Thanks to all who watched and participated in the chat! If you missed it, you can still watch it below.

In the video, our team discusses current TV trends and technologies (including 3D TV) and demonstrates how we test televisions in our labs.

If you’ve been trolling the Web and browsing through retail circulars looking for an amazing “Super Bowl” deal on an HDTV only to find the pickings slimmer than Nicole Richie after a three-day fast, we have another suggestion: Try substituting the term “The Big Game” for “The Super Bowl” in your search engine. Get a bit more action? That’s because retail ads and promotions can’t legally use the phrases “Super Bowl” — or even “Super Sunday” — unless the companies have paid big bucks (really big bucks) to the NFL, which owns the trademarks to the two terms. (Fortunately, exceptions are made for news organizations like Consumer Reports, or this article would have a different headline.)

It isn’t surprising that the NFL vigorously tracks down violations: Organizations that don’t aggressively act to protect their trademarks can lose them (just ask the makers of aspirin, escalators, or yo-yos, all trademarks that became generics due to common usage). As a result, TV retailers have to be very creative about advertising Super Bowl specials without using the words “Super” and “Bowl” together in the same sentence. That’s why over the next few days you’ll see numerous ads announcing “super” sales in time for “The Big Game,” or perhaps even “The Mash-Up in Miami,” but surprisingly very few that tout “Super Bowl” specials.

For the past several years, however, there’s been an interesting wrinkle: Samsung, a major supplier of high-def TVs, has paid the NFL for the right to be called “the official HDTV of the NFL.” As such, Samsung can use the term “Super Bowl,” as well as the Super Bowl XLIV and NFL logos, in its advertising and commercials.  And that has given retailers that carry Samsung TVs some creative leeway. For example, as we began tracking Super Bowl-related HDTV promotions, we noticed that several major retailers were using the term “Super Bowl” and the Super Bowl XLIV logo in Sunday circular ads, despite the NFL’s restrictive trademark policy.

Sure enough, closer inspection revealed that all references to the Super Bowl were on ad pages that featured Samsung TVs. Best Buy, for example, leverages the Samsung-NFL connection prominently, festooning its circular’s front page — featuring big-screen Samsung LCD HDTVs — with large Super Bowl XLIV and NFL logos, a tactic one wag inside the company called “Super Bowl advertising by Samsung proxy.” On those pages without Samsung TVs, the retailer says to "tune in before kickoff" with great TV values. The slogan, "Big games, big plays, big screens," and a  "Ultimate Football Experience" logo—along with Brett Favre—beckon on Sears' Web site and local circulars.

But regional retailer H.H. Gregg may be pushing up against the NFL's Super Bowl advertising restrictions the hardest this year, with both its Web site and local circulars sporting a very Super-Bowl-looking logo, complete with the words "Super" and XLIV Roman numerals. I guess some retailers figure "Big Game" promotions call for some big-time gambles, and not just on the outcome of the game.

—James K. Willcox

Today at 12:30 p.m. (EST) our TV team will host a live video chat on Facebook to discuss TV buying and how to optimize your current set's picture.  They'll also be giving an insider's look at how we test the many TVs that come through our labs.

Visit the Consumer Reports Facebook page for full details. Only those with a Facebook account can submit questions, but anyone can stop by and watch the chat in the video player below.

Hope to see you there!

Free video chat by Ustream

Features of the Envizen Digital EF70701 7″ Wide Screen LCD Digital TV / Digital Photo Frame. Get information and order from our site at EZDigitalTV.com

When you bought that impressive new flat-panel TV to replace your old CRT model, what did you do with the clunker? If, like many Americans, you moved it to another room and set it atop a dresser or bureau, you may have inadvertently created a death trap.

From 2000 though 2006, 134 children ages five and younger were reported crushed by falling furniture, appliances, and TVs, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (PDF). In our tests, we found that smaller cathode-ray TVs placed on top of unsturdy furniture posed a greater risk than larger LCD and plasma sets.

Today, Consumers Union (our nonprofit publisher) teamed up with Janet DiFiore,  the district attorney of Westchester County, New York, in an effort to increase awareness of TV tipovers (including the demonstration in the video above) and offer some simple prevention tips (PDF):

• Place televisions on furniture that is sturdy and appropriate for the size of the TV.
• Furniture holding the TV should be anchored to the floor or wall using brackets, screws or braces.  It is best to use hardware provided by manufacturers.
• Avoid placing TVs on dressers and chests, as children may be tempted to use the drawers to climb and may cause the furniture or TV to topple
  Make sure that the TV does not hang over the edge of the furniture base and that it is positioned as far back as possible
• Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach children not to play with the cords
• Keep items that might be attractive to children, such as toys and remote controls, away from the top of the TV or TV stand.

For more on TV tipovers and coverage of consumer safety issues, be sure to visit the Consumer Reports Safety Blog.

—Nick K. Mandle