So Ron –

My curiousity is killing me: What HDTV setup did you ultimately decide to buy? )

To add to your comments on extended warranties on HDTVs, my advice would be to skip them (and I think this echoes what most experts say as well). Here’s several good reasons: First, today’s electronics have pretty low failure rates — and if a failure does occur, it will likely be within the first year or two of ownership. So if you make it that far, chances are good that you won’t experience major problems until well after the extended warranty expires. Second, remember that purchasing with many credit cards automatically doubles the standard manufacturer’s warranty, up to a full year — so the common 1-year warranty just became two years at no extra cost. Third, it’s very important to note that with most extended warranties the clock starts ticking on day 1 (ie, they overlap the standard warranty). So a so-called “3-year extended warranty” on a set you bought with a credit card might actually add only one more year! And finally, think about the rapid obsolescence that applies to almost all consumer electronics or computers: That snazzy new TV you just bought is going to look like a dinosaur compared to new ones three years from now — and those new sets will cost much less for even better quality (sigh… my 61″ Samsung DLP set me back $5k to get one of the very first units shipped in 2003, but would now cost less than half that much to replace with something even better). So sinking a bunch of $$ upfront into a warranty that will merely fix your old set may not be a good investment vs. saving that money towards the replacement you’ll likely be wanting a few years down the road!

Extended warranties are a huge profit item for electronics retailers vs. the generally slimmer margins on equipment. That’s why it’s hard to escape without enduring a high-pressure sales pitch designed to scare you into buying a warranty you don’t really need that can add as much as 50% to the total price of your TV!

Rob

Ron,
Congratulations! I think that’s a fine choice, although I’ll admit to being a bit biased given the great picture and reliability I’ve enjoyed with my own Samsung DLP. And the big improvements in DLP technology over the last four years (not to mention 1080p resolution!) just make it all that much better.

I assume you’re getting the Dish 722 DVR… it changes your whole TV-watching experience, and you’ll quickly wonder how you ever lived without it! I’ve set up a bunch of permanent timers that record every ‘new’ episode of the network shows we enjoy, and can now watch them when it’s convenient. In fact, we much prefer watching recorded shows vs. live: Four to six presses of the ‘skip 30 sec forward’ button followed by one press of ‘skip 10 sec back’ and the commercial breaks are history — you can watch an hour-long show in about 45 minutes. I believe those two buttons are unique to the Dish DVRs, but are are definitely among the features I like best!

I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new setup, and glad I could help.

Rob