Why You Shouldn't Buy a TV on Black Friday

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However, to be fair, there are some big-name TVs on sale. Best Buy, most notably, has a discounted Panasonic on the front page of its ad. Panasonic's sets are highly regarded -- the Panasonic ZT60 is still considered one of the finest televisions ever made -- but unfortunately, just picking a good brand doesn't guarantee a quality product.

The particular model that Best Buy is offering -- the 50A400 -- scored a modest 6 out 10 on AVForums: "We have seen a number of excellent TVs from Panasonic this year but sadly [this] is not one of them. In fact, it's one of the worst TVs we have reviewed so far, failing on almost every level to deliver the kind of performance ... we would expect from even a budget TV."

A more significant -- and more insidious -- problem is the derivative model: In their quest to offer ever greater deals with which to entice shoppers, retailers contract with television manufacturers for special Black Friday sets. Like a piece of clothing purchased from an outlet store, these televisions are based on full-featured TVs, but are commonly missing key features, often made with lesser-quality parts or sold with sharply reduced warranties.

Derivative models are manufactured in limited runs for the express purpose of being offered "on sale" during Black Friday. Unfortunately, it's difficult to determine which sets are derivatives -- the retailers don't make it easy, and even if you identify one, it's often hard to find its shortcomings.

This year, one of Best Buy's doorbusters appears to be a derivative model -- the 55-inch 4K Samsung television. That particular model (UN55HU6830) is not available from any other retailer, and Best Buy has only had it on sale this month -- an almost sure sign of a derivative. It's hard to say with absolute certainty, but it appears to be based on Samsung's UN55HU6840. Both TVs are highly similar, but the Black Friday version has a much lower refresh rate (60 Hz vs 120 Hz). TVs with higher refresh rates are better at handling fast-moving video.

Given that Best Buy is only selling the 6830 for $100 less ($899) than the 6840 ($999), buyers looking for a 4K Samsung may wish to skip the lines and spend the $100 for the superior 6840.

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