A good time to shop for a new TV

Recently I had a reader ask for some advice about buying a new TV.  The period leading up to the Super Bowl traditionally is the time when many retailers have sales on TVs.  This year the prices of large flat panel TVs are already at rock bottom.  Even before Christmas there were many very good deals available for some really nice sets.  The prices continue to be very attractive, so this might be a good time to buy a new set.

The options seem to get more and more complicated and the terminology ever more mystifying.  Terms like Smart TV, 4K and 8K, 120 hertz refresh rate, and curved screen can make for a confusing conversation with the salesperson. Not understanding the terms may also lead to a waste of money.

Before going out to the store think about how you will use the TV.  If you are looking for a TV for use in the kitchen to watch the news while washing the dishes, purchase the least expensive TV you can find at Wal*Mart.  If you watch lots of movies and sports and appreciate the home theatre experience you will need to do a bit more shopping around to get what you need.

The new 4K TVs offer screen resolution 4 times that of a standard HDTV.  Sounds great but before spending extra, consider that there is still very little 4K TV programming available that takes advantage of this improved picture quality.  Cable and satellite carriers don’t offer it nor do the local TV stations.  I would wait at least one more year before buying a 4K set.  They will drop in price and the industry will have time to settle some compatibility issues.  And more important, by then you will have something to watch.

You might think that getting a 4K, and very soon, an 8K set might seem like a no brainer.  After all, the more pixels the sharper the picture, right?  Well, yes and no.  I know my eyes are not as good as they once were; I also know that watching a standard 55” set from across the room and a 4K set from the same distance will look the same to me to me. 

When you are out shopping, do a side by side comparison in the store with the SAME picture content and from a distance you will normally be sitting from the set.  Then decide if the difference is worth the price differential.

Paying the extra money for a Smart TV is a good idea.  A Smart TV can connect to your home Wi-Fi network and access the increasing number of TV program services using the internet. Amazon, Hulu Plus, Netflix and others provide thousands of programs and movies.  You may not be a subscriber today but chances are you will be soon.    

A few extra bucks for a curved screen is a good idea if you are looking to buy a very large set, i.e. 70 inch plus.  Faster refresh rates, i.e. how often the picture on the screen is updated, is also good investment if you are into sports and action movies and are looking at a TV set larger than 55 inches.  The bottom line is to shop with your eyes.  Don’t let all the digital mumbo jumbo steer you into buying more TV set than you need.