LG OLED TV summer price check: 2017 models are always the best deals

If you want the best deal on an OLED TV, keep an eye on current prices. And since the summer is starting seriously, the 2017 releases are still my "discount" choices, even after modest price declines on the 2018 models.

This spring, I've reviewed LG's 2018 OLED TV, the C8 and it's the most successful TV I've ever tested. But even demanding high-end television buyers should only buy them if they have much more money than patience. This is because it still costs a lot more than the versions of 2017, the LG C7 and B7A and it is not that much better.

CNET Review: Best TVs from 2018 (image quality)

LG also has just released the B8 2018 which is $ 200 cheaper than the C8. I have not looked at it yet, but I expect it to behave very similarly to others. It costs $ 600 more than the 2017 B7A at 55 inches, and $ 500 more at 65 inches.

Once again the "old" OLED remains the best OLED for more people.

Here are current prices on Amazon and Best Buy for the 55 and 65 inch models in each series. I've also included prices from the beginning of May, for the context.

2017 LG C7 and B7A vs 2018 LG C8 and B8

Model	Year	Size	Price, June 29	Price, May 2
OLED55B7A	2017	55 inches	$ 1,500	$ 1,600
OLED55C7P	2017	55 inches	$ 2,000	$ 1,700
OLED55B8P	2018	55 inches	$ 2,100	N / A
OLED55C8P	2018	55 inches	$ 2,300	$ 2,500
OLED65C7P	2017	65 inches	$ 2,500	$ 2,600
OLED65B7A	2017	65 inches	$ 2,500	$ 2,600
OLED65B8P	2018	65 inches	$ 3,000	N / A
OLED65C8P	2018	65 inches	$ 3,200	$ 3,500

Looking more closely at the painting, there are a few things that strike me. One is that the 55-inch LG C7 is $ 2,000 at Amazon – more expensive than it was in early May. This tells me that the inventory is finally exhausted on this model (although the 55-inch B7A is still available). Meanwhile Amazon has just dropped its price to $ 2,500 on the C7 65-inch, matching the B7A for the first time, perhaps in an effort to get rid of the remaining stock.

Regarding the price cuts on C8 2018 since May, they are respectively only $ 200 and $ 300 to date. At this rate, the 65-inch C8 could fall below $ 3,000 later this summer, but I would not bet on it.

Is it worth it to try the 2018 model? Nope. In the last three years, all OLED TVs that I have tested offer very similar picture quality. Yes, the newest are the best TVs of all time, but last year 's versions are very close. Here's how I summed it up in my review of the 2018 C8.

As of April 2018, the LG C8 is the best TV I've tested, flying Sony TVs and LG OLED 2017 from a hair. And it's a thin hair: the main benefits of the C8 are really minimal, including a somewhat better screen uniformity and new ephemeral video processing options. The 2017 and 2018 models all deserve an image quality score of "10".

If you have to buy a new OLED TV right now and want the best deal, the LG C7 or B7A of 2017 are my best choices. But if you can afford to wait a few months, the LG C8 and B8 will fall in price.

Want the best deal? Wait until Black Friday 2018

So, when will these prices fall? If history is an indication, the best price on 2018 TVs will not come until November and later when the big sales Black Friday hit.

Here's a look at the 65-inch C7 price history from camelcamelcamel.com, a site that tracks prices on Amazon. At the moment, television is more affordable than ever.

As usual, I will closely monitor the price of high-end televisions and adjust the score of the value of my reviews accordingly. At the present time, the C8 is a bad value, with a score of 5, which is why the C7 is rated overall higher. When 2017 models are eliminated and 2018 prices go down, the C8 will likely become a better buy.

Even though the year is more than half way, the high-end 2018 TV price decline is just beginning. Unless you are dying to get a new TV now, your best bet is to wait.