Black Friday may be the busiest day for storefronts. Now we've moved on to Cyber Monday, people. This is our favorite shopping day of the year, since it encourages people to kick up those old bunny slippers and surf the web for bargains in their pajamas (just remember to turn off the ole webcam just in case a Skype call comes in, no one needs to see that).
That's right; you really don't need to leave the house or even put on pants to get a great deal on a great HDTV. Now where to find the best prices on reliable brands of plasma TVs from legitimate dealers?
Of course, you could take the day off, feast on the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers and search through the thousands of websites having Cyber Day sales. Yikes! That can get more overwhelming than the Walmart line on Thanksgiving night (but with less pepper spray).
Need some help figuring out the best HDTV deals? We're here to be your personal shopper. We've combed through the websites and the sales, and found five of our favorite plasma HDTV bargains for Cyber Monday.
UPDATE: Check Amazon's Gold Box in the evening of Cyber Monday for some additional discounts on select Samsung HDTVs (most of which are 3D-capable).
Panasonic 42-inch TC-P42S30 1080p Plasma HDTV
Kicking things off is the Panasonic 42-inch TC-P42S30 1080p Plasma HDTV, which Panasonic is selling direct. This is absolutely one of our favorite HDTV deals of the season. How can it not be? It's 42 inches of full 1080p HD for just $524.96. That price includes free shipping, as well as the 600Hz sub-field drive, x.v.Color compatibility, VIERA Link, three HDMI inputs, and two USB ports.
It also has IPTV features, which can put Netflix, VUDU, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, and much more, right at your fingertips. Better buy up this one quick! We've seen this HDTV sell out elsewhere at this price!
Samsung 720p D490 Series 3D Plasma HDTV with 4 Pairs of Glasses
If you're willing to spend a few extra dollars, you can get a 51-inch 3D TV with four pairs of 3D glasses. That means you could be enjoying some in-your-face 3D action on Christmas morning -- assuming you can actually wait that long.
We found Samsung's 51-inch PN51D490 720p 3D plasma for $599.99 shipped. If you're cut off is $500, you can go for the smaller 43-inch PN43D490 and get the glasses as well. Both models have a 1360 x 768 resolution, 600Hz subfield motion technology, ConnectShare Movie, SRSTheaterSound, Samsung's stylish Plasma Plus One Design, and three HDMI ports. Here's the link:
Panasonic 55-inch TC-P55VT30 1080p Plasma HDTV
For those of you not messing around, we have a great deal on a top-of-the-line 1080p HDTV. Seriously, Panasonic's 55-inch TC-P55VT30 1080p Plasma HDTV is one of our favorites right now. It even placed second (right behind a more expensive model) in the annual Value Electronics HDTV shootout. Features on this model include the 1080p, THX 3D certification, and a 2D-to-3D conversion feature. If you want to take advantage of that 3D, this model comes packing a pair of 3D glasses. Bonus! Speaking of which, the TC-P55VT30 also has a wealth of web-based entertainment via VIERA Connect, the Infinite Black Pro 2 panel, the 600Hz sub-field drive, four HDMI inputs, and so much more. The set is on sale until Saturday (12/3) though stock may run out sooner with all those buyers surfing for deals this week.
We found this big boy on Amazon for just $1299.98. This one does the full 1080p HD in both 2D and 3D, and has excellent contrast and black levels as well as rich saturated colors. It also has the VIERA Connect extras, which we mentioned above.
Our own Ian White gushed over the 50-inch version of this HDTV just a few months back. Of course, bigger is better -- especially at this price! Check out his full Panasonic TC-P50ST30 3D HDTV Review or get more info on this model at Amazon.com.
In our esteemed (and hardly ever annoying) editor, Chris Boylan's opinion, the Samsung D8000 series plasmas are pretty much on par with Panasonic's VT30 series plasmas as the best-looking TVs on the market today. Also a strong performer in the HDTV shootout, the Samsung D8000 plasma features excellent black levels and contrast, as well as accurate colors that are deep and saturated. Even in 2D mode, the image has palpable depth. But if you opt for the 3D glasses, then you're in for a real treat as movies and more come alive in your living room or home theater. Because it is a full HD active 3D model, you'll get full high definition resolution (1080p) to each eye in 3D mode. There are a few sizes available, but we think the sweet spot in price/performance is the 59-inch model, which list for $2999.99 but it available on Amazon this week for a low $1799.99. Here's the link:
More Deals on HDTV and Home Theater:
