What in the HD World?

Each year Black Friday seems to occur earlier and earlier. First there were those 7 a.m. Early Bird starts. And then the Friday after Thanksgiving sales began at the stroke of midnight. Now, we are inundated with the Why Wait for Friday events.

Samsung jumped the gun with an email on Monday that proclaimed, "Black Friday starts now and lasts all week." Here's the link to their TV deals.

Similarly, at the Sony store, "Black Friday Deals Start Now."

LG pushes the time frame even farther. On their website, Black Friday deals are valid from November 4 - 26.

I would say that VIZIO is a bit more reserved about Black Friday on their website, but since the beginning of the month, they have been rolling out deals like their new 60" E Series LED Smart TV for $999.

And just today, they announced a Black Friday sale on their fresh off the production line 70" E Series for $1700.

Only four years ago, Panasonic was showcasing a 103" plasma TV for an if-you-have-to-ask-you-can't-afford-it price - $50,000, if you must ask.

Sharp was a forerunner in slicing that hefty price premium with the introduction of their much more affordable 60, 70, 80, and even 90" LED Smart TVs.

The $11,000 90" Sharp LC-90LE745U is currently the world's largest LED TV.

Now, VIZIO is disrupting the marketplace once again with this 70" TV retailing for under two grand. This new pricing structure should also realign your TV buying priorities. With 60" TVs becoming the new 46" (based on the fact that these 5' TVs now cost what 46" models did only a couple of years ago), screen size should be rising to the top of your list.

Size matters. If you desire a more immersive TV watching experience, whether its sports, Blu-ray movies, or your favorite prime time programs, the bigger the screen, the better.

If you are on a budget, and who isn't, the sweet spot is 55". Almost all TV manufacturers are offering at least one 55" model under $1000. On the Best Buy site, I'm seeing Black Friday Doorbuster Deals on 55" TVs for under $800.

Often, for those low prices, you are giving up one feature or another, like 3D capability or Internet connectivity. If you are not a 3D fan, that is not a sacrifice.

And you can kill two birds by purchasing a Blu-ray player that spins HD movies and also offers those Smart TV Internet content providers like Netflix and YouTube. During Black Friday, you should have your pick of under $100 Blu-ray players that furnish Internet features.

If you go that no-frills TV + feature-laden Blu-ray player route, you might discover a true Black Friday gem. And if you really enjoy digging for buried treasure, here's one more guide in your hunt. Look for a plasma TV.

In the hoopla surrounding LED LCD TVs, plasmas have become the Cinderellas not invited to the ball. I'll admit, I still love plasmas as a display technology and I believe that LED TVs are now just catching plasmas when it comes to picture quality.

Happily, some of the best Black Friday deals are on plasma TVs, like the 60" Plasma 530 that Samsung is offering on its website for $850, almost half the retail price. It's not 3D, not a Smart TV, only has two HDMI connectors - for $850, who cares.

I don't intend to sound cavalier about the expense of these TVs. One advantage to this dog-eat-dog TV marketplace is that you can find good performing models at every price range.

Amazon is offering the Toshiba 24L4200U 24-Inch 1080p LED TV for a sales price of $223. I can still recall when 24" was considered a huge TV.

You may have noticed that I have been referring to name brand TVs. I have reviewed TVs from these companies and feel comfortable about their track records. Since they are all offering great deals, I see no reason to stray off the beaten path.

I am in no way implying that TVs from other manufacturers are inferior. I simply do not have as much experience with these vendors. Then again, who in the U.S. had heard of Samsung TVs ten years ago?

Of course, if you are not ready, willing or able to purchase a new TV during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday madness, don't fret. TV manufacturers have been experiencing hard times lately, therefore I predict that bargains will continue to pop up when you are prepared to take the leap.

For example, as I was digging through the websites, I noticed that Panasonic is offering a new VIERA 60" U50 Series Plasma HDTV for $899 and that is not even a sales price.

Happy hunting.

If you want more information, please check out our HDTV Buying Guide.