Best Buy's Magnolia Home Theater Super Bowl HDTV deals: Don't believe the hype

Best Buy purchased Magnolia Home Theater to add a high-end element to its HDTV lineup. Obviously, if you're shopping in that special section of the store, you can afford sets that cost $2,000 or more, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be comparison shopping. That's because you can usually find a better price online, often to the tune of a few hundred dollars.

A case in point are this week's Super Bowl deals. While the Best Buy Magnolia price on a 63-inch Samsung PN63B590 plasma is, at $2,739.98, $100 lower than both Amazon.com and Buy.com's price, that's the exception. If you don't mind shopping at online sites like PCRush.com and Abe's of Maine, you can do much better on other "sale" TVs. For example, the 60-inch Sharp Aquos LC60E77UN LCD costs $2,249.98 through Best Buy Magnolia, but it's almost $400 cheaper at PCRush.com. Likewise, PCRush.com offers savings of nearly $260 on the 58-inch Samsung PN58B860 plasma, going for $2,479.98 at Best Buy Magnolia.

You can also save a couple hundred dollars online for enormous Mitsubishi DLP-based rear-projection sets. Best Buy Magnolia has the gigantic 82-inch WD82837 for $3,599.99, but Abe's of Maine offers the same set for $3,318.18. For the 73-inch WD73837, Abe's price is $220 less than Best Buy Magnolia's $2,249.98. The online stores are offering free shipping on these, so if you don't mind if the set doesn't reach you by next Sunday's kickoff, you're not incurring massive shipping charges.

As for the main Best Buy HDTV selection, no word on this week's deals yet. Check back tomorrow to see if it has any better sales on less expensive sets.