Back in the olden days, TVs were extreme luxuries owned by the rich, and because of their sizes, they were hard to haul around despite their horrible users’ experience and resolutions but it was a leap for the technology which had evolved to become so flat and compact and did I also mention that they are now affordable and you don’t have to be a billionaire to own a TV set.

However, there is also one big barrier that many users have faced over the past couple of years and that is the multiple choices they have since the television market is now flooded with innumerable devices all promising to be better for the average consumer.

The overwhelming feeling of not knowing which of the TVs to purchase is one of the reasons why professional advice is important as this can guide your purchase decision which in turn save you money and time, after all, some of us just want to watch Netflix, play video games or watch some good news on the TV without having to labor our brains out just to achieve this.

With that said, there are many things you should know about the device you’re planning to purchase just like a smartphone, TVs have their own technicalities which is what determines their capabilities, and that ultimately influences the price point.

So whether you’re in to create a mini home theater or signage at your office or just a nice decent streaming device in your living room, we’ll explain in this short guide how to buy a TV in 2021.

TV resolution.

The first thing that always comes to mind whenever people are planning to purchase a TV set is usually the resolution and this is of course an important thing to consider considering the fact that the resolution will have a big impact on the user’s overall experience.

As of 2021, there are 8K TV resolutions even though the technology isn’t just entirely everywhere instead, you’ll likely come across a 4K TV with Ultra HD resolution which will definitely offer an interesting experience with great viewing angles.

While 4K TVs are great and there are 8K UHD TVs, you might have wondered what is the primary difference between these devices in terms of their picture quality and resolution due to these numbers.

As a consumer, what kind of pixel should you be looking for, or simply put, what would be the best TV resolution for you? The best answer is simple – both. Below is a simple pixel chart that sheds some light on the differences between these pixels.

As you can see in the chart table above, the increment of lines of resolution and pixels gives you much more lifelike picture quality. Now in terms of 4K TVs, what you get is a four times resolution of a Full HD (1080p).

And then there is 8K which is, therefore, a serious jump in the number of pixels which is about 33 million pixels per screen. If you’re on the market to purchase a TV that’s capable of producing a life-like image quality, then you might want to consider either a 4K or an 8K TV.

One of their advantages is their high dynamic range or HDR as it’s usually called and this is because the technology is able to apply a greater range of color and contrast to the images being display on the screen.

Most of these advanced TVs also feature upconverting technology which displays any signal at nearly 4K or 8K resolution.

But there are smaller TV resolutions such as 1080P or Full HD and this can be great sometimes but it depends on your wants and budget. The majority of Full HD TVs can be much more affordable than 4K, or 8K UHD+ TVs and that’s fair because of the incredible number of components that were put together to make it.

A gamer for example might want a TV with the best dynamic range and high resolutions with fast refresh rates and that’s where higher-grade resolution TVs come in while that doesn’t disqualify 1080P TVs for a smooth gaming experience. It’ might not just be best compared to the high-end TVs and also the image processing of each TV increases depending on their resolutions and other important factors we’ll discuss later on in this guide.

When you have an 8K TV, you’re definitely maxed out and this would unlock even more resolution-related features for you when streaming your favorite TV show on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Which TV size is best for you?

Personally, I love giant TV sets and that’s because of the experience and you might also be like me or not but there are some factors to consider when thinking about the size of the TV you’ll be interested in buying.

Now combine a 4K or 8K resolution with a 65-inch or an 85-inch TV together and you get a mind-blowing experience. The fact that you get life-like images of objects on your flat-screen TV is one of the reasons why giant TVs are incredibly popular among people.

But what if you have a smaller apartment. This can definitely hurt the size of the TV you can purchase. While it’s very possible to still own a massive TV in a smaller apartment, the experience might not be too interesting compared to a larger apartment because of your nearness to the TV screen which is very important.

The distance to have an immersive experience when watching an 85-inch 4K TV is about 11-feet away from the screen but in tiny apartments, you might not have this luxury of gaps between your sofa and the TV set and that might affect how you’ll consume contents being displayed on the screen.

So, instead of thinking about the distance from the screen to the sofa, consider the size you’ll need to fill your space. 4K and 8K resolutions are usually good with the eyes as well and when you use them for VR games, it feels much more realistic which is an interesting thing.

Smart TVs.

Smart TVs are the new norm and the majority of the TVs being released in recent times are all smart TVs with internet access and can also be integrated into virtual home assistant technologies like Google Home or Amazon Alexa.

Owning a smart TV also lets you stream and play online games and watch your favorite shows on different platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video Twitch, and so forth. A smart TV is more like an all-in-one window to the world of enormous streaming services.

But if you’re planning to purchase a smart TV, then there are some really important things you need to consider all which can help guide your purchase decision:

Your Internet speed

This is a very important thing because the fact that you own a smart TV means that you now have another device that’ll use your home network.

That’s why you need a powerful internet router that can help share the network among your smart home gadgets because the more devices you add, the more bandwidth and speed would be required. According to experts, you’ll need about:

• 5 Mbps download speed when using a single device
• Upgrade to 25 Mbps download speed for 4K streaming content

Voice-assistant TVs

I mentioned the fact that you’ll be able to sync your smart TV with two of the biggest smart home voice assistant technologies – Google Home and Amazon Alexa and that’s one of the biggest advantages you’ll be getting with these types of TV.

You’ll be able to simply make voice commands to your TV and it’ll do whatever it is you’ve commanded it to. There are however just a few smart TVs with in-built voice assistant technologies so the fact that you’re getting a smart TV doesn’t automatically bring about the voice assistant technology on board.

LCD TVs. vs LED TVs. vs OLED TVs.

There are LCD TVs, OLED TVs, and LED and you might have read in some of our smartphone reviews here on Brumpost that LED screens are much better than LCD panels so it’s not a competition with LCD.

However, a great resolution on an LCD screen can produce an immersive experience just like smartphones. LCD TVs are also much cheaper than LED or OLED TVs because of the difference in their technology.

You get a much better experience when you stream movies on a 4K OLED TV compared to an LCD screen and that’s because of how the pixels are developed. They each have qualities to consider before deciding on a TV.

LED TVs.

The term LED stands for light-emitting diode and TVs that use this technology are the most popular on the market and they come in four different configurations as highlighted below:

Edge-lit LED TVs: This technology places lights on the edges of the TV. It’s the most popular and generally the most affordable form of LED lighting.

Direct-lit LED TVs: Here, the lights are not only placed on the edges of the TV, but also behind the screen to deliver better light uniformity.

Full-array LED TVs: This method of LED lighting includes more numerous lights that are placed behind the screen. The benefit is increased brightness, plus the ability to dim the screen properly during darker scenes (also called local dimming).

Mini LED TVs: As the name implies, mini LED lights are smaller than traditional LEDs, so more of them are required. A benefit of smaller lights is that this technology offers more local dimming zones for deeper blacks and improved contrast.

OLED TVs.

While the term OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode TVs and they offer a much more interesting technology in the display department of a TV.

Speaking of technicalities, these TVs use a thin film material that is able to emit the light that covers the entire screen. The most intriguing thing is the fact that each of the pixels works independently from the other which allows each to light up or darken depending on the image being displayed.

The benefits are that OLED screens provide an extremely high degree of color accuracy, great contrast, wide viewing angles, and a picture that is virtually blur-free.

LCD TVs.

LCD or Liquid-crystal-display televisions use the liquid-crystal display to display or produce images. The panels are very thin and light but in terms of their capabilities, they consume more power and have a poor contrast ratio and an inferior color gamut compared to the display technologies listed above.

They are, by far, the most widely produced and sold television display type basically due to their price point compared to other alternative display technologies.

Outdoor TVs.

Outdoor TVs are expensive but they get the job done. They are meant to be used outdoor and produce great lights which make them viewable even under direct sunlight without any interference on the display.

So if you have a partially shaded veranda or a pool area situated near full sunshine, you can still enjoy your TV experience without any compromise with outdoor TV.

They’re also IP69 rated making them water and dustproof and can accommodate different extreme weather situations because this is what they’re engineered for.

Other things to consider

When you start researching TVs, you’ll begin to see technology that’s specific to each brand. This is especially true when you look at premium TVs. Here are a few of the key features to look for.

Processors

Just like smartphones, processors are important as this is the brain and speed determinants of a TV, and the better processor a TV has, the better it will work.

If you’re looking for a TV just to watch movies or NatGeo Wild, then you might go for a TV with less capability but when it comes to high graphics processing and image processing, you might want to consider a higher-end TV with a faster processing capacity.

This can allow for a smoother picture, faster downloading of streaming content, and decreased lag.

Design

Even though almost TVs look alike because they’re basically large screens with plastic or metallic covering, they can be stylish as well and different brands are ensuring the unique look and feel of their products.

Depending on your choice, silver-colored TVs are usually prestigious and always give these luxurious cues but that also depends on the location of the TV itself. If it will be fitted on the wall and the color of the wall or the background where the TV will be situated all matters when determining the color of your TV.

Also, thinner bezels give a much better experience and modern aesthetics. Due to the technology of the OLED and LED panels, TVs that uses these components are usually blade-slim.

Picture quality

You’ll see a lot of different terms related to picture quality, based on the brand you’re researching. Samsung’s QLED TVs feature outstanding color and resolution in thin designs, while LG’s NanoCell technology boasts wide viewing angles, a huge color palette, and great contrast. The brand could therefore matter sometimes however, both Samsung and LG are reputable display makers

Brightness

There are many ways for TV manufacturers to talk about brightness, but it all comes down to the nits. A nit is a universal measure of brightness.

So, no matter what kind of technology has gone into the making of a TV, look for the number of nits. The higher the number, the brighter the screen. This is important if you’re looking for a TV to place in a bright room.

Purchasing a TV in 2021 isn’t a tough thing but just putting up different options and then deciding based on the information that you have to guide our purchase decision.

Have you made up your mind yet? Let’s know in the comment section below. Also, you can check Brumpost Bargainer for all the best deals on smart gadgets and smart home appliances.