I personnally want the best price possible. It has been my experience that the online sites for the large chains either have the same price or maybe slightly cheaper for alot of their products. I am unhappy to hear this coming from Philips, especially considering how coincidental it is to the impending release of the new remote.

I will not spend the suggested retail price that Philips is asking for this remote, given the historical documented problems of the remote and the Philips customer service on some of these issues. The price, I feel, is hyped for this kind of service. I may never purchase Philips products new again, if this is their stance.

Legally, they cannot prevent online shops from selling the products on the web. You may never be able to get access to Philips products from them online, but if you can purchase the products via a distributer, you can still sell them online. They may be flirting with FTC regulations if they restrict who can merchandise their products, at what prices, etc.

Not to mention that at least 3 of these do not even sell the remote in the stores: Best Buy, Sears and Circuit City. If you ask the salespersons, they do not have a clue about this remote. Only the high-end HT shops know about this remote, and even their knowledge is limited. I will have to check their sites, but I doubt they have them.