To get the best deal on a TV, you first need to know when to shop for one. You see, TVs have an annual release cycle — new models come out at the same time every year. And once the new TVs get announced, the previous year’s TVs drop pretty drastically in price. Retailers want out with the old and in with the new.
Most new TVs get announced at the start of the year — usually in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) — and have a release date of “spring.” From this time on, you can find pretty good deals on the previous year’s TVs. However, there are a few times of the year that are especially good.
When’s the best time to buy a TV?
January and February are both great times to buy a TV. It’s when the new year’s TVs have been announced but aren’t available yet, and retailers are looking to sell out of the previous year’s models in anticipation of the new arrivals. The Super Bowl falls in this period — it typically takes place in the second week of February — and retailers tend to deeply discount last year’s TVs during this time.
The other great time to buy a TV is during the holiday push at the end of the year. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is usually the first time that most of that year’s TVs get big discounts. It’s done in anticipation of the new year and the imminent announcement of the next-gen models.
Are last year’s TVs still worth buying?
Yes, absolutely.
The truth is that newer TVs are definitely better than the previous year’s models, but they’re typically not that much better. They’re integrated with new technologies that usually allow them to deliver a brighter and more vibrant picture with more contrast, but they upgrades tend to be things the average person wouldn’t notice (or would have to really try to notice). This is why most people don’t need to buy a new TV every year (or every few years).
Throw in the fact that you can get a year-old TV for many hundreds of dollars less — and it’s really a no-brainer.
