Talk about a direct shot across the bow of Custom hybrids. I must admit it is an effective piece of advertising. Time for Cedia to put our money where there mouth is.

I saw it tonight during the prime time Saints & Atlanta Football game, it seems the TV market must be very important to them. I thought it was very effective message for them.

I missed it, care to elaborate.

Or how about the new Mag ad?

'I pledge'

Smart marketing.

Makes me sick.

Don't hold me to exacts, but the commerical shows a female customer in a very modern showroom (Westelm-Crate and Barrel type design) Showroom is all panels. Salesman is talking and female says but what is different than the 1080i units at Walmart for hundred less and salesman falls apart. Into Walmart commerical for TVs.
I took it as a direct attack on your nice custom shops.

where u all been, this has been on Monday night football for three weeks. Everytime I see it, it pisses me off more.

From the mind of a consumer........

"Whats CEDIA???"

I agree that it was an effective ad aimed at driving consumers to buy only on price!

Why would Walmart care if it was a pain to operate or didn't work well with other products?

That isn't their current business model.

I wonder if the ad company vip's are sitting at home with their htib's, a hand full of remotes, and a cheat sheet trying to get everything configured so they can watch the game!

I doubt it.

Once again, low ball retailers have some of you worried. WHY? they are low ball retailers. Focus on your CUSTOM INSTALLATION business.
If a customer asks me to install their lcd, plasma that they purchased from wally world, I will install it and remind them that any problems with that set, they are on their own. That ussualy gets them rethinking about purchasing from the low ballers.
Continue to reinforce the message, that you get what you pay for.

Actually I found it to be a shot at Best Buy. The salesman is talking about their "Rewards" program that gets you points towards other items (including a digital bread machine or something), that's something you wouldn't find in a custom shop.

I work for a small (16 employees) custom retailer/integrator and even though its "disturbing" to see these kinds of things....and the $1499 job at Home Depot....does it hurt us? No. Why? Because the kind of client who buys those things at those places isn't likely the kind of person who would come to us anyway. So why worry? Its a laughing matter, isnt it? I mean really....we dont have customers that are having a hard time deciding between a Runco 40" LCD and a WalMart 40" LCD....:)

Mag or one of the better funded shops (or CEDIA?), should put together a good "counter attack" ad: You walk into a humongous building filled to the rafters with cheap chinese crap, and a bunch of inbred fifth-grade level, overwieght losers with rotted teeth and yellow (or whatever the hell color), vests on... The customer walks over to their ultra funky Plasma section (showing Nascar racing - off air complete with ghosting), and asks about 1080i, and the rotted - toothed guy in the vest says..."1080i ??? isn't that like a new Tax form or is that a 1040?"...

I found it ironic that the lady was in the store asking questions. Like Mr. Stanley I can imagine the answers that will be given by the 17 year olds that work in the TV section of Walmart. So I guess what the customer is supposed to do is to go to established companies to get information and ask questions then go to Walmart and buy the set because they are cheaper.

Lucky my customers don't shop at Wally World.

Dave T

I'm not worried about my store or my job. I am just saddened by all of the nice people who will believe the hype, and give their hard-earned money to one of these places, and get scr&wed. You know we will all get to meet a few of them over the coming months and years.

djnorm --- Winner of the international pimp my install/vehicle competition!!!

Well put. I do have to say that it has always made me chuckle, thinking about the poor S.O.B. that buys a 50 or 60 inch Plasma @ a Big Box, then sees the boxes of articulating wall - brackets on display, and thinks to himself... HEY! shouldn't take more than 15 minutes or so... The wife and I can hang this bad-boy ourselves -- should be real easy!!! In the back of my mind I always have to wonder how many Plasmas get dropped by DIY's, or husband - wife teams trying to get them up on the mount etc.!! ;)

I agree. Well put, and my sentiments exactly.

Isn't that what is happening with EDTV especially these days?

Customer: "Is it HD?"

Salesperson: "No..... well yes...... well not exactly..... well, it's way better than regular digital, sir/ma'am! It's ENHANCED! And look at the price!"

HTIB's, MP3 players, and EDTV's do have their place, but they get marketed like they are just as good as many products that very often don't cost a whole lot more from a proper shop.