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JohnnyBoy

Jul 12, 2008, 7:15 PM

Post #1 of 3 (1442 views)

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Differences among Models of Sony LCD TVs Mexico & USA

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There is presently another active thread under the Living and Retiring in Mexico forum entitled: What is best way to bring new LCD TV over border?

I was tempted to post my question there, but decided it did not fit that thread very well. Here it is.

I am in the market for a Sony Bravia 40" LCD TV. Doesn't matter to me if I get it in Tucson or here in Hermosillo, Sonora.

Problem is...everywhere I look at Sony Bravia 40" LCD TV's I find I am looking at different models. The ones in Costco have a particular model number, the ones in Liverpool have another model number, the ones in City Club have yet another, as well as Soriana Plus, and WalMart. The ones I have looked at in Tucson were also different and varying.

So what are the differences, other than the prices and the model numbers? All were 1080p.

The ones at Liverpool were about 28,000 MXP while the ones at Soriana Plus were about half that amount, 14,000 MXP. All the others were somewhere in between. Those in the USA (like at Costco) were all less than $1000.

I want to get the best and most for my money. How do I do that?

johanson / Moderator

Jul 12, 2008, 9:55 PM

Post #2 of 3 (1430 views)

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Re: [JohnBleazard] Differences among Models of Sony LCD TVs Mexico & USA

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The first thing I would go is go to my favorite search engine and enter, Sony Bravia 40" LCD TV, and I got

shopping results for Sony Bravia 40" LCD TV

Sony KDL-40XBR4 $1,400 to $2,699 - 33 stores Sony BRAVIA XBR KDL-V40XBR1 $1,300 to $1,999 - 7 stores Sony KDL-40V3000 - HDTV $899 to $1,500 - 9 stores
This tells me that there are at least three models in the US.

I would also go to the Sony web-page. I just did and I saw that there are not 3 but 8 different 40 inch Bravia models presently offered by Sony

I don't know where you live John, but I'm told that Sony has a great store in many of the large cities in Mexico to include Guadalajara. I would go to a Sony store if I were you and decide which model I wanted and then comparative shop for that model in both the US and Mexico. And depending upon your language abilities you could do much of that shopping on line, not only in the US but also Mexico. Good luck

JohnnyBoy

Jul 14, 2008, 10:31 PM

Post #3 of 3 (1406 views)

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Re: [johanson] Differences among Models of Sony LCD TVs Mexico & USA

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Thank you Sr. Johanson.

I live in Hermosillo, Sonora, and it is the biggest city between Tucson and ... well, I am not sure which is the next big Mexican city south of here. I just know this city of close to 1 million does not have a Sony store.

My biggest concern is that I might pay 18,000 at Costco for a model that is comparable in technical features to one at Soriana that sells for 15,000.

The basic problem is researching the models and what their various specs and features are. It is a problem because I cannot get that kind of information about the Mexican models I am encountering, and anyway, even if that information were available, it would all be jibberish to me. In other words, I do not know, technically, what to look for.

The employees/sale people in the various stores around Hermosillo who sell these LCD TVs (not just Sony, but other brands as well, like LG, Sharp, etc.) don't even know the prices of the TVs (when a price sign is missing, as it often is, esp. in Costco) let alone anything technical about the TVs. What's worse, it takes them an eternity to look it up on a computer. So I have zero confidence in the sales people.

I was hoping someone on MexConnect could just tell me...I bought XYZ model and it looks and sounds good. That is about as technical as it needs to get for me. I can't really do that in the stores. I saw a nice 40" Sony Bravia along side a 36" Sony Bravia and a 46" Sony Bravia, and they all looked like poop. I was told they connect the brands and models they really want to push and sell to "the good cable" and the others look shabby by comparison.

I may be forced to go to Tucson where the sales people can at least spell Sony or LG. They usually sound to me like they know what they are talking about. But I really want to buy in Mexico and spare myself all that nervousness at the border (both declaring and not knowing how bad I am going to get dinged for taxes or not declaring and sweating out two red light/green light adventures).

So if anyone has bought a 40" Sony Bravia LCD TV in Mexico, I would like to hear which model and what your opinion is about it.

Thanks.

jb