TV sales are a major part of Black Friday, with big discounts and bigger promotions. Looking past the exciting floor displays and splashy newspaper inserts, Black Friday is a fantastic opportunity to save a bundle on your next TV. But how big of a TV should you buy? And is there a size that will get you the best value for the money?
We've been watching for the best Black Friday deals for weeks now, tracking the best Black Friday TV deals from retailers like Best buy, Amazon, Walmart, and more. Here's what you need to know about screen size when shopping for a Black Friday TV bargain.
Black Friday TV shopping: Screen size basics
When you get right down to it, screen size is one of the most important factors in finding the right TV for you. You'll see several popular measurements, from smaller 48-inch models up to whopping 80-inch monsters. Larger screens offer a more immersive viewing experience, but constraints on physical space, seating distance and viewing comfort all have to be considered. (Check out What size TV should you buy? for more in-depth advice.)
Here are our quick tips for picking the right TV screen size:
Screen size: TV screens are measured diagonally from corner to corner, so a 65-inch TV is closer to 55 inches wide. Bigger is better, in most respects — it's more immersive, and easier to see, not to mention more impressive when showing off to the neighbors. But if the screen's too big, it won't fit in the space you have.
- Smaller screens: Smaller TVs of 50 inches or less can be a great fit in smaller apartments, dorm rooms, or as secondary TVs in the kitchen, kids bedrooms, and anywhere else you might want to put a little TV. Small TVs are also the one time you should consider anything less than 4K resolution. Anything under 43 inches is too small to properly display 4K in a way that the eye can process, making full HD resolution a good choice for smaller sets.
- Standard screen sizes: For most households a 55- or 65-inch TV will be plenty big, while still fitting nicely in your den or living room.
- Larger screens: Bigger screen sizes of 75 and 85 inches are available, but are large enough that you'll need to think through whether you have the physical space for the TV itself, and for comfortable viewing.
Room size and position: Rooms don't get bigger to accommodate larger TVs, so find the right size for your space. Screen size has a direct relationship with the optimal viewing distance. Larger screens are best watched from farther back; otherwise, you can find yourself unable to see the whole picture, or experience unwanted distortions and color issues from sitting too close.
Resolution: TVs today offer three resolution options — 1080p, 4K and 8K. We recommend 4K for pretty much everyone, but the resolution will change how close you can sit to a set and how expensive it will be.
- 1080 or Full HD: Display resolution measuring 1920 x 1080 pixels, used in modern television broadcasts, cable and satellite TV, Blu-ray media and available broadly in free and paid streaming services. You'll still see these, especially when you go looking for the cheapest TVs on sale. Full HD is a good choice if you're getting a TV with an extra-small screen, but for anything larger than 40 inches, you should be getting 4K.
- 4K (Ultra HD): Display resolution measuring 3840 x 2160 pixels, commonly referred to as Ultra HD or UHD. The current standard in smart TVs, offering 4x the resolution of full HD. We strongly recommend 4K for everybody, in most situations.
- 8K (Ultra HD): The next step in resolution is 8K, or 7680 x 4320 pixels. It's also called Ultra HD (just like 4K), so don't be confused. There's also a severe lack of 8K content, so we recommend skipping 8K this year. Even on sale, it's more expensive than an equivalent 4K TV.
What screen sizes go on sale for Black Friday?
All of them. You can find great deals for TVs big and small all November long. But you'll see more sales and steeper discounts for smaller TV sizes.
Why do smaller TVs get more sales? A few reasons: First, smaller TVs are cheaper to begin with, make it easy for retailers to promote sales with phrases like "4K TV for just $200!" and "50% off!" without having to sacrifice quite as much money as they would on larger TVs.
The other big reason is just as practical. You can fit more small TVs onto the sales floor and you can stock more of them in the backroom.
Another reason you don't see as many sales for bigger TVs, especially for 75- and 85-inch TVs, is that those TVs are more expensive to make, harder to ship intact, and generally have a smaller profit margin to begin with. You can find sales on these bigger screen models, but the retailers won't offer as many, and you'll find them more easily online.
And with our help, you can still find great deals on TVs of every price.
Great Black Friday TV deals by screen size
Small TVs (40-53 inches)
Standard TVs (55-65 inches)
Large TVs (70-83 inches)
