The extended plan (black tie protection) starts the date of purchase because it does cover more than the manufacturer warranty does. The manufacturer warranty is a limited warranty and mainly covers defects that are set aside by the manufacturer. I would recommend the extended plan, but would take a look at the differences between the standard, advanced, and premium and decide what is best for you. It is nice to know that Best Buy is backing your product for 4 years and they come to the home to fix it.