Get Smart: A Buyer's Guide to Smart TVs
2017's smart TVs promise more connectivity and amazing new technology. Use this buyer's guide to get the big picture
Pia Sinha
31 August 2017
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former Chief Copy Editor of GoodHomes, India Magazine. I write professionally about design and decor. Personally too, I am a big fan of design that marries functionality with elegance. At home, I use a combination of striking patterns, colourful prints and natural materials for some chutzpah and cheer!
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former Chief Copy Editor of GoodHomes, India Magazine.... More
Are you in the market to purchase a smart TV for your home? Congratulations, there’s truly no better time than now. Smart TVs today are loaded with brand new tech and features. But for you, it could mean feeling overwhelmed with the variety of choices and not understanding the meaning of some alien-sounding technologies. That’s why we’ve put together this buyer’s guide. Read on and you’ll know exactly what you need to be looking for, what counts, what doesn’t count and how you can make the most of your purchase.
What’s the smart TV all about?
In the simplest sense, a smart TV is able to connect to the internet and to multiple devices. They have redefined how we interact with our television sets with a bunch of functions all made available on one screen; a large high-definition screen at that.
Read more of the latest stories from Houzz
In the simplest sense, a smart TV is able to connect to the internet and to multiple devices. They have redefined how we interact with our television sets with a bunch of functions all made available on one screen; a large high-definition screen at that.
Read more of the latest stories from Houzz
What can a smart TV do?
It can help you browse the web, stream videos on YouTube, run entertainment apps such as Netflix and much more. Your smart TV will have a home screen to access a variety of app functions. You’ll find pre-loaded apps and you can also access the app store and download add-on apps. What this means is that you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want, all on one device.
It can help you browse the web, stream videos on YouTube, run entertainment apps such as Netflix and much more. Your smart TV will have a home screen to access a variety of app functions. You’ll find pre-loaded apps and you can also access the app store and download add-on apps. What this means is that you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want, all on one device.
How to Shop
Think size
Bigger is better when it comes to your smart TV, but your purchase needs to make practical and financial sense too. After all, it doesn’t really work if you purchase a 72-inch TV when you’re going to be seated less than a metre away from it.
You can decide how big you want to go with your smart TV size based on your room’s dimensions and your seating distance from it. Bigger televisions automatically imply that you need to be seated further away. Ideally, a size of 40 inches works for a bedroom, while 55-65 inches is great for a living room. A bigger screen may work well for a large entertainment room.
For placement, a good way to measure the size of your TV is to ensure there is at least a gap of 2.5 centimetres on both sides of the TV as well as the top within a TV cabinet cavity.
How High Should Your TV Be?
Think size
Bigger is better when it comes to your smart TV, but your purchase needs to make practical and financial sense too. After all, it doesn’t really work if you purchase a 72-inch TV when you’re going to be seated less than a metre away from it.
You can decide how big you want to go with your smart TV size based on your room’s dimensions and your seating distance from it. Bigger televisions automatically imply that you need to be seated further away. Ideally, a size of 40 inches works for a bedroom, while 55-65 inches is great for a living room. A bigger screen may work well for a large entertainment room.
For placement, a good way to measure the size of your TV is to ensure there is at least a gap of 2.5 centimetres on both sides of the TV as well as the top within a TV cabinet cavity.
How High Should Your TV Be?
Resolution
4K or Ultra HD is the latest buzzword doing rounds in TV resolution. What’s great about 4K is that it has four times as many pixels as a standard, 1080p, resolution TV. However, if you’ve decided to buy a smaller set (40 inches or less), a normal HD model will suffice. This is because 4K resolution is usually not very noticeable on the smaller televisions. Plus, it will save you money.
Tip: A benefit of mid-range and high-end 4K TVs out this year is that they’re HDR compatible as well.
4K or Ultra HD is the latest buzzword doing rounds in TV resolution. What’s great about 4K is that it has four times as many pixels as a standard, 1080p, resolution TV. However, if you’ve decided to buy a smaller set (40 inches or less), a normal HD model will suffice. This is because 4K resolution is usually not very noticeable on the smaller televisions. Plus, it will save you money.
Tip: A benefit of mid-range and high-end 4K TVs out this year is that they’re HDR compatible as well.
What is HDR?
HDR stands for high dynamic range and is responsible for recreating images as close as possible to that seen by the human eye. HDR guarantees a more sumptuous viewing experience, with more realism, depth, better contrast and colour accuracy.
HDR stands for high dynamic range and is responsible for recreating images as close as possible to that seen by the human eye. HDR guarantees a more sumptuous viewing experience, with more realism, depth, better contrast and colour accuracy.
What screen technology do you need?
Make picture quality your number one priority when you decide to buy. You’ll have to make a choice between OLED and LED (which is an LCD screen lit by LED). Don’t let salespeople tell you otherwise – plasma TVs are long gone.
Both screen technologies will offer excellent picture quality. Broadly speaking, OLED is a superior technology, but can be pretty expensive too.
OLED is lighter, thinner, will use less energy and also offers the best viewing angles with deeper blacks and a better contrast. That said, always remember to look over the specs, performance and reviews, as well the all-important price of the TV.
11 Ways to Take the Focus Off the TV
Make picture quality your number one priority when you decide to buy. You’ll have to make a choice between OLED and LED (which is an LCD screen lit by LED). Don’t let salespeople tell you otherwise – plasma TVs are long gone.
Both screen technologies will offer excellent picture quality. Broadly speaking, OLED is a superior technology, but can be pretty expensive too.
OLED is lighter, thinner, will use less energy and also offers the best viewing angles with deeper blacks and a better contrast. That said, always remember to look over the specs, performance and reviews, as well the all-important price of the TV.
11 Ways to Take the Focus Off the TV
Connectivity
Count the number of devices you want to connect with your smart TV and check if it has this many HDMI ports. USB inputs and SD card slots are a plus.
If you are mounting your TV to the wall, find out where the ports are located. Ask yourself if they will be easy or difficult to access.
Count the number of devices you want to connect with your smart TV and check if it has this many HDMI ports. USB inputs and SD card slots are a plus.
If you are mounting your TV to the wall, find out where the ports are located. Ask yourself if they will be easy or difficult to access.
Viewing angles
When you’re at the store, stand in front of the TV at the centre at normal viewing distance and then move a few steps sideways. You may notice a loss in colour and contrast, and generally a slight deterioration in the overall picture quality. If you’re dissatisfied, keep looking until you find a TV with better viewing angles.
Remote control
Also pay attention to the remote control. The common buttons should be visible immediately.
When you’re at the store, stand in front of the TV at the centre at normal viewing distance and then move a few steps sideways. You may notice a loss in colour and contrast, and generally a slight deterioration in the overall picture quality. If you’re dissatisfied, keep looking until you find a TV with better viewing angles.
Remote control
Also pay attention to the remote control. The common buttons should be visible immediately.
What’s out? 3D TV
3D TV is dead and most companies have dropped support entirely in 2017.
Tips to Shop Wisely
Tell us
Did you buy a smart TV this year? If so, do you have any additional tips to share with our readers? And don’t forget, if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Browse appealing TV rooms
3D TV is dead and most companies have dropped support entirely in 2017.
Tips to Shop Wisely
- Knowing your budget in advance is a great way to begin your search. This will help you quickly narrow down what you can afford. If you’re looking for the latest technology, it’s best to limit your search to smart TV models from the past year or two.
- Read online reviews extensively so you know what the experts and users have to say about each product.
- Schedule a visit to the nearest store and take time to check out every model you’re considering in person.
- And, while it’s great to know all about the technical specs, don’t let it bog you down. Focus on picture quality, size, 4K and HDR within your budget, and you’ll be able to find a smart TV that is suitable for your needs.
Tell us
Did you buy a smart TV this year? If so, do you have any additional tips to share with our readers? And don’t forget, if you found this story helpful, like it, bookmark it, save the photos and share your thoughts below. Join the conversation.
More
Browse appealing TV rooms
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My antique box TV died only a couple of weeks ago, so I took myself into Harvey Norman the other day to check out the modern-fangled ones. I'm a reduce-reuse-recycle kinda gal, hence my persistence with a TV
which predates the wide-screen format, so I'm looking forward to a new
TV which allows me to see what's happening on the left and right of the
program I'm watching:)
I live in the bush and get my internet via ADSL, the modem for which is on the opposite side of the house to where I've had my TV to date. I do have a set-top box, but it only gives me access to the ABC and SBS. Given my limited time for watching TV, this has always been sufficient for me.
The salesperson assured me that smart TVs are the way to go, although not-smart ones are available. She also assured me that my modem was only connected to my computer by cable for convenience, not necessity, and that I could almost certainly use it for wifi. This would mean that I could put a smart TV in the dedicated TV-spot. When I mentioned that's where the aerial has been installed, she was dismissive, as aerials are only useful for free-to-air TV. But I'm happy with that! Am I the only person left in Australia who is?
Anyway, it turns out that I was right in thinking that my ADSL modem does not produce wifi. I don't want to go with wifi for health reasons (maybe EMFs affect my chronic fatigue, maybe they don't, but I'm erring on the side of caution), so I guess I need to get a whacking long cable to connect the TV to the modem, and drape it through the house. Or confine my TV viewing to iview (which I access in my office, rather blurring the lines between work and play, which is not good, in my view).
After reading this article, with all its warnings of rapid obsolescence of technology, I feel rather sad to be saying goodbye to my 25-year-old trooper of a TV. I figure that I need to be spending the absolute minimum I can on its replacement, because nothing I buy now will ever get that kind of lifespan ever again.