Have you found yourself in this rut? Unsure which TV would be the perfect purchase for you? Don’t fret. It’s a very common issue! Very often, when it comes time to buy a new TV, many people are unsure of what exactly they should be looking for. What are the key features that an up-to-date TV should have? And what should you be looking for when buying a new TV?
In order to find that perfect TV, it’s good to know what to look out for. This will help you to narrow down your options and save a lot of time. In this article, we’re going to catalogue the most essential features that you ought to be considering when looking for your dream TV!
What Should You Look For When Buying A New TV?
Screen Resolution
We figured it would be best to start by talking about resolution. Naturally, this is one of the very first things most people think about when it comes to buying a new TV. There are quite a few options available to you when it comes to resolution. From standard HD TVs to eye-popping 8K UHD TVs. Ultimately, the resolution you decide on will depend on your budget and the size of the TV you want to buy.
Ultra HD TVs, such as 4K and 8K models are now much more affordable than ever and offer immense resolutions. In fact, many streaming services and broadcast TV channels now provide content at 4K resolutions. If you want the latest TV and film to look its absolute best, it’s worth opting for a UHD model.
4K and 8K TVs are now incredibly affordable, and totally worth springing for. With more content now being produced with 4K and 8K in mind, there’s never been a better time to join the UHD revolution!
If you’re opting for a UHD TV, it’s best to go for a slightly larger screen size. For instance, to enjoy the best of 4K content, it’s better to opt for a 43 inch TV, 55 inch TV or larger. 4K resolutions boast an impressive 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. In order to allow these pixels to shine, it’s best to give them a wider playing field to work within.
Screen Size
Resolution and screen size are naturally entwined. To make the most of a higher resolution, you’ll want a larger screen size to match. Luckily, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to screen size. From a large room busting 98 inch TV to a smaller 32 inch TV, ideal for a kitchen, study or bedroom, there’s a perfect TV size for your needs. Just make sure to keep in mind that a larger screen size will generally cost a little bit more.
It can be tempting to just go for the largest possible screen size available to fulfil those dreams of having the largest TV in the neighbourhood. However, you will need to make sure that the screen size is suitable for your space. A TV that is too large for your living room will be unwieldy to watch. You’ll find your neck darting from one corner of the screen to the next to take a single image in!
Before picking your TV’s screen size, be sure to measure your room’s available space. You want to ensure there is a comfortable amount of distance between the comfiest sofa and the screen itself. Too close, and you run the risk of neck strain! You can work out the optimal distance by multiplying the screen size by 1.2. If you were to buy a 75 inch TV, you would need to ensure there is around 2 metres between the furniture and the TV screen, with a 65 inch tv slightly less than that.
It might seem like a lot of faff to measure your room’s space, but it helps to really narrow your options down. Bringing you closer to the TV of your dreams.
Display Type
In order to bring all of your favourite content to life, TVs use all kinds of different display types to render images. These different display types all operate differently and achieve slightly different results. Let’s take a look at the most popular options.
OLED TVs
It’s likely you’ve already heard of OLED TVs as they are incredibly popular, mainly due to how well they can render images. An OLED TV operate differently from just about every other TV type in terms of how they project images. Every single pixel found in an OLED display is independently illuminated. This means that the pixels provide their own light, and can turn on and off as needed.
OLED TVs are great for creating striking contrast in every image. If you want content to pop from the screen, then an OLED TV is a great option.
QLED TVs
An QLED TV is another display type you’ve likely already encountered. This display type makes use of tiny semiconductors. When these semiconductors are subjected to energy, they produce light of specific colours. By adjusting the amount of energy sent to the quantum dot semiconductors, different highly specific colours can be recreated.
QLED TVs have a much wider colour gamut than any other TV type, making them great for saturated images bursting with colour. If you’re looking to truly lose yourself in fantasy worlds, then QLED is perfect for you.
LED TVs
Aside from the OLED TV and QLED TV, a display type you are likely to see is the LED TV or LCD type. LED TVs make use of backlight arrays to project images.
While LED and LCD TVs don’t boast the image-boosting technology of OLED and QLED TVs, they are able to produce great brightness levels to really fill your room.
LED and LCD TVs also tend to be very affordable, making them a great small TV option for smaller rooms!
Input Options
If you have any external devices, such as game consoles, set-top boxes, or streaming devices, then you will need to look for a TV with plenty of input options. Luckily, you would be hard-pressed to find a modern TV that didn’t have some kind of HDMI input port. However, some TVs have more input ports than others.
If you have a large gaming set-up, with plenty of consoles, then you will want to opt for a TV with more HDMI ports. This will save you the hassle of swapping wires around every time you want to swap from one console to the next.
You will also need to make sure that those HDMI input ports support the resolution of your chosen input. Obviously, if you’re planning on gaming in 4K, you’ll need to have a TV that matches. But you’ll also need to make sure that the TV has enough input ports that support HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 cables.
USB ports are also useful for hooking up a range of external devices, to access extra content. For example, if you have some cherished photos on a USB device, you can hook it up to the TV directly to show them off to guests.
Visual Enhancement
We wish we could live in a world where all content was displayed in native 8K. Unfortunately, there is plenty of content stuck at 1080p resolutions. This could initially leave many 4K or 8K TV owners disappointed. What’s the point of having a UHD TV if you’re stuck watching your favourite content at crummy standard HD resolutions? Luckily, manufacturers have taken note of this!
Most 4K and 8K TVs now come packaged with built-in upscaling technology that can enhance the quality of any image on-screen. Have a Blu-ray copy of your favourite film? A 4K TV will be able to upscale the image from your Blu-ray player, in real-time, to make it appear as though you were watching a film in native 4K!
This technology can be found in most UHD TVs, under different names, depending on the model you purchase.
Audio Enhancement
As well as improving picture quality, modern smart TVs can now upscale the audio of your favourite content. It’s worth looking for TVs that can take ordinary single-channel audio tracks and convert them to surround sound. This can help to further immerse yourself in the best films and shows, while also helping you to take advantage of an existing sound system in your living room!
Many TVs employ AI to help enhance audio capabilities. This can be through sound upscaling, or improving the sound output. AI has also helped to make TVs sound better in specific spaces. Modern Samsung TVs, for example, include SpaceFit technology. This technology uses a small microphone that picks up sound to detect the space that the TV occupies. It can notice areas where the sound echoes, or where it’s slightly more quiet. This allows the TV to cater the sound to its space!
Smart TV Features
If you want your TV to really stand out, you’re going to need to look out for the latest smart features. Luckily, smart TVs are far more common than standard TVs, and no longer cost the Earth to buy!
Smart TVs are now packed with features, and with every passing year, more and more features are added to each new model. Again, this can make it quite overwhelming to choose just one for your home. We’d recommend considering what features you want from a smart TV, to help narrow down your options.
Smart TVs have totally eclipsed standard non-smart TVs. When you’re looking for your dream TV, be sure to find one that offers smart features that best benefit you! Smart TV functions can vary from model to model.
If we were to recommend one specific feature, it would be smartphone connectivity. Many smart TVs can easily be integrated into your smart home set-up so that you can control them remotely using your phone, or even a voice assistant program. This is totally worth doing. By controlling your TV with your phone, you open up a huge world of possibilities when it comes to content. Want to open a YouTube video on your TV? Pull it up on your phone. Want to swap over to Netflix? Do it with a few button taps!
Price
Finally, you’re going to want to look for a fair and attractive price. How much you’re willing to spend on a TV will depend on your budget, and what you want from it. Keep in mind that the more features a TV boasts, or the greater its size, the more it will cost.
This is why it’s so important to have an idea of what you want from your new TV before searching for it. This way, you can weigh the number of features in a specific TV, with its price. By comparing models and prices, you’ll be able to find the perfect TV that offers you everything you need, at Reliant for a price that works for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should You Look For When Buying A New TV UK?
When you’re looking for a new TV, you’ll obviously want to consider the screen size and the total resolution. As well as that, however, you’ll also want to dedicate some thought to smart features that make your new TV easier to use. Be sure to balance all of this with your budget!
What To Avoid When Buying A New TV?
When you’re buying a new TV, it’s important to exercise restraint. You might instinctively think to spring for the largest and most expensive TV around, but a larger TV is not always better. Larger TVs need more space in your home and need to be viewed from farther away. There’s also no point in spending loads on a TV packed with features you might never use.
What Is The Average Lifespan Of A New TV?
You can expect a new TV to last up to 10 years, provided you care for it. In order to last a full 10 years, you should be sure to lower the brightness of the screen, and turn it off completely when it’s not in use. Leaving your TV on, with the brightness cranked up can quickly shorten your TV’s lifespan.
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