Looking for a new TV? These are the 3 best performing brands

Cyber Monday and Black Friday may have come and gone, but sales on TVs continue through December right up until the holidays.

“We are extremely busy and we are seeing more shoppers purchasing 55-inch, to 65-inch and 75-inch TVs as more people move towards larger sets,” said Evan Taggart with Best Buy Canada.

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Best Buy’s Scarborough location has as many as 100 TV sets in all different sizes in its store on the showroom floor ready for holidays shoppers to purchase.

“Yesterday, somebody actually bought a 98-inch TV from us. It was the first one we sold, but larger sets definitely seems to be the way the market is trending," said Taggart.

A 55-inch TV four years ago could have cost as much as $1,500. Now, 55-inch sets are being sold for about $500.

Consumer Reports (CR) tests TVs based on viewing angles, black levels, image quality and how a screen handles action scenes.

Jim Willcox, a senior electronics editor with CR, said when shopping, it’s important to beware of inexpensive, bargain-basement TV specials which are often from lesser-known brands.

Wlllcox advises while cheaper TVs may seem like a good deal they are not always worth it.

“Remember, you’ll be watching that new TV for years. If you’re unhappy with the performance or features, you may really regret not spending a little bit more to get something better,” said Willcox.

CR crunched the numbers on three years of its TV ratings and found models from major brands like LG, Samsung, and Sony tend to perform better than lesser-known brands.

CTV News Toronto also reached out to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which organizes the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) which will take place Las Vegas next year.

Patrick Pannett with CTA said he expects to see even more advances in television technology at this year’s show.

“I think we are going to see more customization. We will see foldable TV screens just like we are seeing foldable phones in the marketplace,” said Pannett. “I think at the next CES we are really going to see what’s next for television sets in the future.”

Pannett said consumers can expect deals leading up to the holidays and as TV screens get larger, improve in quality and drop in price, they will become much easier to set up right out of the box.

“Ease of setup is important. People don’t want to have to deal with wires and cables and fussiness. That’s the other part of upgrading to a 4K set, it makes life easier and improves your experiences on the home front,” he said.

Even if you don't buy at TV this month, January and February are also good times to buy a new television as sets also go on sale right before the Super Bowl.

With prices dropping you may be tempted to buy a larger set, but you also need the room to enjoy it. For example, if you buy a 65-inch TV you should be sitting at least nine feet away from it to view it comfortably so you don’t strain your eyes.