it’s a good deal for all five of you. Amazon.com also has it for the same price, but keep in mind that with Costco, you get a two-year extended warranty and 90-day return policy. The Kuro is the HDTV owned by Engadget HD’s guru Ben Drawbaugh.

Deal Link:

Costco.com link (also in-store).

Helpful Links:

Sound & Vision’s review of the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5010FD.

Buying an HDTV at Costco.

Filed in Bargain HDTVs, Bargains, Ben Drawbaugh, Costco, Hot Deals, Pioneer | Comments (0)

Buying an HDTV at Costco: A Review

Saturday, March 29, 2008

When you set out to buy an HDTV, it’s unlikely you’ll start by researching the store you’ll buy it from. But buying from the right store can be important, especially for getting fair price or returning the TV in case something goes wrong.

When I eventually settled on the Vizio GV47LF for my HDTV, I noted it was available at Costco. As I began to work out the mechanics of purchasing the TV, I realized that you had to have a membership to shop there. $50 for the right to buy my HDTV? Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure that was the television I wanted.

However, with a little research, I realized the HDTV was too good a bargain to pass up. In the end, I was very happy buying the TV from Costco, as Costco offers many advantages over other big box stores, the biggest being their liberal 90-day return policy and 2-year extended warranty.

Membership

Yes, you need to have a membership to shop at a Costco retail store. When I bought my television last year, I found that the bargain cost of the television justified paying the membership fee. But there were bonus ways to save some money. Costco offers 2% cash back for “executive members.”

There are two tiers of membership. Regular membership costs $50 and you get no cash back. Executive is $100, and you get 2% cash back. If you buy a $2,000 television, you will get $40 cash back, which essentially pays for the upgrade to Executive. Plus, the 2% continues for future purchases. I did not know about this policy and had the regular membership at checkout, but the Costco cashier was paying attention and helped me upgrade.

I just got my check from Costco from the 2% cash back and was happy enough to renew my membership for another year.

Filed in Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, Extended Warranty, GV47LF, HDTV, HDTV Buying Tips, HDTV Return Policy, Price Guarantee, Vizio | Comments (1)

2008’s Vizio 47-inch LCD VO47L to Replace 2007’s GV47LF

Saturday, January 19, 2008

It’s a new year, and along with it Vizio has introduced its 2008 LCDs. How much of an update is this year’s 47-inch 1080p LCD, the VO47L, over 2007’s GV47LF? There are few nice tweaks, but not enough to call it a major update.

Vizio added two more HDMI inputs for a total of four on the VO47L, as opposed to two on 2007’s GV47LF. Also, the VO47L comes with a 6-foot HDMI cable, a nice consumer-friendly touch from Vizio.

Vizio also updated the TV’s look. The VO47L now has black speakers along its undercarriage as opposed to the awkward silver look from last year’s GV47LF. A very smart design move. Although it now appears the speakers are no longer detachable.

Compare the pictures below:

2008’s VO47L:

2007’s GV47LF:

However, a big disappointment is an apparent lack of picture improvement for the 2008 model. The technical specs from Vizio’s site has the contrast ratio staying the same at 2000:1 contrast ratio (with DCR). Contrast ratio was one of the biggest weaknesses from last year’s model, so it’s a little surprising they didn’t choose to improve it. Until CNET gets around to reviewing the unit, potential buyers should probably check out reviews of last year’s GV47LF. Also, check out the V047L thread on the AVS Forums. New owners will report their reviews and problems there.

There are reports the VO47L is selling now in some Costco stores for $1,399. Other Costsco stores are reportedly holding back until they clear current inventory (probably the GV47LF). Vizio.com has the manufacturer’s price at $1,499. That is a lot less than last year’s GV47LF’s starting price of $1799.

*Update* I’ve gathered together customer reviews for the VO47L from the AVS forums here. There’s also a CNET review of television.

Links:

Official Vizio page for the VO47LF Evolution.

VO47L thread on AVS Forums.

EngadgetHD news blurb about all the new Vizios.

Filed in 1080p, Costco, GV47L, GV47LF, LCD, V047L, VO47L, VO47LF, Vizio | Comments (0)

Black Friday: 52″ 1080p Vizio for $1900 at Sam’s Club

Sunday, November 18, 2007

The Vizio GV52L is on sale at Sam’s Club for Black Friday for $1890 (link). That is only $110 less than its price at launch when it had a $200 off coupon. I think they can do better than that. The 42″ Sharp Aqous for $900 is a much, much better deal. That is a great television.

Check out Costco’s Black Friday deals. They are offering a 47″ Philips 1080p TV for $1,499.

It is a great time to buy a television. Of course, things will always get cheaper, and better televisions are always being made. But the quality of even the cheap televisions is enough to satisfy most people.

Filed in 1080p, Black Friday, Costco, GV52LF, HDTV, Hot Deals, LCD, Vizio | Comments (0)