Black Friday TV deals typically begin in early November, then crescendo on Thanksgiving and Black Friday itself. Remember, you can always buy the TV you’d like now, and then return it if you find a better TV deal later.
We’re curating the best TV deals leading up to Black Friday with several things in mind. First, retailers can offer discounts, then raise prices, and then lower them again to accurately (though disingenuously) say they’re offering a Black Friday discount. Nonetheless, we’re seeing some of the best TV deals right now.
Second, we’re aiming to highlight great deals on truly good TVs, even if the model may be a year or two old. Bottom line: Our goal is to help you score the best value for your dollar.
The best early Black Friday TV deals
We’ve compared TVs across major retailers, looking to find both solid discounts as well as good prices on quality tech. We don’t list all of the specifications here, but we’ll explain some of our reasoning below.
- Hisense 55-inch R6 4K Roku Smart TV w/Alexa, $239.99 (60% off at Amazon)
- Amazon 50-inch 4K Fire TV: $249.99 (47% off at Amazon)
- TCL 55-inch 4K HDR Roku TV: $188.00 (36% off at Walmart)
- Samsung 60-inch TU690T 4K Smart TV: $399.99 (27% off at Best Buy)
- Samsung 75-inch 4K Smart TV: $579.99 (31% off at Best Buy)
- Sony 65-inch 4K Full Array LED Smart Google TV: $998.00 (33% off at Amazon)
We occasionally run into situations where the best price on a product occurs before Black Friday, and that’s the case for the Hisense 55-inch at the top of the list. It’s the best price in more than a year, and possibly ever. It’s got LED display tech, with a 120Hz option. Amazon has also priced its 50-inch Fire TV aggressively, too.
The best early Black Friday premium TV deals
- Sony 55-inch Bravia 4K OLED Google TV: $999.99 (47% off at Best Buy)
- TCL 55-inch 4K QLED Roku Smart TV: $449.99 (36% off at Amazon)
- Hisense 65-inch U7H ULED TV: $699.99 (33% off at Amazon)
- Samsung 55-inch The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV, $999.99 (33% off at Best Buy)
- LG 65-inch C1 OLED with Alexa: $1,646.99 (34% off at Amazon)
- Sony 65-inch BRAVIA XR 4K OLED HDR Google TV, $2,999.99 (25% off at Best Buy)
Grab that Sony OLED right now for $900 off. Otherwise, we think that the TCL QLED deal at the top of the list definitely meets our criteria for a good deal: a solid discount, a good size, and a somewhat premium QLED backlight option. The Hisense deal matches its all-time low. We haven’t seen any fantastic OLED deals yet this week, but LG’s C1 is priced fairly aggressively.
FAQ
When is Black Friday?
Officially, Black Friday begins Friday, Nov. 25 2022. But like we share above: The deals have already begun.
What should I look for in a Black Friday TV?
Size matters. Most people probably want to buy a 50-inch TV or larger for their living room or family room. We encourage you to review TechHive’s straightforward explanation of what TV sizes matter, TV display types and display technologies, and LCD backlighting tech.
The short answer, though, is to buy the biggest TV that you feel comfortable with. Second, focus on backlighting. Most TVs use LEDs, but more advanced TVs use QLED or miniLED, and the very best models use OLED display tech. Most eyes can notice the improvements offered by OLED TVs, notably inky blacks and more vibrant, richer colors. Also look for HDR (High Dynamic Range), a technology that further improves color richness and brightness, giving you more of a movie-like experience.
Finally, you’ll want to pay attention to smart features that connect your TV to a streaming video interface, either via a Roku interface or Google/Android TV. Each platform allows you quick access to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, etc. It really depends on your preference, and whether you want to avoid using, say, the additional remote of an Apple TV box.
You do not need the latest technology, and our picks represent what we consider to be the best value, without asking you to pay several hundred dollars for incremental improvements.
Where can I find Black Friday TV reviews?
PCWorld doesn’t review TVs directly. Instead we take recommendation from our sister site, TechHive, which focuses on home entertainment and smart home tech. We highly recommend reading TechHive’s rankings for the best TVs of 2022 to choose great TVs, pricing notwithstanding. You’ll learn a lot about TVs in the process!
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor, PCWorld
Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers' News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.