Black Friday may not be until November 29, but that hasn’t stopped the first wave of Black Friday TV deals from washing ashore. That’s right — you don’t have to wait until Black Friday 2019 to take home a television from the likes of Samsung and Vizio on the cheap. Several retailers have already kicked off offers, with one even offering to refund customers the difference should its prices happen to slip further, making now the perfect time to upgrade.
Here’s the catch: While there aren’t a huge number of televisions on sale right now, come Black Friday 2019 you’re going to be tripping over thousands — and with each claiming to be king, separating the good from the bad will seem like an impossible task. Fortunately, we’re on hand to help: To make sure you get the most bang for your buck this Black Friday, our experts are cataloging all of the best Black Friday TV deals right here.
Today’s best Black Friday TV deals
- 50-inch Vizio D-Series 4K TV — $248 ($182 off)
- 65-inch Samsung NU6900 4K TV — $480 ($320 off)
- 55-inch Samsung Q60R QLED 4K TV — $700 ($500 off)
- 70-inch Vizio E-Series LED 4K TV — $760 ($540 off)
- 65-inch Samsung Q60R QLED 4K TV — $1,000 ($800 off)
- 75-inch Sony X800G 4K TV — $1,100 ($400 off)
- 65-inch Vizio P-Series Quantum 4K TV — $1,500 ($700 off)
- 55-inch LG C9 OLED 4K TV — $1,500 ($1,000 off)
- 82-inch Samsung RU8000 4K TV — $2,000 ($1,200 off)
- 65-inch LG C9 OLED 4K TV — $2,100 ($900 off)
Black Friday will kick off just after midnight on November 29 and draw to a close at the end of the day, but you don’t have to wait until then to snap up a 4K TV on the cheap — Best Buy has already taken an ax to its prices, reducing a number of Samsung QLED 4K TVs and Sony OLED 4K TVs by as much as $1,800. There’s even a Samsung QLED 8K TV with an astounding $2,000 off. So there’s truly never been a better time to buy a new television.
Best of all, Best Buy is so confident the discounts it’s offering are the best in town that it has promised to refund the difference if any high-resolution TVs in its so-called Magnolia Anniversary Sale (or rather, pre-Black Friday sale) is reduced further between now and November 29. Plus, all of the models featured are available on the retailer’s generous interest-free, 24-month financing arrangement, dropping the price down to as low as $105/month.
As if that wasn’t enough, Samsung has also kicked off some deals, which it told Digital Trends will run right through Black Friday. The bulk of the discounts are on its QLED 4K TVs that see them start at just $600 for a 49-inch, $700 for a 55-inch, $1,000 for a 65-inch, and $1,500 for a 75-inch at the most basic level — all of which are available with interest-free, 36-month financing, starting at just $16/month and maxing out at $125/month.
After something a bit cheaper? Amazon has slashed the price of all Fire TV Editions TVs manufactured by Insignia and Toshiba ahead of Black Friday — and the savings we’re seeing are just a fraction behind what it brought to the table on Prime Day in July, with the highlights being a 32-inch Full HD Toshiba Fire TV Edition for $130, a 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Insignia Fire TV Edition for $280, and a 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Toshiba Fire TV Edition for $380.
What TV deals to expect from Black Friday 2019
Black Friday has always been a hotbed for discounted TVs, and Black Friday 2019 will be no exception. It won’t be just ultra-luxurious, flagship models that find their way into the discount bin, however. We’re expecting to see tremendous savings on everything from Toshiba Fire TVs, TCL Roku TVs, and Vizio SmartCast TVs, to LG and Sony OLED TVs and Samsung QLED TVs — both new and old, with the latter being treated to the largest reductions.
You don’t need us to tell you that it will be the older models that will be treated to the most significant discounts. Just look at what happened with Black Friday 2018: The retailers attacked the 2017 models with their price-slaying swords. To that end, it’s fair to assume that it’s the 2018 TVs that took the world by storm that will be the focus of Black Friday 2019, including the OLED LG C8, which we named the best TV of 2018, and the Samsung Q9FN.
Here’s a brief look at some of the TVs (again, new and old) we think will be discounted, based on what we saw discounted at earlier shopping events:
- Insignia Fire TV Edition
- LG B8
- LG C8
- LG C9
- LG UM6970PUB
- Samsung NU6900
- Samsung Q60R
- Samsung Q70R
- Samsung Q80R
- Samsung Q90R
- Samsung Q900R
- Sony A8F
- Sony A8G
- Sony A9G
- Sony X800G
- Sony X900F
- TCL 4-Series
- TCL 5-Series
- TCL 6-Series
- Toshiba Fire TV Edition
- Vizio D-Series
- Vizio E-Series
- Vizio M-Series
- Vizio P-Series
Of course, it won’t just be 4K TVs that are on sale. Several older, more traditional HDTVs will also be discounted to mark the occasion. So if you’re looking for an affordable television to sit in your kitchen or bedroom, or even your child’s bedroom or den, Black Friday is the time to pick one up. In fact, it’s these models that will be the cheapest out there, as 4K Ultra HD takes its final step towards replacing Full HD as the default broadcasting standard.
Who knows? Maybe our Black Friday overlords will surprise us with an unmissable deal on a brand new television, like the LG C9. It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that if this is the case, the offer will come from the manufacturer itself and not a retailer, as they have larger margins to work with. These will be available in extremely limited quantities, so you’ll need to act fast (don’t worry — we’ll indicate if this is the case in our round-up).
Should you buy a new TV on Black Friday 2019?
Absolutely. You see, Black Friday falls at the end of November — less than two months before the largest manufacturers take to Las Vegas to showcase their latest viewing hardware at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). As such, retailers treat the holy shopping festival as a last-ditch attempt to rid their warehouses of excess stock in preparation for the new inventory that will arrive before March, after being announced at CES 2020.
This makes Black Friday the perfect time to snag a capable, versatile 2017 or 2018 model at a rock-bottom price. Don’t let the age deter you, either. Chances are, you’re going to be hunting down a 4K TV and they haven’t changed a whole lot over the course of the past five years and they’re new enough to have all the must-have features, including multi-format HDR (think: Dolby Vision and HDR10), smart software, and a 4K Upscale Engine.
So if you aren’t fussed about having the absolute latest kit on the market, then look no further than one of the above Black Friday TV deals.
Are cheap Black Friday TV deals too good to be true?
For every good deal out there on Black Friday, there are a dozen bad. That’s why it’s important to not only consult an impartial source of buying advice to find out whether the offer you’re looking at is really worth your hard-earned cash (if you found it in our Black Friday TV deals catalog, it definitely is), but also to have an understanding of the tricks retailers use to dupe customers into thinking they’re looking at the deal of the century.
The fact of the matter is that most merchants treat Black Friday as a chance to offload stagnant stock, so most of the discounts you’ll find will be on aging models that people aren’t interested in anymore — and they use some immoral methods to flog them. For instance, you may find an HDTV reduced to a rock-bottom price, yet nowhere on the top-third of the page does it state that it only has a 720p screen and is devoid of smart software to boot.
So, what’s the issue? Well, the retailers aren’t technically at fault here. They disclose all the information as they’re required to do. However, they bury it to fool bargain-hunting customers into taking advantage of an offer without doing their homework. After all, nobody is going to want to miss out on a 45-inch HDTV for just $100 — even more so when there are flashing lights all over the page stating that stock is running low and the sale will end soon.
Our point? If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is — even on Black Friday. Don’t let any timer force your hand. Instead, pause for a few seconds to research the item you’re looking at. Even if you just take to Google to make sure it has the feature you have your heart set on and nothing else, you’ll at least avoid some disappointment. But if you want to make sure you take home the best Black Friday TV deal possible, read on for our top tips.
How to choose a TV
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: The most important piece of advice we’d give to someone looking for a new television is to know your limit — in terms of both budget and size. After all, the absolute last thing you want to do is part with north of $2,500 for a brand-new 75-inch QLED or OLED 4K TV, only to find it won’t fit through the door, let alone on the wall, when it arrives (and has pushed you over your credit limit in the process).
Next, start considering the various features that could be of use. There’s a lot to choose from, so take some time researching the differences between each manufacturer’s smart software. For example, TCL licenses Roku’s oh-so-simple Roku OS, which is the undisputed king of streaming, but it’s no match for Android TV, which comes bundled on Sony’s 4K TVs, in the hands-free and smart-connected department — or even LG’s WebOS, for that matter.
By now, you should have tunneled in on a manufacturer. The next step is to start looking at the various models they have to offer. Decide how important screen quality is. If you’re a convenience viewer looking for a television to watch the latest must-see Netflix Original after work and the occasional movie on a weekend, a regular LED TV will do the trick. After something a bit more immersive? Consider a (Samsung) QLED or an (LG or Sony) OLED.
Found the television of your dreams? Awesome. Now select at least two alternatives, just in case it isn’t included in a Black Friday 2019 sale or you happen to miss your chance to bag it on the cheap. The aim here is to cast your net as wide as possible and have a back-up plan in case things don’t quite go according to plan. After all, the trick to completing Black Friday is to prepare ahead of the big day — wake up knowing exactly what you want.
Struggling to make a decision? Consult our comprehensive TV Buying Guide.
What size TV do I need?
Don’t fall into the trap of rushing into a deal on a television that’s far too large to fit into the space you have available. Instead, take a second ahead of Black Friday 2019 to measure the height, width, and depth of your chosen location. Make a note of everything, too, as you’re going to compare them to the actual dimensions of the television — as well as the width of the stand if you’re planning on placing it on a console table — to make sure it will fit.
Done? Now use a viewing distance calculator to work out the ideal screen size for how far away you’re going to be sitting. As soon as you have this measurement, compare it to the space available, and decide on a suitable size. For instance, if the calculator recommends an 80-inch display and you only have enough space for a 55-inch, stop there. But if you were eyeing a 50-inch and the calculator suggests a 65-inch, it’s probably best to upsize.
Remember what we said earlier, though — it isn’t all about screen size. You need to consider the entire footprint of the television to determine whether it will fit into the place you have in mind. It’s not uncommon to find a TV that measures in at 65 inches but has a 60-inch screen at the center. It all depends on how wide the bezel surrounding the display is and whether there are any design features that take up additional living room real estate.
Stuck? Consult our Beginner’s Guide.
Do I need an OLED TV or a QLED TV?
QLED and OLED are two terms thrown around a lot, but what do they mean? Put simply, they’re the name of two different screen technologies that are a step up from the LED panel affixed to your current HDTV or 4K TV. Both deliver superior brightness, more accurate color reproduction, and deeper black levels (thus greater detail), but which do you need if a regular LED 4K TV — which will go down a treat for most of us — just won’t cut it for you?
In a nutshell, QLED is the better all-rounder excelling in natural light — so if you’re looking for something to watch a movie, a show, or even play a game in broad daylight with the drapes open, opt for one of Samsung’s QLEDs. For everyone else, we’d suggest an LG or Sony OLED (although, it’s the latter that delivers the best home viewing experience). They have a better viewing angle, can reach a more obsidian-like black level, and consume less power.
Still not sure? Take a look at our QLED vs. OLED explainer.
Should I opt for a 4K TV or 8K TV?
For those looking to take their home entertainment setup to the next level, Samsung’s 8K TVs are an attractive proposition. Keep in mind, though, that 8K Ultra HD content is few and far between, so you’ll be betting on networks adopting the standard in the future — and with 4K Ultra HD having only just ventured into the mainstream, there is a lot of work to be done before 8K Ultra HD replaces it, so purchasing an 8K TV right now is outright risky.
Instead, we recommend taking your entire budget and pouring it into the best OLED or QLED you can find, depending on your preference. If you’re after the former, it’s the Sony Master Series A9G. For the latter, it’s the Samsung Q90R. This will serve you better in the long run as you won’t run the risk of owning an 8K TV that could be rendered obsolete before 8K Ultra HD becomes the new broadcasting standard, whenever that may be.
Bargain hunters on the lookout for more incredible deals should peruse our list of the top Black Friday sales. We’ll be updating it from now through the event, so we recommend making it your one-stop shop for all the latest savings. More interested in Cyber Monday 2019? We have a list for that, too. To keep up with the latest offers in real time, follow DT Deals on Twitter. There, we share the latest offers as soon as we finish vetting them.
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