01/21/2017
**SUPER BOWL TV DEALS!**
(Note: I've added an image to this post so you can see the optimal viewing distance for the screen size of your TV)
Whether you follow American Football or not, you know we are weeks away from Super Bowl 51. The last four teams are set in the Playoffs; the Steelers, Patriots, Packers and Falcons fans can still hope that their team makes it to the Big Game. (I predict Patriots vs Packers but I'd like to see the Falcons go to the big game and win their very first Super Bowl. Sorry Packer fans, I won't be rooting for your team. I like the underdog.)
By the end of this weekend, in the words of Bill Belicheck the Head Coach of the Patriots, 30 NFL teams will have met their “crash landing at the end of the season,” leaving only two clubs to face off for the most quintessentially American of all non-national holidays.
So, if you follow American Football, that means there’s a good chance your attention is now wholly transfixed on a sparkling new TV. It’s ok. Blame it on your love of sports … and all the ads on your outdated TV.
If you are not a sports fanatic, those ads may be cheesier than B-Dubs nachos, but this really is a killer time of year to score a deal on a new set of pixels.
However, before I tell you about the bounty of bargains to be found, there are two important Super Bowl shopping caveats to know:
First, nearly all of the Super Bowl deals are for *last year’s* TVs, as manufacturers are clearing the way for the 2017 models to be released in April. This isn't a concern as TV technology hasn't changed in the last year unlike last year when new standards were in place for 4k Ultra HD TVs, including improved High-Dynamic Range, a wider color gamut, and better processing.
Second thing to know is that while Super Bowl season beats even Black Friday when it comes to awesome TV bargains, those who wait until after the Super Bowl may pile up even bigger savings. A few days could push a 20 percent average discount to around 30 percent — and for a big-purchase item, that is nothing to sneeze at. A 50-inch TV can cost $1,100 when it first hits the market, drop to $880 a few months later, and cost as little as $650 when stores are trying to clear out stock to make room for next year’s models (which happens right around now).
That leaves plenty of opportunity for buyer’s remorse if you bought the TV right away when it was released. This also means that a well-timed TV purchase right before the Super Bowl can save you hundreds of dollars.
So where are the deals?
Look out for Super Bowl 2017 TV deals on Amazon.com, Best Buy and Walmart. Walmart owned warehouse Sam's Club also gets in on the action and offers a broad range of Super Bowl 2017 TV deals online at samsclub.com. Customers can save time by choosing to pick up the TV in stores.
Now I know the next question you have is this; is a 4K TV necessary to watch Super Bowl 51?
Well, no.
We have watched the Super Bowl for 50 years without 4k, and unless you are getting a bigger TV to replace the 1080HD TV you already have, you won't notice any quality difference. Period.
Biologically, the human eye can't tell the difference between a 60" 1080HD or 4K Ultra HD TV at the same viewing distance of 8 feet away. You'd need to move up to a 70" TV, or move your couch and chairs two feet closer to the TV to notice a difference in quality.
Now, Super Bowl 50 was filmed with 8K cameras as a test but it wasn't broadcast in that quality. 4K cameras are already the standard equipment to film the Super Bowl this year, however, if the Super Bowl 2017 will be broadcast in 4K anywhere is not known yet. And believe me, I've tried to find out.
4K live broadcast are still rarer than hen's teeth. DirecTV has one 4K channel that broadcasts 4K content all day. The technology is here to stream 4K video. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Youtube offer 4K streaming (but most of those are not true 4K).
Fox could theoretically stream the Super Bowl 2017 in 4K online, however you'd need a nice, fast internet connection to view that without buffering.
Also a dirty secret that cord-cutters often forget to mention is that the online streams are always...ALWAYS...delayed. In my experience, this is between 2-10 minutes of a delay.
OK! OK! Brian, just get to the deals!
Best Buy has launched the Super Bowl 2017 TV sale online at bestbuy.com in the first days of January. Special Super Bowl 2017 TV deals include a $1,699.99 65-inch Samsung 4K SUHD Smart TV and $599.99 60-inch Sony 1080p TV.
Walmart wants you to get "Bowl Ready" with their Super Bowl TV deals. Find all offers on walmart.com. The 50-inch VIZIO E50x-E1 SmartCast 4K Ultra HD, Smart, LED Home Theater Display is on sale for $398.
Amazon offers special Big Game deals on two projectors. The Optoma HD142X 1080p 3000 Lumens 3D DLP Home Theater Projector is on sale for $549.99 and the Optoma HD27 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector sells for $599.36.
Trust me when I say this: if you buy a projector, make sure you have the wall-space to cast that image on AND, no matter what you are told, BUY A SCREEN! As someone who has two projectors and isn't afraid to use them a-lot, you want a projector screen.
You can either build your own (Michael's has the screen material if you want to make your own framed screen to hang on a wall) or you can buy a pull down/remote-controlled screen between $80 and $300, depending on size and options. They can be more but for movies at home and TV viewing, you don't need the extra bells and whistles. Again, I know from experience.
Other things to know:
Don’t buy pricey cables. Avoid the markup when you’re in a store. Shop online at sites such as Amazon or Monoprice, where 6-foot HDMI cables go for less than $10.
Skip the extended warranty!!! Most major-brand TVs are fairly reliable. Instead, buy with a credit card or from a retailer such as Costco that automatically extends a manufacturer’s warranty.
Ask for a 30-day price-match guarantee. Then spend the next month eagerly watching for price drops.
Get social. The pages and Twitter feeds of your favorite retailers are a great way to find out about deals and promotions. Those retailers might even reward customers who “like” or follow them.
