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- Overview
- Screen
- Placement
- Display
- Sound
Buying Guide: Televisions
Buying a Television can be a daunting task with all the confusing terminology and technical specifications. Purchasing it involves consideration of many aspects such as screen type, screen size, resolution, color, connectivity and more. Our buying guide will help you figure out and evaluate such factors.
A lot of display technologies are involved in bringing out a good quality display. A look into the types of displays,
The most popular choice in market, LED (light-emitting diode) TVs deliver an excellent picture quality and work great in almost all lighting conditions. They are most favourable for well-lit rooms. They have thin profiles and lightweight. The back lit LEDs are expensive as compared to the edge lit LEDs.
They consume a moderate amount of battery power and are cheaper than other display technologies available.
Based on CCFL technology, LCD TVs are a good option for those who are on a budget and want a good picture quality. They perform best in well-lit rooms. But with LEDs getting cheaper, they will be making a major exit from markets soon.
Plasma display panels (PDPs) produce a grand picture quality with vibrant colors and deep blacks. They are best suited for low-lit and dark rooms. Also, they are bulky in weight. However with the increase in quality standards of LEDs, there are only a few Plasma TVs available in market today.
If you want to lay your hands on the latest technology, say hello to OLED! OLED (Organic light emitting diode) offer an exceptional quality in contrast, color accuracy, wide viewing angles and of course, picture quality. They have the thinnest and lightest panels. They also consume less energy than LED. But they are exorbitantly priced.
Curved screens were made with the intention of offering a more immersive experience. However they have more disadvantages than advantages. To sum up in a few words, the slightly curved edges reduce side-viewing angles and also distort image quality.
TELEVISION SCREEN SIZES
The most important factor when choosing a TV is to look for its screen size. Size of a TV screen will purely depend on your needs. The number of people who will watch, the size of the room and the place where you will fit the TV play a major role in making your decision.
It is recommended to always go for a TV with a bigger screen size that perfectly fits your budget. Take a look at the table on the left to have a clear idea on the ideal screen size for the TV you are looking to purchase.
Place Tv on Stand or Mount it on wall ?
This is a frequently asked question. Here’s how you decide which way is better for you.
A TV is best placed on a stand if there are more accessories that you would be attaching to it. Devices like sound bars, blu ray speakers and DVD players take up more space and it is safe to keep the TV on a stand so that you can connect more devices to it.
If there are no accessories to add additionally to your TV, then a mounted model would do. Test the strength of the holders before mounting the TV to the wall.
How far too sit ?
Calculating the ideal viewing distance for your TV is crucial. If you sit too far from it, you won’t be able to view the details clearly. If you sit too close to it, the details will look blurred. Here’s how to calculate the distance:
To know the minimum viewing distance, multiply the size of your screen by 1.5. So for a 50” TV, it comes to 75”. To find out the maximum viewing distance, just double the maximum viewing distance. So for a 50” TV, it comes to 150”.
Go for the biggest screen size as per your budget. Since TV is a long term purchase, don’t feel bad about increasing your budget to get your desired screen size.
DISPLAY RESOLUTION
4K Ultra HD (2160p)
They offer the best resolution and deliver wonderfully sharp and clear images. They are best for you if you want to sit closer to your TV. However the lack of 4K content today might make you skip it.
4K Ultra HD can be your ideal choice if you would be buying a TV with a screen size above 55”.
Full HD (1080p)
The most common high display television resolution, Full HD allows you to view full HD content and Blu-ray movies with high level of accurate details.
Full HD is ideal for TV screen sizes from 40” to 55”.
HD(720p)
720p resolution is ideal for TVs that have a small screen size. They offer a decent quality HD picture for DVD movies and TV shows
HD is ideal for TV screen sizes that are smaller than 40”.
Smart Tv
There are some Smart TVs which can connect to internet to let you access online services like Facebook, Youtube, Netflix, etc. Then there are some which can connect to your laptop and mobiles and mirror the screen to play content on your devices. A few ones also support call and messaging apps. They usually come equipped with a camera.You can stream your favourite movies or TV shows provided you have access to internet or an Ethernet cable.
3D Tv
With a 3D TV, you can watch 3D content at home itself! That includes 3D video games, 3D TV programming and 3D Blu-ray movies too. It’s a bonus feature on many quality HD TVs today. Specialized 3D glasses are required to view this type of content.Although 3D content is limited today (mostly to movies and games), it’s going to rise at a quick speed in the future.If you owe gaming devices such as Xbox, PS4, PS3, etc.; a Smart TV can enhance your experience. The addition of 3D feature will create an immersive experience for you
SOUND
Sound Bar
Sound bars are the most popular as they can be installed within minutes due to their thinness. They are long bar shaped speakers and require a little space on your TV stand. They can even be mounted on wall due to their light-weight nature.
- Sound bars take less space and ideal for people who want to increase the sound quality by another level. Inclusion of a sub-woofer within them can enhance the audio quality.
Sound Stage
Immerse yourself in a better audio experience with a soundstage. Most of them also include a subwoofer which enhances the bass to deliver a beautiful depth of sound.
Soundstage also takes less space and looks ideal with smaller screens. They are better than sound bars as they combine all speakers in one system.
Home Cinema System
Do you want the ultimate audio experience? Go for a home cinema system which has both front and rear speakers to give you a superior sound experience.
Home cinema systems are ideal for those who want a superior audio quality and don’t have space issue.
HDMI
Known as the most superior connection, High Definition Multimedia Interface is considered as the best one in connectivity. It transfers HD quality videos and multichannel audio quickly and easily. A single HDMI cable is equal to multiple older cables, thus simplify your life! They usually also have 3D support for immersive movies and gaming. In case you have many entertainment devices like gaming consoles and DVD players,ensure that you have at least two HDMI slots.
USB
With a USB port, you can connect your TV with a host of various devices such as pen drives, hard drives, digital cameras and even internet dongles. Don’t forget to check the file format supported by your TV.
VGA
VGA is the oldest technology and almost obsolete. It can only be used to connect a TV to a laptop.
Optical
It can be used to connect devices such as CD/DVD players, gaming consoles and computers. Optical is okay if you want to connect to only audio. Anything more than that, get a HDMI for better quality.
Ethernet
With an Ethernet cable, you can connect to your home’s broadband network. You can stream music and videos .
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi in a TV comes as a built-in wireless adapter. This allows the TV to get connected to a high-speed internet connection to stream movies and music. Users can also get access to a variety of applications including Facebook and Skype.
NFC
NFC (Near Field Connectivity) enables you to connect a mobile device with your NFC-enabled TV. Transferring and sharing content becomes easy using this form of connectivity.
