Why You Can Trust CNET Five-deal Friday: A big TV, a free Blu-ray ripper, and more!
Also on tap: a slightly less big TV, a $30 Powerline Ethernet kit, and an $18 MP3 player.
Hang onto your wallets, cheeps, because I've got five -- count 'em, five -- deals lined up for your Friday.
Why the glut? Same as always: I found lots of really good items and couldn't decide which one to spotlight. Check 'em out:
1. One big TV.
When it comes to bang for your TV buck, I think Vizio leads the pack. Especially when Vizio resellers serve up deals like this one: Dell Home has the Vizio E552VLE 55-inch smart LCD HDTV for $649.99 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). Although CNET had some nits to pick about its picture quality, several dozen Amazon buyers collectively rated it 4.6 stars out of 5. Me, I think that's an awesome price for a huge new (not refurbished) TV with Wi-Fi and apps -- even one with mediocre black levels.
2. One slightly smaller TV.
Apps, schmapps, am I right? What you want is a den- or bedroom-friendly TV with a wallet-friendly price. Fry's has the LG 39LN5300 39-inch LED HDTV for $299, plus around $14 for shipping (or not, if you pick it up in-store). Sales tax applies in states where Fry's has said stores. That's the lowest price I've seen for a name-brand (as opposed to no-brand) TV of this size. It's a fairly bare-bones model, with just two HDMI ports, but if you don't need a lot of frills, this is the deal to beat.
3. A free Blu-ray ripper.
Did your PC come with a Blu-ray drive? Now you can use it to make backups and mobile copies of your movies. Aiseesoft Blu-ray Ripper 6.3 (PC) is free, today only, from Giveaway of the Day. With it you can convert Blu-ray and DVD discs to just about any video format. Make sure you open the readme.txt file after installing the program; it contains the registration code you'll need to unlock the full version.
4. Easy Ethernet.
If you can't get your Wi-Fi to reach the farthest corners of your house, run Ethernet cable -- without actually running Ethernet cable. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Newegg has the D-Link PowerLine AV Mini Starter Kit for $29.99 shipped when you apply coupon code EMCXRWX65 at checkout. Just plug these two adapters into two AC outlets -- one near your router, the other where you need Ethernet -- and presto, you've got Internet. Kits like these often sell for $70 and more.
Update: Should have clarified that you must be a Newegg newsletter subscriber in order to use this code. That's true of nearly all Newegg discounts.
5. MP3 for you and me.
Going for a run? Forget Apple's overpriced, underfeatured Shuffle. DealFisher has the refurbished SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 4GB MP3 player for $18.49 shipped. Better yet, get the 8GB model for only $3.50 more. Both clip-on MP3 players feature an FM radio, a voice recorder, a memory-expansion slot, and a screen so you can actually browse your music library. Crazy-good deal.
Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.
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