Holiday TV shopping guide: Buying tips for gamers, streamers and everyone in-between

CHICAGO - For those who are looking to buy a new TV for the holidays, you might be in a bit of a bind right now. With Christmas just five days away, you need to figure out which one is right for you and fast.

In a FOX 32 Money Saver special report, Dawn Hasbrouck weeds through some of the options to help you figure it out.

TVs come in all shapes and sizes these days. One model is wireless and has a screen size up to 98 inches while another comes with a frame.

"We carry some optional frames so you can really make this thing look like it’s a painting on your wall," said Bill Gerlach from Abt Electronics in Glenview. "Grab the remote, push a button and all of a sudden you can watch the football game."

Another model comes in a suitcase so you can take it with you wherever you are going.

"You might use that if you’re going out to a family party, your picnic. You’re taking your TV on the go. You can stream to it. You can show videos. Anything you can get on your phone you can project over to this TV," Gerlach said.

While he's been watching how TVs have changed for nearly 20 years, he still starts out helping customers by asking a simple question.

"I typically ask how large they want to go. Size, we have to get size right," Gerlach said.

He says it’s important to start with what size TV a consumer wants because there is a large range to choose from.

"Because nowadays we can take a TV 32-inch up all the way up to a 98-inch TV for a standard family room," Gerlach said. "About the last six to seven years in the industry, the average selling size has been 65-inch. That’s across the country."

As for the average cost of a TV, consumer finance expert Andrea Woroch said it depends on what features you want.

"You’re looking at spending on average maybe $500 to $1,000," Woroch said. "But those prices can really go up from there once you start adding some of the newer features that are out there. And the bigger the TV screen, the more you’re going to pay."

Woroch said what features you add depends on how you watch TV.

"TVs are really designed for different types of consumers. There are consumers who are just watching streaming services. There are gamers who really need that high definition, fast downloading speed and memory," she said.

So, are you a gamer or are you a streamer?

"If you are somebody that watches video streaming services, you definitely want to have a TV that has that smart TV capability and has the streaming services already built into the TV. And it also will likely have a good downloading speed, resolution. Now if you’re a gamer you probably need even more features. More memory, more resolution," Woroch said.

The good news is it’s not hard to find a TV that’s ready to do all of that.

"So nowadays, a lot of the features are standard," Gerlach said. "They are all going to be 4K, which has to do with resolution. So the clarity I was talking about. Everything is 4K. They’re all going to be smart. So all the apps are going to be loaded into the TV so when you want to do things like Netflix, that’s all built right in to the TVs."

Gerlach said virtually every TV you can buy is "plug and play" and all you need to do to access your streaming apps is enter your name and password.

When it comes to a TV for gamers, he says bigger is not always better. 

"But when we talk to the true gamers, they want smaller TVs. They want 32-inch TVs. They want these things that are curved screens. They put their face a foot away from the screen. It’s a different experience than you and I will have watching a TV show," he said.

No matter which type of TV you are looking for, there are a few ways to cut the cost, like buying an open box model.

"This could be a model that was returned by a consumer. There’s nothing wrong with it. But it could be missing a remote. Or simply the fact of it being opened and turned on. Now the retailer can’t sell it as brand new. You’re going to get an additional 10% to 30% savings," Woroch said.

She said that could save you up to 30%.

Certified refurbished is another way to save.

"These TVs will be guaranteed to work and look like new. They will also come with a warranty. So just like you’re buying a brand-new TV. You get a warranty. You’ll get a warranty on these certified refurbished," Woroch said.

It’s important to make sure you pick the right TV from the start. If you decide to return it, most retailers will charge you a 15% restocking fee.