BOUGHT A TV ON PRIME DAY? WE'LL GET IT ON THE WALL RIGHT

The Sale, In One Paragraph

Amazon's October sale — officially Prime Big Deal Days — runs Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7, 2026. It's for Prime members only, it's 48 hours long, and new deals drop three times a day: 2 a.m., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Chicago time (Amazon announces them in Pacific time, which is two hours behind us).

TVs and streaming devices are among the headline categories, and you'll find plenty of soundbars, TV mounts, HDMI cables and in-wall power kits marked down too — the stuff that decides whether the TV ends up hanging properly or leaning against the wall in its box until Thanksgiving.

We're not here to talk you out of anything. If there's a TV in your cart you're excited about, buy it — from Amazon or anywhere else. Where it came from makes no difference to us. Getting it on your wall properly is our part.

Below are a few quick checks that make install day go smoothly, and then what happens once the box arrives.

Should You Buy This Week?

If it's the TV you want at a price you're happy with — yes. The old one died, you just moved, the game's on Sunday, or you've simply been waiting for a good excuse. A genuine October deal is a good buy.

Prices on current-year models do keep easing through Black Friday and into the new year (we track that in our TV release calendar). But a TV you're enjoying all autumn is worth something too, and nobody ever regretted watching the season on the new screen.

Check 1: Read The Exact Model Number

Something we see every sale season: some of the TVs on the deal page aren't quite the TV you think they are. For big sales, manufacturers make stripped-down versions of popular models. Same brand, same size, nearly the same name — but a slightly different model number, and less TV.

The usual cuts:

• Fewer HDMI ports and fewer inputs. That matters more than it sounds. If the soundbar takes one HDMI port, the cable box, game console and streaming stick are left fighting over whatever's left.
• A noticeably lighter TV. A sale model that weighs far less than the regular version of the same size was built differently somewhere.
• A simpler remote, fewer features — and almost never any reviews, because the model only exists for the sale.

How to check: copy the full model number from the listing, every letter and digit, and look it up on the manufacturer's own website. Compare its spec sheet with the regular model's — HDMI ports, inputs, weight. If the number doesn't match anything in the manufacturer's regular lineup and nobody has reviewed it, that tells you something too.

None of this changes the install, by the way. Real model or sale version, any TV is $100 to mount. It's just worth knowing what you're getting.

Check 2: Measure The Wall, Not The Deal

The biggest discounts tend to land on the biggest screens, and a 75″ or 85″ at a sale price is tempting. Before you buy one, measure the wall it's going on.

• Width between obstacles, not wall to wall. Windows, door frames, corners and light switches all eat into it.
• The TV's real dimensions, from the spec sheet. A screen size is the diagonal; the width is what has to fit.
• Tape it out. Painter's tape on the wall in the TV's exact outline tells you more in five minutes than any size guide.

And sit where you'll actually watch from. Height matters more than size for comfort, and bigger screens make a too-high TV worse, not better — more on that in how high to mount a TV.

One thing size doesn't change: our price. A 43″ and an 85″ are both $100 to install. Anything over about 75″ is a two-person lift, so tell us the size when you book — it affects scheduling, not the price.

Check 3: The Two Numbers That Decide The Mount

Before you buy a mount on sale — or a TV-and-mount bundle — find two numbers on your TV's spec sheet:

• The VESA pattern. The four threaded holes on the back of the TV, in millimetres (400×300, 600×400 and so on). The mount has to list your exact pattern.
• Weight without stand. Not the shipping weight. The mount's rating should be comfortably above it — especially on a full-motion arm, where pulling the TV out from the wall adds a lot of leverage.

Then one more check on the mount itself: the bracket should be wide enough to reach two studs. Studs are usually 16 inches apart, and a bracket that only catches one is relying on luck.

If you're buying a 75″ on sale, we went through weights, VESA patterns and mounts for that size in what it costs to mount a 75-inch TV.

Check 4: Buying Your Own Mount? Go For It

Mounts are all over the deal pages this week, and there's nothing wrong with buying one. Using your own mount costs nothing extra with us — your TV, your mount, $100 installed.

For comparison, if you'd rather we bring one: a fixed or tilting mount is $50, and a full-motion mount is $100 (rated for 37″–80″). If a reputable mount on sale beats those numbers, buy it. We'll hang it for the same $100 either way.

What actually matters when you pick one:

• Buy the mount for the room, not the discount. A full-motion arm you'll never swing is just a heavier, pricier tilting mount. If the couch faces the wall straight on, tilting is usually all you need.
• The included hardware assumes wood studs. Lag bolts are for wood. Steel studs — common in Chicago high-rises and newer condos — need the right toggle-style anchors, which we covered in mounting a TV on metal studs. Brick needs masonry anchors. We bring the right hardware for the wall, so this is only your problem if you're doing it yourself.
• Going above a fireplace? A standard bracket over a mantel usually leaves the TV too high to watch comfortably. That's a different decision — read should you mount a TV above a fireplace before you buy anything for that wall.

Check 5: Cheap Cables That Can't Go In The Wall

If the plan is wires hidden inside the wall, two things in your cart matter more than they look.

HDMI cables

Any HDMI cable that's going inside the wall should carry an in-wall fire rating — CL2 or CL3 on the jacket. The rating does nothing for your picture; HDMI is digital and either arrives or doesn't. It's about how the jacket behaves in a fire, inside a cavity that connects rooms. A three-pack of unrated cables on sale is fine behind a TV stand. It isn't fine in a wall.

Power

The TV's power cord, or an extension cord, can't be run through the wall. The compliant ways to get power behind a mounted TV are a listed in-wall power kit or a new recessed outlet. The kits on sale work, but the store versions leave a chunky plastic box at the bottom of your wall.

Our own Chicago-Style PowerBridge is metal and built to look like a proper outlet behind the TV, without that box at the baseboard — why it's metal. And if you've already bought a PowerBridge kit on sale, it's just the $80 fitting.

The full breakdown of every option is in how to hide TV wires. The short version of our prices: cable strip $35, in-wall concealment $60, hidden outlet behind the TV $250.

Check 6: Soundbar Deals — eARC And The Bracket

Soundbars are a big category this week, and a TV and soundbar bought together is one of the better October combinations. Two things to check:

• eARC on both ends. If you want lossless Dolby Atmos from apps running on the TV, both the TV's HDMI port and the soundbar need eARC — plain ARC tops out at compressed surround. We explained the difference, and the setting nobody tells you about, in ARC vs eARC vs HDMI-CEC.
• Is there a wall bracket in the box? Most soundbars include one — often a thin metal plate taped inside the packaging that gets thrown out with the foam. Sonos and Bose usually don't. Their official mounts are sold separately, and third-party equivalents are widely available on Amazon, frequently for about half the price. If yours needs one, order it with the bar so it's there on install day.

Soundbar mounting is $60 added to any install, centred to the screen rather than the furniture. Booking it in the same visit as the TV is much cheaper than a second trip later. More on the soundbar installation page.

Check 7: The Return Clock Starts On Delivery

This is the one people miss. Most items sold by Amazon can be returned within 30 days of delivery — but third-party sellers can set their own terms, so check the “return by” date on your order page, not a blog post (including this one).

Also worth knowing: in recent years Amazon's extended holiday return window has started November 1. A TV bought during the October sale is usually on the standard window, not the holiday one.

So when it arrives:

• Photograph the box before you open it, especially if it's dented or punctured.
• Power it on within the first few days. Look for cracks, dead pixels, lines or patchy backlight. Try every HDMI port you plan to use.
• Don't let it sit in the box for three weeks. A defect found inside the return window is a return. A defect found after it is a warranty claim — and a TV that's already on the wall has to come down either way.
• Think about keeping the box. Hauling the box and packaging away is part of our install. If you're still inside your return window and would rather hang on to it, tell us and we'll leave it. Returning a 75″ TV without its box is a genuine headache.

When The Box Arrives: Know Who's Mounting It

Buying the TV was the fun part. The part people actually worry about is who's coming into their home with a drill, and whether their new screen is going to stay on the wall. That's the part we take off your plate.

• You know who's coming. TV Install Chicago is owner-operated. When you call, you're talking to the person who does the work — not a dispatcher handing your job to whoever's free that day.
• You know the price before you book. $100 flat for any TV, any size, and every add-on published on one page. Nothing gets added once we're in your living room.
• It's done properly. Anchored into the right thing for your wall — wood studs, steel studs, plaster or brick — hung level, cables tidied, and the box and packaging carried out with us.
• Then you're done. No weekend lost to stud finders, no hardware store run, no wondering about that one bolt. Just the new TV on the wall and your regular programming back on.

Some TV listings offer an installation add-on at checkout, and that can work out fine. The difference with us is simply that you know exactly who's showing up and exactly what it costs before anyone picks up a drill.

Booking it

Once you have a delivery date, you can book. We keep same-day slots open most days, and a same-day booking is $100, exactly like one made three weeks ahead — no rush fee. Three things we'll ask on the call:

• Roughly what size is the TV? Not for pricing — over about 75″ is a two-person lift.
• What's the wall? Drywall, plaster, brick, or a downtown high-rise. Plaster, brick and metal studs cost nothing extra. Tile is our one surcharge, at $50 per TV, because it genuinely destroys drill bits.
• Do you have a mount? If you bought one on sale, great. If not, we'll bring one.

What It Costs Once It's Here

Every number below is from our published price list. Nothing gets added once we're in your living room.

Going onto tile adds $50 per TV. Everything else about the wall is included. The full list is on our prices page.

The Short Version

• Prime Big Deal Days runs October 6–7, 2026. New deals drop at 2 a.m., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Chicago time.
• If it's the TV you want at a price you like, buy it. A price-history tracker tells you if the deal is real.
• Check the exact model number. Sale-only versions can have fewer HDMI ports and inputs and a lighter build — especially on Black Friday.
• Tape the TV's outline on the wall before you buy the big one.
• Match the mount to your TV's VESA pattern and weight without stand, and make sure it reaches two studs.
• Buying your own mount is fine — it costs nothing extra to have us hang it.
• In-wall HDMI needs a CL2 or CL3 rating. Power never goes in the wall on a cord.
• Soundbar: check eARC on both ends, and check for a bracket in the box.
• The return clock starts on delivery. Power it on in the first few days, and keep the box until you're sure.
• Owner-operated: the person you call is the person who does the work. You know who's coming and what it costs.
• $100 flat to install, any size, same day often available — then back to your regular programming.

Common Questions

Is Prime Day a good time to buy a TV?

Yes, if it's the TV you want at a price you're happy with. Prices on current-year models do keep easing through Black Friday and into the new year, but a TV you're enjoying all autumn is worth something too. A free price-history tracker will tell you whether the crossed-out “was” price is a genuine one.

Are TVs on sale the same as the regular models?

Not always. For big sales, especially Black Friday, some manufacturers make stripped-down versions of popular TVs with a slightly different model number: fewer HDMI ports and inputs, a noticeably lighter build, a simpler remote, and usually no reviews. Look up the exact full model number on the manufacturer's website and compare it with the regular model before you buy. From what we've seen, Amazon's prices on the genuine models are often lower than what dealers can get the same TV for, so it's worth making sure you're getting the real one.

Who actually installs the TV?

TV Install Chicago is owner-operated. When you call, you're talking to the person who does the work, not a dispatcher handing the job to whoever's free that day. You know who's coming and what it costs before you book: $100 flat for any TV of any size, with every add-on published.

Can I buy my own TV mount on Amazon and have you install it?

Yes. Using your own mount costs nothing extra, so a TV and a mount you bought yourself is $100 installed. Before you buy, check that the mount lists your TV's exact VESA pattern, that its weight rating is comfortably above your TV's weight without the stand, and that the bracket is wide enough to reach two studs. If the mount on sale is a reputable one and cheaper than our $50 tilting or $100 full-motion mount, buy it.

How long do I have to return a TV bought on Amazon?

Most items sold by Amazon can be returned within 30 days of delivery, but third-party sellers can set their own terms, so check the “return by” date on your order page. In recent years Amazon's extended holiday return window has started November 1, which means a TV bought during October's sale is usually on the standard window. Power it on and check it within the first few days.

Should I test a new TV before it gets mounted?

Yes. Power it on while it's still easy to box up: look for cracks, dead pixels, lines or patchy backlight, and try every HDMI port you plan to use. A defect found inside the return window is a return. A defect found after it is a warranty claim, and a TV that's already on the wall has to come down either way.

Does a bigger Prime Day TV cost more to mount?

No. Installation is $100 flat for any TV of any size, 43″ or 85″. Anything over about 75″ is a two-person lift, so mention the size when you book because it affects scheduling, but it doesn't change the price.

Bought It? We'll Mount It.

Buy the TV you want, from wherever you want. We'll get it on the wall properly — $100 flat, any size, your mount or ours, same-day slots often available — so you can get back to your regular programming.

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