Black Friday TVs: Why the cheapest ones might not be a good deal 

Happy Holidays everyone!

This was taken from a CNET article, but here at Buchan Consulting we thought that with all the upcoming buzz of Black Friday “Doorbuster” TV deals, it bears repeating.

We've seen some amazing TV prices on Black Friday. Big 4K TVs, probably HDR, for lower prices than ever.

Quite often cheap TVs are just that: cheap.

Low-cost sets without the features or image quality of their more-expensive competition might seem like a bargain, but aren't actually a good place to invest your money. After all, most people keep their TVs for 5 or 10 years.

The low prices on these TVs should make you more cautious, not less. Approach these TV sales with a careful eye, separate from the price.

With that difference in mind, here are a few things to look for when evaluating that temptingly priced TV. 

Beware: 'Fake' HDR

Fake high dynamic range (HDR) is one of the biggest issues in the TV world right now. Being able to read HDR and properly display HDR are two hugely different things. It's easy for a TV to read HDR metadata and therefore claim it's "HDR compatible." But without local dimming there's no way for the TV to show that HDR data. In essence, this is like someone reading you a description of a painting. You'll get the idea, but you're not going to see it.

Beware: Fake refresh rates

With LCD TVs, higher refresh rates can reduce the perception of motion blur, as in the blurring when anything moves on screen. This is an issue with all LCD TVs, and the current versions of OLED. However, not everyone sees it or is bothered by it.

The problem is most manufacturers are a bit, shall we say, "creative" with their listings for refresh rate. They might say "Motion rate 120" or "SRR240Hz" or some other marketing term to describe what their TV is doing. Many of these aren't actually a higher refresh rate. They're merely processing tricks, or if you're lucky, black frame insertion (which can be good in some cases). If it's a cheap TV, it's almost assuredly not actually 100 or 120Hz, which means fast motion will be blurred.

Beware: Sparse connections

How many HDMI connections do you need? More importantly, how many Ultra HD HDMI connections do you need? If you have more than one source that's 4K, make sure every input on your TV is HDMI 2.0 or greater, and has HDCP 2.2. If you can't find this info on the spec sheet, be wary. If the connection doesn't have HDCP 2.2, you won't be able to watch a 4K source.

Beware: Not-so-smart TV

For the most part, the major TV companies and brands like Roku have the whole smart TV thing down solid. Off brands might not. This isn't a huge deal, as media streamers are inexpensive and great, but if you're expecting a quality streaming experience, you might not get it. You also might not get all the streaming services you want. Everything has Netflix, not everything has Amazon, Vudu, Hulu and so on. TVs with Chromecast built-in, for example, require you to use your phone, and don't always stream Amazon video.

Beware: Shopping by brand only

During Black Friday well-known name brands like Samsung and LG often sell their cheapest models for prices far below what you may expect. In other words, even on Black Friday a TV's brand shouldn't be the sole determining factor.

And on the flip side, there are many brands that you might recognize that are nothing but the name of a formerly great company. Chinese companies have spent years buying up the trademarks of once-storied companies. Polaroid, Kodak and many others have little to no relation to the companies you once knew. They're Chinese manufacturers looking to use the name recognition of a once-great brand. Again, these aren't necessarily bad, but don't let the name fool you.

This Black Friday and Holiday season let the sales and design staff at Buchan Consulting help you choose the right TV at the right price. No viewing experience is complete without an incredible audio experience to go along with it! From a simple soundbar to a 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos System, the audio gurus at Buchan Consulting have you covered. 

Call or email us today! It would be our pleasure to provide you and your home the right system to complement any room and home décor.

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