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How Do I... Choose a Television?
Are you looking to upgrade your television? Buy with confidence with these expert tips
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and design questions. Here Adam Vaccaro, consumer electronics and audio-visual product expert for Appliances Online, helps demystify the complicated business of buying a new television.
What are the main different types of televisions?
- LED
- QLED
- OLED
How are they differerent?
- LED (light-emitting diode display): The most common and affordable type of television on the market. LED televisions come in a range of sizes and are suitable for most uses, including watching your favourite shows and gaming.
- QLED (Quantum Dot LED): Very similar to LED televisions, but with a special coating called Quantum Dots, which dramatically increases the screen’s brightness and colour output. These televisions are ideal for viewing UHD (ultra-high definition) and HDR (high dynamic range) content, and are particularly well-suited to bright rooms.
- OLED (organic light-emitting diode display): OLED televisions are different to the other two types – they don’t require a backlight as each individual pixel is self-illuminating. They can achieve perfect levels of brightness that make the image on the screen look incredibly vivid and true to life. OLED televisions are best suited to rooms that can be darkened (such as a home theatre), as they are not quite as bright as other screen types. They are usually more expensive than a similarly sized and specced LED or QLED screen.
What do they cost?
Prices fluctuate a lot in the television market, and depend on the size, brand and quality, but you can roughly expect to pay:
Prices fluctuate a lot in the television market, and depend on the size, brand and quality, but you can roughly expect to pay:
- LED: From about $500-$5,000
- QLED: From $1,500-$10,000
- OLED: From about about $2,000-$15,000
What do I need to know about screen resolution?
Screen resolution is the amount of detail that a television is able to display, and is measured in pixels. Full-high definition (normally abbreviated to Full HD or FHD) has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and is the most common resolution found on streaming services and standard blu-rays.
Ultra-high definition (UHD or 4K) has a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which is four times the resolution of Full HD. While it is sometimes referred to as 4K, it is not, technically speaking, a true 4K resolution, which has more horizontal pixels.
UHD offers customers a huge leap in the details they can see on the screen, and is now the most common screen resolution on the market. The higher resolution is particularly noticeable on larger screens. Unlike with Full HD, with UHD screens you’ll lose none of the detail the larger the screen you go.
Screen resolution is the amount of detail that a television is able to display, and is measured in pixels. Full-high definition (normally abbreviated to Full HD or FHD) has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and is the most common resolution found on streaming services and standard blu-rays.
Ultra-high definition (UHD or 4K) has a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which is four times the resolution of Full HD. While it is sometimes referred to as 4K, it is not, technically speaking, a true 4K resolution, which has more horizontal pixels.
UHD offers customers a huge leap in the details they can see on the screen, and is now the most common screen resolution on the market. The higher resolution is particularly noticeable on larger screens. Unlike with Full HD, with UHD screens you’ll lose none of the detail the larger the screen you go.
What sizes do televisions come in?
Screens range from around 24 inches (suitable for a caravan) to around 88 inches (for a large-scale, home-entertainment experience).
Screens range from around 24 inches (suitable for a caravan) to around 88 inches (for a large-scale, home-entertainment experience).
How do I choose the right size?
First, consider the size of the area the television is going into – it should fit the space without completely dominating it.
Second, consider how far away you are going to sit from the screen. As a general rule, the distance between you and the screen should be roughly 1.8 times the size of the television. The idea being that you want approximately 40 per cent of your field of vision to be taken up by the television screen. This allows you to focus on the image without straining your eyes.
So, if you sit around two metres from the screen, then you’d want a 43-inch television.
First, consider the size of the area the television is going into – it should fit the space without completely dominating it.
Second, consider how far away you are going to sit from the screen. As a general rule, the distance between you and the screen should be roughly 1.8 times the size of the television. The idea being that you want approximately 40 per cent of your field of vision to be taken up by the television screen. This allows you to focus on the image without straining your eyes.
So, if you sit around two metres from the screen, then you’d want a 43-inch television.
How do I choose the right television for a family room?
The first question to ask yourself is what type content the family is going to use it for. If you watch a lot of sports, then you’ll want a television with a high refresh rate of 100Hz or more. This means the image on the screen is refreshed 100 times per second, which helps prevent fast-moving objects from appearing smeared or blurred.
If you watch a lot of movies, then you’ll want a television with a high-contrast ratio that supports HDR for the best possible image quality.
You should also consider the room’s features in order to choose the right television. If it’s a very bright room, then you’ll want a television with a bright screen so the image doesn’t appear washed out. If the room is glary, choose a television with a special light-absorption film that reduces screen glare (without affecting image quality).
And don’t forget to check the number and type of connections you need on your television so you can connect all of your devices, such as smart boxes and gaming devices.
The first question to ask yourself is what type content the family is going to use it for. If you watch a lot of sports, then you’ll want a television with a high refresh rate of 100Hz or more. This means the image on the screen is refreshed 100 times per second, which helps prevent fast-moving objects from appearing smeared or blurred.
If you watch a lot of movies, then you’ll want a television with a high-contrast ratio that supports HDR for the best possible image quality.
You should also consider the room’s features in order to choose the right television. If it’s a very bright room, then you’ll want a television with a bright screen so the image doesn’t appear washed out. If the room is glary, choose a television with a special light-absorption film that reduces screen glare (without affecting image quality).
And don’t forget to check the number and type of connections you need on your television so you can connect all of your devices, such as smart boxes and gaming devices.
What about a television for a master bedroom?
The same considerations apply for a television in the bedroom. But it’s a good idea to look for a model with a sleep timer that turns the screen off automatically if you fall asleep.
The same considerations apply for a television in the bedroom. But it’s a good idea to look for a model with a sleep timer that turns the screen off automatically if you fall asleep.
Can you tell me about smart televisions?
A smart TV allows you to connect to the internet to access additional services and content. It can also play media files through a connected home network. This gives you access to far more entertainment than you would have on a normal television.
A smart TV allows you to connect to the internet to access additional services and content. It can also play media files through a connected home network. This gives you access to far more entertainment than you would have on a normal television.
What’s the next big thing in televisions?
The inclusion of digital assistants, such as Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. Having a digital assistant allows you to seamlessly connect your television with other smart devices within your home. You can control all of these via voice command (so no more fumbling with buttons on the remote).
This technology has really started to take off in the marketplace, and it’s already heavily ingrained into most of our mobile phones. It’s only going to get bigger.
The inclusion of digital assistants, such as Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. Having a digital assistant allows you to seamlessly connect your television with other smart devices within your home. You can control all of these via voice command (so no more fumbling with buttons on the remote).
This technology has really started to take off in the marketplace, and it’s already heavily ingrained into most of our mobile phones. It’s only going to get bigger.
Tell us
Is a high-tech television on your wish list? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like or share this story and save the photos. Join the conversation.
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Is a high-tech television on your wish list? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like or share this story and save the photos. Join the conversation.
More
Read more ‘How Do I’ stories