Television prices usually creep back up once the holiday sales end, but this year the discounts never fully disappeared.
Retailers from Walmart to Best Buy are sitting on a mountain of inventory, and that means shoppers who waited are the ones getting rewarded.
A 55-inch 4K set that sold for $650 two years ago now regularly lists under $300, and 65-inch models have slipped into the $400 range at several major chains.
Store brands like TCL, Hisense, and Vizio are doing most of the heavy lifting, but even Samsung and LG have joined the markdown party on older models.
Panel makers in Asia overbuilt during the pandemic boom, and TV demand cooled faster than anyone predicted.
Warehouses filled up, shipping costs normalized, and retailers started cutting prices to avoid storing boxes they could not sell.
What to buy right now depends on how you actually watch.
If you stream everything and sit about eight feet from the screen, a 55- or 65-inch 4K set is the sweet spot, and you should not pay more than $450 for a good one.
Gamers should look for a 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports, which matter far more than a fancy processor name.
Three things to skip: 8K sets, extended warranties on budget TVs, and any "doorbuster" that requires a membership you do not already have.
A $60 membership to save $40 is not a deal, it is a subscription.
The best time to check prices is midweek, when weekly ads flip and competitors quietly match each other.
Watch for open-box units too, since many stores now sell returned TVs at 30 to 40 percent off with the full manufacturer warranty still attached.
Some retailers advertise a low price, then charge for delivery and setup that wipes out the savings.
Ask for the total cost out the door, including mounting, before you hand over a card.
If your current TV still works fine, none of this is urgent.
Prices on midrange sets have been flat to falling for two years, and there is no sign of a rebound.
Waiting another month costs you nothing but patience.
Our take: this is one of the few corners of the economy where your dollar genuinely goes further than it did a few years ago.
If you have been squinting at a dying screen, the math finally favors you.
Final Thoughts
Just buy the size and features you will actually use, not the ones the sales tag wants you to want.