Best and worst months to buy big TV for the big game

(FOX 13) - FOX 13 News Consumer Reporter Chris Chmura did the research on buying a big TV for the big game so you wouldn't have to. Here's his advice:

Is the Super Bowl really the best time to buy new TV? Yes. And no. And maybe. And it depends.

I’m not being sassy (for once). The answer to this perennial question is genuinely that squishy.

To wit, we spent a minimal amount of time looking for a hard-and-fast answer and quickly identified so many “best months to buy” that we nearly covered more than half of the calendar year.

Here’s who pegs each month as the best to buy a new TV:

JANUARY - About.com, Consumer Reports

FEBRUARY - LifeHacker.com, About.com

MARCH - Real Simple magazine

JULY - Popular Mechanics Magazine

NOVEMBER - Deal News, Reader’s Digest, Consumer Reports

DECEMBER - Consumer Reports

January and early February win for the many “big game” sales retailers run and there is evidence this is a good time to buy a high end HDTV.

If you want an entry-level model, keep reading.

Late February and March gain credibility for the fact that holiday surplus might be on clearance.

July scores points for model year closeouts (like cars), but several sources point to November as the very best time to bring home the cheapest TV.

DealNews.com lays down the law.

“November is undoubtedly the best time of year to purchase a new HDTV,” it wrote. “If you're in the market for a new TV, we specifically recommend you shop during the days leading up to Black Friday.”

If you can wait, DealNews data suggests 33-price price drops that week.

While it is true that many “doorbusters” are low-end TVs lacking the features of their mac daddy siblings, their rock-bottom prices simply cannot be beaten.

The reality is, the best time to buy a new TV is when you are ready - and we say you are ready when you have done your research to identify the right set for your home, shopped around to compare prices, and have saved up the money to buy one (we don't like costly credit card debt – even though we love nice, new TVs).

For most of us, a new TV set costs more than a few full days at work. It’s a major purchase that deserves more forethought than an impulse buy.