Buying a TV for Black Friday? Here's what you look out for
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it’s too late
She was lying in bed on a Thursday morning, thinking about the man she loved, hoping to win his freedom before time ran out.