Buying a Sharp Aquos LC46D82U

[SeaBee63]

Hoping to pick it up from FS before Thursday and I'm wondering a few things.

1. The sale price at FS is $2,299.00 and I'm hoping to get it down further if possible. Any ideas?

2. From what I've read this seems like a good TV and Sharp is a reputable brand, but is there something better or less expensive with similar specs in this range?
- 46" to 50"
- Full HD 1080p
- 120Hz
- less than 4ms response time

It will be used with Roger HD service 60%, BR DVD 20% and my kids Wii 20% of the time. FWIW, I don't like glossy screens or bezels (too distracting) and I'm leaning away from plasma as my kids have a tendency to leave DVD menu screens and video games paused quite often (don't want to risk burn in).

3. I'm not a fan of extended warranties because I think they're a waste of money, but I know the FS salesperson is going to try and sell me on it. I know this because they tried on Sunday and were going to knock $200 off the $500 four year plan. I'm still not even sure it's worth it at that price, but I'm wondering what others with Sharps and hopefully this 82U model have experienced.

All opinions are welcome and appreciated. I haven't bought a new (primary) TV in over 12 years and I don't want to make a mistake on this.

Thanks.

Chris

[Rometiklan]

Out of curiosity, did you pick up your TV yet, SeaBee63? If so, can you tell us about your impressions, any problems, or any likes or dislikes?

I was also looking at the Sharp Aquos, but the 52" LC52D82U model instead. The TV was on sale for $2699.99 at the Park Royal FS in Vancouver. This TV was $3499.99 not too long ago. The sales rep only knocked $100 off the $599.00 4-year extended warranty though. I ended up not buying the TV because of one reason or another. I hadn't done enough research into this model and I figured I might end up regretting such an impulse buy.

I would also decline the extended warranty as my credit card offers up to an extra year of warranty on all purchases.

[chrome_dout]

3. I'm not a fan of extended warranties because I think they're a waste of money, but I know the FS salesperson is going to try and sell me on it. I know this because they tried on Sunday and were going to knock $200 off the $500 four year plan. I'm still not even sure it's worth it at that price, but I'm wondering what others with Sharps and hopefully this 82U model have experienced.



I don't think they are knocking anything off the ext. warranty. Instead they are just going to charge you for the cheaper ext warranty (ie for a lower priced TV, the same plan is considerably cheaper). A friend of mine that worked at FS years ago used to do that, it worked wonders for getting sales.
Also, a friend of mine picked up the same TV for somewhere around 1900 ish after tax, I believe it was from a wholesaler? You may want to look into that. BTW that is a very nice TV, good choice. :)

[Cough]

You know that the 2U has a banding problem which is now fixed in the 4U ??

[TigerTheLion]

You know that the 2U has a banding problem which is now fixed in the 4U ??

I picked up this TV (46") for $2,088 at a Brick VIP sale back in December. I moved and finally got it installed a few weeks back and haven't noticed any banding at all.

BTW, Sharp hasn't released the D84U series. I heard it will be late this summer or early fall. This isn't to say the supposed 'banding' issue won't exist but I think it's hit or miss depending on the factory where it was manufactured. Actually, now that I think about it, I seem to recall reading somewhere that the D82's were manufactured at a different factory and were not experiencing any banding.

I love this TV! It's the first TV I've purchased in about 10 years since my 27" JVC and it was worth the wait. I spent at least 12 mos. reviewing TV's and waiting for the right price so I was confident in my decision.

As far as I know there isn't another TV that offers 120Hz and <4ms response time. Sony's XBR's are 120Hz but at 8ms.

I've been checking the price on these constantly because of the price match guarantee and haven't seen anything <$2,150 which was at Costco. BB and FS are still advertising $2,299 ($300 off).

I have absolutely no complaints about this TV. It's a beauty. I would recommend this anyone.

There was some mention about glossy bezels in this post as well. The D82 does have a glass boarder around the screen and a glossy piano black bezel but it hasn't really bothered me. I wouldn't let this deter you from making this choice.

[SeaBee63]

Out of curiosity, did you pick up your TV yet, SeaBee63? If so, can you tell us about your impressions, any problems, or any likes or dislikes?

I ended up buying from Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto. I finalized the deal on a Tuesday and they were going to order it in, but my sales rep there called me on the Thursday and said it could be up to 4 weeks before it came in. He then offered me the LC46D92U at the same price ($2,199) that they had in stock and I could take it home that night. I jumped on that deal and have been very pleased with the TV. No banding, the glossy bezel doesn't bother me and I have no complaints about the TV. Rogers on the other hand... I've had no end of problems with my HDTV service from them!