Image: samsung
Though we’re technically a week into 2021, there’s still time to ensure that you don’t go into this yuuuge streaming year without a new 4K TV.
Between the upcoming end of an unprecedented football season and a slew of theatrical releases premiering on HBO Max, you’ll thank yourself for upgrading to a screen with impeccable backlighting, precise details, and vivid colors.
Here are the best TV deals this weekend from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Samsung, and Dell. Choices are organized by brand, then size, and then price:
Samsung
OUR TOP PICK: Samsung 65-inch Q70T QLED 4K UHD Smart TV (QN65Q70TAFXZA) — $1,097.99 (save $202)
Samsung gave us its best in the Q70T line and isn’t asking for much (money) in return. The expected advantages of Samsung’s QLED tech — a lush array of colors, dual backlighting for sharp contrast, and low input lag that’s ready for gaming — are all present, plus Ambient Mode made famous by The Frame.
LG
OUR TOP PICK: LG 70-inch 73 Series 4K UHD Smart TV (70UN7370PUC) — $696.99 (save $303)
LG’s 2020 73 Series is a baseline budget TV at its core, but makes up for run-of-the-mill brightness with wide viewing angles and sheer size. Shining points include active HDR with scene-by-scene picture adjustment and an excellent Magic Remote, which responds to voice commands and point-and-click motion control.
Sony
OUR TOP PICK: Sony 75-inch Z8H Series 8K UHD Smart TV (XBR75Z8H) — $4,999.99 (save $1,000)
One of the high points of Sony’s 2020 collection was the Z8H 8K, now $1,000 off the price it debuted at over the summer. The most affordable 8K TV Sony has come up with, the Z8H can reach 2500 nits of brightness (showcasing what HDR can really do) and cuts the noise and pixel-y blur out of deep hues and shadows. It’s armed with Sony’s X1 Ultimate video processor, a master picture quality upscaler — just note that 8K isn’t supported with USB or YouTube streaming.
Hisense, Vizio, and more:
OUR TOP PICK: Hisense 55-inch Class Quantum ULED 4K Smart TV (55H8G) — $529.99 (save $370)
2020 can’t be thanked for much, but it can be thanked for making quantum dot TVs affordable. (Still 4K, but with better backlighting.) Hisense, a known budget-friendly brand, took a stab at the color-boosting technology. This ULED TV perks up the details in each scene, including the typically indecipherable shadows in dark cinematography.
