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When you’re buying a new TV, there’s a lot to consider. Choosing the right screen size and deciphering all those tech related acronyms can be a chore. In this guide, we’re going to give you all the tools you need to make the right decision.
For most living rooms, you’ll do good with a 50″ TV or larger. You can go as big as your entertainment stand will allow; the key is to look at the dimensions in the specs selection, and find out how long and how wide the TV is. Also make sure to measure the size of your entertainment stand as well. If you’re wall mounting your TV, don’t worry about weight, there are wall mounts for every size and weight out there.
HDTV or 1080p Full HD use to be the king of the hill when it came to screen resolution, but that’s no longer the case. Now 4K UHD TVs are the new standard and are going to be your best choice for screen resolution, and they’re quite affordable nowadays. 4K delivers a much sharper image than HD at larger screen sizes, and lets you see all the tiny details in a picture, where everything looks more crisp.
HDR (High Dynamic Range), can make a difference in picture quality. It’s only available on newer 4K TVs, and the combination of the two delivers unbelievable picture quality. With HDR, you’re given much better contrast, and even better color shades. There are varying different levels of quality when it comes to HDR, and for the most part, you get what you pay for. For product reviews on almost any 4K and HDR TV you can think of, visit www.digitaltrends.com
Smart TVs connect directly to the internet, with either WiFi or ethernet cable, and come with built-in streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, and more. The majority of TVs now are Smart TVs, so you don’t really have to go out of your way to find one. And remember, you can always upgrade your TV (smart or dumb), using streaming stick, or set top box.
Refresh rate is an indication to how smoothly a TV can display motion. Generally you want a 120Hz if you can get it, but we’ve seen some excellent 60Hz televisions as well. Here’s the bottom line, there’s no such thing as a 240Hz TV.
TVs have a lot of inputs and outputs, where HDMI is the standard way of connecting a source to a TV. To future proof your TV, make sure it has at least 3 HDMI outputs, and if you’re going to use a sound bar or AV receiver, then you’ll want to look to see if your TV supports HDMI ARC.
The acronyms that comes with TVs can be confusing (LED, LCD, OLED, QD, QLED), but we’ll make it really simple. There are really only two kinds of TVs made today: LED and OLED. Most TVs available now are LED TVs, and use an LCD filter to cover the image you see. Some higher end LED TVs will use quantum dots, to deliver deeper and more accurate color, as well as better contrast. OLED TVs on the other hand, are a newer technology that deliver better black levels, better contrast, and a wider viewing angle than LED TVs–all in a very thin panel. They’re on the higher end of the price spectrum, but not significantly more expensive than higher-end LED TVs.
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