How to choose a good TV: important features

Buying a TV is a responsible task, since this type of equipment has been used for more than one year. At the same time, new technologies are developing quite rapidly, and what was innovative five years ago is outdated today. Below is how to choose the right TV in 2020 so that it has some “relevance margin”.

Diagonal selection

If you look at the characteristics of TVs, it is easy to notice that, with equal indicators, prices vary greatly. So, a device with a diagonal of 49-50 inches can be bought for 20 thousand rubles, which is extremely cheap. Is it worth chasing big screens because of their affordability? Experts argue that this approach is fundamentally wrong. You need to choose the diagonal of the TV, based on room size. According to the rules, 2.5-3 diagonals should fit from the display to the eyes. If the content at the same time is not of very high quality, then the size should be slightly reduced, for example, take a margin of 3.5 diagonals.

Advice! It is worthwhile to measure in advance the free space where the device will stand — if it is a niche or a special provided place in the furniture, then a large diagonal may simply not fit in it.

Which resolution is better

The resolution of the picture depends on the quality of the signal. It is most correct to choose a TV in 2020 with a resolution of UHD (3840 × 2160), but provided that the diagonal is more than 40 inches. If the TV is smaller than this diagonal, then the picture in UHD resolution cannot be distinguished from FHD (1920 * 1080), for example, on 32 inches it is physically impossible.

Advice! For a TV with a diagonal of 24 inches or less, it makes sense to choose screens with HD (1280 * 720), but if such a device is used as a PC monitor, then it is still better to buy FHD.

2019 was marked by the appearance TVs 8K (7680×4320). The purchase of such devices is not yet advisable, since they are very expensive, and suitable content will not appear in sufficient quantities for another 5 years. The choice will be much larger. A similar picture was observed with 4K, which in 2020 is not fully represented by providers.

Summarizing the above, the dependence of the diagonal and screen resolution is as follows:

• up to 28 inches — HD;
• 32 to 40 inches — FHD;
• from 43 inches — UHD (4K TVs);
• from 65 inches — 8K (in a few years).

Types of matrices and illumination

The choice of a TV cannot bypass the type of matrix. Modern devices use LED, OLED and QLED matrices. All of them are based on LEDs, but with a number of differences in their use.

LED

LED screens are devices of the budget and middle segment, while they can be divided into IPS and TN. The second type of matrices in TVs is used extremely rarely. The picture turns out to be quite pale, and the viewing angles here leave much to be desired. However, such matrices are better in terms of response time, so their use is advisable in PC monitors. IPS TVs have LEDs that are parallel to the plane of the screen and shine to the sides. Thanks to this, viewing angles are maximum, fairly good color reproduction and brightness.

QLED

These are TVs that use organic LEDs. They emit a monochromatic glow, which conveys colors more efficiently than white backlighting (for LED TV). In addition, an additional color of the LEDs is used here.

Important! This type of matrix is ​​thinner, consumes less electricity, lasts longer (than OLED), reproduces colors better and has a wider dynamic range.

QLED is brainchild of the company Samsung, however, LG’s direct competitor began to produce its own version of devices based on these matrices called NanoCell. Sony (Triluminos) and Hisense (ULED) also have similar developments. TVs with QLED matrices are found in the middle / expensive segment and are superior to LED TVs in all respects.

OLED

Another matrix using organic light emitting diodes. At the moment, it is considered the most perfect in terms of picture and, in particular, the transmission of black. Unlike the matrices listed above, here the black color is formed not by backlighting, but by turning off the LED. In addition, these matrices differ high brightness and contrast. These TVs have fast response and maximum viewing angles.

There were some disadvantages — high price, shorter service life compared to QLED matrices, sensitivity to moisture and heat (there should not be any heat sources near the OLED TV).

Important! It is worth knowing that OLED technology, due to its high cost, is not used in small TVs, and devices with it start from 55 inches.

What is better to choose

If budget TVs are considered, then there is no particular choice here — IPS matrices. In the middle segment, it makes sense to choose QLED, and in the expensive OLED, but you can also stop at QLED TV, provided there are advantages in other criteria.

Another important difference between TVs is backlight type. There are two types:

• Direct — illumination over the entire surface;
• Edge — lighting around the perimeter.

Both types have good characteristics, but Direct provides a uniform fill (especially important when viewing at night), while the matrix is ​​thicker. Edge matrices are thinner, power consumption is lower, and the technology itself is cheaper, but at the same time, in the dark, there may be light on a black background.

Advice! The opinion of experts says that the Edge matrix should be chosen only if the thickness of the screen is crucial. If this is not important, then it is better to buy Direct.

Sweep frequency

The refresh or sweep rate refers to the number of times a picture is updated per minute. It is measured in hertz, and the higher it is, the smoother the image will be. For a good TV, this figure is 60 Hz if the device is be used as a screen for the consolethen you should look for 120 Hz and higher.

Smart TV

Many users have heard about smart TV, devices with the ability to access the Internet, but have not decided whether they need this function. Modern TVs with Internet access are affordable, while the user will be able to watch movies or videos over the network, read the news and even play games. It makes sense to buy a TV without the Internet only if it will be used where access to the network is not provided in principle, for example, in the country.

Smart TV devices are based on several types of operating systems.

1. webOS. It is used in LG TV and is the development of this brand, it has a pleasant and understandable interface, as well as excellent optimization. There is a minus — there are few applications.
2. Tyzen — a system from Samsung, used in TVs and other devices of the brand. It is similar in many ways to LG, has the same pros and cons, but the main difference is that it can work in the Samsung smart home system.
3. Android. TVs on Android in many ways resemble smartphones with this operating system, but with the difference that the OS has been adapted for large screens and control features. In terms of responsiveness and speed, it loses to competitors, but wins in the number of applications of a very different nature, including games. This OS is used by all manufacturers except Samsung and LG, but the firmware depends on the brand, which means that it does not work equally well everywhere. The best Android TVs are Sony, Philips, TCL.

What interfaces are needed

In the modern world, all manufacturers gravitate towards minimalism, which leads not only to a reduction in the thickness of the case, but also in the number and type of interfaces.

A good TV must have such connectors.

1. HDMI. The only wired interface capable of transmitting UHD, that is, necessary for a 4K TV. At the same time, there is a difference in generations: 2.0 is designed for 4K 60 Hz, 2.1 for 4K 120 Hz, 1.4 transmits only FHD.
2. USB necessary to connect external drives or a mouse with a keyboard, which make it easier to use a smart TV.
3. ethernet serves to connect the boarding school with a wire. Relevant if the wireless network is unstable.
4. Optical audio output. Even on 2020 TVs, the native sound is very mediocre, so many people connect external speakers, and only through this connector can you achieve better sound quality.

Important! In a high-quality modern TV, a Bluetooth module will not be superfluous — this will allow you to connect wireless headphones or a soundbar, as well as Wi-Fi (if the TV is smart). In this case, the latter should ideally work in two ranges.

Sound quality

It was mentioned above that TVs with good sound are very rare. Basically, this is an expensive segment and devices from 49 inches, where, due to the size of the case, you can install more powerful speakers and even a subwoofer. It is worth noting that the problem with sound rather comes down to low volume, although sometimes come across disgusting speakers in general. It makes no sense to look at the number of speakers and their power, but when buying, it is recommended to check the sound at a volume above average and make sure that there are no extraneous noises.

Availability of tuners

The signal source can be a terrestrial antenna, satellite dish or Internet TV. Each type requires signal conversion, which is possible in two ways — through an external receiver or using built-in tuner. The second option is obviously more convenient, since you don’t need to clutter up the space with additional equipment, and you don’t need to buy it, which means it saves money.

Advice! It is better to choose a TV with DVB-T2/С2/S2 tuners. This will free you from having to buy external tuners in the future.

Useful Options

Many TVs have additional features, some of which are completely unnecessary, while others will be useful. Useful options include the following.

1. Functional media player. The more formats it reads, the easier it will be to watch content from a flash drive.
2. HDR, Dolby Vision— technologies in UHD TV to improve the picture.
3. Game Mode. The TV automatically sets the settings that are most suitable for games through the console.
4. TimeShift — the ability to pause the broadcast and continue watching from the same place.
5. Miracast, WiDi, DLNA. Thanks to these options, you can broadcast content wirelessly to your TV screen from mobile devices or PCs.
6. PVR allows you to record broadcasts on USB drives.
7. DolbyAtmos — a technology due to which the audio signal is converted without any loss.
8. Voice control on smart TV allows you not to enter requests in text, but simply speak into the microphone on the remote control.

Important! Useless options include 3D and a curved screen.

Top Brands

When choosing a TV for home, the user wants to buy a device of good quality, but not overpay for it. The natural question is what are the best TV brands on the market today. Three brands have earned the trust of customers: LG, Samsung and Sony. The first two companies are cheaper compared to the Japanese competitor, but their assembly is in Russia, while Sony manufactures its equipment in Malaysia and Europe, which is considered much better. In addition, Sony offers the best TVs in terms of natural color reproduction.

Among the brands that are not among the leaders, but deserve attention are TCL, Toshiba, Philips, Hisense, Xiaomi, Haier. The first three companies have been on the market for a long time and are worth buying if you want to choose high-quality TV, but do not overpay. Chinese TVs from the last three brands on the market recently. At the same time, they offer excellent parameters for little money and often have an extended warranty.

Important! Visually, Chinese devices lose to competitors (there are flaws in build quality). Often they have raw firmware in SmartTV software. If Internet access is a priority, it is better to refuse such a purchase.

In general, today Chinese TVs turn out to be quite good, but they may have flaws. Therefore, when buying them, you should not look only at the parameters and believe the low price, but first evaluate the quality of the image, sound, try how convenient the interface and smart features are.