Image: sony
Anyone who’s sorely wishing they had a fireplace still has time to order a TV that’ll arrive before Christmas — just in time to pull up their favorite eight-hour yule log video in crispy 4K.
A 4K TV isn’t just a nice pal to have around during one’s first holiday at their apartment instead of with family, but will continue to be a companion through the socially-distant first few months of 2021. At least there won’t be a shortage of stuff to watch.
Here are the best TV deals this weekend from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Samsung, and Dell. Choices are organized by brand, then size, 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 — is all present, plus Ambient Mode made famous by The Frame. If you want a solid purchase that you can trust to keep it crisp over the years, this is an investment to feel good about.
LG
OUR TOP PICK: LG 70-inch 73 Series 4K UHD Smart TV (70UN7370PUC) — $626.99 (save $373)
Down $70 from last week’s sale price, you can now fill that giant slab of empty wall with a 70-inch TV from LG that’s nearly 40% off. The 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) — $549.99 (save $350)
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.
