Some Black Friday TVs will lack popular features

For would-be television buyers, the most wonderful weekend of the year is almost here, thanks to special deals available from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.

Top-tier makers — Samsung, Sony and LG — will offer rock-bottom pricing on really big screens in leftover and less costly models built in mass quantities for Black Friday consumption. These “offer a substantial value but lack some of the features of today’s top-end sets,” said Greg Tarr, a TV product reviewer for HDGuru.com. One ripe example is the 60-inch Sony KD60X690E, marked down temporarily to $600 from an “everyday” price of $999.99.

Second-tier brands — TCL, Sharp, Element, Insignia and Polaroid — will mark Thanksgiving and Black Friday with even lower prices. Think $89.99 for a 32-inch Polaroid High Definition TV at Target, and a Sharp 50-inch 4K TV for $180 at Best Buy. The latter, in the estimation of CNET TV tester David Katzmaier, “is perhaps the best deal of 2017 Black Friday so far.”

Maneuvering through mounds of merchandise should not be done impulsively, however.

Take note of inputs and apps. Some Black Friday specials have only two HDMI connectors. Three or four is better. And leftover “smart sets” often lack on-board access to Amazon Prime Video.

As for ultra-high-def and HDR: “Unless you’re buying a screen that’s 70 inches or bigger, you won’t really appreciate the improved resolution offered in a 4K ultra-high-definition TV unless you sit right on top of it,” Tarr said.

Consumer Reports said BJ’s Wholesale Club will offer deals on top-shelf Samsung QLED models that Tarr noted are “uniquely optimized for best viewing in rooms with some ambient light. Most high-end sets look their best in a darkened room.” connection).