Breaking SmartTV Myths for Black Friday

An educated consumer is a smart consumer

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (November 4, 2019) — While technically an American phenomena, Black Friday — and the requisite shopping deals that come with it — has invariably filtered north.

It may not coincide with a Canadian holiday, but retailers in this country have jumped into the habit of slashing prices and offering deep discounts on the last Friday of November, giving Canadian shoppers the chance to start checking items off their Christmas list without breaking the bank and having to deal with the hassles of border crossings. But whether shopping in Canada or the United States, it is recommended consumers do a little research lest they get lured into a deal that is too good to be true, and turns out to be exactly like that.

“Home electronics are one of the more sought after products on Black Friday, but not all are created the same,” says Meaghan Wilkinson, Director of Marketing for Hisense Canada. “Most consumers are doing their research before they commit to buying a TV or other device, but even in that process you have to be cautious as not everything on the Internet is true.”

To help you out when looking at that next big screen TV on Black Friday — whether to wrap and give as a gift or for your own personal use — Meaghan wants to break the following myths:

• MYTH: You shouldn’t connect your smart TV to the Internet. 

  FACTS: For optimal use of a Smart TV, connection to the Internet is critical. Not only to access all your favourite movies, apps and TV shows , but you will miss bug fixes and software updates that are sent to your TV only when there is an active Internet connection. This isn’t unique to TVs. Your cellphone, video game system, computer, tablet and pretty much any other “connected” device will get updates from time to time. The idea that manufacturers are using these updates to sabotage their own products is pure hogwash.

• MYTH: Any TV will do for any use. 
  FACTS: Everybody has different TV habits. Some are movie buffs, while others love their weekly sitcoms. Sports fans are tuning in to see their favourite teams and video gamers are potentially spending hours in front of their set. The reality in today’s TV marketplace is there is a TV with features that are best suited to each. Movie and sitcom fans would do well with a Smart TV that gives them quick and easy access to their favourite streaming services. Movie fans should look for nothing less than 4K ULED or Quantum Dot technology for resolution better than they would get in a theatre. A TV that will communicate with your home theatre system is also a plus for optimum sound. High resolution does the sports fan good as well. They should also look for a TV with higher hertz (Hz) — the higher the number, the less drag there is in the action. For video games, go for high hertz and low latency.

• MYTH: Major manufacturers support all their products being sold on retailers websites.
  FACTS: Most online retailers have marketplace “partners” that piggyback on the retailer’s online portal to sell from their own stock. Be wary when shopping here. You may be buying an older model, a foreign model or something that is refurbished. And in each of those cases, it is unlikely the manufacturer’s warranty is still valid. This is certainly a case where a deal that looks too good to be true just may be.