Smart TV Buying Guide: Top 5 Things to Consider

Gadgets

January 11, 2022

Are you looking for a new TV, maybe even a smart TV? You might think you can just buy an affordable one with the largest screen possible, right?

On the contrary, the constantly evolving world of televisions might confuse you with the many valuable features and factors they can offer.

Continue reading to discover five essential things you should consider before buying a smart TV!

First Off, What Is Even a Smart TV?

Similar to how mobile phones have transformed into smartphones, smart TVs earn their name due to their access to the Internet and applications.

Essentially, it is a television that can connect to the Internet to play media and services without using an external device like a USB drive, a Blu-ray player, a streaming box or a set-top box.

Some smart TVs support various apps and services, including popular streaming apps like Netflix, Youtube and Amazon Prime Videos. They also come with built-in applications that allow you to surf the Internet and even let you download content.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s jump into the important factors to consider before buying a smart TV!

1. The Differences between LED, OLED and QLED

Of course, the most prominent feature of any television is the screen. There is a variety of TV screen technologies for you to choose from.

Nonetheless, several innovative and advanced screen technologies, such as LED, OLED and QLED, might confuse inexperienced purchasers.

For starters, LED (light-emitting diode) is currently the most extensively used TV screen technology due to its energy-efficient aspect.

Meanwhile, the unrivalled black levels of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) makes it the most expensive type of TV.

On the other hand, QLED (Quantum Dot LED) is a relatively new screen technology that surpasses standard LED screens. However, it does come close to OLED screens in terms of performance.

To make things easier, we’ve laid down the fundamental aspects of these popular screen technology below:

	LED	OLED	QLED
Brightness	Great	Decent	Excellent
Black Level	Great	Excellent	Great
Motion Blur	Decent	Excellent	Great
Colour Gamut	Decent	Decent	Great
Viewing Angle	Poor	Excellent	Poor
Grey Uniformity	Decent	Excellent	Decent
Image Retention	Great	Poor	Great

So, which one do you prefer?

2. 8K, 4K or HD Screen Resolution

Source: Samsung 82″ Q900 8K Smart QLED TV

Resolution indicates the number of pixels it takes to create a picture on a screen. The higher the resolution, the more detailed and sharper the images will be.

Currently, full HD TV is the most prevalent resolution as it was the standard for a while. Nonetheless, manufacturers have recently started to favour Ultra HD (4K) TVs, which feature four times the amount of pixels that HDTVs have.

The most significant advantage of 4K TVs over HDTV is the increased detail of small objects on the visuals that look more vibrant and lifelike.

The last on the list is 8K resolution, which displays triple the resolution of 4K TVs. These advanced televisions provide a major improvement in image clarity, but you might not find much content that can fully utilise its high resolution.

3. Choosing the Screen Size of Your TV

The screen size is crucial to consider even if you’re not shopping for a high-performance TV. Nevertheless, it is often linked with the TV price, so be sure to select based on your budget.

You should determine the size of your TV screen based on the distance between your sofa and the TV. However, a higher-resolution technology may be necessary if you want to sit near a huge screen.

Here’s a tip: try to sit three times away from the height of HD screens and 1.5 times the height of 4K Ultra HD screens. With this tip, you may get twice as close to a 4K television.

4. The Faster the Refresh Rate, the Better

The refresh rate relates to how many times a picture on the screen is updated every second. The standard refresh rate is 60 Hz, though it might cause hazy images in fast-moving scenes.

Some recent models may include the support for High-Frame Rate (HFR). This indicates a faster refresh rate and the ability to display content with frame rates greater than 60 Hz.

A 60Hz TV will benefit gamers, but most TV buyers should avoid buying a TV with a refresh rate lesser than 120 Hz.

5. Ports and HDMI Connections

While browsing for smart TVs, be sure to also pay attention to the number of HDMI inputs a set has. These ports are useful if you want to connect a soundbar, a Chromecast, and a game console, among other things.

More importantly, make sure the 4K Ultra HD TV of your choice supports HDMI 2.0 so you can accommodate future Ultra HD devices. Many TVs only have one connector supporting the HDCP 2.2 4K (high-bandwidth digital content protection) copy-protection scheme.

Final Thoughts

All of this information might be too much to keep in mind. Nevertheless, it’s worth going the extra mile to ensure that your new television can last long.

All in all, we hope that the information we’ve provided can help you choose the perfect smart TV for you!