If you are thinking of buying a new TV and even having seen several analyzes you do not clarify much about what is important to consider or not, here is a clear and direct guide to know how to choose the ideal TV according to your budget.
How to choose a new TV: what really matters
If you start looking for online guides about what you should keep in mind when buying a new TV, you may clarify or fill yourself with more doubts. If you also look at comparisons between different models even more.
Therefore, our idea is to simplify everything and really give you the keys to what matters and can make a difference. The rest are personal issues that you better than anyone can solve.
How much do you want to spend
It seems obvious, but it is the first thing you should ask yourself. Depending on your budget it will be easier for you to choose a television. If you do not, but set a maximum, you will begin to see proposals that you will like but will make those that are within your reach seem inferior in all aspects.
Yes, if in most consumer electronics products it is often said that paying a little more can extend the life of the product, here it is not strictly the same. The televisions have a renewal time superior to most products.
Normally you do not change TV until it has been between 5 and 10 years. Therefore, investing a little more is not a matter of lasting longer but of enjoying more during that time.
With this we do not tell you to pay more because yes, only if you invest a little more you can take a TV with a better panel, connections or sound among other aspects. So keep that in mind. But the fundamental thing is that you are clear how much you want to spend at most.
A matter of sizes
The ideal size of your new TV is marked by the room where you are going to place it and the viewing distance. Since most current screens already offer 4K resolution, the viewing distance is reduced. Having a meter and a half or two meters is enough to plant a large diagonal screen in front, between 55 and 65 inches perfectly.
Currently 55 ″ models can be said to be the standard. What’s more, sometimes the price difference between different sizes of the same model makes it the most attractive because its manufacturing is more economical.
For us it would be the minimum size to consider if you want to enjoy a satisfactory experience, both with series such as movies or other content. And although it may seem great if you can opt for 65 ″ models, go ahead. Because you quickly get used to its dimensions and you will enjoy much more.
Panel technology: OLED or LED
We start with the technical issues, OLED or LED? This will always be the quintessential debate when buying a television. Color purists will tell you that OLED yes or yes . And it is true, the quality of an OLED panel is above other technologies at the level of color representation and depth of blacks, but do not discard LED screens.
LED technology has improved significantly in recent years. Proposals such as the Samsung Q-LED or LG Nanocell have shown that despite some weaknesses in certain aspects, in others they are able to perform better. For example, in bright environments, the maximum brightness level of an LED panel may be higher than OLED and make the vision of the content improve.
Anyway, while it is true that the level of contrast is not the same, you have to be very expert and sybarite of the image to appreciate noticeable differences if the LED panel is good. We have tested LED screens that we liked a lot and with prices for virtually any pocket, such as Xiaomi or LG television with Nanocell technology . But if you prefer OLED in spite of everything, check out the Sony AG9 .
High Dynamic Range Standard
Most current panels already support HDR or high dynamic range content. Even so, there are differences regarding what standards they admit or not and that is important.
Ideally, you bet on the TV you bet has support for HDR10 + and Dolby Vision. Having HDR10 is normal and HLG is fine, but the others are the most used by platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, etc. And of course, also in games that support these images.
If you didn’t have it and the rest of the features convince you, go ahead. But having support is not only a matter of being able to offer brighter images. That would even tell you that it is the least, the true importance of the high dynamic range is in the wider color representation that eliminates banding problems and other problems of the Rec.709 standard versus Rec.2020.
4K or 8K?
The answer is easy because the 8K is reserved for high-end screens whose cost is high. But in case you don’t have economic problems, it’s a matter of deciding if you’re really interested or not. There is no native 8K content, the 4K to 8K scaling algorithms work fine but still this is not a feature that you should consider as important when buying new TV.
Connections and connectivity
Now two aspects that are very related. The first: physical connections. Here having several HDMI 2.0 0 2.1 ports better and USB 3.0 is important. With the first you can opt for the advantages that the latest standard provides with technologies such as variable frame rate, for a better refreshment in order to use the TV as a screen to play video games. With the seconds being able to load UHD content locally without hops or flips, in addition to being able to record content with the recording functions offered.
Logically, the more HDMI and USB connections are better, because we no longer only connect a single device or video source. Now it is normal to have one or more consoles, set top box and some other devices.
Oh, remember that at least one HDMI should offer HDMI ARC support if you are going to place accessories such as sound bars, BluRay recorders or players, etc. Also for the use of set top box like the Nvidia Shield or similar and allow the control and turning on the TV from the device control.
Regarding connectivity, ethernet connection and WiFi is usual. Having Bluetooth not so much in certain ranges but today is very useful. With the proliferation of bluetooth headphones, if you have this type of connection you can connect them to listen to the TV without disturbing anyone at altar hours of the night.
Everything that is not really important on a television, but it does matter
If at the time of choosing between a television or another you take into account the previous points it will be enough to choose the model that suits you best. The one that meets or performs better in each of these aspects will be the option. But, what happens with the rest of the characteristics that we also usually consider in the analysis. Well, they are factors that add up and help decide in case of a tie.
For example, sound is 50% of the audiovisual experience but few are the televisions that really offer good sound with their integrated speakers. Therefore, if any one in particular convinces you more, bet on him. But keep in mind that most of you should place a sound bar, system 2.1 or even 5.1 or 7.1 to have a better quality. So, keep that in mind but don’t get obsessed, because with almost any sound bar everything gets better and the investment is minimal.
On the subject Smart TV more or less the same. LG and Samsung are clear references, but other brands are increasingly betting on Android TV. The Google operating system improves and its options at the level of apps, usability, etc., make it a great option.
But in the worst case, if it does not convince you you can always use a set top box like the many that are with Android TV, Fire TV or Apple TV. And you have a great advantage, if at the power level the TV falls short, with these small devices you always guarantee the option to update it and continue to have a fluid experience regardless of the version of the system that is released.
And finally there is the theme of design, it is the first thing that enters through the eyes and is striking. But as with sound, having thin frames and more important to the image that will suffice. So, only if it is to play keep it in mind.
So you can choose TV easily
Ready, considering these sections is or we think it will be much easier to choose new TV. The first five you can see in the list below are really important. So, when you compare televisions set that pattern as a filter. Rate each section and you will see how fast you have a new TV in case.
- Price
- Image quality
- HDR support
- Connections
- Connectivity
- Sound
- Smart tv
- Design
And ready, if you find this whole topic interesting and want to know more about your future new TV, do not lose sight of the next articles that we will be publishing on image calibration issues and the odd data to fully express its possibilities.