Shop at home, in store with apps for best Black Friday TV buys

Before you pounce on that Black Friday deal on a new television, pause to consider whether a rock bottom price is too good to be true.

Consumer Reports says not every sale is as good as it looks.

“Beware of those bargain basement prices on TVs from lesser-known brands,” said Jim Willcox, Consumer Reports’ tech editor.

Consumer Reports analyzed three years of ratings and found models from major brands, including LG, Samsung, and Sony, tend to perform better.

Consumer Reports says if you’re savvy at sales, you might not have to pay much more for a better TV. Black Friday is often when older models and TVs made specifically for Black Friday, have the biggest discounts. And this year, bigger might mean a better deal.

“We expect to see the biggest price cuts on larger sets, say 65 inches and above,” said Willcox.

To compare prices at home, try and websites like Google Shopping, PriceGrabber or Shopzilla.

In store, you can use apps such as BuyVia, Shopkick, ShopSavvy and Shopular to scan bar codes or QR codes to compare prices, even score coupons.

That way you can be sure you are really getting a deal.

With all the supply and shipping issues, if you see deal you like, get it. It might not be there next week.