A good TV is an important fixture in the modern home. Not only can it be used to provide countless hours of entertainment, but it can also act as a central social hub for the home. Gathering family and friends to watch TV and film is one of life’s simplest pleasures.
The trouble is the definition of a truly “Good” TV can often be a little flimsy. It can be tough to tell when you’re looking through all the thousands of options, which TVs are truly worth it. What defines a TV as “Good”? What features should such a TV have? And how do you go about sorting the good TVs from all the rest?
Luckily, thanks to their six decades of experience, our Reliant tech experts have truly figured out what makes a good TV. And today, they’re going to lend us their expertise! Ready to grab a good TV of your own? Then let’s get started!
How Do You Know If A TV Is Good?
As we mentioned in our introduction, defining a “Good” TV can seem nearly impossible. Generally, the reason for this is that different TV users have very different needs. For instance, one person might define a good TV as one that fits comfortably into a smaller space like a bedroom. But this wouldn’t be the case for someone looking for a TV to place in their living room. For them, a good TV would be a much larger model with a high resolution.
There is no fixed definition for a “Good” TV. This is because the criteria for such a TV would be different for everyone. For instance, a good gaming tv would be different from a good TV for film!
As such, a good TV is one that perfectly suits all of your needs, has all of the features you want, and is offered at a fair price.
So, if you’re looking for a good TV, you’ll need to take the time to consider a few important things. We’ve collected some of the most important factors to consider. So that you can find a TV that’s more than just “Good”, and is totally “Perfect”!
Consider Your Space
The first thing to consider is the room that a TV will occupy. Is it a bedroom? A living room? Maybe even a kitchen? Be sure to consider just how much space there is in that room, and how the TV will be positioned. There’s a considerable difference in size between a 32 inch tv and a 65 inch tv so measure carefully before buying.
It’s important to carefully consider the amount of space in your chosen room. Not only will it ensure a simple and efficient installation, but it will also lead to a more pleasant viewing experience.
For a larger space, like a living room, you’ll want a TV with a suitably large screen size. This ensures you can get a good view of the screen without having to strain your eyes to make out a tiny image! For a smaller space, you’ll want to grab a similarly small TV. This ensures the TV fits comfortably into the space, thanks to a smaller physical footprint. In spaces like the kitchen, this is vital, because it ensures the display doesn’t take up too much counter space.
Just make sure your TV isn’t too big or too small. Especially in the living room. Your living room TV will be used for hours at a time, so you’ll want to make sure it’s a comfortable viewing experience. When a TV is too big or too small, you can easily end up with eye strain or a neck ache!
To prevent this, you should ensure there’s a good distance between the TV and your favourite spot to recline. The appropriate distance can be found by multiplying the length of any screen by 1.2. The resulting sum indicates the perfect minimum viewing distance! For instance, a 75 inch TV should be viewed from at least 90 inches away!
Consider Your Viewing Habits
Keep in mind that different spaces often entail different viewing habits. For instance, a TV in a living room would most likely be enjoyed from a reclined position on a comfy sofa. Whereas a kitchen TV would most likely be enjoyed passively while busying your hands will meal preparation!
If you want a TV that you can lounge in front of and binge-watch to your heart’s content, then you’re better off opting for a TV with a focus on visuals. Such a TV would have a great screen size, a high resolution, and maybe even support for HDR. These qualities help you to feel more immersed in the on-screen story, so you can truly while away the hours!
If you plan to binge-watch shows on your TV, then you’ll want one with a focus on visuals. Look for large screens, high resolutions, and support for HDR. These are key to a good viewing experience!
If you’re looking for a TV that you can enjoy passively, then you might want to opt for a slightly smaller TV with less of a focus on visual fidelity. This will help to save you money, as you won’t have to pay extra for a resolution you likely wouldn’t notice the benefits of!
Make sure to also consider the time of day you most often use your TV. Ambient lighting from the sun can easily make or break a good viewing experience. If you most often use your TV in the daytime, in a room with large windows, then you’ll want a TV with high brightness and anti-glare screen technology!
Consider Your Intended Use
Your viewing habits play a crucial role in determining a truly good TV. However, it’s important that we also highlight the role that your content plays. Living room TVs are best when you can recline and relax in front of them for hours at a time. But unless you consider the type of content you’ll be enjoying most often, you could still very easily miss out on a truly good TV.
How Do You Know If A TV Is Good For Film?
Film lovers often seek to replicate the theatrical viewing experience from their living rooms. As a result, the best option for a film lover is to grab the largest TV for the space. A larger TV can totally take up your peripheral vision, creating a panoramic view right into your favourite works. Just make sure that your chosen TV isn’t too big! For the most comfortable experience, you should be able to make out the TV’s full image without needing to move your head at all!
A good TV for film also boasts a great resolution. Generally, the best resolution for film lovers to target is 4K. The reason for this is that most modern blockbusters are now filmed using 4K cameras. With a 4K resolution, you can get much closer to a film’s original vision! Many classic films have also been digitally remastered to display at higher resolutions. So you can enjoy all of your favourite films, all with a new lick of paint!
If your new TV will be used to watch the latest films and shows, then you’ll want to focus on visual fidelity. To ensure your favourite titles look exactly as they should!
You’d also know that a TV is good for film if it has support for HDR. HDR is essentially an upgraded video and audio format that contains much more detailed information about your films. HDR quite literally understands your favourite films better, and can display them as they should look and sound! HDR also helps to up visual contrast, by allowing a TV to replicate a much higher range of colours and brightness levels.
How Do You Know If A TV Is Good For Live TV And Sports?
With a good TV, you can enjoy live events as if you were right there. Whether it be concerts, festivals, or some of the world’s biggest sporting events. To really heighten the sense of presence, and to let yourself feel the rush of excitement that comes with live events, a good TV should have a focus on motion.
You might wonder what we mean by this. After all, displaying motion is a TV’s bread and butter! However, it’s worth noting that some TVs are better at displaying motion than others! To find out which ones do it best, you’ll need to look for the right stuff!
First, you should look for a TV that has a high refresh rate. A refresh rate refers to how many times a TV can refresh the on-screen image in a single second. The more times it can do this, the smoother motion appears. With a higher refresh rate, you can more easily witness every single movement of a big event. For football, for instance, a higher refresh rate allows you to more easily watch the exact moment a player makes the game-winning strike.
It’s also worth looking for a TV that boasts motion-smoothing technology. Some smart TVs are capable of analysing footage as it’s being displayed, and actively improving it. Motion smoothing is one such technology, capable of smoothing out on-screen motion. With this feature activated, a TV can actually interpolate new frames between existing frames of footage. This results in a much more convincing sense of motion!
Just make sure to turn motion smoothing off when watching regular TV or film content. Films and TV shows are often filmed at cinematic frame rates by design. Motion smoothing goes against this, and can thus make motion appear very unnatural, ruining the viewing experience!
How Do You Know If A TV Is Good For Gaming?
A good TV for a gamer would need to have some very specific features that film lovers and live sports fans may not otherwise need to consider. Ultimately, a good TV for a gamer has not only a focus on visual fidelity but also a focus on speed and responsiveness!
Target A High Resolution
First off, many of the top game consoles on the market are capable of displaying graphics at impressive 4K resolutions. As such, you’ll want a 4K TV.
Consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can both output at an amazing 4K resolution. To enjoy the best of next-gen gaming, you should make sure you grab a 4K TV!
It’s also worth looking for a TV with HDR support. Many games are now developed with HDR in mind. HDR is great for upping visual contrast in all kinds of games. For those atmospheric story games, HDR can help to put you in the shoes of your in-game character. For online games, the enhanced contrast of HDR can help you to more easily identify and counter the opposition. HDR can actually help to make you a better player!
Find The Right Screen Size!
When it comes to choosing the perfect screen size, you’ll need to think about how you sit while playing. If you’re reclined on the living room sofa while playing, then a larger screen would be great. If you plan to game at a desk, within close proximity of your TV, you’ll want to make sure it’s a little bit smaller!
Look For A High Refresh Rate
If you want to feel truly in tune with your in-game characters, then it’s best to look for a TV with a great refresh rate. As we highlighted above, high refresh rates are important for conveying realistic motion. To truly feel like you’re right there in your favourite digital realms, then a high refresh rate is crucial.
High refresh rates are also crucial for enjoying games at higher frame rates. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can both output game graphics at a silky smooth 120 frames per second. In order to enjoy every single one of those frames, you’ll need to make sure your TV has a good refresh rate, above 120 Hz. Try to aim for 144 Hz for the best performance! If you try to play a game at 120 fps on a TV with a limited refresh rate, it will result in ugly screen tearing!
A high refresh rate allows your games to display at higher frame rates. For next-gen gaming, this is absolutely essential. It lets you feel in control, and also prevents screen tearing!
To help avoid screen tearing, a good gaming TV should have variable refresh rate technology! This allows a TV to adjust the refresh rate to match the game’s frame rate. When refresh rates and frame rates don’t align, it results in screen tearing. Even if you were to play a low-frame-rate game on a TV with a strong refresh rate!
Look For Low Input Lag
A good sense of control is important for truly enjoying a gaming experience. To feel truly in tune with your games, you’ll want to make sure that a good TV has low levels of input lag.
Input lag is a term used to refer to the time between pressing a button on your controller, and seeing the screen respond. Preferably, you want your games to react instantly to your inputs, so you can feel totally in sync. For instance, if you’re playing a fast-paced platformer, you want to be sure that your character jumps over those deadly pits as soon as you press the “Jump” button!
Some of the best TVs have input lag as low as 15 milliseconds, with some going even lower. OLED TVs in particular are prized for boasting incredibly low input lag, which makes them a great option for gamers.
If you’re a pro gamer, it’s worth looking for a TV with the lowest levels of input lag. The lower the latency, the more in control you’ll feel. If you’re a casual gamer looking to play the biggest story-focused games, then any TV with input lag lower than 40 milliseconds will be best!
Consider The Price
Finally, your definition of a “Good” TV might very well be influenced by the overall price. Of course, no one ever really wants to pay too much for anything, so it’s worth shopping around to find the best deals on top TVs. However, you also want to make sure you don’t spend too little! Otherwise, you’ll end up with a feature-weak TV that can barely satisfy your needs!
A good TV should have a price that’s fair and representative of the number of features it offers. There’s no point in spending more on a TV that has less features than a cheaper model!
A good TV should come at a price that you feel is fair and representative. If you’re going to pay a little more for a good TV, make sure it’s packed full of advanced features. Try to find a good balance between the density of features, and the price of the overall unit.
And don’t be afraid to spend a little more than you might have expected. If you find a TV that boasts a number of features you need, it’s worth making that extra investment!
How Do You Spot A Good TV?
Taking a look at the features above should hopefully help you to find that perfect TV that more than meets your needs. However, you might find yourself at this point torn between a handful of different models. Luckily, there are a few things you can take a look at to find out which is the absolute best!
Check Reviews
It’s good to rely on the experience of others. After all, who better to determine whether a TV is “Good” than someone who has used it themselves?
Reviews are a great way to find out about every facet of a TV. You can find out how your content will look, how it will sound, and whether its quality is any good. Luckily, there are all kinds of outlets to check out for quality TV reviews. You can even check consumer reviews on retailer websites, to get a sense of the general consensus!
Can’t choose between a few different TV models? Take a look at some of the many reviews online. These first-hand accounts can help you to compare and contrast a few different models!
If you’re stuck choosing between a few TVs with similar features, it can be worth relying on reviews to directly compare and contrast them!
Ask For Help!
Don’t be afraid to ask for a bit of help when looking for the perfect TV. Recommendations can be a great resource for narrowing down your options and finding a TV that suits your needs. Friends and family are particularly useful because they will be able to understand your unique needs and desires. They’ll be able to help you pick a TV that perfectly suits you.
It’s also worth relying on the recommendations of professionals. For instance, retailers can help to navigate you through some of the more technical jargon. If you have trouble telling the difference between a frame rate and a refresh rate, then a trusted professional can help to figure out how each might matter to you!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Know If A TV Is A Good TV?
You’ll know a TV is “Good” if it perfectly suits all of your needs. The definition of a truly good TV changes from case to case, and depending on who is asking. For a gamer, a “Good” TV might be one with a low level of input lag and a focus on responsiveness. For a film lover, on the other hand, a “Good” TV might be one that has the biggest screen and highest resolution!
What Specifications Should I Look For When Buying A TV?
Arguably the most important specification to look at in a new TV is the size of the screen. You want to make sure the TV isn’t too big or too small. A TV that’s too big, is simply uncomfortable and unsatisfying to watch. You won’t be able to see most of the image without moving your head, which will result in you missing out!
