The three-day Black Friday shopping weekend, which kicks off the day after Thanksgiving, is often when we see the lowest prices of the year for TVs and other electronics items. Give the uncertainty of the economy, we're expecting the three-day period—which marks the day that retailers are supposed to enter into profitability for the year—to offer up strong promotional incentives to lure shoppers into the stores.
While some smaller retailers' Black Friday ads have already leaked, the first ad from a major retailer—Sears—has now been posted by several Black Friday websites, including GottaDeal and Black Friday Info. Based on the ad, which could be a bellwether for other Black Friday offerings, electronics in general—and TVs specifically—will be used as major inducements to get consumers into the stores. Perhaps the best news for shoppers is that while highly discounted lesser-known brands have often been used in years past to draw crowds, this year the focus appears to be on major brands offered at a discount.
Because TVs carry higher prices, these Black Friday specials offer a chance to save hundreds of dollars on a larger LCD or plasma TV set. Generally the best deals are on "doorbuster" specials, which are usually available in limited quantities and at limited times. Among the best Sears doorbuster specials:
- A 42-inch Panasonic 720p plasma (TH-42PX80U), for $700, down from $900
- Sony's 52-inch W-series 1080p LCD for $2,000, down from $2,700
- a 46-inch Samsung 1080p LCD (LN46A500) for $1,100
- Samsung's 40-inch 1080p sibling model (LN40A500) for $800
- a 46-inch Sharp 1080p model for (LC46SB54U) $900, down from $1,400
- a 42-inch Sylvania 1080p LCD (LC420SS8) for $700, down from $1,000
Many of these sets, from Panasonic, Samsung and Sony, are highly rated models in our HDTV Ratings (available to subscribers). Other sets with a bit lower ratings could be considered if they're offered at an unusually low price, particularly if they won't be used as the primary TV in a home.
If you're looking for a smaller model, other doorbuster sets include a 19-inch Samsung LCD TV for $300, down from $500; a 26-inch Sharp (LC26SB24U) for $400 (down from $550); and a 32-inch Proscan model for $500, down from $630.
Of course, not everyone can—or wants to—meet the conditions for getting a doorbuster deal, which often sells out within minutes of the deal becoming available. Sears is offering sales on a number of other LCD TVs—from brands including Element, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Vizio— that are not listed as doorbuster specials, so presumably they'll be available throughout the entire sale (or at least for as long as supplies last). For example, a 52-inch 1080p LCD TV from Samsung (LN52A650) is listed in the ad for $2,100, compared to $2,700 in our latest LCD TV Ratings (available to subscribers), while a 40-inch Sony Bravia V-Series 1080p LCD HDTV, currently $1,400, is $1,100 in the ad.
Beyond the 42-inch Panasonic doorbuster model, there's only one other plasma TV listed: Samsung's 50-inch 720p PN50A400 model, which will be priced at $900. Although we haven't rated this specific model—it may be a derivative model exclusive to Sears—Samsung plasmas have typically done very well in our plasma TV Ratings (available to subscribers).
As far as Black Friday specials, this is just the tip of the iceberg; we expect additional Black Friday ads to become available in the coming weeks prior to the holiday. Stay tuned for further reports on TV and Blu-ray pricing during the traditional three-day shopping period. And to see Sears' Black Friday deals on additional TVs, plus other electronics items such as digital cameras, DVD players, digital picture frames and GPS navigation systems, visit the Black Friday websites listed above.
—James K. Willcox
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