Black Friday Deal Guide: Home Theater

Toshiba Black Friday Home Theater TV Deal
The 40″ Toshiba

For some reason, it seems like half the Black Friday deals we’ve seen out there are for TVs. Maybe because compared to laptops or smartphones, it’s hard for TV manufacturers to compete on features, and instead they compete on price. That means many stores will have a good deal on a TV this Black Friday, so if a different deal is what you’re really after, make that store your priority and plan to try to pick up a TV at that location.

Of course, there’s more to a home theater than just TVs, especially in the age of TV-via-the-Internet, so we’re bringing you some of our favorites for the entire experience too. If you have any questions about any home theater gadgets, feel free to ask away in the comments!

TVs (from Smallest to Largest):

32” Apex HDTV: $147 from Target

This LCD TV normally retails for closer to $250. It’s not a smart (aka web-enabled) unit, and it’s not the fanciest TV, with a 720p display and 60HZ refresh rate, but it can take HDMI and S Video input and is a solid deal at under $150.

40″ Toshiba HDTV: $179.99 from Best Buy
 This is a budget model, and there’s a reason this is one of the leading deals from Best Buy: normally these TVs retail at over $400. It’s also an LCD HDTV, with 1080p resolution, and HDMI inputs. Again, this isn’t a top of the line unit, with a refresh rate of only 60HZ, but it is affordable budget TV.

40″ Samsung Smart HDTV: $449.99 from Samsung.com
This is also a 40″ model, but a high-end one, with superior frame refresh and clarity on top of the 1080p display. Plus the TV is WiFi-enabled for streaming content. Suggested retail on this TV is $799, for a $300 savings.

50″ Sony Smart HDTV: $899 from Sony Retail Stores
Here, it’s all about the smart TV plus size.  This web-enabled lets you stream movies, photos, music and videos straight to your TV from the internet, in 1080p HD. Normally retails for $1299.

65” VIZIO LED Smart HDTV: $998 from Sam’s Club
This is an 65″ LED TV for under $1,000, which is impressive, as is the refresh rate of 120HZ. This TV is also web-enabled for access to all your streaming media, and features all the top-of-the-line features you’d expect. Normally retails for around $1400.


Other Key Home Theater Components:
Blu-ray Players:

Take  your pick, there’s an LG for $38 at Sam’s Club or a Toshiba for $39 at Best Buy. The Toshiba is “web ready,” meaning that if you want to spend an additional $30 – $50.


Black Friday Roku HD Home Theater DealRoku Box: $59.99
The Roku is a great alternative to a web-enabled TV or Blu-ray. Roku allows you to stream content, like Netflix, HuluPlus, Amazon, games, and live sports. We recommend the Roku 2 XD, which lets you stream in 1080p HD. Normally $79.99, it will be available at Roku.com for $59.99

Home Audio:
Harman Kardon 500W 5.1 Home Theater Receiver: $250 at Best Buy
This stereo receiver is $250 off its normal retail price of $500. It features 5 channels with 100 watts per channel, plus six HDMI inputs, Dolby TrueHD, and more.