You’ll likely find a good deal if you’re looking to upgrade to a big-screen television in time for Super Bowl XLIX on February 1. Prices on oversized sets are typically at their lowest during the days leading up to the big game. This year, those in the market for a new high-definition TV that's 55 inches or bigger can expect to see savings of $300 to $600 on select models, says FatWallet.com shopping expert Brent Shelton.
But just because a TV is on sale doesn’t mean it’s a good value. If you’re going to be shelling out hundreds or even thousands of dollars, you want to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. So we asked two television experts, CNET senior editor David Katzmaier and DealNews.com senior features writer Louis Ramirez, for their picks for the best values in big-screen TVs for the Super Bowl. For the money, these sets offer a good combination of picture quality and advanced features. Prices listed are the lowest we could find at major retailers as of January 27, 2015.
55-inch: TCL 55FS4610R Roku Smart TV ($598, Amazon and Sam’s Club). You might not be familiar with TCL, but it’s the leading brand in China, Katzmaier says. Both he and Ramirez recommend this TV because it has a Roku streaming device built into it. The picture quality is good (not great) but it’s tough to beat this price for a smart TV, which is marked down $82 from its list price. Plus, Ramirez says it’s easy to use. The price on the smaller 48-inch TCL has been as low as $348 at Sam’s Club, he says.
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55-inch: LG 55EC9300 3D OLED Curved TV ($2,999 Amazon and Best Buy). If you really want to impress the guests at your Super Bowl party and can afford it, this curved TV from LG has outstanding picture quality, which Ramirez describes as “out of this world.” And this smart TV that makes it easy to stream content from the Web has been marked down $1,000 from its list price.
60-inch: Vizio E600i-B3 LED Smart HDTV ($748, Amazon and Walmart). This is a top pick of both Katzmaier and Ramirez because it offers good picture quality for a great price. Plus it’s a smart TV with built-in Wi-Fi to stream Web content such as on-demand video. Ramirez says you’ll pay up to $850 for a comparable TV from other high-end manufacturers. The list price on this Vizio is $898, so the sale price at Amazon and Walmart represents a $150 savings. Other retailers, including Best Buy and Target, are selling 60-inch Vizio E-series TVs for $750.
65-inch: Sony XBR65X900B 4K ($3,498, Amazon). Katzmaier says this has been the best-performing 4K TV to come out over the past year. TVs with 4K technology, also known as Ultra HD, offer a higher resolution picture. Not only does this Sony have superb picture quality, but also it offers great audio quality because it has large speakers built in on either side -- so you don’t need to shell out more money for an audio system to go with it, Katzmaier says. And Amazon has marked the smart TV down from a list price of $5,000. If you want a more affordable 4K option, consider the Vizio P-Series, Ramirez says. The 60-inch is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $1,500, down from $1,700. Note: Despite the hype about 4K, the Super Bowl won't actually be broadcast in Ultra HD format this year (maybe next year).
70-inch: Vizio M702i-B3 LED Smart HDTV ($1,600, Amazon and Best Buy). This smart TV offers surprisingly good picture quality for the money, Katzmaier says. In fact, he says it’s one of the least expensive TVs that have so-called local dimming, which provides more vivid details. It regularly sells from $1,799 to $1,899. For about $1,300, you can get the equally good 65-inch Vizio M-Series.
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