You may have noticed—or some of you have playfully pointed out—that our TV is tiny. For years our 26-inch set worked perfectly in the old house, where the den was so narrow I could practically change the channel with my toe. But now that our living room has a lot more space (we miss the cozy feel of our first living room, but love having room for Clara to play), that little screen feels inadequate. Any time a subtitle appears, a news ticker scrolls, or friends come over for a movie, someone inevitably says, “We really need a bigger TV.” Reading small text from the couch meant standing up and walking halfway across the room.
We kept postponing the upgrade, even though we watch a lot of television. Then we heard that February and March can be the best months to buy a TV—after the holidays and the Super Bowl, retailers often see lower demand and discounts show up. With that tip in mind, I did some research, chatted with my brother-in-law Martin (who had recently done his homework), and compared prices. We narrowed our options down to two models sold at Target: a Vizio and a Samsung.
Both were 1080p LCDs in the roughly 40-inch range—big enough to be an obvious upgrade from our 26-inch but not so large it would overwhelm the room. They were marketed as energy-efficient models (about $17 per year to operate, with the lowest we saw at $15), and both carried solid user ratings across Target, Amazon, and other retailers we checked. After weighing price, size, and reviews, we made our choice.
We ended up going with the Vizio: it was $100 cheaper and two inches larger than the Samsung. The listed price was $449.99, but that wasn’t our final out-the-door cost—you know how we love hunting for savings. We chose Target partly because the store was running a temporary markdown and because we had several discounts and gift cards to apply.
Here’s how the math worked out:
- Target’s temporary price drop took the TV from $479 to $449.
- Using our Target credit card gave us 5% off, bringing the price down to $427.
- We received an additional Target coupon for 5% off HDTVs, which reduced it to $406.
- Applying leftover Christmas gift cards lowered our final out-of-pocket cost to $356.
That final price felt like a smart deal—our older, much smaller TV had cost about the same five years earlier. We decided the old unit would either move to another room or be listed on Craigslist. After more than a year of squinting and watching sales, we brought the new set home. The box art gave Burger a surprising first impression: a news anchor graphic on the packaging. Seriously, Vizio? A lively underwater scene or a charging bull might have felt more exciting.
Before installation, we photographed the old TV for comparison. The difference was obvious—the old screen looked tiny and out of place in our larger living room. Setting the new TV beside it made the upgrade feel real, and also made it clear that we’ll need a larger media console. We’ve been considering building a custom piece or upcycling a thrift-store find, so that project is on the to-do list.
With the new TV in place, the view from the couch improved dramatically. Small text and subtitles that were unreadable before are now clear from our usual seating—no standing up required. We even tested it with Cougar Town; the show titles and credits were legible from across the room, which is a small but satisfying victory.
For safety, we secured the TV with the anti-tip cable and anchor that came in the box. We might mount it on the wall later once we settle on the right height and furniture arrangement, but the tether at least prevents tipping for now.
This upgrade feels like the first step toward refreshing that whole area of the living room. A taller, wider console with more storage would better anchor our new screen—and that’s a project we’re excited to tackle. For now, it’s nice to give our eyes a break and enjoy shows without squinting. And yes, we’re thrilled to have the Cul De Sac crew back in our living-room lineup.
Anyone else upgrading their TV or discovering great shows lately? Now that the book shoots are finished, we might finally catch up on more television—though we’re already up to date on The Walking Dead, so no spoilers, please!