The hidden cost of buying a super-cheap smart TV
Summary
- Companies will make money by tracking what you watch and showing you ads.
- Cheaper TVs tend to lack high-quality video formats and advanced screen technologies, which affects picture quality.
- Beware of cheap old TVs; they probably won’t last too long.
When a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is, especially when it comes to… smart TVs. If you see a large model standing in a big store that only costs a couple hundred dollars, or you notice Fire TV It’s dirt cheap on Amazon, time to tread carefully.
With so many smart TV companies out there, it’s not that hard to find a good deal on something great. This is of great value as technology continues to improve and manufacturing processes become more efficient. If you also think open box or refurbished models, there are plenty of opportunities to find a quality TV at a decent price.
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However, beware of large models that cost very little; anything that’s 55 inches or taller and only costs a few hundred dollars should give you pause. You may not pay much up front, but you will have to pay more down the line. Here’s why.
Advertising and offers
You will be overwhelmed with things you don’t need.
One of the main ways to pay for a cheap TV in the coming days, weeks, months and years is through advertising. Whether it’s banners on your homepage, promoted content in carousels, or personalized product placements, you can expect ads, commercials, and promotions to be everywhere. Ad-supported subscriptions have become the standard everywhere, and the idea is simple: you pay less for a product or service, and in return you’ll be shown countless advertisements.
Amazon, in particular, is ramping up its advertising efforts. Its Fire TV line is already heavily focused on promoting Amazon’s many products and services; Prime Video users can expect more targeted advertising and in-show purchasing options in 2025. Therefore, when you buy a TV, you are investing in an operating system that will contain a lot of advertising that is impossible to ignore.
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It seems like everywhere you go these days, advertising is becoming more and more intrusive. Streaming services offer ad-supported tiers to consumers wary of ever-increasing prices, smart TVs often display them on home screens, and even gaming consoles like the Xbox XIS contain ads. However, perhaps in an effort to position itself as the most premium gaming console, Sony has kept its PlayStation 5 ad-free. Well, that was until yesterday. Sony says the update was sent in error, causing unavoidable advertising to appear on the console’s game screen. However, writer Eli Becht is not so much sure that it was an accident as it is a harbinger of future events. Read more about his thoughts here, and when you’re done, let us know if you think ads are inevitable on PS5?
Cheap TVs allow you to track data
Your browsing habits are worth a lot of money
One thing to consider when shopping around for cheaper TVs is the way they track your information. Most smart TVs track what you watch, how long you watch, what you search for, and what you avoid. All this information gives a lot of power and potential money to interested third parties, including companies trying to sell you things and studios trying to create something new for you to watch.
The only profit you will receive is a small one-time discount on the cost of the TV.
There are ways to turn off tracking; Most TVs have menu options where you can prevent the TV from detecting what’s displayed on it. But even this option depends on the TV manufacturer, and not on the operating system. Cheap TVs will collect your data and people will make money from it. The only profit you will receive is a small one-time discount on the cost of the TV.
Your Smart TV may be collecting too much information. Here’s how to avoid it.
I don’t mind if my TV knows what shows I like, but it tries to collect too much information. Here’s how to avoid it.
Durability and performance
Be sure to invest in something that will last
A quality smart TV should serve as your central entertainment center for at least four to five years. It will likely continue to work after that, but around this time you’ll want to consider upgrading to newer technology. Over the years, the vibrancy may fade and processing may slow down, but new innovations will emerge that make it worth upgrading. However, with cheaper TVs, that time may come sooner than you want.
If you want to make a smart TV investment, it’s important to buy one that has been made within the last 12 months or so. This is partly due to the fact that even if the TV is not used, it still gradually becomes obsolete from the time it was manufactured. Old TVs will be quite cheap, but you’ll also be investing in something that won’t last as long as a new one, so it’s important to factor that cost in as well.
It’s not much different from buying a new phone; You can save money by buying an iPhone that’s a few years older, but it simply won’t last as long as a new one, and that’s reflected in the cost.
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Image quality and accuracy
Price changes depending on technology
It seemed like years ago, 4K resolution was a popular feature that everyone wanted to enjoy the best content. Those days are long gone, almost every new show and movie (as well as some sports) was shot in 4K, and almost every smart TV can now support it. However, the features that everyone needs now to get the most out of what they watch are high-quality HDR formats. Cheap TVs won’t support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, the two best formats that give viewers the most accurate colors and detail on screen, but they will try to convince you that 4K resolution is all you need.
Screen technology is also an important feature that consumers cannot ignore. Unless you’re investing in an expensive OLED TV, you might want to consider an LED backlit with multiple dimming zones, such as a mini-LED smart TV. Without this, you’ll have a TV with contrast issues, especially when watching darker scenes. Screen technology has a big impact on price, and one of the reasons TVs can be so cheap is because they don’t provide quality pictures. If you watch new shows on Netflix and big blockbuster movies, you’ll need a TV that’s compatible with these products, and cheaper TVs that don’t have the new technology won’t cut it.
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There are a lot of good deals out there, especially at the beginning of the calendar year when companies are trying to increase their inventory compared to last year. Since so many companies make quality TVs, it makes sense, but you still need to be careful. Don’t look for the cheapest TVs because, one way or another, you will pay more over time.
2025-01-08 12:01:16