Smart TV Buying Guide: 9 Tips to Check before Shopping a TV

Thoughts overflood when you go TV shopping. There are enormous thoughts that come into our minds before we buy a TV. It turns burdensome to buy the right TV for you as it has an endless range. There are loads of technologies and features that will impress you like no other but it entirely depends on you what you choose. This guide has been summed with expert advice, reviews, and illustrations to build a perfect smart TV buying guide reading what, you can get a precise idea of what things to consider before buying a TV. 

Numberless questions must be arising in your mind starting from choosing between 4K Ultra HD  and 8K, OLED and LED, HDR? And so much more options much be swirling in your head. Now let’s dive into the guide and clear all your popping doubts in no time. Here is a straightforward guide for you to find the right TV for you. 

Firstly let’s have a look at this smart TV buying guide that will help considering some significant features and will have a great impact. They are just brief pointers- 

• First comes the resolution, don’t buy a TV having less than 4K resolution. You can further eschew full HD or 1080p sets. 
• If you are hunting for a budget-friendly TV then don’t go for 8K TVs. They would be unsuitable for your budget structure. Besides this, movies and shows in 8K are not available for now. 
• The best s=blueprint of the cost of the according to its feature would be- $500 includes a TV having 55-inch and 4K, and the second one is $900 for a 65- inch TV. If you are seeking additional things like speakers, superior pictures, and more then you need to pay a little more for these features. 
• In terms of refresh rate 60 Hz is comparatively known to be good, and of course, 120 Hz is better than 60 Hz. You need to look for a TV having 60 Hz or 120 Hz. It fabricates the smooth motion in movies, shows, sports, and even in gaming as well. 
• Go for an HDR-compatible set as it serves realistic and vibrant colors and finer contrast. 
• OLED TVs are indeed better than LCD ones but on the expensive side. However, there are other recommendations as well, that are QLED TVs from the companies- Vizio, Samsung, and TCL offer more on the budget-friendly side. 
• You can go for at least 4 HDMI ports. Specifically, HDMI 2.1 should be preferred. 
• In comparison with TV speakers, the soundbar is recommended for better quality. TV speakers are not compatible with thin screens nowadays. 
• Credit card companies offer purchase protection which needs to eliminate the extended warranties. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Size of the TV screen

No matter what kind of TV you would choose, the aspect of the screen would be significant. You can consider how many members watch the TV and then you can go for selecting the screen. You need to choose the screen size that will fit perfectly into the space and would fit your budget structure. The basic measurement is 55 – 65 inches that fits the best in every situation. The size of the screen also depends upon the fact that how distant from the TV you sit to watch it.  The ideal rule for this is that you need to sit at a distance of x3 of the TV screen in case of an HD. In the case of a 4K Ultra HD it the distance should be x1.5 of the screen. You can sit close to a 4K UHD TV, it could be even x2 times closer. 

However, you can change the distance measurements according to your previous experience, it would be precise as anything. 1080p is more common in general in comparison to 4K, you got to get a high-resolution TV if you would be sitting close to your TV. 

This recommendation is basically for the living room and/ or home theaters. You are free to modify the measurements according to your preferences. You can surely go for a smaller TV in case you are looking for other parts of the house. 

The TV screen should be chosen according to the distance you are planning to keep between you and your TV while watching it. The starting should be from 55 inches, exceptionally if you are in a small apartment comparatively you can go for lesser measurement. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Resolution of the screen

What is resolution? Let’s get this clear first. It is the number of pixels that collectively make the picture that is on the display. It can be defined both vertically and horizontally. If you increase the resolution then you would get a sharper and high-quality picture. So the preference should be the higher resolution. However, it can differ according to your inclination. The standard resolution has been pre-defined to be 1920 x 1080 that is known to be HD. Moreover, companies have been increasing this criterion of the resolution in order to compete and stay firm in the market. Later it developed into Ultra HD sets which are also popular with the term 4K. This demonstrates that it is x4 times more of the standard pixels. More specifically it is 3840 x 2160p. 

The picture gets more clear and details with 4K quality. Compared to an HDTV these picture seems realistic. These TVs are rolling out in the market like no other. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more started offering their content in 4K.  Along with this, Ultra HD Blu-ray discs have become more frequent availability. However, it couldn’t defeat the availability of 1080p. On the other hand, in the competition, DirectTV, Dish Network, and Comcast Xfinity also initiated the serving of 4K movies. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Extended warranty

What is the revenue-generating factor for the big-box electronics stores? It’s the Extended Warranty. The core reason behind this is it’s rarely needed by anyone and the exhibited one is the flat panel LCD set. The segments of HDTV are significantly tough. In regards to the warranty, the manufacturers offer a 1-year warranty. On the other hand, credit companies also provide automatic coverage on purchase, check your provider before considering. 

You save a lot of money by not putting in the extended warranty by contacting your credit card company and acknowledge the price protection policy regarding the purchase.

In 2020, the maximum rollout was of ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, the other name is NextGen TV in the United States. It came up with some exceptional features like better superior quality, smarter features along with internet connectivity. 8K TVs come under the affordable range, exceptionally. 

The Ultra HD: 4K resolution offers the best quality you don’t need to seek anything more. However, if you are dwelling too much on the quality then you can go for the 8K, but this is not the general case. It’s mostly when you want something extraordinary. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : HDR

HDR is a remarkable aspect of the 4K TV. It covers all the things like colors, contrast levels, brightness, etc. This could be known as an upgrade of the 4K resolution and Ultra HD sets. The standard range, in this case, would be the UHD alliance. Most of the companies are relying on this standard criteria in terms of HDR compatibility. The frequent rollouts are HDR10 or Ultra HD premium. 

The most demanding version of HDR is Dolby vision. It has been created by them who got us Dolby noise reduction and surround sound. It has been said that the Dolby vision has led the entire industry in regard to proprietary HDR formats. In no time Dolby’s vision has become the new standard for the companies and now it is mostly available in the premium models of the brands like Sony, LG, TCL, and Vizio. 

If we talk about Samsung then it has introduced its own HDR format and that is HDR10+. It offers an amazing watching experience but it’s not that famous in the market like Dolby vision is. Another drawback is that it doesn’t support Blu-ray players, so it becomes inconvenient at this point. 

You don’t have to go for specifically a set for its HDR support because the ideal standard has not been set yet. You should go for the set that supports Dolby vision as it’s the most demanding and rushing. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Refresh rate

Refresh rate is defined as detailing the number of times per second while a picture gets refreshed on the display. The standard refresh rate that has been set is 60 per second or ^) Hz. In the case of scenes having rapid movement, 60 Hz can make the display a bit blurry on LCD HDTV. In order to rectify and modify this issue, the refresh rate has been transformed to 120 Hz, which is x2 time. There are two techniques for how different models handle this thing, but we don’t need to get into this. There are some latest models having a Higher frame rate- HFR support. This indicates the presence of both a higher refresh rate and additional support for the content having higher than 60 per second. The best results of HFR will be shown during live sports. You should go for this one. Especially for the gamers, a higher refresh rate becomes mandatory. 

If you are looking for the purpose of gaming then 60 HZ is the best you can get but for TV shoppers the criteria shouldn’t go down beyond 120 Hz. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Smart Features

The best features like in-built WiFi-connected services such as Netflix in order to stream movies and shows, running applications, download on-demand videos, gaming, or surfing Facebook need to be present in your perfect TV. Along with some extra features of searching content across streaming services and Live streaming on cable and or satellite. Companies are now focusing on interfaces which are a great and beneficial up-gradation. LG and Vizio now offer a handy icon bar at the bottom of the display. 

Nevertheless not every smart TV works the best and offers some incredible features alongside. If we talk about budget-friendly smart TV then they don’t reveal the platform used while manufacturing it. This will develop some restrictions while experiencing it. The standard feature has now become the smart capability of the TV. So you always go for the features a TV is offering as it’s the base of the TV. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Audio

You can witness poor quality sound even on the most expensive TVs. So it’s the most crucial point while considering a purchase of a TV. Sometimes you don’t have the large space for setting the speakers then you are left with three choices. You can use headphones, purchase a surround sound system, and buy a soundbar. You can get a soundbar for $300 or less, it’s the price range is the reason for the majority of people to buy it. The best soundbars can easily fit underneath the TV itself and not disturbing the display as well. Mostly it comes with a stand or sound boxes to slide it under the set. 

Generally, soundbars have atoms processing and upward-firing speakers that are already built-in that develop real-like sound. If you have a soundbar then you don’t need to stress over anything else in terms of audio. The basic one with 5.1 or 7.1 measurements would work the best for you. 

You don’t have to worry about cable clutter as well. As with the latest generation TVs offer a minimum of one HDMI portal along with an Audio return channel- ARC. While having ARC connection great sound effects are offered by it and for all the devices and no other special receive is necessitated. The soundbar especially enhances the experience of watching movies and sports. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Gaming Features

How can we forget about gaming features? A perfect TV not only includes a great quality picture and audio. It also includes the options of connectivity, gaming features, and entire responsiveness of the TV you are considering purchasing. We have already mentioned the necessity of an HDMI portal whereas, having an HDMI extra portal would allow the user to leave the console connected where it is and switch it for the Blu-ray anytime.  HDMI 2.1 is considered a new mandatory feature for next-gen consoles. You need to look for some basic features like Auto low latency mode- ALLM that swaps to game mode quickly right after console turns on, Variable Refresh Rate- VRR that prospects the screen to the frame by frame result coming from the TV, further synchronize the 2 for shake-free gaming. 

Smart TV Buying Guide : Contrast ratio

What is the contrast ratio? It defines the levels of brightness that are being set on the display. If the contrast is better then it will display more subtle shadows and hues along with the details. However, the way of measuring contrast ratio works differently by different manufacturers. If you want to check the quality of the contrast then obverse watching a dark scene to identify the details more precisely. Try to see all the settings of the brightness, shadows, and contract to see every point of the result it shows, and then make your decision. In the premium LCD TVs, the black scenes will be show glow with a dark gray no matter how black the scene shows, and this is known as elevated black levels. 

When is the best time to buy a Smart TV?

The prices of TVs can be changed a lot over a period of 1 year. You always want to rush on to the latest gadgets when they are launched and are hot off the production for this specifically TVs, but if you have some patience and wait for some time and purchase if after few months it will save a big tip for you.  You can consider these mentioned pointers before purchasing the TV so you can get it at the best possible price. 

• TV sets of the previous year can be bargained

TVs are more likely to replace their models in a long time, unlike headphones or speakers, or any other handy gadget. As these things tend to upgrade periodically. In the case of TVs, the transformations are gradual which means you can surely go for the last year’s TV set. 

In order to understand this in-depth let’s take an example, If we talk about HDR, even after a long period the difference isn’t the massive one. The differences that occur can be adjusted, it’s not a big deal sometimes. As the difference between HDR and SDR is not too much to stress about. 

Besides this fact, there’s always a time when retailers offer discounts on their products, especially gadgets. For these gadgets mainly the time for the discount offer is around a sports tournament as it’s the time for them to advertise on a great scale. The massive day for the discounts is Black Friday its when all the retailers offer discounts on the year’s models to attract customers. In the U.S. it’s a thanksgiving event. 

Another day is Amazon Prime Day when there are amazing offers on the top. You just have your eye on these kinds of days. Along with this, make sure you always check TechRadar for some exciting offers.  

• Super Bowl season

People tend to upgrade their TV sets mostly at the time of Super Bowl season. Retailers are prone to offer some amazing offers at this time, as they know the psychology of the customers. Big-screen TVs are often rolling out in the market during this time. 

The preferable time to considering purchasing a TV is in late January or early February. This time suits the best if you want to save a little money because little is more in needy times. The discount that you can avail of is from 10% to 30 % and above in some cases. The TVs with screens mainly from 49 inch to 65 inch tends to be offered at a more discounted rate. Amazon is a great place order to get these discounts however retailers are also an option. 

• August month

There are chances where you can get some decent deals on TC|V sets in mid to late august. However, the deals could be restricted to small-screen TVs only. So if you are seeking a small size TV then this time is great for you. As retailers tend to focus on the sale of small size TV that can easily fit into small apartments and dorms. It’s the time of back-to-school. You can easily get a 30% discount on these TVs. 

All the necessary tips have been mentioned in the smart TV buying guide. Though you can always mold this smart TV buying guide with the tips according to your preference. The guide is structured for the general customers, in case you want something extra then you can definitely add on that. Here is mentioned some amazing days and time when you can get a decent discount on your TV. Now that you the days don’t miss this opportunity.