Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series will be available as a Blu-ray box set on July 28, 2009 for $350 suggested retail ($209 preorder price from Amazon.com). The 20-disc box set will include all 4.5 seasons of Battlestar but unfortunately leaves out the 10 webisodes that were included on the DVD version.
Blu-ray Review has a good breakdown of the set’s extras.
Revision3 has introduced HD Nation, a video podcast about all things high def starring Robert Heron and Patrick Norton. Both are alums from the old TechTV. Robert Heron, in particular, is a respected, trained HD reviewer. Their second episode is embedded below:
HD Nation is available as an HD download in iTunes and from Revision3′s site.
Gladiator starring Russel Crowe is getting a special two-disc Blu-Ray treatment, with a release date of September 1, 2009. Amazon has it available for preorder for $27 (regular $49.99). The discs will feature both the original and an extended version of the film along with separate audio commentaries for each version. List of extras below:
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Walmart has a rollback deal on the Magnavox NB530MGX Blu-ray player for only $98–the cheapest price we’ve seen yet on a Blu-ray player. The deal can only be found in-store, so you might want to call ahead to check for availability.
There’s a new entrant into the bargain Blu-ray player field. Meijer has introduced the Curtis Mathes Blu-ray player for $99 (that’s base price, not sale price). It has 1080p output, DVD upconverting, Dolby Digital audio, and an Ethernet port for service (which makes it a Profile 1.1 player since it can’t connect to the Internet).
No professional reviews yet, but the reviews at Meijer.com give it an average of 4.5 stars.
Link:
Sears.com has a refurbished Magnavox RNB500MG9 Blu-ray player for only $99.00 (while supplies last). This is the first $99 Blu-ray player from a major retailer that I’ve heard about. The player is Profile 1.1 with 1080p output and upconversion.
Link:
Not to outdone by Walmart, Best Buy is offering their entry-level Blu-ray player, the Insignia NS-2BRDVD, for $129. However, unlike Walmart’s $128 Magnavox, this is advertised as a sale price.
Link:
Bargain Blu-ray players just received a new record low price with Walmart selling the Magnavox NB530MGX Profile 1.1 player at $128 as the base “non-sale” price. The online store is showing it as sold out, but it’s widely available in Walmart brick and mortar stores as well. Enter your zip code into the Find a Store search box to find the nearest to you.
This new low pricing leads me to think that Blu-ray players are going to go for $99 on Black Friday for 2009.
Links:
A warranty is kind of like health insurance–you don’t known how much you need it until you do. Unfortunately, most shoppers don’t pay attention to warranties until it’s too late.
It’s important to have a good warranty because repair costs can run into the several hundreds of dollars. And cost can be just one part of a frustrating process to get a broken TV fixed. The experience can be so unpleasant, many just give up and buy a new TV.
That’s why a warranty should factor in to your buying decision. And it’s important to know that not all warranties are created equal. One of the first things you should note about a warranty is its length.
Most manufacturers offer a one-year parts and labor warranty. Some Sony HDTVs come with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty. Vizios come with a two year (for sets over 30 inches). Some stores will offer extended warranties, either for free (Costco) or for a substantial fee (Best Buy). Certain credit cards also extend warranties of products purchased with them.
| HDTV Brand | Warranty |
|---|---|
| Sony | Link |
| Samsung | Link |
| Panasonic | Link |
| Vizio | Link |
| Westinghouse | Link |
| LG | Link |
Probably the most important thing to know about a warranty, and the hardest info to find out, is how and where the TV will be fixed. If it is under warranty, most manufacturers will pay to have a local repairman come to diagnose and fix your HDTV. This is more likely to be the case if you have a larger HDTV (bigger than 40 inches). If new parts are needed, the manufacturer will ship them to the repairman, who will install them.
Some manufacturers, like Westinghouse, will fix the TV for free, but will require you to send the TV in to one of their service centers. Shipping costs can run from $50-$200 depending on the size and packaging of your TV.
At the cash register, almost all stores will ask if you want to purchase an extended warranty for your HDTV. According to Consumer Reports, extended warranties are generally a waste of money, because:
- Some repairs are covered by the standard manufacturer warranty that comes with the product.
- Products seldom break within the extended-warranty window—after the standard warranty has expired but within the typical two to three years of purchase—our data show.
- When electronics and appliances do break, the repairs, on average, cost about the same as an extended warranty.
Extended warranties are only recommended for individual products that are known for breaking down, and only then when the warranty is cheap and repair costs high. Generally, modern brand-name HDTVs don’t fit this profile. In fact, Consumer Reports found that only 3% of its HDTV owners required repairs for their sets.
Just because your broken HDTV is under warranty doesn’t mean you won’t have any headaches. The Internet is full of nightmare stories of repairs taking months, and the parts used to fix the television having the same problems as before. If your TV breaks down, you should be prepared to be without a television for a while unless you can get a loaner or have an extra one.
Helpful Links:
LCD Buying Guide: Summary of manufacturer’s warranties
Consumer Reports “Why You Don’t Need an Extended Warranty“
