5 Reasons You Shouldn't Shop at a Big Box Store

Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart… the five things about these big box stores that can radically skew your perception of a TVs quality when you go for an in person look, and what you should do to avoid being a sucker.

Sometimes, what you see isn't always what you get, especially when you shop at a Big Box Store like Circuit City or Best Buy. We'll give you five good reasons to take what you see in their TV departments with a grain of salt.

1. It's way too bright!

If you've ever been to a big box retailer, you know they're oversaturated with harsh fluorescent lights which flood every inch of the gargantuan store. Would you choose to light your living room the same way? Of course not! Strong lighting can cause excessive glare and negatively affect specifications like contrast ratio, making it hard to really see what a TV really looks like.

2. It's way too crowded!

Trying to judge a TV's picture quality is difficult in the tight, crowded spaces where TVs are positioned in these stores. Small aisles and poorly laid out displays can force you to stand too close to a TV, less the proper viewing range, the picture quality will appear sub-par. We've put together a handy guide to let you know what the best viewing distance is for the different TV sizes. If you're not at least that far away, you're not getting the whole picture.

3. They're manipulating the picture!

People forget how important the video source is when judging a TV's quality. If an HDTV is hooked up to a standard definition source, improperly connected with poor cables, or is sharing a video source with a dozen other TVs, the picture is going to look terrible. It's not the TV's fault; chances are it might look great if only it were properly set up. Big box stores often take shortcuts when hooking up video sources, leading to poor image quality on the display TVs. In some cases, less scrupulous stores will intentionally provide some TVs with good sources and some TVs with bad ones, so consumers are drawn to the more expensive, "better" looking models, when the perceived difference in quality is an illusion. Additionally, TV settings are often reconfigured to suit the store's lighting and environment, with brightness and contrast levels far off from what would be suitable in the home.

4. They're just trying to sell what's in stock!

See a great deal on a nice 32" LCD TV? It might be a better deal for the store than it is for you. Sometimes, deep discounts and too-good-to-be-true deals aren't there for the shopper's benefit, but to clear out old stock and make room for new models. You could be walking out with a TV the store had trouble getting rid of until it slashed the price. Remember: you won't leave a big box store with the best TV you can possibly get, you'll leave with the best TV they have available.

5. They don't know what they're talking about!

If you shop online, you have the opportunity to read the real opinions of consumers who own TVs, who have spent their money on TVs, and have lived with TVs. Their opinions matter, and are the best source of information on a TVs quality. In the store, you're forced to rely on a salesperson for information, and when it comes right down to it, the salesperson works for the store, not for you. They may not know everything about the technology, or worse, if they do, they can exploit your curiosity and trust just to make a sale.

Conclusion: Be a Smart Shopper and Check Online!

By all means, take a walk through your local big box store's TV department, and get an idea of the size and general appearance of the HDTVs on the market. Be aware, however, that there are a number of factors at play in those aisles that can warp your perception of the product. Do yourself a favor and use the power and potential of the Internet to clear the air. Using sites like Shopping.com, CNet, Amazon, and (of course) DigitalAdvisor, you can:

• Read Reviews from Real Owners: An amazing resource; real opinions from people like you who have bought and lived with their HDTV, and can give an accurate description of its performance.
• Find a Variety of Options: Plenty of televisions and plenty of deals, real deals, not bait-and-switch lies or deceptive discounts. The wealth of options online is a major benefit to the consumer.
• Feel Confident in Your Selection: Once you've settled on a TV, you can feel confident that you've got the whole picture, not just what some sleazy salesperson wants you to see.

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