Let’s talk a little bit about TVs and how to buy one. Let’s be honest, TVs are noticeably different from phones or laptops in terms of approach to buying one. I will explain what I mean, if phones or laptops are followed by almost everyone who is even slightly interested in technology, then TVs are much closer in this respect to washing machines or microwave ovens.
That is, you (provided that you are not a technogeek) live a quiet life, and then at one moment, you realize that your TV is outdated or broke. And yes, now you realize that you need to buy a new one. However, let’s be honest, you haven’t really followed their market and don’t quite understand how to buy the best one in terms of value for money.
If I’ve pretty aptly described your situation, then this article has a lot to help. I’ve tried to describe only the most important things in it and not fill it with unnecessary words, so you might think it’s too short for such an important issue. I assure you that you think it is, I just don’t want to clutter up the rest of the text with useless words.
What’s the TVs model lifecycle?
If things like a washing machine or refrigerator are updated by companies every 2-5 years, then for TVs, companies release new models every year. The main lure for you to change your TV (even if you don’t really need it) is the new OS version. Yes, most manufacturers don’t update the OS on older TVs to the new version. This, by the way, is one of the reasons why Android TV never became popular. Given that there are very few revolutions a year in the TV industry, virtually the only way to entice people to buy a new model is to offer a new version of the OS.
Given that TVs are almost always bought for more than one year, I see no reason for you to be eager to buy the newest model. No, of course, when the price is the same, it is better to choose the current year model, but if there is a discount on last year’s model, it is better to take it.
Most manufacturers (including market leaders LG, Samsung, Sony, and Phillips) release new models at the end of the first quarter of each year. However, Vizio or Sharp, for example, release new models early in the third quarter so that their TV models are more recent than the competition.
The most important thing you should understand is that releasing new models is a great chance to buy last year’s model at a 10-15% or sometimes 25% discount. It’s a good deal and if you don’t need some features introduced in the new model, I recommend buying last year’s TVs when the new models come out.
Also, the price of new models is maxed out starting at release, but it gradually decreases towards the end of the year and especially towards the beginning of the new model year.
How Black Friday impacts TVs prices
Black Friday is a traditional time for discounts and TVs are no exception.
However, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
- The biggest discounts are offered on models from little-known brands that want to attract a new audience and free up inventory to be ready for the new model year. For such brands, discounts can reach 25-40%. However, the quality of such TVs (especially in terms of additional software features and technologies) is lower than that of more well-known brands.
- Also, some well-known brands offer large discounts on those models that have not been in demand for a year. Most likely, such a model was at the intersection of two price segments and was not popular (too expensive for low-end, had too few features or poor tech specs for high-end). In that case, you can also expect to buy a TV at a 15-25% discount.
- For popular and in-demand models of well-known brands, discounts usually do not exceed 7%. However, there may be a situation where some retailer wants to sell his inventory and will sell such a model cheaper than other sellers, so if you follow the market, you can get a good discount.
Most importantly, keep an eye on prices throughout the year to see how much they change on Black Friday. It takes a little time but can save you a couple of hundred dollars in the finals.
Check special-offer TV models in big retail stores to buy a TV with a discount
Large retail chains such as Walmart sometimes order entire shipments of TVs directly from the manufacturer. Typically, these TVs have a specific model number and are sold exclusively from the retailer. That said, these models are usually a complete copy of a mass-market model, just with a modified model number. So when you buy such a TV you have nothing to lose, but you can save some money.
The thing is that since a large retailer buys a huge batch of TVs, the manufacturer gives it a good discount, part of which the retailer then gives to its customers.
So by buying such a model, for example, at Walmart, you can save several hundred dollars.
How to buy the cheapest TV on Amazon
Amazon is not only a marketplace but also the largest online retailer. So on Amazon, you can find offers from third-party sellers as well as from Amazon directly.
In most cases, it will be cheaper to buy a TV offered by Amazon, since the company has economies of scale (large purchase lots = discounts from manufacturers), but sometimes offers from third-party sellers may be cheaper. This can happen in the case when these sellers need to get cash or free up space in their warehouses.
How to save money on buying a TV
As you can see, there is a chance to buy a TV at a discount, and it is very big. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps:
- Decide on 3-5 models that you want to buy
- Keep track of their price for some time
- Compare the price of these models at different sellers
- Wait for the discount season (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) or wait for the new models to be released
