Online & Retail Sales go Head to Head; Low prices vs. consumer interaction.
In a world of prolific online consumer spending the public has become overly dependant on manufacturer specifications. The masses are being coached as to what information should be considered important in their decision making process. If given two different sets of specifications can you realistically tell what component is the superior piece of equipment? Flat panels being the current hot bed what numbers are the most important and what do they really tell you at the end of the day?
LCD panels are scrambling for bragging rights to the best refresh rates; which are now pretty standard at 120Hz. What about response times? Does it really matter how often you refresh if you have slow response times to begin with? We can all count pixels but lest not forget pixel pitch. Millions of pixels are great but mean very little if you can drive a bus between them. Why concern yourself with contrast ratio if the grayscale is inaccurate. It is a lot like trying to buy a car based on specifications alone. Would you buy a car without driving it first? Maybe, but I think it is highly unlikely. Car A has 280hp and car B has 400hp; which is faster? 400hp is surely the more impressive spec but what about aerodynamics, weight of the vehicle, rear wheel drive or all wheel drive, front engine or mid engine, etc. Where did the manufacturer get their HP rating, at the crank shaft or the drive wheel?
Manufacturers have mastered the art of deception when the time comes to produce impressive numbers. As someone who reviews specifications on a daily basis it is very easy, even for a trained eye, to overlook variables that can drasticly effect the real world performance of a piece of gear. I have learned over the years that the manufacturers who are confident they have a quality product not only divulge more information about the methods they used to obtain their published specifications but you may even notice they don’t seem to look quite as impressive on the surface as a much lesser component. That’s because they use stringent testing procedures to simulate the conditions their equipment will be subject to in the real world.
If you were asked to evaluate two TV’s based on the quality of the picture only, no information as to brand or a single specification and concluded unit “B” had the superior picture would you purchase unit “A” if you learned it had better manufacturer specifications?
Unfortunately thousands of consumers do it everyday. They visit their favorite online electronics website and purchase a TV or any other multitude of electronic components based solely on specifications alone. If you are determined to purchase online simply due to discount pricing at least do yourself the favor of finding a local retailer that sells the products you are considering so you may evaluate them in person. You can’t rely on magazine reviews either because this is a subjective industry. What sounds good to me may sound very offensive to you and viceaversa. Doing your homework before making a purchase is a very wise decision it can often provide guidance as to where you should start, but no amount of reading or research can reveal what just a few minutes spent with the product in person can.
by Jason Levert