Before you buy a TV on a holiday sale: what to check first

How it works

A TV turns a signal into light, and the light is where the electricity goes. The Department of Energy notes that picture modes such as vivid, sports or cinema change brightness and contrast, and that the default preset is the most efficient one. DOE also says LED-backlit LCDs tend to be the most efficient type, and that smaller screens use less energy. DOE's guidance says so directly.

A modern set is also a connected computer. It can identify what is on screen and report it. That matters later, in the privacy section, because the software is part of what you are buying.

What matters

Start with the number that scales with size. ENERGY STAR sets the maximum power a TV may draw while on by a formula based on viewable screen area, so a bigger screen is allowed more power. Sets with a native vertical resolution of 2160 lines or more get an allowance set at half of a value called PON_MAX. Read that as a rule about how the limit is calculated, not as a promise that a sharper picture costs nothing to run. See the ENERGY STAR criteria.

Two more specs are worth a look. Standby power for ENERGY STAR TVs must be no more than 0.5 watts. And for sets whose brightest preset reaches 350 cd/m2 or more, ENERGY STAR requires at least 228 cd/m2 in the default picture setting. That tells you something useful: the brightest showroom mode and the setting you will use at home are different, so a peak brightness figure on a sale tag does not describe your living room. Treat a large brightness claim, taken alone, as marketing until you know the default-setting figure.

What it costs

The sticker price is only part of it. DOE's example of a 54.5-inch LED TV shows three yearly energy uses: 133 kWh for the most efficient, 168 for an ENERGY STAR model and 235 for a less efficient one. The lifetime energy costs are $62, $78 and $109. Those are modest sums, which is the honest takeaway: energy is rarely what makes or breaks a TV budget.

It still gives you a test for a sale price. In DOE's calculation, an ENERGY STAR 54.5-inch LED set pays for itself only if it costs $31 or less (in 2023 dollars) more than the less efficient one. If a sale opens a bigger gap between two similar sets, do not let efficiency be the reason you pay it.

Two habits keep the cost down. DOE says the default picture setting is what earns the ENERGY STAR label, so using it keeps the savings. And some utilities offer rebates on ENERGY STAR-certified products, which you can look up with the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder. DOE also says buyers can assume ENERGY STAR TVs meet its 1 W low standby limit. Add one more cost to your total: a wall anchor kit. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a kit runs $20 or less, online or at a hardware store, whether or not the TV came with one. Details are in the CPSC release.

What protects you

Warranty. Federal warranty law under Magnuson-Moss applies to written warranties on consumer goods, and a verbal promise is not covered. The Act does not force a seller to give a written warranty. Separately, state law creates implied warranties, including merchantability, meaning goods will do what they are supposed to do. A seller that offers a written warranty or sells a service contract cannot disclaim them under federal law. Selling "as is" is allowed in most but not all states, and it needs a clear, conspicuous disclaimer, generally in writing. Implied warranties do not cover abuse, misuse, ordinary wear or improper maintenance. The FTC's warranty guide covers these points. It also explains that state limits on warranty claims are generally four years from purchase, which does not mean the product must last four years.

You can read the warranty before you buy. Under the E-Warranty Act of 2015, a warranty posted on the manufacturer's site can satisfy the pre-sale availability rule if the seller also makes it available at the point of sale. See the statute summary.

Privacy. In February 2017 VIZIO agreed to pay $2.2 million to the FTC and New Jersey to settle charges it collected viewing data on 11 million TVs without consent. The complaint alleged second-by-second capture from cable, set-top box, DVD, over-the-air and streaming sources, and the sale of that data with demographic details for targeted advertising. It also said a feature called "Smart Interactivity" did not tell people it collected viewing data. The order requires prominent disclosure and affirmative express consent, and deletion of data collected before March 1, 2016. Read the FTC announcement. The FTC's follow-up blog post adds that older models were retrofitted with tracking software remotely, and that the FTC advises opt-in consent for this kind of information. The lesson is general: a TV's settings are worth reading on day one.

Recalls and safety. A seller may not lawfully offer a product that is under a recall ordered by the CPSC, or a voluntary recall run jointly with it. The agency also advises putting a TV only on furniture built for that purpose, and anchoring it to the wall if it is not mounted. Its count since 2000 is 581 tip-over deaths tied to furniture, TVs or appliances, and 472 of the victims were children. Details are on CPSC's Anchor It! page.

What to ask

Put these to the seller or the manufacturer's site before paying. Is there a written warranty, and where can I read it today? Is this sale "as is"? Does the set meet ENERGY STAR, and what is the power figure in the default picture setting? What data does the TV collect, and is each feature opt-in? Is this model on a CPSC recall list? What does the wall anchor kit cost, and is one in the box? A clear answer is useful. A vague one is information too.