1. Size matters

Both the size available in the furniture or in the area where the television is going to be placed, and the size of the room are points to take into account. It is equally important that the TV fits into the space available for it and that the size is appropriate for the distance at which we usually watch it.

The television should in no case fit right into the furniture, it must have as much free space around it as in the back to prevent it from overheating and ultimately so that its useful life is longer. 2 or 3 cm around the perimeter and 4 or 5 cm around the back will be more than enough.

How would you know if you would enter that space? To get straight to the point and not deal with boring theory, it will be enough to perform the following calculations:

• Height = 1.245 x inches
• Width = 2.21375 x inches

It should be noted that these measurements are from the useful television screen, it is necessary to add the frame, which depending on the model we choose will be larger or smaller, generally it will be a few centimeters; and the base or support, which normally raises the TV between 5 and 10 cm.

To make the conversion easier for you, below you have a table with the most common television sizes and the size of their screen.

The table also includes a column with the inches of the television in cm. And how do you measure the inches of a TV screen? Very easy, just measure the diagonal in cm and divide the result by 2.54; which is the equivalence to go from centimeters to inches. And to go from inches to centimeters, you must multiply the number of inches x 2.54. In some cases it may also be interesting to know this measurement.

Until now you have seen how to calculate the size of the television based on the space available in the furniture, but is this enough? The answer is no. Another very important point when choosing the size is the distance at which we are going to see it. As a general rule:

• Full HD (1080p): Every 0.5m distance is equivalent to 10”
• Ultra Full HD (4k): Simply multiply the previous factor by 0.60

As an example, a 40” television will have to be placed:

• In Full HD from 2m away
• And in 4k at 1.2 m

As you can see, the higher the screen resolution, the closer you can see a television of the same size. Why do I only include Full HD and 4k? We will see this point in the resolution section.

2. Screen resolution

The resolution of the screen is a fundamental point, so not just any one will do, you have to choose it based on the use you are going to give it and your tastes as a consumer.

The types of screen resolution that we can find are the following:

• HD (720p): The resolution is 1,280 x 720 pixels. Although it is true that they are no longer manufactured, you can always find a discontinued product for sale in a store.

• Full HD (1080p): The resolution is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It is the minimum resolution that you should look for, why? Well, because the minimum that is done today is to watch DTT, the majority of channels are broadcast in 720p or 1,080p and over time this broadcast resolution will increase. In fact, the main television networks already have their channels in HD, which are broadcast at 1,080p.

• Ultra Full HD (4k): The resolution is 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. Although it is true that DTT does not yet broadcast in this resolution as I mentioned in the previous point, this broadcast resolution is going to increase, it is true that for DTT to broadcast in 4k there are still a few years left. Would it be a waste of money to buy a TV with 4k before Full HD? It depends, what use do you have for it? Do you usually use Netflix, YouTube, play video games, do you have a camcorder that records in 4k and do you like to watch your videos on television? Then 4k is undoubtedly for you. And even if you didn’t give it any of these uses, a television is something that is not changed after a year or two like a mobile phone, having something better than necessary thinking about tomorrow is not a bad option either.

• 8k: The resolution is 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. Currently all manufacturers have some model in this resolution, although it is also true that they are for sizes larger than 55”.

• • Is it really worth buying an 8k television in 2020? From my point of view no, although it is true that there is already a film camera that records in 8k, in fact, at the end of 2018 Canon held an event in Japan in which it presented a prototype of a camera that recorded in this resolution and whose projection in this resolution was only projected in the country of Japan.

• • The video is on YouTube, but the maximum viewing resolution is in 4k, why? Well, because YouTube is only available in 4k at the moment, later there will be a version of YouTube in 8k, but for that we still have to wait. Without a doubt, 8k is the future, but we still have to wait to be able to enjoy it in our homes.

Now that you know the types of screen resolutions there are, I’m going to talk to you a little about pixels . To summarize a lot and to make it very easy to understand, pixels are the little squares into which television screens are divided and that project the image.

If you were too close you could see these little squares, so it is important to choose the correct size. And that is why it is recommended that the larger the television, the higher the screen resolution. Because, for example, in Full HD resolution (1,080p) the number of pixels is the same in a 32″ television as in a 75″ television and therefore the larger the TV, the larger these pixels will be and the easier it will be to appreciate them. if we are not at an adequate distance.

This is why, the higher the resolution, the closer you can be to the TV, because the screen is divided into more squares and the more difficult they are to see.

3. Screen types

LCD or LED?

To tell the truth, all LED screens are LCD , except for OLED ones.

In principle, an LCD screen or Liquid Crystal Display (in English Liquid Crystal Display) is characterized because the screen does not emit light itself, but includes a rear layer that illuminates it. Therefore, these screens are known as backlit. Initially they were backlit by cold cathode fluorescent lamps. Nowadays, LCD screens are backlit using LED lights, hence their name.

If we talk about power consumption, they are more efficient and there are several backlight systems that are full array or edge.

Full array lighting

Thanks to LEDs distributed in rows across the entire surface of the screen, it is backlit. Thus, you can enjoy homogeneous lighting.

Edge lighting

It is done through LEDs distributed along the edges of the screen and they can be above and below, to the left and right or on all four edges. The light is distributed through light diffusers. The disadvantage is that the blacks are not as deep and the perimeter area of ​​the screen is brighter than the central area.

Another disadvantage is that, being backlit, LCD/LED screens will never offer pure black, since the light does not come directly from the pixel, so this area will always be illuminated.

QLED

Used by Samsung and is an improvement on LED screens. They work in a similar way, they are also backlit, only they use quantum dots that optimize performance, image quality and brightness. These quantum dots serve as filters for the light that the screen receives.

OLED

Organic Light-Emitting Diode or organic light-emitting diode. There is a technological change here. OLED screens are not backlit; each pixel emits light independently. Thus, the contrast is higher and the blacks are purer. This is because, to produce this tone, the pixel is turned off and has no light source behind it.

4. Curved or flat screen?

This is a very personal point, but what really needs to be taken into account in this section is whether the TV is going to be viewed from the front or not. If seen from the front, the viewing experience will be greater than a flat TV because it offers greater depth in the images, in other words, the images seem more real, it would be the closest thing to having a home theater in the than enjoying your favorite movie or series. To get the best experience with your curved television, it is essential that the screen is quality and if the resolution is 4k, much better.

And what happens if I don’t see it from the front? Well, as you increase the viewing angle, definition is lost and the colors become saturated, which worsens the quality of the image. Up to an angle of 30/40º the experience will continue to be good. From there, I would recommend a screen flat.

5. Smart TV?

Like other points in this guide, this one also depends on your preferences. While it is true, the new models already point to this technology. They have the benefits of the traditional television and the connectivity that reigns today, which is why it seems a good idea to get a smart television before a conventional television.

If you are one of those who spend part of your television hours on platforms such as HBO, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube; You definitely need a Smart TV.

Now, if you are a user like my grandparents, who use television to watch the news and the television program that they like and do not use, you do not understand or do not want to know anything about this type of platforms that I mentioned before. It is best that you opt for a conventional TV, that is, without Smart TV.

The main advantages of this are:

• You will not have to update the television’s operating system and logically wait for it to update.
• The waiting times for interaction with the television menus will be shorter, even when entering the channel guide (this also depends on the television model you choose).
• You will not have unnecessary buttons on the controller that you can accidentally activate.
• And why not say it, your television will be cheaper.

6. Number of bits

Color depth or bit depth is the number of bits of information a pixel needs to represent color. Bits are nothing more than a binary numbering system. Thus, if a panel has “x” bits, it will be able to display 2 ^x different colors. As each pixel has 3 RGB subpixels with the primary colors (red, green and blue), they can represent 2 ^x shades of red, green and blue. When combined, a single pixel can display millions of different colors.

Currently there are 3 different types of panels with respect to the number of bits:

• 8 bits
• 8 bits + FRC
• 10 bits

Difference between 8 bits and 10 bits?

As we said, the difference is in the number of colors that each pixel is capable of representing:

• In the case of 8 bits: 2 ⁸ = 256 shades of red, 256 shades of green and 256 shades of blue. By combining them we obtain: 256 ³ = 16,777,216 different colors that each pixel represents.
• In the case of 10 bits: 2 ¹⁰ = 1024 shades of red, 1024 shades of green and 1024 shades of blue. By combining them we obtain: 1024 ³ = 1,073,741,824 different colors that each pixel represents.

This is equivalent to a 10-bit panel representing 64 times more colors per pixel than an 8-bit panel, making color transitions much smoother between colors and making the image more realistic.

And what about 8-bit + FRC panels?

It is an 8-bit panel that, through algorithms and calculations, can create more colors per pixel, which would be similar to a 10-bit panel. Currently, many low/mid-range 4k televisions use this system to offer a better user experience at a lower cost.

7. HDR and Dolby Vision standard

HDR

In English High Dynamic Range or High Dynamic Range. The television can reproduce images with greater realism, since it offers more color contrast and blacks and whites acquire greater depth. The brightness of colors is measured in nits. The more nits the TV has, the greater contrast it will offer and the more real the image will appear. Currently, the maximum nit value offered by HDR is 4,000 nits, just like Dolby Vision (although it is prepared to offer up to 10,000 nits).

Mainly there are HDR 10 and HDR10+

• HDR10: Its main characteristics are that it reaches a maximum of 1,000 nits of brightness and a color depth of 10 bits and that it is an open source standard, this means that any manufacturer can include it in their televisions without any type of license. That’s why it is the most common.
• HDR10+: Its main feature is that it incorporates dynamic metadata, the metadata is responsible for transmitting the information at the brightness level of the content we are watching. While in HDR10 they were static, in HDR10+ being dynamic, the brightness adapts as the images are reproduced, which is equivalent to the realism of the images being greater than HDR10, with HDR10+ offering up to 4,000 brightness nits .

Of course, content can be seen in HDR10+, if it was recorded to be played with this standard.

This standard is paid, which is why it is less used.

We have talked about HDR10 and HDR10+. Does this mean that if the HDR logo appears when you buy a television, the television panel is 10 bits? Well no, mid-ranges with HDR usually have an 8-bit + FRC panel. Because? Well, because the television has an HDR distinction it is because it has greater color contrast compared to a television that does not have it.

Dolby Vision

It’s a paid standard, so some TVs include it, but others don’t. This variant makes the former more expensive. Its main characteristics are that it can reach up to 10,000 nits of brightness and a color depth of 12 bits. Currently, only up to 10 bits and 4,000 nits are mastered, which means that a television with this standard does not develop its full potential. However, in the future I would be able to reproduce it. It also has dynamic metadata.

A TV with Dolby Vision usually includes HDR. As the latter is open source, it makes the television more complete, since it can play more content and with better quality.

Below, we present a summary table with the 3 standards and their main characteristics, so that you can see this information more clearly:

8. What about 3D?

Without a doubt, we do not recommend it, years ago it was thought that the future would go along these lines, but now the reality is that the future of televisions points in another direction, to the point that they have stopped being manufactured, although it is true that they still You can buy some televisions with this technology, they are surplus from previous models.

9. Sound

The trend in television design makes them increasingly thinner, which in terms of the space they occupy and aesthetically is an advantage, but in terms of sound it is not so much. And the answer is simple, there is less and less space for the sound of televisions. This reduction in sound space is a disadvantage in a low-end television, in which a good option may be to purchase a good sound system. In the mid/high ranges, in general, the sound is much better.

10. Hertz

They are the refresh rate that the television has, in other words, the number of images it is capable of reproducing per second. The more the better, this will allow quick images to look much smoother and sharper and not half blurry. The problem is that each brand alters these hertz through software, resulting in what are called non-real hertz, which is why we can see televisions with the chilling figure of 800 Hz. We should not obsess over this figure. Broadly speaking, it is normal for televisions to be 60 Hz and if we talk about high ranges we would be talking about 120 Hz; from this figure are not real Hz.

Of course, comparing different television brands by their Hz is not a good idea, because you don’t know how many of them are real and which are not.

11. Connections

This is a very personal point, since depending on the use you give to the television, you will need more of some than others. But things change and more and more electronic devices have to be connected together, our minimum recommendation would be:

• 2 HDMI 2.0, if they are 2.1 better
• 2 USB 2.0, if one or both are 3.0 better
• Gigabit Ethernet connection (especially in 4k)
• Bluetooth 4.2 connection, if it is 5.0 better (it can be very useful to connect different accessories to the television: keyboard, mouse, headphones, … even to connect the mobile phone and use it as a remote control)
• 2.4 Ghz 802.11 AC Wi-Fi connection, if it is 5 Ghz better
• Jack connection and a digital optical output

One point to take into account when it comes to connections, which may seem silly, is whether the TV is going to be hung up or not. Why? Very simple, if it is going to be hanging it is better that all these connections are on one side so that they are accessible, it is a real pain trying to connect something that you don’t see, trying to hit the right place.

12. Operating system

There are brands that already have their own operating system and others that incorporate Android. This shouldn’t worry you much either, regardless of the operating system your new television has, as a general rule, you will be able to enjoy the most popular applications such as YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, etc. And if you have doubts about whether they contain them or not, you can always check before buying it.

You can buy smart TVs on Shopee, where you can find various options and buy the right TV for you at amazing discounts.