Buying a new TV is, of course, an exciting business, but with so much on the market, there’s a lot to consider. If you feel a bit lost in the world of HDTV, resolution, HDMI, Hz rates and the huge choice of sizes available, then read on to find out the five key things you need to know when buying a new television.
Screen Size
Quite simply, the bigger the better, but only in the context of your budget and your living room. A huge television in a tiny living room with only one or two household members won’t work. Provided you have a medium to large living room and enough of a budget though, try to aim for at least a 46 inch screen. Use this handy guide to choose the right size for you, based on your seating distance relative to the TV.
Screen resolution
If you can, go for HD 4K screen resolution. This refers to the amount of horizontal lines of pixels that make up the picture, and therefore the quality of what you see. Smaller TVs will ultimately have less, but never go below 720p.
What does HDR mean?
You will only find this on HD 4K TVs, and it stands for High Dynamic Range. If you can afford a television with this feature, then go for it. It means you will experience a greater depth of colours, more brightness and better contrast.
HDMI and other connections
HDMI is the connection you will need for your set top box, a sound bar, a streaming device and a games console, so the more HDMI connections you have, the less changing around of cables you will encounter. Other connections such as USB are also invaluable. Generally speaking, the more connections the TV has, the better, and Worcester TV aerial repair specialist, Steve Unett (http://steveunettaerials.co.uk/services/tv-aerials-repair-installation-worcester/), recommends making sure your new TV has at least four HDMI connections.
Choosing a Hertz (refresh) Rate
All televisions have a Hz rate, which will be listed in the product description as somewhere between 60 and 240. In general terms, the higher the better. This refers to how frequently a page is refreshed every second, ultimately giving you a better picture. Avoid televisions with a Hz rate of less than 120.