Most Americans spend several hours per week, if not per day, in front of their television screens. Despite all of the media a home computer can provide, the television still remains a staple of the modern home entertainment system. One of the major reasons that computers haven't replaced televisions is that it is a lot easier to enjoy media with other people in front of a TV, rather than in front of a computer monitor. Whether you're alone or with a group of friends and/or family, a TV can provide hours of entertainment with movies, TV and video games.

The average person depends on their TV quite a lot for entertainment, so it makes sense to try and get the best equipment available. Unfortunately, the best equipment available tends to be very expensive. Since televisions were invented, the technology has steadily improved to the point where the the modern 3-D, touch-screen, LCD flatscreen monitors are virtually unrecognizable when compared to the bulky, knobbed boxes of early television. This means good news and bad news for people looking to purchase a TV. The bad news is that the most advanced models are very expensive, but the good news is that there are plenty of older models available for a discount.

However, if you're looking for a flatscreen TV of any generation, the price tag is still going to be in the hundreds of dollars. In today's struggling economy, it is no wonder that people are looking for sales and discounts on television sets. One way to find deep discounts on a TV is to find out if the store will sell you their floor model. This is a popular frugal tip for people to save on TVs, because since the model has been opened and turned on, it is considered used. Some stores, such as Best Buy, will knock off a hundred dollars or more from their floor model TVs.

As you might have guessed, however, the discount comes with a risk. Buying a used TV is always somewhat risky, in that there is no way to know how many hours the TV has been used and how well the previous owner maintained their equipment. One advantage to buying a floor model as opposed to other used TVs, is that you can at least rest assured that experts were handing the equipment and likely took good care of it. The downside of a floor-model is that they are typically on all day, every day until sold.

Although LCD and Plasma display screen technology has come a long way, long-term use of the machines will wear down the quality of the display. It could be that the floor-model TV was only on display for a few days, in which case the TV is a great buy. Unfortunately, there is no way to know or trust how long a TV has actually been on display. If it's been on the floor for months, the life of the TV will be greatly diminished and the discount may not actually be much savings at all, especially if you end up needing a new TV in the next couple of years.