Best Buy offers sweet PS3 bundle with 1080p HDTV
by Peter Vrabel 
{ Jun 18th 2007 at 3:00PM }
The required item for this deal is the HDTV itself, and the 40" 1080p Sony LCD TV they're offering is quite an eye-catcher, having received pretty decent reviews from the users that purchased it. Although the HDTV fetches for $1550 - $1700 online, once you factor in the PS3, the game and the Blu-ray movie, it becomes quite a deal. Add it all up and if you're so inclined, head on over to Best Buy and partake.
[Via Kotaku]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt B @ Jun 18th 2007 3:04PM
That is a pretty sweet deal.
Brian @ Jun 18th 2007 3:21PM
Why does the page keep going back to the top ?
Flava @ Jun 18th 2007 3:27PM
Because of that damn Orange advert - someone remove it please, it keeps scrolling the page to the very top..
Brian @ Jun 18th 2007 3:34PM
Removing flash solved the problem so it was the crap Orange ad.... WHY
jas @ Jun 18th 2007 4:01PM
Wow, they now have to give these things away because no one is buying in-store stock.
What's next, Get a PS3 with a Happy Meal toy promotion!!!
It's getting to the point where Sony is becoming similar to satellite or cell-phone providers (commodities)..
Give away the product to gain a subscriber-base.
Breeze @ Jun 18th 2007 4:22PM
@jas
Hey dumbass, you realize that you're not getting a PS3 for free, right? Common sense would dictate that you did some simple research and discovered that the TV retails for about $1500. Oh wait, you didn't. What you did was make a hit and run comment and run away like the little sniveling xbox fanboy you are.
JJ @ Jun 18th 2007 4:23PM
Jas how is this any different from the TONS of sales stores were having on 360's over the last year and a half?
I couldnt even count how many sales i saw on 360's nearly giving them away. heck my roomate bought a premium 360 for only 275 bucks only 7 months after launch.
does that make the 360 a dud too? or is it somehow immune because its microsoft?
afsheen @ Jun 18th 2007 4:51PM
I don't think buying anything from Best Buy can be considered a "deal." If that is a "deal" from Best Buy's standards, I can guarantee you can find a better deal elsewhere by doing a little bit of research.
And heed Samantha's comments. She speaks truth.
JJ @ Jun 18th 2007 5:58PM
actually playa if you bothered to do your research you'd realize HDTV's are selling at an amazing rate right now. In fact i dont think its even possible to buy a normal SDTV any more in most big box retaielrs as they've all but phased em out.
and trust me, there's always money out there being spent on entertainment such as big screen TVs and what not. Just because YOU'RE not spending money on it doesnt mean other people arent. Hell, i've had a HDTV in my bedroom since 2001, before this whole HD revolution even really went into full swing.
So there's people out there buying em, lots of people in fact, probably even more people than actually buy video game systems.
as for the difference between 720p and 1080p i dont notice much of a difference either, but i also read you need to have a TV of AT LEAST 50 inches to get any real benefit out of it. Either way the day 1080p becomes standard will be a good thing and there wont be much of a premium at that point.
JJ @ Jun 18th 2007 6:00PM
Rain man... this isnt sony's doing... its best buy... how from that article do you come to the conclusion this is at all sony's doing?
bgdc @ Jun 18th 2007 6:11PM
@teengamer
Best Buy usually offers 24 months same as cash on most TV purchases with their CC. At the worst you could do 12 months same as cash (0% interest) with a Best Buy card and no promotion. My first HDTV in 2002 was purchased with a 2 years SAC (same as cash). Pretty easy to pay off 2k when it's interest free...
bgdc @ Jun 18th 2007 6:17PM
Agree with others. A search online reveals many places selling the TV for under 1600 (tax and shipping free too). You can buy a PS3 online too and save the $40 in tax too. Heck, avoid Sony and you can get other brand 1080p TVs for far less.
Andir3.0 @ Jun 18th 2007 6:38PM
@JJ: You should have heard the radio commercials giving away 360s around here. I think you had to sign up for some panel or whatnot (I really didn't check into it) but they give you a free 360 if you do whatever the promotion was for.
JJ @ Jun 18th 2007 9:00PM
brett what kind of TV did you buy? was it an LCD? Becauses LCDs and plasmas tend to have a cost premium over CRTs and DLPs, which is why i went with a 42" Samsung DLP 720p tv, ended up getting it about 6 months ago for around 900 bucks.
Kyle753 @ Jun 18th 2007 7:19PM
Hrmm 40" seems small, got a 55" Sony WEGA XBR which works fine already!
Chris Putnam @ Jun 18th 2007 8:37PM
I wish we'd see this more often. Stores always bundle stands, sound systems, and DVD players with HDTVs - why not game consoles? Consoles are popular enough that this should interest a lot of consumers, and it provides a way for the store to get around the PS3 price lock sent down from on high. I wouldn't buy this particular package myself (because Sony TVs are overpriced), but I hope this starts a trend that eventually results in a bundle that does interest me.
By the way, it's not true that you can't notice 1080p in a TV smaller than 50". To begin with, it all depends on how far away you're sitting - a 40" at 6 feet is going to look exactly the same as a 50" at 8 feet. You've got to choose the size that's best for your home setup. In any case, on a 40" the advantage of 1080p over 720p should be completely apparent at any distance closer than about 7 feet. That's especially true with games.
But the advantage of 1080p isn't just the higher resolution. Most of what you watch on TV will be 1080i, which doesn't have to be downscaled on a 1080p screen. Less scaling is always a plus for picture quality. And while you'll have to upscale 720p sources, that's usually the case with "720p" screens too, since the true native res on most of them is 768p.
Wonderwes @ Jun 18th 2007 11:26PM
Best Buy = retail price + tax.
Ripoff city
nebulus @ Jun 19th 2007 12:05AM
It obvious that most people here leaving comments are US based. A 40inch TV like that is considered on the large side over here in the UK, we just don't have the room in our houses to legitimately fit a 56" TV in!
Its all relative and down to view angles a 40" in a small room is roughly equivalent to a 56" in a big room.
To all those here spouting that they can't see the difference between 720p and 1080p on a smaller screen then they are full of it, or just plain blind.
1080p is a full 50% more pixels than 720p, the difference is huge. In fact those same people who are bemoaning 1080p now would probably have been saying the same thing about 720p a couple of years back as the resolution upscale is the same from SD wide screen eg 50%.
I think the real issue here is probably a lack of research and the fact that very few shops can properly show and apples for apples comparison between 1080p and 720p.
Good content on properly setup equipment the difference is night and day...
And before anyone wants to point out I'm a Brit so what would I know, well, I lived in the US for several years until recently.
I've been to bestbuys so I know the highly amusing sales techniques and the appalling setup that they torture their equipment with.
I even have that TV they are advertising (or UK equivalent) its a damn fine TV, or at least was until 6 months ago when the next big thing was released, but hey thats life...
And my job until recently was in the projection industry so I know a thing or two about setting up display systems.
BestBuyEmployee @ Jun 19th 2007 2:52AM
The Tv is a deal, there was basically no profit in the total sale. They are pretty much gone already, few stores have the TV in stock, the warehouse is out. Check with a local store to see what is available. You can also request that they transfer it from another location. You may be able to get whatever deal online you want, but people who want it quick and have a face to ask questions to, they like the deal, quite a few buyers I dealt with didn't even have a connection to download the updates on, so you think they will buy online? Any customers who take advantage of zero percent financing offers ended up being paid by Best Buy to take the deal. A retail store pays the bank that their card is drawn on for offering the finance deal like the current 2 year deal. At the listed price, Best buy loses, finance it too, Best Buy loses more. And you still are not satisfied.
There is also a 60 inch SXRD deal too. Check that deal out too.
The guy who talked about contrast ratios, do not ever judge a TV based on a contrast ratio, any number whether it be basic, or dynamic. There is no industry standard on determining a contrast ratio. You are at the mercy of whatever they tell you. Only believe what you see with your eyes. Take the wall of TV's, use the same test, and then i'll believe that number.
This is one of so many TV myths that are trusted by so many people who don't know any better. I won't go into other ones right now.
People complain that the sets don't look good on display. I won't dispute this could be true. I will say that look at circumstances. I can't say what store you were at and which floorplan was being used. I can't say how many people have touched the settings on the tv's you mentioned. The Tv's on display do all play off the same source, but factors in the splitting of its signal could vary by store. Sure people also like to bag on Sony as a brand, while other staunchly defend it. I personally believe in another LCD company, and a particular Plasma maker. I will agree that up to a certain size, pictures may be similar to most people. Certainly an ipod video looks great until its on a larger screen. Sure you mention 120hz and refresh rates, whatever. Do you think your eye could pick out a 120hz over a 60 at a passing ratio of 7 out of 10 times? Do you think you can tell a 4ms refresh TV over an 8ms one? Two of the same TV's at 720p vs 1080p? If so your eyes must be better than a camera shutter. I'll bet not and take these bets. Best Buy tries to vary the in store demo so you can make a decision with your own eyes. I can tell you all about how great a TV is, but your eyes have to see it for it to truly so.
It all comes down to buy what you feel is the best image, not what someone tells you is best based on their info. And if you think you can get a better deal than the PS3 deal, then do so. But this is a deal if you know margins and this deals lack of it.
Disclaimer: All of this is my personal feelings and not that of Best Buy's, but I will defend this offer to be a deal.
pixelsword @ Jun 19th 2007 2:13PM
This is an okay deal, but you have to remember, that BestBuy is ultimately owned by Microsoft, so they are more likely getting rid of their HDTV's rather giving a sweet deal to the PS3.
Drdre74 @ Jun 19th 2007 11:54AM
My friend just went and got this yesterday. He says he loves the T.V. I'm thinking of going to look at it after work and may get it if I'm impressed with it enough. Or i may just buy his PS3 off him since he doesn't really want it.
G @ Jun 21st 2007 6:35PM
some people can't tell the difference between 720 & 1080p, some can. if you can't then yes, it's a waste to get a small 1080p set. it does depend on how far you sit from the screen, but at 40 inches, on some content you can tell the difference.