The 7 Best Online Retailers for a TV Purchase in 2020

Taylor Clemons has been reviewing and writing about consumer electronics for over three years. She has also worked in e-commerce product management and has extensive experience with what makes a TV a great choice for home entertainment.

With so many brick-and-mortar and online retailers, shopping for a new TV can be a slog. Even though many big box retailers now allow for online shopping, you can still spend hours, days, or weeks scrolling through inventory selections, comparing brands and models. Shopping online for a television can be daunting in its own right, since you can't physically see the TV; this makes it difficult to visualize it in your space and hard to know what the picture and audio quality is like. 

But sometimes, shopping in-store is difficult or impossible; maybe the store doesn't have the model you want in stock or they have a limited television inventory. In this guide, we're going to walk you through some important things to consider when shopping for a new TV either in-store or online. We'll talk about inventory and brand selection, price matching policies, shipping and delivery options, and even how to best utilize user reviews to choose the best TV for your home.

The number of brands available either in-store or on a retailer's website is important when considering a new TV for your home or dorm. You should check if the store carries major brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG as well as smaller brands like Hisense, Vizio, and TCL. Having a variety of brands gives you a better selection of screen sizes, smart features, and price points. More well-known brands tend to run on the pricier side, while smaller brands are more affordable. However, while it may be tempting to go for the cheapest option available in order to save money, you may get burned with lackluster warranties and poor customer support. 

If you're thinking of springing for the most expensive television, you may be paying for features you don't need and won't use. It's important to consider what you want your new television to do and where you'll have it in your home. Will it be your main television in your living room or home theater? You'll want a decent size screen and plenty of smart features so you can binge-watch your favorite shows and movies. Will it be a secondary TV in your bedroom or kids' playroom? Have a look at smaller televisions and models without streaming capabilities in order to monitor what your children are watching.

Have you ever bought something either in-store or online, only to find the exact same thing at a different place for a better price? Many retailers have some sort of price matching policy; this means that if you find the same television model at one of their competitors for a better price, they'll match it to keep you as a loyal customer. To take advantage of this, you often need a copy of the sale ad or promotional price to show as proof, and the sale price usually has to be the most recent in order to claim a price match. 

Price matching can be a great way to save money and get a good deal on a new TV if store loyalty is important to you. It's also great for customers who live in areas where there are only a few retailers; for example, if Walmart is the only big box store near you, but you've found a great TV sale price the Best Buy an hour away, you can take the sale ad to Walmart and still get a good deal. Not all stores offer this policy though, so it's important to ask an associate or customer service representative beforehand.

If you have a smaller vehicle, or can't borrow a van or truck from a friend or family member, you may want to consider buying from a retailer that offers home delivery. You can ask customer service about having a TV that was purchased in-store delivered to your home; some stores even have staff who will help you set up your new TV and make sure everything works before leaving, making returns easier. This eliminates awkward and dangerous driving with a larvae TV box half hanging out of your trunk. 

Many retailers now offer site-to-store shipping. This means that you can order a television from the retailer's website and have it shipped to the store for free and for pick-up either the next day or at your convenience. This is an excellent option for people who live in apartment buildings or are worried about having a high-priced item shipped directly to their home. Shipping to the store for pickup later means that your new TV will be kept safe from theft and damage from bad weather.

If you have trouble deciding between brands or models, you can always ask in-store associates for an explanation or advice. Many stores have dedicated electronics staff who can answer pricing, size, and features questions you may have. They can also explain store returns and exchange policies if you end up with a dud. If you're shopping online, customer reviews are the best place to see if a particular brand or model is worth buying. But don't just read the 5-star reviews; sometimes reading the 1- and 2-star reviews first can give you an idea of common problems you may encounter with a model. 

You can also get a feel for how many dead-on-arrival (DOA) units a manufacturer has let slip into the market; while it's frustrating to get a TV all set up and realize you got a dead unit, unfortunately it happens. Quality Assurance departments work hard to ensure that top-notch, working products reach the hands of customers, but they can't catch every bad unit. It's also important to focus on negative reviews that talk about the television itself rather than a poor shopping or shipping experience. A broken screen from rough shipping and handling and rude store staff are inconvenient, but these complaints don't give you any indication of how the TV works or malfunctions.