The Best of the Black Friday Ads: HDTVs

Published November 17, 2011

By Louis Ramirez, dealnews Senior Feature Writer

TV-buying season has officially started. But before you take out that credit card and clear out your entertainment center, we recommend browsing through our hand-picked list of Black Friday TV ads below. We've scanned through every ad (both leaked and confirmed), compared them to previous TV deals, and present you with the best of the best.

If you're hoping to score a deal on a premium HDTV, remember, patience is key. Premium models will hit all-time lows between December through February. There's a chance you'll see some choice deals in the coming days, but keep your trigger finger at bay and look for the deal that's right for your budget.

Confirmed Ads

This in-store Early Bird special could go down as one of Best Buy's best Back Friday deals. It's the Sharp LC-42SV49U 42" 1080p LCD HDTV for $200. That's 37% lower than our prediction for this size TV. Equally impressive is the Samsung 55" 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV for $1,000. That's an all-time low for any 55" Samsung 120Hz LCD. Completing Best Buy's trifecta of TV deals is the Sharp LC-60E79U 60" 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV for $800, an all-time low for a 60" brand-name LCD HDTV.
In-store shoppers at Sam's Club will be in for a big surprise when they see the LG 55" 120Hz 1080p LED HDTV for $928. That's an all-time low for any LG TV of this size and resolution.
Not all Black Friday shoppers lust for a big-screen HDTV. Perfect for any room, Walmart will offer the Emerson 32" 720p LCD HDTV for $188 in-store only. That's $11 under our prediction for 32" LCD TVs.

Rumored Ads

Although it's unclear what resolution this TV offers, BJ's Wholesale Club has a potential doorbuster with this Samsung 51" Plasma HDTV for $500. That's $114 under the best price we've ever seen for any 51" Samsung plasma TV.
Pony up an extra $99 and you can add 3D capabilities to your TV. AAFES.com is said to be offering a Samsung 51" 720p 3D Plasma HDTV bundled with four 3D glasses for $599 as part of its Early Bird sale. If accurate, this will be the lowest price we've ever seen for any Samsung 51" 3D plasma.
It's not the most aggressive HDTV deal you'll find, but Sears is rumored to offer a Samsung UN55D6000 55" 120Hz 1080p LED HDTV for $1,100. That's $97 under the best price we've seen for this unit this year.
TVs don't get much cheaper than this. Target is rumored to have the Westinghouse VR-4625 46" 1080p LCD HDTV for a stunningly low $298. That essentially beats all records for a 46" LCD HDTV.
If you're in the market for a 55" LED LCD HDTV, you'll want to check Walmart's ads before grabbing that confirmed deal from Sam's Club (mentioned above), as Walmart has the potential to out price Sam's Club when it offers the LG 55LV4400 55" 120Hz 1080p LED HDTV for $898. Again, this is only a rumor, whereas the Sam's Club pricing is confirmed.

We're constantly unearthing new ads, so keep an eye on future ones by bookmarking our Black Friday page.

 An avid gadget lover, Louis Ramirez has covered technology for Gizmodo, CNET, Laptop, and various other publications. Follow him on Twitter at @LouisRamirez. You can also sign up for an email alert for all dealnews features. 