How to buy a TV in 2. Buying a new television is an overwhelming experience. Prices vary widely for TVs of the same size. TV manufacturers and salespeople use extra features, alien- sounding technologies and hyperbolic claims about picture quality to get you to spend more. And as usual the Internet is a morass of conflicting facts, opinions and unexplained jargon. I strive to fill it with just enough easy- to- understand information to help you select a new television. It won't answer every question, and when you read it, it won't tell you . But I hope it can provide you with the basic tools you need to feel confident when you buy that new set. Cut to the chase: Which TV should I buy? If you just want to skip all the details and buy a great television, I have three go- to choices: For more choices, check out our constantly updated lists of the best TVs. Looking for more detailed advice on buying TVs in 2. Read on. Three rules for buying a TV 1. Ignore (most of) the specifications As a rule of thumb, the main purpose of a TV's specification sheet is to bombard you with confusing terms and numbers in an attempt to get you to . Just about the only worthwhile numbers are found under Inputs and Weight/Dimensions. Refresh rate (6. 0Hz, 1. APA, Harvard, Chicago, and 7,000 additional formats; No advertisements! Unlimited cloud backup of all your citations. Hz, 2. 40. Hz, etc.) is complex and ultimately subjective (when it's not inflated on a 4. K TV). Seemingly related numbers like . Viewing angles for LCD and LED- backlit LCD TVs are made- up, and LED does not mean a better picture, whether or not it it's augmented by Quantum Dots or Triluminos. The sheet can help when trying to differentiate a TV based on features, such as whether it has Smart TV capability or a fancy remote, but it's useless at best and outright misleading at worst when used as a tool for divining picture quality. Bigger really is better I recommend a size of at least 4. Use StatCounter to monitor actual human activity in real-time; StatCounter can be used 100% free of charge - no credit card required; Straightforward install process. SuperTracker can help you plan, analyze, and track your diet and physical activity. Find out what and how much to eat; track foods, physical activities, and weight. TV and at least 5. TV - - and 6. 5 inches or larger is best. If you're replacing an existing TV set, those sizes might seem too big but trust me, a big TV is a wonderful thing. One of the most common post- TV- purchase complaints I've heard is from people who didn't go big enough. If you want to fit an existing entertainment center, make sure you have at least an inch on the sides and top of the TV cavity to allow for ventilation. Or just junk that old furniture and get a bigger TV. K and HDR are worth considering If you've been TV shopping in the last year, you've probably been faced with the decision . That sounds like a big improvement, but in reality it's very difficult to tell the difference in sharpness between a 4. K TV and a good old- fashioned HDTV. Simply put, those pixels are too small to provide a discernible benefit unless you sit very close to a very big TV. Even then, you'll need to be watching actual 4. K content (TV shows, movies or games) to get any benefit. Vizio, TCL and even Samsung offer 6. K TVs for around $1,0. These days many TVs - - especially the big ones - - have 4. K resolution, and 1. Most 4. K Blu- ray discs also have HDR. HDR delivers better contrast and color, so unlike 4. K, chances are you'll actually be able to see an improvement compared with normal HDTV. How big of an improvement (if any) depends on the TV, however, and just like with 4. K, you'll need to be watching actual HDR content. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon offer both, but only with a handful of titles. You can also invest in a 4. K Blu- ray player (like the Samsung UBD- K8. Xbox One S), which also do HDR, and discs to play on it. Actual 4. K TV channels are still nonexistent in the United States, however, as are HDR broadcasts. No matter whether they're showing a normal HDTV show or a 4. K HDR Blu- ray disc , almost all of the best TVs are 4. K TVs with HDR. If you're shopping for a bigger TV or a high- end TV, you'll probably end up with a 4. K one anyway, and chances are it'll do HDR too. On the other hand if you're looking to save money, a good 1. TVs is still your best bet - - and it won't go obsolete anytime soon. It's still consistently the No. TV shoppers cite as important to their buying decision. If you don't place as high a priority on PQ, you'll get the best value by simply sorting a list of TVs by price and the screen size you want, choosing the cheapest from a brand you trust, and calling it a day. Or at least skip to the next section of this guide. It's dependent on numerous factors, including source quality, room lighting, and picture settings, that can affect the . Even after these controls, and calibrating all of the TVs to a standard, we observe considerable differences in quality from model to model - - I definitely disagree with the sentiment that . But they're still quite expensive, so now that plasma is dead nearly every TV uses LED LCD technology. LED LCD TVs with local dimming often outperform those without. LED LCD TVs with full- array LED backlights often outperform ones with edge- lit LED backlights. The ability to produce a deep shade of black - - which translates into high contrast - - is the most important ingredient in a good picture. Color saturation, which is directly influenced by contrast/black level, is second- most important, followed by color accuracy. In a bright room, matte screens are the best overall at reducing reflections. The best glossy screens preserve black levels well. Less important factors include resolution, color gamut, video processing, maximum light output and display resolution (4. K vs. 1. 08. 0p). Many people don't realize they're watching the Soap Opera Effect and might like their TV's picture quality better if they turned it off. Poor picture settings on a good TV will usually look worse than calibrated picture settings on a crappy TV. Many LED LCDs have excellent uniformity, models with local dimming can look worse than those without, wildly inaccurate color can look worse even if its saturation is correct, and a TV with deep black levels can still perform worse overall than one with brighter blacks. Hopefully you can also get the chance to see a good TV in person along with someone who can explain why it's good. Further reading: Best TVs for picture quality, regardless of price. Extras beyond picture quality On one level, I don't consider any of these extras necessary or even all that important. On the other hand, they're often found on TVs that have better picture quality and cost more money (funny how that works, isn't it?), so it's worthwhile to know about them anyway. Smart TV Since you can connect an inexpensive HDMI stick or box to make any TV . That's why I want my dumb TV (or failing that, a Roku TV). Even so, your next TV will likely have Smart apps whether you use them or not. The curve detracted more than it added to picture quality, and in the end seemed like more of an aesthetic choice than anything else. No matter what, I don't think it's worth the extra money. This year Samsung, the world's No. TV brand, dropped 3. D support entirely, joining Vizio and most TVs from other brands. Higher- end LG and Sony sets still offer it for fans who care, but that's it. It's nice when it can command other gear directly (especially cool is Samsung's new system) and I prefer TVs to include medium- size remotes with well- differentiated, backlit buttons. Fancy remotes with touchpads and gesture controls are nice, but a good universal model will almost always work better, consigning your included remote, no matter how fancy, to ignominy in a drawer. Just count the number of devices you'll want to connect, and make sure your TV has at least that many HDMI ports (or one or two extra if you'll be expanding). USB inputs and/or an SD card slot are nice for displaying photos, too. You only need to worry about the analog ports if you have an older device to connect; the Nintendo Wii is the classic HDMI- free offender. That's why TV makers have concentrated on making their sets thinner and less intrusive. The best examples have frames so thin they look like almost all picture, and when seen from the side or hung on a wall, the thin cabinets almost disappear. Unfortunately, thin LED- backlit LCDs can also introduce uniformity problems in my experience. I don't test TVs over the long term, but from what I know all of the major brands are more or less equally reliable. Some brands do perform more consistently better than others in my tests, or deliver remotes, smart TV systems or designs I prefer over competitors, but these can change on a fairly regular basis. Another way to answer that question is to check out my current list of best TVs. What's the best TV for gaming? I believe the best TVs for watching pretty much anything are the TVs with the best black level, color and other standard performance characteristics (not to mention the biggest screen). Should I buy a calibration? That said, simply selecting the . If you want to go further, check out my picture settings database and FAQ along with the articles HDTV settings explained and what is HDTV calibration? DIY- ers can check out try one of these Blu- ray setup discs for your HDTV or even try a calibration by eye. What accessories should I buy? If you don't have a universal remote already, you should get one. Our list of best home video and best home audio gear has other good suggestions. How long will my new TV last? They'll be missed. OK, so what about front- projection? And yes, your TV is too tiny. Which HDR format is better, HDR1. Dolby Vision? Here's a primer on the HDR format war. Seriously, what about SUHD, Super UHD, Triluminos, Quantum Dots, UHD Alliance Premium Certified and so on? Remember when I told you to ignore the spec sheet? Alrighty then. Where can I find the latest TV reviews? Right here. Thanks for reading, see ya soon!
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