For many people, purchasing a new television is motivation to seek out and find great deals on discount televisions. Unfortunately, savvy marketers know the phrase "Discount Televisions" will get people's attention, and will increase sales for a store (online or retail), regardless of whether there is actually any real discount on any of the televisions the store has for sale. Many people have been duped into paying full retail - or more - for a new television simply because the store had a huge ad in the paper, in the store, online, etc. with those magic words: "Discount Televisions".

So, how can you really know when "Discount Televisions" are actually being sold at a discount? As with any negotiation, patience and knowledge are your best defense.

Discount Televisions: It Starts With Knowledge

Before you start shopping, determine what you want in a new television. Define every detail you can think of, including such items as screen size, television type (i.e., plasma, lcd, crt, dlp, etc.), manufacturer, model number, features, and so on. Narrow your selection down to a handful of specific television models, so you know precisely what you are looking for before you step foot in a store claiming to have "Discount Televisions", or before you pull out your credit card to make the online purchase at your favorite, trusted web retailer.

Have your list of televisions? Wait, you still aren't sure? Okay, research televisions online using such resources as wikipedia, Amazon, and the manufacturers webpage. Continue searching until you answer at least the above questions so you know what you want.

Here's the reason why: If you don't really know what you want, you could end up with just about anything, especially if you're dealing with a salesman in a retail store; the sales man is going to push whatever they have overstocked in their inventory, or whatever model he's going to make the most commission on. He/she is not going to care what you truely want.

Discount Televisions: More Knowledge, More Patience

By now, you should have a list of several specific manufacturers and model number televisions you want. You now need to determine the full, retail price of each televisions, then search online discount stores to see how prices compare to get an average asking online price. This will give you a point of reference to know what a specific model television is worth, once you decide to respond to that enticing "Discount Televisions" ad.

To get the full, retail price, visit the manufacturer's website (i.e., sharp.com, toshiba.com, vizio.com, etc.). Most manufacturers include the full retail price of their televisions on their website.

To get ball park figures for online discount prices for your selected televisions, search google for the specific model. For instance, if one of your televisions is the "Sony Bravia V-Series KDL-40V4100 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV", search google for the model number "KDL-40V4100" (in quotes). You'll get a few reviews (more knowledge!), but you'll also get a number of online retailers that sell the KDL-40V4100. Gather at least 3 prices from 3 different online stores and average the 3 prices (add all 3 prices together, then divide by 3). There's your average online "Discount Televisions" price.

Discount Televisions: In Conclusion

You now have knowledge:

• you know what you want
• you know the full retail value of what you want
• you know the approximate discount value of what you want

Armed with this knowledge, you are an informed consumer.

Now, go find a genuine "Discount Televisions" sale and get a deal!