Buying a new TV for the Superbowl?

Even if your favorite team didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, celebrate the battle between the Broncos and Seahawks in style. As it turns out, the weeks leading up to the big game are the best time to find a deal on the most important component of any party: the television. According to a recent survey from FatWallet, 1 in every 10 Americans will purchase a new TV during Super Bowl sales. This number overshadows even the titans of shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Whether you're a die-hard fan or you can't name a single player participating in Super Sunday, now is the time to find a new set. To get the most for your money, consider these helpful tips:

Know your needs so you don't get upsold on features you'll never use. If you just want to watch your favorite shows in HD, a standard LED should do the job. If you're looking to stream videos and connect to the Internet, you're going to need a Smart TV. Bigger isn't always better; it's entirely possible to get too much TV for your space. Luckily, mathematical minds have discovered a way to determine the optimum viewing distance based on television size.

Learn from others Instead of finding out the hard way, take advantage of online reviews to identify common problems with specific models. Amazon is a great source for a wealth of user reviews, or if you want more technical specs, CNET has you covered.

Price matching pays During big sales times, competition is fierce among the big-name retailers. Many of these merchants offer price matching to capture extra sales from their closest competitors. Check at a couple stores  - or online - to see if there are better deals. In some cases you may even be able to get an adjustment if prices drop in a set period after your purchase.

Skip the warranty These days you can't make it through the checkout line with any type of electronics product without being offered an extended warranty. When it comes to televisions, you're usually safe to skip over this added expense. While warranties offer peace of mind, HDTVs are surprisingly reliable. Most likely by the time you're in need of a repair you'll be better off buying a new TV entirely.

Keep a coupon handy Though HDTV prices have come down over the years, they're still a major purchase. Any time you're spending a good chunk of change, it's worth it to keep a few coupons handy. Since shopping around is essential to finding the best price, keeping a coupon app on your phone will help you find extra savings instantly. One of the most popular is Coupon Sherpa, which features hundreds of stores including electronics retailers like Best Buy and Sears.

Consider open-box In many cases you can find the lowest prices on HDTVs and meet your needs shopping open-box models. Open-box TVs are either returned by customers after being opened for various reasons, the most common being incorrect size. The TV may also have served as a store display model and sold at a discounted rate. Either way, these sets work just as well as costlier, new models, so ask a sales associate to point you toward these options.

Buy old models This is the week that manufacturers are introducing 2014 models for TVs and stores are marking down 2013 sets to make room for new inventory.

Go big or go home The best deals on TVs this time of year are on the bigger, pricier sets. If you've determined your space is suited for truly big-screen TV, check out this list from The Motley Fool.

Shop online for accessories If you're upgrading to HD for the first time, there are a few accessories you'll likely need. However, these cords and cables come with insane markups when you purchase them in-store. In fact, personal finance blog LenPenzo.com found markups can exceed 100% in many cases. With a quick search of Amazon, HDMI cables can easily be found for a fraction of the store price. If you haggle, you may be able to get the store manager to throw in those cables for free when making a big purchase.

Teamwork If you want to throw an epic Super Bowl party without investing in a new TV, consider ways to work with friends and neighbors to create the ultimate viewing experience. Couch time for pizza, for example.