Memorial Day weekend is when our thoughts turn to summer and to summer-oriented activities like grilling, beach, camping… basically anything that happens outdoors. But it’s also a great opportunity to snag the big-screen TV of your dreams in the Memorial Day sales.
Memorial Day TV sales at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are starting to roll out now and will continue through Memorial Day proper on June 27. I’ve checked out some of the deals that have already gone live, and some of the best TVs TechRadar has tested can be found in the sales. With so many TVs to choose from, it can be hard to decide which one is best for you, so here are three models at various price points that I’d strongly recommend.
Roku Plus series
With the recent release of the Roku Pro series TVs, the company now offers three tiers of TVs with its built-in smart TV system: Pro, Plus, and Select. And while all three are affordable compared to the competition, the mid-range Roku Plus series hits a sweet spot in terms of performance and price.
The Plus series TVs feature a QLED display with a full-array local dimming backlight and support the Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG high dynamic range formats. With a 60Hz native refresh rate, they’re not the best option for gaming, and the sound quality of the built-in speakers is just average, though Roku lets you easily upgrade audio with its family of soundbars, wireless surround speakers, and subwoofers.
In my Roku Plus series review, I characterized its picture as “impressively dynamic for such an affordable TV” and remarked on its simple, uncluttered, yet effective smart TV interface. If you’re looking for a 4K TV that offers very good picture quality at a reasonable price, the Roku Plus series is worth seeking out.
Hisense U8K series
The Hisense U8K is the mid-range option in our best TV guide for a good reason: it combines impressive picture quality with high value. This model uses a mini-LED backlight for high brightness, and its local dimming performance is good enough to bring out fine shadow detail in movies. The U8K uses the Google TV smart TV system for streaming and it also has a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner to receive 'NextGen' digital TV broadcasts.
With a 120Hz refresh rate and dual HDMI 2.1 inputs with up to 144Hz VRR, FreeSync Premium Pro, and Dolby Vision gaming support, the Hisense U8K is a great option for gaming. It has a built-in 2.1.2-channel speaker system that delivers Dolby Atmos sound with good dialogue clarity and decent bass, and a height-adjustable stand that can clear space for an external soundbar.
I called the U8K a “fantastic value” in my Hisense U8K review based on its high performance level and low price. It was a great deal when I first reviewed it and remains one of the best values in TVs.
Samsung S90C series
Samsung’s mid-range OLED model impressed us so much in our Samsung S90C review that it immediately earned the title of best overall TV in our best TVs buying guide and ultimately was named TV of the Year in the TechRadar Choice Awards. With much of the same performance as the company’s flagship Samsung S95C but at a substantially lower price, the Samsung S90C OLED TV offers unbeatable value.
The Samsung S90C is a great TV for watching movies and sports alike, with a bright picture by OLED standards and rich, inky blacks. It’s also a powerhouse gaming TV, with four HDMI 2.1 ports with support for 4K 120Hz or 144Hz pictures, VRR with AMD FreeSync, a Game Bar onscreen menu, and Samsung’s Gaming Hub for cloud-based gaming services including Xbox.
Samsung recently introduced the S90C’s successor, the Samsung S90D, which is said to provide higher brightness but otherwise has mostly the same features as the S90C. But there’s still time to score a great deal on a Samsung S90C OLED, and Memorial Day sales should provide the opportunity.
Shop today's best Memorial Day sales
- Amazon: 50% off TVs, clothing, vacuums & more
- Adidas: clothing & sneakers from $14
- Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $89
- Appliances: save 30% on major appliances
- Best Buy: up to $800 off TVs
- Casper: 30% off all mattresses
- DreamCloud: 50% off mattresses sitewide
- Home Depot: up to 60% off patio furniture
- Lowe's: 35% off appliances
- Nectar: up to 40% off mattresses
- Nike: 50% off sneakers, leggings & t-shirts
- Nordstrom: up to 50% off shoes, clothing & beauty
- Purple: save up to $800 on mattresses + a free base
- Saatva: up to $600 off luxury mattresses
- Samsung: $1,500 off major appliances
- Target: 35% off patio furniture, appliances & clothing
- Walmart: $400 off TVs, clothing & more
- Wayfair: outdoor furniture from $100
