Black Friday & Cyber Monday Discussion 2018
As well as the name of the media outlet, an email address, etc.PointsHubby wrote: ↑ Usually Journalists when posting for info / leads to stories here on RFD post more info than you did...
Like your name for starters
The reason it's often hard to compare exact model numbers is that name brands like Sony and Samsung often produce special models for high-volume retailers like WalMart or Best Buy. These models are minor variants of mainstream models that lack some minor feature like only 3 HDMI ports compared to 4 HDMI ports. The rest of the innards are no different. The manufacturers do this to let their biggest customers sell those models at a substantial discount without pissing off their smaller retailers. The variants also carry a slightly different SKU so they can't be used to price match. If you know this and you don't need the missing feature then these variants can be a great value.
No, not always the same innards, some key components that lead to higher fidelity of the picture are missing also, it's the trap.bylo wrote: ↑ The reason it's often hard to compare exact model numbers is that name brands like Sony and Samsung often produce special models for high-volume retailers like WalMart or Best Buy. These models are minor variants of mainstream models that lack some minor feature like only 3 HDMI ports compared to 4 HDMI ports. The rest of the innards are no different. The manufacturers do this to let their biggest customers sell those models at a substantial discount without pissing off their smaller retailers. The variants also carry a slightly different SKU so they can't be used to price match. If you know this and you don't need the missing feature then these variants can be a great value.
Also some lesser brands can be very good value. So can "last year's model" of a name brand. Consumer Reports is a good source of info on quality and reliability. As you say, those who do their homework before BF and then the ensuing Christmas/BD period will be well rewarded.
Can you cite a source for that or an example, i.e. similar model numbers, e.g. XYZ500A and XYZ500B, but significantly different key components?
Not off hand, but I recall a few years ago it was the case with a Samsung TV that was in the BF sales, people on AVS forum were really let down by the crappy panels that were put them, this will still happen today too.
Manufacturers usually buy panels from more than one source. Car makers do the same with parts like tires. As a result two different samples of the same model could have different panels (or tires.)
Right, black friday tv's aren't always the same quality as regular models.bylo wrote: ↑ Manufacturers usually buy panels from more than one source. Car makers do the same with parts like tires. As a result two different samples of the same model could have different panels (or tires.)
Manufacturers do this partly because one panel maker may not be able to produce enough panels to meet the TV maker's volume. They do it partly because they want a backup supply of a "key component" in case the primary factory goes down. (Recall a few years ago a flood in Thailand took out several HDD factories, causing PC makers to scramble for alternate sources and temporarily raising HDD prices.)
The result is that two units of even the identical model could have panels from different makers. While TV manufacturers order panels with the same technical specifications, there can be subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, subjective differences between the two (or more) sources. Now people on AVS are more discriminating than the public in general, so it's not surprising that some of them may notice such differences. However that doesn't mean that the public at large will notice them or that they can't be mitigated by tuning the screen settings. Indeed as the stereotype goes, all too many people watch their TV at default settings, e.g. at so-called "store mode", which is far brighter and more garish than is ideal in the home, especially in a darkened home theatre room. And of course some people may actually prefer what other people consider to be an inferior panel.
TV makers gear up production for the BF and Christmas season so it's more likely that two similar or even identical models may have different parts at this time of year. They simply can't get enough from one source to meet their anticipated demand. Whether that matters is very subjective. If it matters a lot to you, then by all means avoid buying "special" models. But my contention is that for the vast majority who can't tell the difference, it really doesn't matter.
Right, and regular model TVs aren't always the same quality as BF models.
