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Vizio releasing 52-inch 1080p LCD for $2,200 next month?
We know that many consumers like their flat panels big and cheap even at the expense of quality. No doubt then, Vizio's new "full-HD" 52-inch LCD rumored to sell at Costco next month will be a hit. The $2,200 sets are even said to carry an LG.Philips panel according to DigiTimes' Taiwanese supply chain sources. Promising, but will they bring LED backlighting, 120Hz tech, and 1080p24 HDMI input? Doubtful, but the money you save should keep the fridge swollen with Bud into the foreseeable future.
Microsoft busts out its own rolling laptop case?
Here's an intriguing one. While casually browsing the always spontaneous pages of Costco's website, a rather interestingly-badged rolling laptop case managed to appear, but the Microsoft branding induced a bit of head scratching. 'Course, Microsoft's no stranger to the peripheral market in general, but we can't say we've ever known Redmond to take on the laptop case biz before. Hey, you'll need something to shove that multi-touch machine (or Oracle's newfangled ultraportable) in, right? Click on for a few more shots of the $99.99 accessory.[Thanks, Phil]
Costco sells gasoline powered PS3
California is one of our great states that stays abreast of environmental issues and presents propositions to ensure a greener society. One proposition in particular, promotes clean drinking water with legislation to keep toxic chemicals out of consumer products. Well apparently, someone forgot to inform Costco that the PS3 console doesn't use gasoline and is packaged as a solid, which makes it impossible to consume as a liquid or get mixed in with the drinking water. According to this advertisement, Costco has included a reference to California's Proposition 65 in order to inform any prospective PS3 buyer that the console could be toxic because of its use of gasoline, a highly flammable (and not very tasty) fossil fuel. We've looked (twice) and haven't yet found a gas tank or opening marked "fuel" on our PS3. Now, we suppose there might be some funky materials under that sleek hood, but even so, the PS3 doesn't appeal to us as being edible. Anyone else find a gas tank included in their PS3, or dreamt of a PS3 between two slices of rye with lettuce? Please, do tell.[Via digg]
HD DVD player spotted for $249 after rebate
When we first heard about the new FATHER's DAY HD DVD rebate we instantly hoped that it would be offered with other discounts, and now it seems that someone has spotted an HD-D2 at Costco for $249. For those who aren't familiar with Costco, they like to change the model numbers, so this is the same as the HD-A2 to everyone else. While $50 off the MSRP isn't the best deal we have seen without a rebate, at this price anyone trying to decide between an upconverting DVD player and HD DVD, has a really easy decision to make..
Apple TV at Costco
Ars Technica reports that Apple TV has begun to show up at Target and Costco stores. Apple TVs have been sighted at the Lincoln Park, Chicago Costco retailing for $289.99, saving you a cool ten bucks off the normal price. Jacqui Cheng writes that the normal Costco return policies seem to apply to Apple TV. Speaking of Costco, we last covered discounted iTunes gift cards during the Christmas season. Now that Mother's Day is nearly here, don't forget about this great Costco iTunes gift card deal. Pick up a $50 gift card for just $44.99 plust $0.50 shipipng and handling. That's a nice 10% savings. You can use the savings to pick up a rose or a chocolate or two. Mom will thank you as she rocks down to Nirvana or Barry Manilow or whatever.
The retail presence of the format war
With a full year of the format war under our belt we grabbed our camera and took some pictures of both formats on display at local retailers. We hit Best Buy (with a Magnolia built in), Circuit City, Target, Wal-mart, Sears, K-Mart, Sound Advice, and Costco. We tried to get some pictures from the east coast and the west coast of the US in a few major retailers, and discovered how different their offerings are depending on location. Check out the full gallery after the jump and a synopsis.
Save 10% - iTunes $50 gift card for $45 at Costco
Christopher Breen at Playlist's iPod blog found a great little deal on iTunes gift cards. Costco.com is offering the $50 gift card for $45 while supplies last. Breen mentions that local Costcos brick and mortar retail outlets may have a limited supply available for sale as well. This is a great price for a last-second gift. I'd hardly call a $45 item a stocking stuffer, but it would fit very nicely into most people's small-sized gift needs.
Home Pro Racing Simulator decks out your living room for $4,000
You know, most of us who have extra 42-inch plasma screens just kicking around usually spend our spare time watching say, "Battlestar Galactica" or some other big exploding action-packed show. It hadn't occurred to us that what our home entertainment center was missing was a Home Pro Racing Simulator, but then again, what do we know. Costco, a big-box wholesale retailer, is shipping an equally ridiculously-sized $4,000 rig that apparently acts as the perfect cockpit for racing (no, not the actual kind) or flying video games, coming complete with a steering wheel, foot pedals, 10-inch woofer, a handful of tweeters, and of course the optional, but obligatory, joystick. While the Simulator is also advertised as a "movie-going experience", we're not really sure how you're going to cuddle up to your loved one in a single seat while squashed behind a steering wheel -- we're not trying to replicate makeout point in our home theater, ya dig?[Via Red Ferret]
Vizio intros two 42-inch LCD HDTVs - L42 & GV42L
America's favorite warehouse-club-brand of televisions is back with two more sets that, as expected, have impressively low price points and decent specs to boot. V Incorporated has took the wraps off a new pair of Vizio 42-inch LCD HDTVs that will presumably only be available to those who can produce a membership card at the front entrance of a Sam's Club or Costco. Gaining fame for offering up somewhat comparable (albeit much less expensive) alternatives to more recognizable brands like Sony and Samsung, Vizio is dropping its GV42 -- which sports a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 1,600:1 contrast ratio, and a 8ms response time -- for a below-average $1,599.99, but only at Costco. The L42, available in Sam's Club, is remarkably similar to its slightly more advanced sibling, but had its corners cut by getting just an 800:1 contrast ratio and a $1,499.99 pricetag. Both of these units come bundled with table stands, and while details concerning the assortment of inputs are MIA, these should handle all your 1080i-and-below needs with ease. Although Vizio isn't the most glamorous name in the industry, its products have historically offered fairly good bang for the buck, and these look to be solid offerings for those who haven't quite mustered up the coin for those wallet-wrenching 1080p sets.[Via HD Beat]
Tube TVs quickly fading into oblivion
The iconic tube TV is fading off rather quickly. People just don't want the big, bulky tube sets anymore with the new, fancy flat-panels just screaming for attention and it all boils down to price. For around $500 a person can get a quality tube TV or for around $800, they can pick up a cheap LCD. Now, we aren't saying that the cheap LCD is better, 'cause we all know that most CRTs will outperforms even the highest-end LCD, but the average person doesn't care. They just want the thin screen. Manufacturers have cut their model lines and retailers are slowly fading them out too. In fact Costco is not going to sell them after this years holidays. CRTs represented 78% of the market in 2004 but only 54 this year. There is still a market for some people looking for a bargain though as you can find a 32-inch tube for around $300 each weekend by looking in the weekly fliers.Are you ready to kick your CRT to the curb and make way for a nice, new flat-panel HDTV?
Where do you get cheap Blu-ray discs now? Costco
Read that title again. Costco is getting into the high-def media with two Blu-ray titles that are available now! A Knight's Tale and House of Flying Daggers are up on their website and available for purchase. The release info indicates that it comes out on June 20th, but the site lets you add it to your cart and purchase the disc with no mention of any type of delay. Best of all too, they are cheap. The Blu-ray discs have a list price of $28.95 but Costco has it for the same price as Amazon at $19.99; but Costco seems to be shipping theirs. Not that there is really anything to play the disc in yet...NOTE: We did go ahead and purchase A Knight's Tale to see what will happen. The order is 'In Process' right know but we will update the post when ever it changes.[via HDBlog.net]
Mac mini "bundles" at Costco
ifoAppleStore is pointing out a pretty good deal discovered at Costco. A Mac mini, wireless keyboard and mouse and Apple Care plan are all bundled together in one big, plastic package for $699US. Compare that to $847US for a similarly equipped, low-end mini (we don't know the stats of the mini in the package. Has anyone seen one of these?). We suggest you get in your car right now and drive to Costco!
Costco selling the 20" iMac G5 at discount
A Mac User Group email list that I'm on noticed that Costco of all places (think: Sams Club competitor) is selling the 20" iMac G5 with iSight for $1479.99. While the machine is listed on their site, they instruct customers to check their local stores for available stock; it looks like they don't have any available for web order.Aside from Costco beating out Apple by $20, I think it's a little strange that the iMac is the only machine they seem to carry. A search at their website for "mac" returns nothing but a few software packages (including Quicken 2006 for Mac for $60 with a $20 rebate), but "imac" actually returns this one lone model they're selling. There's no word on how long they'll be carrying these machines, but with the rate that PowerPC based machines are disappearing, I'd recommend you pick one up while they're hot if you're interested.[UPDATE: Wow, this price is even better than I thought. Turns out that $1479 includes a 3-year AppleCare program. Run, don't walk! Thanks Derek!]
