Best Black Friday TV Deals 2019: HDTVs, 4K TVs, 8K TVs, and More

The first wave of Black Friday TV deals has arrived. That’s right — you don’t have to wait until Black Friday to score a killer TV from the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio on the cheap. Several retailers have already kicked off offers, with one even offering to refund customers the difference should its prices happen to slip further between now and the start of the shopping bonanza on November 29, making now the perfect time to upgrade.

Here’s the catch: While there aren’t a large number of televisions on sale right now, come Black Friday we’re going to be tripping over hundreds, if not thousands — and with them all inevitably claiming to be king at something, it’s going to be difficult to separate the good from the bad. That’s where we come in. To help you get the absolute most bang for your buck this Black Friday, we’re e cataloging all the best Black Friday TV deals right here.

Today’s best Black Friday TV deals

Black Friday will kick off just after midnight on November 29 and draw to a close at the end of the day, but you don’t have to wait until then to snap up a 4K TV on the cheap — Best Buy has already taken an ax to its prices, reducing a handful of Samsung QLED 4K TVs and Sony OLED 4K TVs by as much as $1,800. There’s even a Samsung QLED 8K TV available with an astounding $2,000 off. So there’s truly never been a better time to upgrade.

Best of all, Best Buy is so confident the discounts it’s offering are the best in town that it has promised to refund the difference if any high-resolution TVs in its so-called Magnolia Anniversary Sale (or rather, pre-Black Friday sale) is reduced further between now and November 29. Plus, all of the models featured are available on the retailer’s famous interest-free, 24-month financing arrangement, dropping the price down to as low as $105/month.

What TV deals to expect from Black Friday 2019

Black Friday has always been a hotbed for discounted TVs, and Black Friday 2019 will be no exception. It won’t be just ultra-luxurious, flagship models that find their way into the discount bin, however. We’re expecting to see tremendous savings on everything from Toshiba Fire TVs, TCL Roku TVs, and Vizio SmartCast TVs, to LG and Sony OLED TVs and Samsung QLED TVs — both new and old, with the latter being treated to the largest reductions.

You don’t need us to tell you that it will be the older models that will be treated to the most significant discounts. Just look at what happened with Black Friday 2018: The retailers attacked the 2017 models with their price-slaying swords. To that end, it’s fair to assume that it’s the 2018 TVs that took the world by storm that will be the focus of Black Friday 2019, including the OLED LG C8, which we named the best TV of 2018, and the Samsung Q9FN.

Here’s a brief look at some of the TVs (again, new and old) we think will be discounted, based on what we saw discounted at earlier shopping events:

• LG B8
• LG C8
• LG UM6970PUB
• Samsung NU6900
• Samsung Q60R
• Samsung Q9FN
• Samsung Q900R
• Sony A8F
• Sony A8G
• Sony A9G
• Sony X900F
• TCL 4-Series
• TCL 5-Series
• TCL 6-Series
• Vizio D-Series
• Vizio M-Series
• Vizio P-Series

Of course, it won’t just be 4K TVs that are on sale. Several older, more traditional HDTVs will also be discounted to mark the occasion. So if you’re looking for an affordable television to sit in your kitchen or bedroom, or even your child’s bedroom or den, Black Friday is the time to pick one up. In fact, it’s these models that will be the cheapest out there, as 4K Ultra HD takes its final step towards replacing Full HD as the default broadcasting standard.

Should you buy a new TV on Black Friday?

Absolutely. You see, Black Friday falls at the end of November — less than two months before the largest manufacturers take to Las Vegas to showcase their latest viewing hardware at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). As such, retailers treat the holy shopping festival as a last-ditch attempt to rid their warehouses of excess stock in preparation for the new inventory that will arrive before March, after being announced at CES 2020.

This makes Black Friday the perfect time to snag a capable, versatile 2017 or 2018 model at a rock-bottom price. Don’t let the age deter you, though. Chances are, you’re going to be hunting down a 4K TV and they haven’t changed a whole lot over the course of the past five years and they’re new enough to have all the must-have features, including multi-format HDR (think: Dolby Vision and HDR10), smart software, and a 4K Upscale Engine.

So if you aren’t fussed about having the absolute latest kit on the market, then look no further than one of the above Black Friday TV deals.

How to choose a TV

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: The most important piece of advice we’d give to someone looking for a new television is to know your limit — in terms of both budget and size. After all, the absolute last thing you want to do is part with north of $2,500 for a brand-new 75-inch QLED or OLED 4K TV, only to find it won’t fit through the door, let alone on the wall, when it arrives (and has pushed you over your credit limit in the process).

Next, start considering the various features that could be of use. There’s a lot to choose from, so take some time researching the differences between each manufacturer’s smart software. For example, TCL licenses Roku’s oh-so-simple Roku OS, which is the undisputed king of streaming, but it’s no match for Android TV, which comes bundled on Sony’s 4K TVs, in the hands-free and smart-connected department — or even LG’s webOS, for that matter.

By now, you should have tunneled in on a manufacturer. The next step is to start looking at the various models they have to offer. Decide how important screen quality is. If you’re a convenience viewer looking for a television to watch the latest must-see Netflix Original after work and the occasional movie on a weekend, a regular LED TV will do the trick. After something a bit more immersive? Consider a (Samsung) QLED or an (LG or Sony) OLED.

Found the television of your teams? Fantastic. Now select at least two alternatives, just in case it isn’t included in a Black Friday 2019 sale or you happen to miss your chance to bag it on the cheap. The aim here is to cast your net as wide as possible and have a back-up plan in case things don’t quite go according to plan. After all, the trick to beating Black Friday is to prepare ahead of the big day — wake up knowing exactly what you want.

Struggling to make a decision? Consult our comprehensive TV Buying Guide.

Do I need an OLED or a QLED?

QLED and OLED are two terms thrown around a lot, but what do they mean? Put simply, they’re the name of two different screen technologies that are a step up from the LED panel affixed to your current HDTV or 4K TV. Both deliver superior brightness, more accurate color reproduction, and deeper black levels (thus greater detail), but which do you need if a regular LED 4K TV — which will go down a treat for most of us — just won’t cut it for you?

In a nutshell, QLED is the better all-rounder excelling in natural light — so if you’re looking for something to watch a movie, a show, or even play a game in broad daylight with the drapes open, opt for one of Samsung’s QLEDs. For everyone else, we’d suggest an LG or Sony OLED (although, it’s the latter that delivers the best home viewing experience). They have a better viewing angle, can reach a more obsidian-like black level, and consume less power.

Still not sure? Take a look at our QLED vs. OLED explainer.

Bargain hunters on the lookout for more unmissable deals should peruse our list of the top Black Friday sales. We’ll be updating it from now through the event, so we’d recommend making it your one-stop shop for all the latest savings. More interested in Cyber Monday 2019? We have a list for that, too. To keep up with the latest offers in real time, follow DT Deals on Twitter. There, we share the latest offers as soon as we finish vetting them.

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