A frugal life is an easy life!

When buying a TV, even the new fangled HD - internet ready TVs - that are all singing all dancing in today's magical world of wonderment, or whatever the crap is they are peddling, but getting ripped off is as old as the hills.

Here's a simple way to stop that happening and stop the sales patter right in it's tracks.

Walk into any shop, look at how amazing the picture quality is... superb clarity, top notch resolution, etc. You know the drill.
Ask the salesperson one simple question, "Well let's see how it handles a tv aerial signal then?"
Sit back and watch.

Some will tell you they don't have that facility, some will claim it's just as high quality as the display you're looking at. Others will claim that they don't have an aerial or freeview to demonstrate as it's the licensing laws or costs the company too much to pay for the license, yes some do try this.
Some will start to sweat as they frantically run around looking for help or back up, if it's a big sale, some will start fumbling around behind the display TVs , pulling wires out and replugging them in. (It's quite funny watching them get more and more worked up)

Why ask for this you ask?
Well most TV you watch isn't blu-ray, not everything is in HD, many TVs look good and perform great when blu ray is up and running, but plug in a basic signal (via aerial and freeview or bog standard sky) and the amazing picture suddenly doesn't look so great anymore.
TVs have a frame rate, cheaper the TV, lower the frame rate and the picture suffers markedly.
Especially so, if it's in "a sale"
This is hidden if the TV on display is playing back a blu ray disc or even a DVD.

REMEMBER: Sale prices are all well and good, but be warned.
Companies know which TVs (or any other big buy) have a history of being repaired or need to be replaced down the line, before the guarantee runs out.
When any "sale" item is replaced, you will only be credited for the amount you paid, a match on features for example, is very hard to get out of them.
You could buy a top of the range TV in a sale, 8 months later, it's replacement is of the same value, but now you have an over priced mid ranged TV with less features.
Be aware of this.

If the shop doesn't have the facility to demonstrate the TV you are interested in, without showing you it's picture quality in freeview or with an aerial, then I would always walk away and shop elsewhere.
I don't want to buy a TV that looks great in the shop, to find it has a shadow or ghost running behind people in the picture when it's on freeview, only for the company to claim that it's some technicality with reception, or some low quality equipment effecting the average picture.
When you find a shop that looks after it's customers and can demonstrate the TV the way YOU want it demonstrated, value them.
Your TV may not be as cheap as bert bloggs all singing all dancing down the road, but it will save you money in the long run, result in better equipment and you will be more likely to return to them to buy again in the future.

There are some good retailers out there, you just have to find them!