Get a 60-inch LG plasma HDTV for $699.99

Christmas shoppers still have two months to find the ultimate family gift, but for those of us who gather 'round the menorah, there's barely a month left. (Chanukah falls really early this year.)

If the family's been clamoring for a bigger TV -- what, you're still making them sit through Super Bowls on a 42-incher?! -- here's one of the better deals I've seen.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the LG 60PN5300 60-inch plasma HDTV for $699.99 (plus tax), with free in-store pickup. (At this writing, shipping was listed as free but not available.)

Now, in my neck of the woods, sales tax will bump that total to around $742, at which point it might be better to consider Dell's deal on the same TV: the LG 60PN5300 for $749.99 shipped, plus a $150 Dell gift card. Sales tax still applies in many (most?) states, but the gift card definitely helps even things out. Use it for a printer, tablet, or whatnot.

The LG 60PN5300 is a 60-inch(!) plasma with a one-year overall warranty and two-year panel warranty. It's a budget-minded model, to be sure, with only two HDMI inputs and no apps or other "smart" features. (It does have an Ethernet port, but that's most likely for firmware updates.)

I'll admit I'm not wild about the HDMI situation. That's enough for, say, cable and Roku boxes, but what if you also want to connect a game console? Or Blu-ray player? Now you're going to need an HDMI switch box and all the hassles that go with it. If you've got a lot of stuff you want to plug in, consider another TV. (For shame, LG. On a panel of this size, three ports at a bare minimum.)

CNET hasn't reviewed this model, but 123 Best Buy customers collectively rated it 4.5 stars out of 5, and PC Mag awarded it 3.5 stars. I mention that because professional reviewers tend to be tougher on TVs than real-world users, and obviously the latter consider it a fairly outstanding model.

That said, if you're looking for something a little more robust (and don't like plasmas), Groupon has the LG 60LS5750 60-inch LED HDTV for $1,099.99 shipped -- still a great deal on a huge TV. (Rakuten sells it for $1,553.31.) It's fairly loaded: 120Hz refresh rate, built-in Wi-Fi, and loads of apps.

As we all know, TV is better than the movies. (Yeah, I said it.) So why not go big when you go home?

Bonus deal: Still paying your cable company a monthly modem-rental fee? You don't have to. Just buy your own modem; eventually you'll recoup the costs, and you'll save over the long run. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Newegg has the Motorola SurfBoard SB6121 cable modem for $68 shipped when you apply coupon code EMCWXVS64 at checkout. And when you do, you'll also get a free D-Link DIR-601 802.11n router! Note that you must be a Newegg newsletter subscriber to use the code.

Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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