Perhaps blinded by the glare of the incredibly low-priced HDTV deals offered during the Black Friday week—yes, $119 40-inch Element TV and $199 50-inch Toshiba set, we're talking about you—you might have overlooked some great TVs that weren't as highly promoted. Getting a deal isn't the only thrill with these sets; you'll get lots of enjoyment watching them over the next few years.
Now that Black Friday is in our rear-view mirror, we decided to comb through our TV Ratings (available to subscribers) to find some of the top-performing big-screen TVs that also represent great bargains. None are dirt cheap, though there is a 60-inch 1080p set for just $700. Instead, all offer an attractive balance of performance, features, and price that should please almost any type of viewer. All are great choices, especially if you're looking to buy a primary TV for your home or family.
Without further ado, here are five big-screen TVs bargains you might have overlooked during all the Black Friday frenzy:
1. Samsung PN60F5300, $700
Yes, it's a plasma. No, you shouldn't be wary of it, despite the fact that plasma TVs are slowly disappearing. In fact, many of us who test TVs for Consumer Reports are snapping up plasma TVs while we can still get one. This 60-inch set has excellent high-definition picture quality and all the attributes we love about plasmas, including great black levels, no issues with motion blur, and an unlimited viewing angle. It's a basic set that doesn't have Internet/smart TV capability, and its sound is only average, but these are things that are easily, and inexpensively, remedied.
Find the best flat-panel TV for your needs and budget with our TV buying guide and Ratings.
2. LG 60PB6900, $1,100
OK, it's another plasma. But this one was one of the top-rated sets for 2014, and unlike the Samsung set it's a full-featured smart TV with access to a lot of online content, including streaming movies and TV shows from several services. If you're interested in 3D, this set did very well in that regard.
3. Vizio E650i-B2, $1,100
It's true that a very similar model, the D650i-B2, sold at Walmart for just $648 as one of its Black Friday specials. But that LED/LCD TV is now selling for about the same as this E-series set, which has one more HDMI input. Plus, while we expect the D-series set to perform similarly, we actually tested the E650i-B2 TV, and liked what we saw: Excellent high-definition picture quality, a full-array LED backlight, and Vizio's smart TV platform.
4. Samsung UN60H6350, $1,100
This 60-inch LED/LCD TV from Samsung, a midrange model in its 2014 TV lineup, has excellent high-def picture quality and a lot of features, including the company's smart TV platform, though no 3D.
5. Vizio E700i-B3, $1,300, and Sharp Aquos LC-70LE650U, $1,600
Those looking for a TV with a very large screen and excellent high-definition picture quality should consider either of these 70-inch behemoths. Like the 65-inch E-series set listed above, this Vizio has a full-array LED backlight and the company's smart TV platform. Its sound, though, was only fair, so you might want to add a sound bar. The Sharp's sound was marginally better, and its motion-blur performance was a notch above the Vizio. If your wallet's a bit deeper and you're looking for a set with very good built-in sound quality, the 70-inch Sony KDL-70W830B, which can be found for about $1,900, down from $2,500 earlier in the year, may be the ticket. We liked its excellent HD picture quality and smart TV feature; however, its 3D performance was among the worst of all the sets we've tested, if that feature is important to you.
So that's our list of some top TVs to consider if you're looking for a big-screen bargain. But be aware that we expect prices for some of these models to fall through the end of the year for those willing to play a game of chicken with their availability. For TVs in other screen sizes, or to see our full list of recommended models (available to subscribers), check out our complete TV Ratings.
—James K. Willcox
Copyright © 2005-2014 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.
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