8 Things to Consider When Buying Your Next TV

Many of us spend more time in front of our TVs than we do in our cars, kitchens or backyards. It only makes sense to do a bit of research before choosing a new model. But there’s a lot to think about, from screen size to resolution and display technology. We promise to keep it simple. Read on to learn exactly what to look for when buying a TV.

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1. What TV size should you choose?
2. HD, full HD, 4K or 8K: What resolution should you pick?
3. LCD, LED, QLED and OLED: Which display technology is best?
4. What is HDR and how important is it?
5. What other factors should you consider when buying a TV?
6. What is a smart TV and do you need one?
7. Does TV brand matter?
8. How much is a new TV going to cost you?

With TVs, bigger isn’t always better. Imagine a screen door. From across the room, the mesh is invisible. Move closer, though, and you start to make out the individual squares. That’s basically what it’s like with TVs. The bigger the TV, the bigger the individual pixels. The resolution also plays a role but, for now, let’s assume we’re talking about 4K Ultra HD TVs—the most common type of TV.

To figure out the ideal TV size for a room, use this chart:

Keep in mind that bigger TVs tend to provide a better viewing angle from the side, which is important if you’ll have guests seated to the right or left.

That said, viewing distance is still the most important factor when it comes to picking a size. If you think your white wall will look bare, the solution isn’t always a bigger TV. It’s best to stick to the size that matches the viewing distance and add art or shelves around your screen.

Think of resolution as clarity. It’s the number of pixels used to create a picture and more pixels can help provide more sharpness and detail. The higher the number the better.

Currently, the industry standard is 4K Ultra HD, but this table will help you better understand the differences between specific resolutions.[1]

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We’ve broken down the four main technologies on the market today. Consider plain old LCD at the bottom of the scale and OLED TVs at the top.

High dynamic range—better known as HDR—is an image rendering technology that can dramatically improve picture quality. There are a couple of competing HDR formats (HDR 10 and Dolby Vision) but they both do the same thing: bring out details and colours in dark and light areas of the screen.

HDR is most beloved by gamers and film buffs, who both tend to want the best possible image quality. But regular folks can see the difference, too. Just keep in mind that not all content supports HDR, and that it needs to be switched on to see the difference.

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If someone in the family’s a gamer or sports fan, or you tend to watch TV with a crowd, there are some additional things you may want to think about when buying a TV. Here are a few of them:

• Refresh rate: Measured in hertz (Hz), refresh rate is the number of times your TV refreshes a video image. Faster speeds (120Hz to 240Hz) result in a smoother picture during fast-action gaming or sports.
• Upscaling: When a lower resolution image is displayed on a higher resolution display, the TV typically enlarges the image to make it fit. Better upscaling processing makes for prettier pictures.
• Viewing angle: The wider the viewing angle, the less likely the image will appear washed out or oddly coloured to those sitting to the left and right of the display. If you can also see the individual pixels of the screen that means you’re probably sitting too close.
• HDMI: The most common means of connecting devices to TVs these days is an HDMI cable. But not all HDMI ports and cables are equal. There’s a newer standard called HDMI 2.1 that provides superior data speed and bandwidth. It’s essential for some higher resolution content sources including the latest game consoles.
• Speakers: The built-in speakers on most TVs these days are middling at best. Panels and bezels are simply too thin to incorporate large, powerful audio drivers. You may want to add a soundbar or home theatre system to your wish list if rich sound is important to you.

Still not sure where to start? Check out our roundup of the best TVs for movies, games and more.

Most TVs these days are smart TVs. All this really means is that they connect to the internet and support a library of apps for streaming video, accessing social media and browsing the web, potentially eliminating the need for external devices. Of course, you can still use after-market devices like Apple TV and Google Chromecast with these TVs if you prefer.

High-end smart TVs may have some additional features, such as voice control or integrating social media within the TV viewing experience so you can see how Twitter is reacting to the latest episode of your favourite show.

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Brand isn’t necessarily the best indicator of quality, because most TV brands have a both higher- and lower-end models.[5] First and foremost, choose a TV based on the specs that matter most to you including size, resolution and display technology. Then, if you’ve found a few different TVs that all check your spec boxes, you can compare the brands.

• Premium TV brands: TVs from LG, Samsung and Sony are consistently well-received, but they also tend cost more.
• Budget TV brands: Hisense, RCA and TCL are generally considered budget brands, so their quality may not be as good, but you will save money.

If you’re wondering whether a pricey premium model is worth it, a recent study from Consumer Reports[6] suggests that spending more typically results in a better-quality picture, a superior product and a better experience. That said, the report also notes that budget-brand TVs are constantly improving and narrowing the quality gap.

The most popular choice for a TV these days is around 65 inches. These panels can range from $600 to upwards of $5,000, depending on brand and technology. Interestingly, smaller panels don’t get that much cheaper; 40-inch displays start around $350.