HDTV guide: Best deal on any budget
In the market for a new HDTV? You’ll get the best deals on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Shopping for a new set can be overwhelming because there are so many technical specifications and options. And then there are the prices.
Top brands such as Samsung, Sony, LG, and Panasonic cost the most. Midtier
brands Vizio, Insignia, RCA, Phillips and TCL are affordable. Third-tier brands Element, Haier, Sylvania and Onn., among others, are cheapest.
Figuring out what to buy is as easy as 1-2-3.
1. Decide how much you’re willing to spend.
2. Pick a display and resolution in your budget 3. Focus on size.
Use this guide to decode the geeky buzzwords and alphabet soup of HDTVs, and then research prices in the Thanksgiving Day Sun Sentinel so you’ll get the best deal on any budget.
Display
■ LCD: Liquid Crystal Display ushered in thin, flat-screen TVs and are the cheapest and most common.
■ LED: Light Emitting Diodes are used in very large displays in conjunction with LCD and offer sharper pictures on bigger screens and cost a bit more.
■ OLED: Organic Light Emitting Diodes uses a thin film of carbon (hence the organic matter) that sits in front of the glass panel to emit light. OLED also is being used in smartphones. The technology can be printed on glass or even plastic. Sets are thin with rich, clear displays and highly saturated colors.
■ QLED: Quantum Light Emitting Diodes is a step up from OLED. This display upgrade uses quantum dots, also known as semiconductor nanocrystals, which produce pure basic colors that further improve display brightness.
■ HDR: High Dynamic Range provides a higher level of contrast between light and dark images and is a premium addition to 4K-resolution sets.
■ Nit panels: This is a measurement of light output, or luminance. The more nits, the higher the intensity of visible light. An average TV may output 200 nits, while HDRcompatible TVs output up to 2,000.
■ Refresh rate: Refresh rate is the number of times per second a display refreshes its image. The broadcast standard is 60 Hertz. Better is a 120 Hz refresh rate, or even 240 Hz.
Resolution
■ 720p: Resolution determines sharpness, and the higher the number, the better the picture. This signal format displays at 1280x720 pixels, or 720 horizontal lines on the screen. Pass on these sets for regular viewing. They’re super cheap and good for a guest or kids’ room.
■ 1080p: Also known as Full High Definition, or 2K, this resolution is at least 1920x1080 pixels, or 1080 horizontal lines and 2 million pixels. 1080p offers good picture quality at very affordable prices.
■ 4K: Also known as UHD (Super/Ultra High Definition), 4K is now the standard resolution on most sets. It displays at 3840x2160 pixels, or 2160 horizontal lines and 4 million pixels. 4K is four times that of 1080p. Pictures on these sets are crisp, with little distortion at close range at any viewing angle. That means you can use a larger set in a smaller room. 4K will be around for a while.
■ 8K: This mind-blowing display is 7680×4320 pixels or 8,000 horizontal lines and 8 million pixels. 8K is four times the resolution of 4K. This is the next big thing in TVs, but is still mostly out of reach of consumers — for now. Best Buy sells a premium 85-inch Sony Magnolia 8K set for $13,000. Not much content is broadcast in 8K, so adoption of this highstandard tech will be slower to take hold in the mass market.
Size
It matters. Consumer Reports suggests measuring the distance from the couch to your TV in feet, dividing it by 1.6 and then multiplying the result by 12 to get a screen measurement appropriate for the room. Do the math. It will help restrain you in the store.
Streaming
■ Smart TV: These sets have built-in platforms, or capabilities, to connect to the internet and use proprietary apps to stream on-demand content from Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and other services. Not all apps can be used on all brands of TVs.
■ Media streaming players: It’s not essential to buy a TV with smart capabilities. Apple TV,
Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast and Roku boxes and sticks, among other brands, plug into HDMI ports and stream content using an internet connection. Prices start at $19.99.
Best deals
You’ll find the most doorbuster deals on televisions on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I’ve scoured the ads and here are my picks, which will be available in limited quantities at times and days noted.
■ Best Buy: 70-inch Samsung 4K UHD smart TV with HDR for $549.99; 32-inch Hisense 720p LED TV for $79.99. Stores open at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving with entry tickets handed out at 3 p.m.
■ BrandsMart USA: 55-inch Sansui 4K UHD for $148.99; 55-inch LG 4K UHD HDR smart TV for $248.99 (both in stores only). The Sawgrass Mills store opens at 10 a.m. Thanksgiving; others at 4 p.m.
■ Target: 65-inch TCL 4K UHD Roku TV for $399.99; 40-inch TCL 1080p Roku TV for $169.99. Stores open at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving.
■ Walmart: 65-inch Philips 4K Android smart TV for $278 (four per store); 40-in Onn. 1080p Roku TV for $98. Sale starts at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving.