In the rapidly expanding world of consumer appliances, going to the store to purchase a TV is never that simple anymore. With advancements in TV technology being made seemingly by the minute, most customers are simply not able to keep up with the information that they need in order to buy a TV.
TV Types and Picture Quality
The current major types of TVs on the market today are LCD TVs, LED TVs, plasma TVs and 4K TVs.
LED TVs are essentially LCD TVs that use LEDs as backlight for the screen, as opposed to fluorescent bulbs. LED TVs, however, are more popular as they require less electricity compared to LCD TVs, and they can be made really thin. The quality of LED TVs has also steadily improved, with choices spanning over a wide range of price points.
Plasma TVs, while previously deemed as the best flat-screen TV technology, are being outsold partly because plasma TVs only come in screen sizes of 42 inches or bigger and partly because numbers of plasma TVs are dwindling as production has stopped for this type of TV.
4K TVs are basically LED TVs that attempt to cram more pixels into the screen for more detailed and sharper images. However, despite the much higher prices of these TV sets, most customers may not see the difference between these TVs and LED TVs.
Extra resolution is great for devices such as smartphones and tablets, as they will be used near your eyes so the extra resolution will be noticed. However, for TVs that will probably be 10 feet away from the customers, the extra resolution is simply unnecessary and unnoticeable.
Lastly, OLED TVs use organic LEDs that translate into the best TV picture quality currently available on the market. However, being the new technology, the major deterrent for these TVs are their currently expensive prices.
TV Size
For TVs, bigger is not always better, as customers should consider where the TV will be placed and how far they will be sitting from it.
As a general guideline, small TVs of sizes 17 inches to 26 inches are best viewed from about 4 feet to 6 feet away, medium TVs of sizes 27 inches to 38 inches are best viewed from about 7 feet to 9 feet away, large TVs of sizes 39 inches to 46 inches are best viewed from about 10 feet to 11 feet away, extra large TVs of sizes 47 inches to 55 inches are best viewed from about 12 feet to 13 feet away, and extra-extra large TVs of sizes bigger than 60 inches are best viewed from at least 14 feet away.
Features
Most TVs being released these days come with an extra set of features to attract customers to purchase the model. However, customers should always keep in mind that these features are only worth it if they will actually be used.
Smart TVs are TVs that can connect to the Internet, and usually have their own set of apps for users to customize and complete their viewing experience. The services that TVs offer vary widely depending on the manufacturer as there is no standard operating system among TVs, so it would be wise to check the available Internet-connected functions first if customers plan to use them.
3D TVs are capable of playing 3D content. However, while the feature is a great party trick, it is not as widespread due to the lack of actual 3D content to be played in 3D TVs. Some manufacturers have even dropped the feature entirely.
Miracast and DLNA technologies allow users to connect their TVs with their portable devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. Miracast allows users to wirelessly "mirror" the content on their portable devices to their TVs, while DLNA allows users to access content stored on DLNA-enabled portable devices through a network connection.
Budget
Of course, the most important factor in the decision of customers regarding which TV to buy is their budget. Thankfully, as technologies continue to develop, the price of TVs featuring these technologies continue to drop as manufacturers compete with one another for customers.
