Are online retailers better then brick and mortar stores?

ABC News ran a story the other night about how many consumers are turning to online retailers for their electronics. Consumer Reports conducted a survey in which they pitted stores against each other in terms of their customer service, selection, and price. But they threw in online retailers. The online retailers came out on top with Crutchfield, J&R.com, & Amazon leading the way.

But my question to you though is would you buy, or have you bought, an HDTV online? Do you think the technology has matured enough that you do not need a physical location for support if anything goes wrong. What if you are only saving a few dollars after shipping is weighed into it?

Personally, I do not think that I would order on online. I am the type of person that if anything goes wrong I would like to have someone to talk to. That's just me though.