The Black Friday blitz of deals has rolled around again, and if you’re after a new TV in the sales, there are a few things you’ll want to make sure of before you commit.
We’ve highlighted a few area to keep an eye of when it comes to hunting for a Black Friday TV. We know that most will be tempted to go after the cheapest deal available, but that’s not always best method when you’re buying a TV that’s going to last for years and years.
So, before you purchase a TV, here are a few things to consider.
Black Friday TV Checklist
If you want run-down of the key things to look out for Black Friday, here’s our quick-fix checklist to ensure that you get the TV that’s right for you:
Screen size: Bigger TVs are getting less expensive, but just because a TV hails from the same range, doesn’t mean that the performance is the same across the board. Some bigger TVs aren’t as bright as the smaller counterparts because of their size, some don’t offer viewing angles as good, sound systems aren’t as good (bigger screen doesn’t always mean bigger speakers). On smaller TVs, the sound system may not be as good (and again, brightness is a factor).
Research the user interface: While user interfaces are becoming more alike in some ways, there are still key differences. If you’re already an Amazon or Google account owner, it’d make sense to go for a TV that supports that interface, but if you’re agnostic perhaps a webOS, Tizen or Roku TV might be a better a option.
Keep an eye out for HDR support: Some TVs support all HDR formats, some only support Dolby Vision, others HDR10+. If you want the best picture quality, it’s worth weighing which TV has which, especially if your favourite app supports one of those HDR formats. We’d recommend Dolby Vision since pretty much every streaming service supports it.
Count the HDMI ports: Got a lot of sources to connect to your TV? Make sure it’s got lots of HDMI ports. Less expensive TVs don’t always have the full allocation of four. On top of that, there’s the number of HDMI 2.1 ports to consider, If you’ve got multiple game consoles and a sound system, you’ll have to fatcor in that there might be only two HDMI 2.1 inputs available on some TVs, so you’ll need to make a choice between a sound system and plugging in a game console
Check the refresh rate: Are you big on gamer and want every advantage during competitive play. Not only check the screen’s refresh rate to see if it can play at 120Hz or even 144Hz, as well as other gaming features such as black level optimiser (to peer into the darkest parts of the image), and fast input lag
Is the sound any good?: Sure, most TVs don’t have the best sound and if you’ve read reviews and know that beforehand; you may need to consider budgeting for a soundbar to get that boost.
Use price history tools: If you’re shopping through Amazon, you can use Keepa and CamelCamelCamel to check the price history of any TV. Some will have massive discounts, others only small ones.
Which retailers offer Black Friday TV deals?
You’ve got aselection of retailers to choose from, such as Amazon to Richer Sounds, eBay, Currys, Hughes, Very, AO, Argos, John Lewis & Partners.
Every retailer will be doing Black Friday discounts online and, where available, in-store. It may be worth looking for deals on retailers that offer long warranties, such as John Lewis, which offers five-year warranty on TVs.
