With the bulk of our HDTV series over, it's time to relax and get ready for the impending awesome that is your amazing new HDTV. If you missed out on our tips in the previous three installments (featuring HDTV info, hands-on research, and the final touches to complete your HDTV heaven), feel free to give them a peek to help you pick out the best HDTV for your last-minute football party, or just to help you choose your new 'tube any time of year. Now that the gruntwork's behind me, how about I let you in on my own experience picking out a great HDTV online?

Much like I recommended earlier, my HDTV quest started with a bit of research. For starters, I had to pick out which kind of a HDTV set I wanted. Would LCD or Plasma be the best for me? After a bit of reading, I opted to go for the LCD since my living space is rather well-lit, and I wanted the vibrant colors of the LCD over the black depth that makes Plasmas shine in dark settings. Also, since I tend to watch/play a lot of things like video games and news stations that have stagnant images that tend to "burn into" screens, I didn't want to take the risk of damaging my TV. The choice was clear; I just needed to figure out what TV was right for me.

Shortly thereafter, I hit the streets to see if the LCDs actually delivered. To my surprise, they did. Set after set, the HDTVs with LCD technology looked generally brighter and clearer than their Plasma counterparts; so much so that I still opted for the LCD after picking out a little "motion blur" on the majority of the sets. With that said, one brand consistently stood out as the cream of the crop (especially when price was considered), and that brand was Samsung. While this may come as a bit of a surprise to some, Samsung has been one of the foremost manufacturers of LCD computer monitors for years now. With years and years of LCD production under their belt, it's obvious that Samsung is doing something right with the technology, as their screens looked great at practically any size.

Out of all of the Samsung models, though, the 650 series stood out to me as the TV with the best bang for my buck. While the 750 and 850 models are fine and dandy (and include a few superfluous additions in the way of inputs and features), the overall image quality varies so little, they might as well be overpriced doppelgangers. The 650 series features outstanding 120hz technology that eliminated most motion blur and makes people look "more real than real," and has speakers that outshine the 850 according to many reviewers. The viewing angle was outstanding and the picture was superb; I just had to get it.

After picking out the model of HDTV that impressed me the most, I ran back to my computer to find the best price. After looking around at Best Buy.com, Newegg, and even WalMart, I opted for Abe's of Maine for a few choice reasons. First, the HDTV was over $400 cheaper than in stores (and approximately $100-200 less than its online competitors) and featured free shipping. In addition to the free shipping, it included a free wall mount ($80+ value) and NO TAX. Toss in the $10 promotional code and 1% cash back, and I just couldn't say no. All in all, my combined savings came out to be somewhere in the $600-700 range just by doing my homework and shopping on the internet. Imagine how much you can save, too!

Within a week of ordering my HDTV, it was at my house. After gently unloading it from the shipping truck, I had a friend of mine lend me a hand with unpacking and setting it up in my house. It only took a few minutes to plug in the TV and unpack the remote, and viola! An HDTV of my dreams, in my very own home, with no dead pixels and no noticeable problems at all (knock on wood!). It's not too late to use in-store pickup and still save hundreds of dollars, so go get your big game HDTV before kickoff to ensure you have the best Super Bowl party yet!