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Samsung
When it comes to buying a smallish TV or monitor, the sweet spot has long been 22 inches. And it doesn’t get much sweeter than today’s deal.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon has the Samsung UN22F5000 22-Inch LED HDTV for $142.49 shipped. Original MSRP: $279.99. And it’s around $180 at most other stores.
Let me make clear right up front that Amazon prices often change at seemingly random times. What’s more, if the company’s stock runs out, you may see this same TV listed on the same page — but sold by a different vendor at a different price. This isn’t bait-and-switch, it’s just how Amazon’s product listings sometimes change in accordance with availability.
(If that does happen, my apologies — but don’t call or email Amazon and tell them, “CNET quoted me $142.49!” I’m just reporting this price as of press time. It’s not a “CNET promotion,” and no one at Amazon has any knowledge of this little piece of reporting. /FYI)
Also, for what it’s worth, Dell has the same TV for $177.99 shipped, a price that includes a $50 Dell gift card. Assuming you use it (external speakers, anyone?), that brings your effective cost down to $127.99.
The UN22F5000 is a nice little no-frills TV. It features 1,920×1,080 resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate (meaning no dreaded “soap-opera effect”), and, according to CNET’s review , “relatively deep black levels and accurate color.”
However, I don’t share the criticism over “only two HDMI inputs,” as it’s rare to find any TV of this size with more than that. This isn’t a living-room TV; at most you’re likely to connect a cable box and/or Roku box.
You could also connect your PC (assuming it has an HDMI output). The UN22F5000’s built-in speakers and full 1080p resolution would make it a fine little desktop monitor. (You could easily spend just as much on a monitor that wasn’t also a TV.)
Bottom line: Good TV for a den or bedroom, great price.
Bonus deal: A good password manager is essential — and extremely handy if you keep it on your smartphone. For a limited time, iOS users can get password manager OneKey Pro for free. Regular price: $4.99. It uses 256-bit AES encryption and can back up and restore your password database via Dropbox. (That being said, I prefer a solution like Dashlane, which for $20 annually syncs passwords between all your devices: PCs, phones, tablets, etc.)
Bonus deal No. 2: Game time! Good news (again) for iDevice owners: Four awesome LEGO games (Harry Potter Years 1-4, Harry Potter Years 5-7, Batman: DC Super Heroes, and The Lord of the Rings) are on sale for just 99 cents apiece. (Just search the App Store for any/all of them to find the deals.) They’re regularly $4.99 each.
