It's always tempting to play the waiting game—like, say, ignoring Black Friday in hopes of scoring a better deal on Cyber Monday. But based on the deals we've seen so far today, you probably would have done better buying earlier.
A perfect example: The Vizio 60-inch E-series LED LCD TV (E601i-A3), which was available for as low as $688 on Black Friday. Today several retailers have this same model, but it's priced at least $100 more.
Several of the retailers—including Best Buy, Target, and Walmart—seem to have abandoned Cyber Monday in favor of a full Cyber Week event. Amazon's Cyber Monday Deal Store is open, and just as it did last week, the online retailer promises new deals every 10 minutes.
Among its touted specials is a 46-inch Samsung 1080p LED LCD TV for $478. We had a hard time actually finding this deal on Amazon's site, but we assume it's the UN46EH5000. (This set carries the same price at Walmart's Cyber Monday sale.)
Amazon was also featuring a 46-inch 240Hz 3D-capable smart LED LCD TV (we believe it's the UN46F7500) for $1,298, and said it was trimming 40 percent off 47- and 55-inch Panasonic 240Hz 3D-capable 1080p smart LED LCD TVs—each with four sets of polarized 3D glasses—though no model numbers or prices were given.
As it did during Black Friday, Amazon is also offering lower-cost LCD TVs from oCosmo, a brand we'd never heard of. The retailer has a 32-inch 720p set for $179, plus a 47-inch 1080p "Roku-ready" set with an MHL-enabled HDMI input for $329.
Walmart's Cyber Monday deals last for a week, and also include several deals on Samsung TVs, including the 46-inch UN46EH5000 for $478. Other models include:
- a 42-inch LG 1080p LED LCD TV (42LN5200) for $379
- a 55-inch LG 1080p LED LCD TV (55LN5200) for $678
- a 55-inch Samsung 120Hz 1080p LED LCD TV (UN55FH6003FXZA) for $698
- a 60-inch Samsung 120Hz 1080p smart LED LCD TV (UN60F6300FXZA) for $998
For more deals and tips, check our holiday and gift guide!
Just as it did last week, Walmart had several low-cost Sceptre TVs, including a 32-inch 720p LCD TV (X322BV-HDR) for $179, and 40-inch 1080p LED LCD TV (X405BV-FHDR) for $249. Walmart has the 60-inch Vizio E601i-A3 for $788 (it appears to be a factory refurbished model).
Best Buy has numerous TVs on sale, including a 50-inch 1080p Insignia LED LCD TV for $400. Like the other retailers, it also has a lot of Samsung sets, including the two sets offered by Walmart. There's only a $2 difference in price between the two retailers on the 55-inch set, but Walmart is $200 cheaper on the 60-inch set. Best Buy does have another 60-inch Samsung set—the 120Hz 1080p UN60FH6200—for about $1,000, a price matched by several other retailers.
And finally, Target is promoting a number of Cyber Monday specials, including the 60-inch Vizio set (E601i-A3) for $900. Other so-called specials include:
- a 55-inch Samsung 120Hz 1080p LED LCD TV (UN55FH6030FXZA) for $798
- a 55-inch LG 1080p LED LCD TV (55LN5200) for $680, $2 more than Walmart
- a 70-inch Sharp 120Hz 1080p LED LCD TV (LC-70LE550U) for $1,600 (Best Buy has it for $1,500)
Based on what we've seen, there are some good deals on televisions this week, but nothing that would make us react with Black Friday fervor. It's our belief that prices on many of these, and other, sets will fall as we get closer to the end of the year, so keep checking back for our posts on holiday TV pricing, and the best deals we're seeing on our favorite TVs.
—James K. Willcox
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