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Black Friday 2012: the best TV deals so far

Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to buy a new TV, and retailers are rolling out the bargains in their Black Friday ads to mark the occasion Here are some of the best deals so far on HDTVs of every size. 

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Business Wire/File
A Toshiba LED HDTV is shown in this commercial file photo. Black Friday has long been prime time for deals on big-screen televisions, and this year looks to be no different.
  • By Louis Ramirez Contributor

We're a week away from Black Friday and if you're on the prowl for a new HDTV you've come to the right place. Below, we've updated our roundup of the best Black Friday HDTV ads, with deals from retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target. Each of the deals below was hand-picked for being amongst the best TV deals we've seen this year.

If your heart was set on a 3D TV, we're sorry to report that deals on 3D TVs have been rare and disappointing. (You'll find the three best we could find below). Prices have indeed dropped, but value-wise your money is best spent on non-3D HDTVs. Should we find any additional deals, you can rest assured we'll update our roundup.

Best 32" to 46" HDTV Ads

  • 32" LCD HDTV for $97 at Sears Thanks to a reader tip, we were able to find this amazing deal on a 32" LCD HDTV. Not only does it crush our Black Friday prediction by $62, but it's also the cheapest 32" HDTV we've seen by $72. Though keep in mind that the TV's brand-name and resolution are not listed by Sears, and at this price, we doubt you'll get anything but 720p resolution.
  • Apex 32" 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $147 at TargetNot a fan of mystery deals? This in-store only deal beats our Black Friday prediction for 32" HDTVs by $12 and unlike the above-mentioned deal from Sears, lists the manufacturer and resolution.
  • Samsung 32" 720p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $248 at WalmartAlthough it's a 720p set, this Walmart deal is $2 under Dell's Black Friday price on a similar 720p Samsung and earns its pixels as the lowest price we've seen for a 32" Samsung.
  • Toshiba 40" 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $180 at Best BuyThe first true "doorbuster" of the season, this 40" 1080p HDTV is $9 under our Black Friday predictionand the star of Best Buy's circular. And for those keeping count, it's also $9 under last year's best Black Friday price for a 40" 1080p LCD HDTV. Simply put, 40" HDTV deals don't get any better than this.
  • Samsung 40" 120Hz 1080p 3D LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $498 at Best Buy This 40" 3D HDTV is a buck under last week's (now-expired) Editors' Choice mention of a similar Samsung TV. Unlike last week's mention, which was from Fry's, this deal does not require in-store pickup. It's also the cheapest 40" 3D Samsung TV we've ever seen and $2 bucks under BJ's Black Friday price and $30 under Kmart's Black Friday price on a non-3D set.
  • Vizio 42" 1080p WiFi LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $400 at BJ's Typically, only refurbished 42" Vizio TVs fall below the $400 mark. But this deal on a new, WiFi-enabled 42" Vizio HDTV is an all-time low for this brand TV in this size category.
  • RCA 46" 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $300 at Kmart At $300, this 46" HDTV is just a buck away from our Black Friday prediction for TVs in this size range. It's also the cheapest price we've for any 46" LCD HDTV.
  • Samsung 46" 120Hz 1080p 3D LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $648 at Best Buy Although we saw a similar Samsung TV bundled with a Samsung 3D Blu-ray player for $49 less last week (since expired for pickup at Fry's only), this deal merits mention because it's the second-best deal we've seen for a 46" Samsung 3D HDTV. (And one of the few 3D TV deals out there worth mentioning.)

Best 48" to 52" HDTV Ads

  • TCL 48" 240Hz 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $480 at BJ's This deal ties last week's (now-expired) Editors' Choice mention dollar-for-dollar. If brand name isn't of importance, then opt for this TV, which is the best price we've seen for any new or refurbished 46" or 47" 240Hz 1080p LED-backlit HDTV.
  • Emerson 50" 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $298 at Walmart That's no typo. Walmart has a 50" 1080p LCD HDTV for just shy of $300. That's $152 under the best price we've seen all year for any 50" 1080p LCD HDTV. And it's also a buck under our Black Friday prediction for a 47" HDTV.
  • Toshiba 50" 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $500 at hhgregg This confirmed, in-store only deal is $135 under the best price we've seen for this set and the cheapest 50" Toshiba LED-backlit LCD we've seen.
  • LG 50" 600Hz 1080p Plasma HDTV for $500 at BJ's Who said plasma is dead? Not only does this deal trump our Tuesday mention by $99, but it's also the lowest price we've seen for any 50" LG 1080p plasma.
  • Samsung 50" 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $698 at Walmart Although we didn't see many deals on this specific model throughout the year, we did list it once in August. At $698, it's $102 under that August mention and it's also the least-expensive 50" Samsung LED LCD HDTV we've seen.
  • Samsung Series 5 51" 1080 Plasma HDTV for $580 at Dell Home Outside of refurbs, this is the cheapest price we've seen for any Samsung 51" 1080p plasma TV by $70.
  • Sharp 52" 120Hz 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $800 at Sears Although we've seen cheaper prices on name-brand 55" HDTVs, if your mind is set on Sharp, this is the lowest price we've seen for this TV by $99.

RECOMMENDED: Compare 10 HDTV brands

Best 55" and Larger HDTV Ads

  • Sony 55" 120Hz 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $799 at AAFES.com Black Friday hasn't shown much love for Sony HDTVs, but this model is looking to change that. This 55" edge-lit set packs every feature you could want: WiFi, 120Hz refresh rate, Netflix streaming, and more for just $799. That's the lowest price we've seen for this popular dealnews model all year by $199.
  • Samsung 55" 240Hz 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $800 at Best Buy Although January typically rings in the best deals on brand-name HDTVs, this 55" 240Hz Samsung is at an all-time low, beating out every deal we've posted on similar 55" 240Hz Samsungs this year by at least $198.
  • Panasonic 55" 120Hz 1080p 3D LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $900 at Best Buy If you must have a TV with 3D built-in, we'd recommend this 55" Panasonic. Not only is it at an all-time low, but it's $49 under the best price we've seen this year for this model.
  • Sony 55" 120Hz 1080p LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $800 at Navy Exchange Not only is this television $247 under our Monday mention, but it's also the least-expensive price we've seen on this TV all year by $198.
  • Vizio 60" 120Hz 1080p WiFi LED-Backlit LCD HDTV for $688 at Walmart A brand-name 60" for $688 is simply unheard of. Yet another deal worthy of its doorbuster label, this HDTV is $31 under our prediction and an absolute must-buy for anyone shopping for a big-screen HDTV.

There are still more ads trickling in as we speak, so be sure to keep an eye on the Black Friday HDTV ads page for additional deals. 

Louis Ramirez is the senior feature writer at dealnews.com, a website devoted to finding the best deals on consumer goods. The site pledges to list the best deal, whether or not it's from an advertiser, although it does work with advertisers to craft deals for readers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. This feature first appeared in dealnews.com. 

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