# I'm in the market for a big screen TV, should I buy one IMMEDIATELY? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2021, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820 "2021-03-27T05:41:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/1 "2021-03-27T05:41:59Z")
I’ve had the same HDTV since 2012, given me great service and still works fine but showing it’s age with absolutely no “modern” amenities like built-in apps or more than two HDMI ports. I was thinking sometime in the next couple of months but apparently they’re saying the combo chip shortage and suez canal crisis might cause HDTV prices to spike so I’m thinking of buying a new tv this weekend. My current HDTV is 50 inch’s, looking for something about that size. Anyone got any recommendations? Should I buy online or in-store considering the shipping problems? What’s a good set for under $800? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/2 "2021-03-27T07:20:07Z")
I’m no expert, but I can’t think of a reason why you should wait. I got a new one last year when my old one - older than yours - died. I was stunned at the improvement in picture quality. I don’t have any recommendations. It being during the early days of the pandemic, I didn’t even go to look at picture quality, and trusted the reviews. I got one with a Roku interface which is good, but I had a Roku stick already. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/3 "2021-03-27T07:24:42Z")
Chromecast and an HDMI hub. I’m over built-in-apps and build-in Android (which is what the built-in Apps run on) and old-slow phones (which is what you’re buying in a TV). They stop working when the service updates the api. We had a quite nice you-tube app – gone now. And it’s not the only one. My wife has entirely stopped using the remaining built in apps – she’s using Chromecast and the Google puck. This is not to say that you shouldn’t buy a new TV. Just that you should spend no money on ‘built in apps’, and no time considering them. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/4 "2021-03-27T11:00:47Z")
I agree that there is really nothing good to be said about smart TV’s internal apps. Chromecast, Firestick, and AppleTV are all good options for streaming apps and you can take them with you when you travel. And when you inevitably replace the TV in the future, you can just plug the same thing in and you’re ready to go immediately. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/5 "2021-03-27T11:45:54Z")
All our TV’s are on Firestick, some are smart, some are dumb, but they all work exactly the same. Don’t underestimate upsizing. All things being equal that is usually the largest bang for the buck. I went from a 50 to a 55 and was very happy with that extra. Space limited us from going higher. For pricing in the US the best time is usually black Friday/after Thanksgiving and before Superbowl, with also a possibility of snagging a deal on Amazon Prime day. That last one is during the summer and would be the closest one. The pandemic has caused shortages in all things, and you still might find limited selection and not the best pricing. Many more people are staying home and TV’s seem like they would be popular, also the screen material is used to make computer/laptop screens also popular during this time. IDK if they are still in short supply but could be. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/7 "2021-03-27T14:07:32Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > My current HDTV is 50 inch’s, looking for something about that size. Anyone got any recommendations? Should I buy online or in-store considering the shipping problems? What’s a good set for under $800? Last year I went from a 46" 1920p set I bought in 2008 to a 65" 4K OLED set. I agree that you should consider getting a larger set. And your 2012 set is old enough that really anything you get will be technologically much better. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/8 "2021-03-27T14:12:02Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > The pandemic has caused shortages in all things, and you still might find limited selection and not the best pricing. Many more people are staying home and TV’s seem like they would be popular, also the screen material is used to make computer/laptop screens also popular during this time. IDK if they are still in short supply but could be. Cite please. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/9 "2021-03-27T14:48:18Z")
Do you really need a cite for something that’s been in the news almost non-stop for a full year? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/10 "2021-03-27T15:22:20Z")
There is a shortage of selected computer chips affecting everything that uses them; computers, TVs, vehicles, etc. The pandemic has exacerbated the shortages. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/11 "2021-03-27T18:58:36Z")
My local Sam’s club has the TVs on display just inside the door and every time I walk in they’re bigger and/or cheaper. So I spend a minute looking and persuading myself that I don’t need to upgrade right now. The point being that the best time to upgrade is when you find a price point/screen size that you’re comfortable with. You can wait as long as you want because barring some disaster affecting electronics production the prices are only going to go down over time as the state of the art moves on. We’re not that far away from 4k being the cheapest entry level option you can get. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/12 "2021-03-27T19:27:22Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > What’s a good set for under $800? TCL Series 6 is consistently rated at the top of this price range in the size you’re looking for. I love mine. It has Roku software, which is plug and play for every streaming app out there, has ApplePlay support, and plenty of HDMI ports for if the software becomes obsolete. “Ignore the software” is bad advice. A new set isn’t going to have obsolete tech any time in the near future, every set out there is running _something_, and they all have plenty of HDMI ports to make it a pointless argument. If you’re used to a particular platform, or want something easy to use out of the box without having to buy yet another device (and have yet another remote), by all means consider the software. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/13 "2021-03-27T19:39:17Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > We’re not that far away from 4k being the cheapest entry level option you can get. When I was looking for a new TV set last summer, almost all of them already were 4K. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2021, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/14 "2021-03-28T05:20:57Z")
I have a 52" Sharp TV that I bought when my son was probably 6. He’s 22. It has 6 HDMI ports, and I hook a box up to it for smart apps. I keep waiting for the damned thing to die but it will probably outlive me. I can’t see much reason to hurry its demise except for wanting 4k, and I don’t want 4k all that urgently. Maybe if HDR gets widespread. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/15 "2021-03-28T18:30:56Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > Do you really need a cite for something that’s been in the news almost non-stop for a full year? Really? Yes. Show me the shortages. Show me [bestbuy.com](http://bestbuy.com) with all of the TVs unavailable. That a TV simply can’t be bought right now at any price. There’s a whole thread on the COVID section where people can idly speculate on real and imagined shortages to their heart’s content. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/16 "2021-03-28T20:53:29Z")
I’m not this savvy as a consumer (though my wife gets consumer magazine Which?), but have heard that it’s best to wait for a year’s new TV models to be put on sale, then buy last year’s best model at a much-reduced price. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/17 "2021-03-30T10:31:22Z")
If you buy a big-screen TV now, you can use it to watch the _Ever Given_ sail away, though that still leaves the combo chip shortage thing. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-in-the-market-for-a-big-screen-tv-should-i-buy-one-immediately/938820/18 "2021-03-30T11:23:15Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > Yes. Show me the shortages. Show me [bestbuy.com](http://bestbuy.com) with all of the TVs unavailable. That a TV simply can’t be bought right now at any price. That would be requiring people to prove something no one said. @kanicbird only said there _might_ be limited supply or unfavorable prices due to the chip shortages. His post even ends with > IDK if they are still in short supply but could be.