5 Great TV Deals in All Screen Sizes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Now that the football season is in full bloom, you may be looking askance at that wimpy TV you bought five years ago, saying it's time to upgrade to a larger set. Or perhaps your bedroom TV conked out just as the new TV season is arriving. Either way, you're likely looking for a great TV deal right now, knowing that prices will probably drop in the next two months or so.
Don't worry, you don't have to wait until Black Friday to score a great TV deal. We combed through the 150-odd sets in our Ratings to highlight five great TV deals that won't leave you with buyer's remorse a few months down the road. All offer commendable performance and comparatively low prices. And since all these sets should be eligible for a retailer's 30-day price match guarantee, keep your receipt in the event you find the TV for less money elsewhere within that time frame.
Below we provide some of the basic details about each of the sets. But remember that comprehensive, detailed test results—as well the actual TV settings we recommend for optimal picture quality—are available for all our sets in our TV Ratings, which are available to subscribers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1. Samsung UN60JU6500, $1,400
We have this UHD set in our TV Ratings for $1,500, but you can now find it for $100 less at several retailers. Though the TV isn't exactly cheap, this is a 60-inch TV with UHD's higher screen resolution, with excellent high-def picture quality and excellent UHD performance. It's also loaded with features—though not 3D—including Samsung's new Tizen smart TV platform. Also, unlike many Samsung UHD TVs this year, this model has a flat, rather than curved, screen.
2. Vizio M55-C2, $850
Most of the time you're still paying a hefty premium for a set with higher UHD resolution, but not so much with this 55-inch UHD TV from Vizio. Although its UHD performance wasn't quite as good as the best Ultra HD TVs we've tested, it does deliver excellent HD performance and a lot of features—including the Vizio Internet Apps Plus smart TV platform—for the money. In fact, with the exception of a $600 model from Changhong, which scored poorly, it's the lowest-priced UHD set this size in our TV Ratings. If you don't care about UHD, consider LG's 55LF6300, a 55-inch 1080p LED LCD with very good high-definition picture quality, a wider-than-average viewing angle, and the company's webOS 2.0 smart TV platform. Though this set sells for $800 at most outlets, we've seen it priced as low as $650, so check out the deals online.
3. Vizio E48-C2, $480
Looking for a mid-sized set? It'll be hard to do better than this 48-inch 1080p Vizio, in its entry-level E series for 2015, which packs very good high-def performance, a wider-than-average viewing angle, and a lot of features into its low price. Just note that its sound isn't so hot, so you may want to consider a sound bar speaker for watching movies or concerts.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
4. Samsung UN32J4000, $200
This 32-inch 720p set from Samsung offers very good high-definition picture quality and a wider-than-average viewing angle. It's a pretty basic set without Samsung's smart TV features, but you can always add a streaming media player, such as an Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku, to get streaming TV shows and movies.
5. LG 22LF4520, $140
Looking for a smaller set to be used in a bedroom, home office, or kitchen? Then consider this 22-inch 1080p LCD TV from LG, which has excellent high-definition picture quality. (Its higher 1080p screen resolution also makes it a good choice for use as a monitor for computers with an HDMI output.) Unlike many sets this size, it has a fairly wide viewing angle, but only fair sound. Just note that it has just a single HDMI input.
Copyright © 2005-2015 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission. Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this site.