Glued to your TV for summer baseball? Getting ready to host people for the big game? This may be just the excuse you need to trade in your old television set for something a little more worthy of this ultimate summer sports showdown. Or, perhaps you just haven't updated your TV in years and could really use a new one sooner, rather than later.
But with so many high-tech, top-performing big screens on the market, how do you know which ones are really worth the splurge? Consumer Reports joined TODAY to share their recommendations for the best TVs to buy. Watching your favorite television show is about to get a whole lot better!
Samsung Electronics 65-Inch Smart LED TV (normally $1,099)
Depending on your location, you can get free in-store pick up for this item. Amazon also has this TV on sale for $842 right now.
Sony Premium 65-Inch Ultra HD Smart LED TV (normally $2,498)
Amazon is also selling this TV for $1,498 as well. This is an Amazon choice product and users love it for streaming and gaming.
LG Electronics 65-Inch Ultra HD Smart LED TV (normally $3,300)
JCPenny has this TV on sale for $1,297 - that's 53 percent off! They also offer 2 and 3 year protection plans for under $200.
Samsung Electronics 65-Inch 4K Smart QLED TV (normally $3,998)
You can also buy this TV on sale on Amazon for $1,939.
LG Electronics 65-Inch ULtra HD Smart OLED TV
If you aren't quite ready to splurge, we've pulled the best selling TV's on Walmart for under $500 with a 50 inch screen or greater.
1. Sceptre 50" Class FHD (1080P) LED TV
One reviewer said, "Great tv!!!! Beautiful picture and sound. Goes loud!!! Just as good if not better then the brand name tvs."
Another exclaimed, "I bought this tv for the bedroom, I originally had a 19in so going to a 50 in was a big step up. I was worried that I had no idea about this company nor was there one for me too look up at a in store location but I went for it. I found the price was great. But most off all I am amazed on the sound quality, I normally have to turn my other tv up to 25 for most shows. However with this one I listen at 11 for most sometimes even lower. I have gone to peoples house that have sounds bars to get what my tv does. Also the picture is very good. the set up was easy specially since it came with its own screw driver."
2. VIZIO 50" Class 4K Smart LED TV
One happy customer said it had everything he needed. "I bought this a month ago to put in my bonus room. My grandchildren play games on it with their PS4 and Xbox 1 and they love it. I have four other Vizio TV's in my home never had any problems with any of them. They are excellent TV's."
3. Sceptre 40" Class FHD (1080P) LED TV
Another customer raved, "It is the 3rd one I have bought. 1 for a Gift, and the others for me. I definitely recommend a sound bar. Other than that, I really am satisfied with them. YOU CAN'T BEAT THE PRICE!"
The top 3 best-selling Smart TVs on Amazon are all under $500 and have over 1,000 four and five-star reviews.
1. TCL 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV
One five-star reviewer wrote in July 2017, "Here's the short version:If you grew up poor and can't mentally justify spending a month of rent in urban California on a single television, if you're poor as heck right now but could conceivably afford this television, if you've never owned a 4k TV, if you've never owned an especially large TV, you will not be disappointed by this gigantic freaking monstrosity of a display. It nicely upscales 1080p content, it has a nice frame rate, it has passable speakers you can hear the bass on, and as someone who is picky about delay to the point of 25ms being effectively unusable for music-based games I am very happy with the "game mode" option that removes the delay typically associated with HDMI displays. It is a good TV and everyone in my family, which includes two audio people and a visual artist, is extremely happy with it."
2. TLC 49-Inch 1080p Roku Smart LED TV
One five-star reviewer said, "OK, so right off the bat I will say "WOW". For about $170 [smaller version of the TV], I was not expecting a lot of bells and whistles, which is fine for a newly converted "exercise room". Upon delivery I was amazed at how light this TV was. While mounting on an articulating arm mount, I actually held it in place with one hand while I screwed it into the mounts. I was fearing it to be a "toy" quality because of it's light weight, but once I turned it on, I was pleasantly surprised. The colors are great, it is rich in features and has some very intuitive interface design qualities."
3. Samsung Electronics 50-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV
This is a smaller version of the first television recommended above by Consumer Reports.
One very thorough reviewer stated, "All things considered, I feel like the UM6300 was an excellent choice. This TV offers a ton of features, incredible picture quality and 4K resolution for a budget conscious buyer. There are some not so great materials used, especially in components like the stand and off-angle viewing could definitely be better. But for the price, I think this is definitely the TV to go with. Recommended!"
For more Consumer Reports-approved items we love, check out their list of the best sunscreens and the best mosquito repellents.