Buying a big-screen TV this Black Friday? Here are 3 key features to consider when you're shopping

Black Friday is nan cleanable clip of twelvemonth to bargain a TV, arsenic retailers will connection ridiculous prices connected celebrated TVs to tempt customers and look to outdo each different by offering nan champion Black Friday deals.

We way Black Friday TV deals each twelvemonth present astatine TechRadar connected a scope of nan best TVs, from fund models having their already debased prices slashed moreover further to nan best OLED TVs, which though still premium tin person large capable discounts to make you think, “Yeah, I tin spend that”.

One of nan astir communal Black Friday deals is connected TVs pinch larger surface sizes. What you see a ‘big screen’ whitethorn dangle wholly connected your environment. For immoderate pinch mini surviving rooms, nan best 55-inch TVs could beryllium huge, whereas others could fresh 1 of nan best 85-inch TVs pinch nary problem. Here, we'll attraction connected nan biggest sizes – 75-100 inches.

When you spot a 75-inch TV trading for nether $500 / £600 / AU$899 it tin beryllium easy to scope for nan in installments paper and eagerly bargain away. But, earlier you get tempted by 75-inch Black Friday TV deals, location are immoderate cardinal specs and features to look retired for. Below, I’ve listed 3 that, arsenic TechRadar’s TV reviewer, I deliberation you should facet into your investigation earlier buying a big-screen TV.

1. Panel type

You’ve astir apt seen loads of different tech position attached to TVs. Along pinch LED, there’s QLED, mini-LED and OLED. There are besides manufacturer-specific ones specified arsenic NanoCell (LG’s word for QLED), Neo QLED (Samsung’s word for mini-LED) and QD-OLED (Samsung’s operation of QLED and OLED tech) to sanction conscionable a few.

These are each different sheet types and they tin person a large effect connected a TV’s performance. When buying a big-screen TV, it tin beryllium tempting to opt for nan big, fund LED exemplary pinch an charismatic debased price, but arsenic I discovered erstwhile comparing nan Samsung CU8000 and Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, immoderate LED TVs are champion avoided.

Edge-lit TVs, which usage LEDs positioned connected nan sides of nan display’s backlight, thin to suffer from mediocre achromatic uniformity. This tin consequence successful ample areas of nan surface taking connected a grey aliases bluish lavation erstwhile viewing darker contented – thing I noted erstwhile watching The Batman on nan Samsung CU8000.

Not each big-screen LED TVs are bad. For instance, erstwhile I saw a 98-inch TCL P745 successful person, it demonstrated agleam colors and good detail, though it besides struggled pinch opposition and achromatic levels. But if you’re considering buying a big-screen TV, it tin beryllium worthy investing much and upgrading to 1 of nan best mini-LED TVs for illustration nan Hisense U7N.

I haven’t personally tested a big-screen type of nan Hisense U7N, specified arsenic its 85-inch model, but I did trial its predecessor, nan 100-inch Hisense U7K arsenic a fund location theatre action alongside a Hisense L9H ultra short propulsion projector. The U7K won that exchange, chiefly owed to its superior achromatic levels and contrast. The U7K’s image looked awesome moreover astatine a 100-inch size because, crucially, it uses a mini-LED sheet pinch full-array section dimming that tin efficaciously show darker tones.

While you’ll mostly salary much for mini-LED TVs compared to LED TVs, we’ve seen nan 100-inch Hisense U8N for arsenic debased arsenic $2,997 successful nan US, which is simply a bargain for a mini-LED TV that size. You’ll besides find nan U8N’s 75-inch exemplary for nether $1,500 – a bargain for a TV of this caliber.

I’m not saying modular LED big-screen TVs are off-limits. You tin get immoderate bully LED models successful larger sizes, but if you’re going big, it tin beryllium worthy opting for amended sheet exertion – QLED models pinch section dimming for illustration nan Amazon Omni QLED and Samsung Q60D will fare amended than edge-lit models astatine a larger size. OLED TVs specified arsenic nan LG C4 besides look awesome astatine larger surface sizes, but these costs moreover much than mini-LED TVs. When you’re shopping, conscionable make judge to cheque retired nan TV’s show sheet and backlight type.

2. Sound

It’s nary concealed that nan built-in speakers connected astir TVs can’t compete pinch 1 of nan best soundbars, moreover fund soundbar models successful immoderate cases. That’s why it’s worthy factoring sound value into your big-screen TV research.

I’ve tested a load of TVs this twelvemonth and a communal thread has been nan constricted sound quality, peculiarly connected fund models specified arsenic nan Hisense U6N and TCL C805. While galore TVs present perfectly bully speech clarity and successful immoderate cases punchy bass, their 2.0-channel built-in speakers tin sound thin, pinch a constrictive soundstage that takes distant from nan cinematic experience.

To springiness you an idea, nan 75-inch Hisense U6N mentioned supra has a 2.0-channel speaker array pinch 30W of power. Compare this pinch nan fund Sony HT-S2000 soundbar, a 250W 3.1-channel exemplary that costs astir $299 / £299 / AU$695, and you’ll spot why it’s important to facet successful a soundbar into your shopping, particularly if you’re buying a inexpensive TV.

The entreaty of a soundbar, of course, is that it tin beryllium added successful astatine a later time, truthful you tin ever bargain a TV and springiness nan built-in sound a try. If it’s lacking that move factor, supplement it pinch a soundbar.

3. Gaming features

If you’re a gamer, plugging your Xbox Series X, PS5 aliases moreover a PC into a big-screen TV tin beryllium a blast. Vast landscapes successful RPGs for illustration Final Fantasy will person a consciousness of grandeur and you tin spot much of nan action to get nan limb up connected enemies successful a competitory FPS for illustration Call of Duty.

Thankfully, immoderate of nan awesome features we look for successful nan best gaming TVs – 4K 120Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync), ALLM, unreality gaming, Dolby Vision and HGiG – are becoming overmuch much common. These features were erstwhile reserved for premium TVs, but now mid-range sets specified arsenic nan Samsung Q80D supply a near-full suite of gaming features.

If you ain aggregate consoles, you’ll apt request much than 2 HDMI 2.1 ports, but nan stark reality is that astir non-LG and Samsung TVs are constricted to two, though this is only an rumor if you want to person a soundbar and 2 gaming devices connected astatine once.

Even though these features are trickling down to much fund TVs, it’s important to cheque which ones are supported. Budget sets are improbable to support 4K 120Hz, a afloat database of VRR formats, and unreality gaming, truthful return statement if these are basal for your gaming. In our experience, TCL and Hisense TVs thin to beryllium nan astir feature-packed for nan value erstwhile it comes to gaming.

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