So my parents are looking to buy a new TV...
10-15-07, 06:29 PM
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Location: Atlanta, GA
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So my parents are looking to buy a new TV...
I suppose my parents are what most would consider "Joe Six Packs" - they aren't really all that up to speed on the world of HD. They've had the same TV for about 10 years...one of those huge 65" CRT with the speakers built into the base and basically takes up an entire room by itself. Was a nice TV when they first bought it..and it is "HD Ready" - which made them assume they were already watching everything in HD. I finally convinced them that it's time to upgrade to a new TV, as well as get on board with HD DVD.
Anyway...my Dad called me the other day and said he stopped by the local Fry's Electronics here in Atlanta to look around and compare some prices. He found the TV he wants - a 58" Panasonic 1080p plasma screen. Cool.
Then he started to relay what the salesman at Fry's told him when he asked about HD DVD. The salesman actually told him, "Oh no - this is a Blu Ray TV...HD DVD won't work on this." Then he showed my Dad a Blu Ray player that had a 1080p label on the box, and pointed to the 1080p label on the TV as proof. They actually had a Blu Ray player hooked up to that TV in the store as a demo. Now my Dad is convinced that he can only get a Blu Ray player if he buys that TV.
It just makes me wonder how much of this is going on. I'm not sure if the salesman was just a complete idiot and horribly mis-informed (considering this was Fry's, it's a distinct possibility) - or if he is just trying to push the Blu Ray on people who don't know any better just because it's a more expensive sale.
Anyway - I told my Dad not to buy anything unless I was there with him. I hate to think what else these people are telling him.
Anyway...my Dad called me the other day and said he stopped by the local Fry's Electronics here in Atlanta to look around and compare some prices. He found the TV he wants - a 58" Panasonic 1080p plasma screen. Cool.
Then he started to relay what the salesman at Fry's told him when he asked about HD DVD. The salesman actually told him, "Oh no - this is a Blu Ray TV...HD DVD won't work on this." Then he showed my Dad a Blu Ray player that had a 1080p label on the box, and pointed to the 1080p label on the TV as proof. They actually had a Blu Ray player hooked up to that TV in the store as a demo. Now my Dad is convinced that he can only get a Blu Ray player if he buys that TV.
It just makes me wonder how much of this is going on. I'm not sure if the salesman was just a complete idiot and horribly mis-informed (considering this was Fry's, it's a distinct possibility) - or if he is just trying to push the Blu Ray on people who don't know any better just because it's a more expensive sale.
Anyway - I told my Dad not to buy anything unless I was there with him. I hate to think what else these people are telling him.
10-15-07, 07:35 PM
#2
DVD Talk Godfather
I'm sure there is a ton of "hidden agenda" sales going on unsuspecting folk like your Dad. My parents and sister know not to buy anything like that without consulting me first. I know a fraction of what some of the poster's here know, but I know enough to avoid situations like the one you described.
