Buying a TV for Black Friday? Here's what you look out for

TORONTO -

There are some big sales on big screen TVs leading up to the holidays and they continue to get larger and drop in price.

While low prices on bargain brand TVs may be tempting, the experts at Consumer Reports say you are better off paying more for a more reliable set.

“Beware of those bargain basement prices on TVs from lesser-known brands,” said Jim Wilcox, electronics expert with Consumer Reports. 

Researchers looked at three years of ratings and found you're better off buying a set from the big three – Sony, Samsung and LG.

In reviews of larger and smaller sets, when it came to value and price, Sony, Samsung and LG earned top scores in almost every category. 

Wilcox said if you find one of these brands on sale you may not pay that much more than a bargain brand and get a much better quality set. 

Consumer Reports says that Black Friday is often when older models and TVs made specifically for Black Friday, have the biggest discounts, especially on larger sets.

“We expect to see the biggest price cuts on larger sets, say 65 inches and above,” said Wilcox.

The most popular sets used to be 55 inches, but it moved up to 65 inches and now even some 75 inch sets can be purchased for less than $1,500.

This year due to supply chain issues and micro-chip shortages, inventory may be limited on some makes and models.

“If you see an early deal you like, jump on it now,” said Wilcox.

Many people who buy flat screen TVs don't anchor them, but they can still be a hazard especially to small children.

“Even though today's TVs are thin, they can still pose a risk. A 75-inch TV can weigh about 75 pounds,” said Wilcox.

You can mount your TV to a wall or anchor it to a media console. Making sure it's secure can offer peace of mind and avoid an accident with small children. 

Some of the early problems with flat screen TVs have been worked out and they're now considered very reliable. 

Most TVs come with a one year warranty, so you may not want to pay extra if you're pitched an extended warranty plan.