Black Friday 2019

[ApK]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Please do!

<Ahem...>
1. Hisense is a bargain brand. You're not getting a top-end set at a super bargain price, you're getting a low-end set at decent price. You'll see sales like this frequently.
2. If you're not NEEDING a replacement right now, they only get cheaper. When you do need one later, you'll almost certainly be able to get a better set for less money.
3. 43" is almost too small to notice any benefit from 4K over regular HD unless you sit really close in front of it.
4. HDR is of marginal value on a lower-end panel where the lighting array, black level and contrast really isn't all that great anyway,



ApK

[Apache]

I remember reading that the best time to buy televisions are the times leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. The televisions offered during Black Friday and Other big sales time usually lack certain features. Things like having more than one HDMI port or a USB Port. They are also more likely to have just a real basic remote.
Apache

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Apache

The televisions offered during Black Friday and Other big sales time usually lack certain features. Things like having more than one HDMI port or a USB Port. They are also more likely to have just a real basic remote.
Apache

I think that was more likely true back when most available panels were expensive and of similar quality, and stuff like features, ports and remote were the main differentiators between models.

Now that you can get dirt cheap panels with mediocre picture quality or expensive really gorgeous panels, manufactures are more likely to throw in lots of features to attract buyers, and save the money with the cheap panel (and cheap power supply, switches, and other components likely to make the set fail and need to be replaced sooner).
Certainly true for the set I got, it has so many ports I was able to retire an HDMI switch I had been using on my previous set.
And in the case of my set and the one GA R. is taking about, they are Roku sets, so the remotes are pretty much standardized. (plus who uses factory remotes anymore?!)

[GA Russell]

Thanks, ApK! In fact I rarely watch TV; so if you think this isn't a good deal, I'll let it pass.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Thanks, ApK! In fact I rarely watch TV; so if you think this isn't a good deal, I'll let it pass.

Hey, if you want me to give you reasons you SHOULD get it, I can do that too. I thought you wanted help resisting.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by ApK

Hey, if you want me to give you reasons you SHOULD get it, I can do that too. I thought you wanted help resisting.

Well, if someone can suggest another 40% off discounted to $180, I'd be happy to consider it.

My TV is a Panasonic CRT from 1982! That's how much I watch television.

[4691mls]

I replaced an ancient 20 inch TV with a 24 nch flat screen a few years ago. The picture is big enough for my limited TV watching but can't read a lot of the onscreen text because it's too small. I think these days the creators of tv programming assume everyone has a big screen TV. Can't read Roku menus (streaming stick, not a Roku tv) from across the room.

I don't know what size screen is necessary to be able to read onscreen text but it's something you might want to take into consideration when shopping for a new TV.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

can't read a lot of the onscreen text because it's too small. I think these days the creators of tv programming assume everyone has a big screen TV.

Very true, and very annoying.

GA,. For this reason alone, you should go ahead and get the new set!

[OtinG]

Deals and offers on deals are nice, but getting 2 or 3 emails every day about the same deal for which you don’t qualify gets really annoying. SiriusXM keeps sending me their free 3-month trial, but anyone who has already had an account with them in the past is apparently disqualified. Nothing new there, that seems to be SOP for nearly all service providers, as deals are typically only available to potential new customers. But geez, they need to lay off the emails to those who have had the service in the past unless they want to give them the same offer to try and get them back as a customer. SiriusXM is just one of several service providers doing this recently, but they are sending out the most emails to me though.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I replaced an ancient 20 inch TV with a 24 nch flat screen a few years ago. The picture is big enough for my limited TV watching but can't read a lot of the onscreen text because it's too small. I think these days the creators of tv programming assume everyone has a big screen TV. Can't read Roku menus (streaming stick, not a Roku tv) from across the room.

I don't know what size screen is necessary to be able to read onscreen text but it's something you might want to take into consideration when shopping for a new TV.

Originally Posted by ApK

Very true, and very annoying.

The huge onscreen text on TVs is very annoying, but not nearly as much as the way too bright way too large way too near the center of the screen logos.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Well, if someone can suggest another 40% off discounted to $180, I'd be happy to consider it.

My TV is a Panasonic CRT from 1982! That's how much I watch television.

$180 for a 43" 4K HDTV isn't a bad deal, but you can get similarly specced HDTVs for not too much more than that everyday. For example, you can get a 43" TCL 4K Roku HDTV from Walmart for $218. They also have a refurbished HiSense 43" 4K HDTV for $200. I'd recommend HiSense over TCL because I had a very bad support experience with TCL, namely I didn't get any. The TV had a two year warranty but even one month from purchase they wouldn't send me the missing parts to use the stand. I ultimately had to buy a third-party stand to use. At least Amazon gave me a partial refund on the TV that more than covered the stand.

But since you have an old SDTV, you should consider upgrading sometime soon one way or another. Things look so much better on HDTV versus old SD ones that it's hard to believe we didn't mind the crappy SD resolution for all those years. And having a 4K one will future-proof you a bit, since 4K is still not the norm for content. If it does eventually become so, you'll be ready for it without needing to buy another HDTV. Even if you only watch TV rarely, you'll appreciate the better quality when you do, and it will make it easier to see (and hopefully read) from across the room. I know from experience with my parents that that will become more important as we get older.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Manabi

But since you have an old SDTV, you should consider upgrading sometime soon one way or another. Things look so much better on HDTV versus old SD ones that it's hard to believe we didn't mind the crappy SD resolution for all those years.

It's hard not to put up with something when it is the only thing available. We used to have to put up with just black and white TV's too.
Apache

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by Manabi

...it will make it easier to see (and hopefully read) from across the room.

Manabi, it's interesting that you say that, because one issue that I have is that my TV area requires that I sit reasonably close. That's why I want a relatively small screen.

*****

My Sunday paper this morning had very few flyers and no coupons. Was that your experience as well? I suspect someone may have taken what was there.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Manabi, it's interesting that you say that, because one issue that I have is that my TV area requires that I sit reasonably close. That's why I want a relatively small screen.

*****

My Sunday paper this morning had very few flyers and no coupons. Was that your experience as well? I suspect someone may have taken what was there.

More than likely it was the person who is paid to put the inserts into the papers being careless. I could get anywhere from none to eight sets of flyers and coupons in my papers.
Apache

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Apache

It's hard not to put up with something when it is the only thing available. We used to have to put up with just black and white TV's too.
Apache

And we had to walk across the room to the TV to change the channel. Between one of the broadcast networks because there was no cable. (of course I still don't have cable, but that's by choice)