Have you been using your Xbox to watch Netflix through? Or watching iPlayer through your laptop? A smart TV brings it all together, so you can watch normal TV as well online content, including Netflix, All 4, BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, as well as YouTube, all through your TV, without plugging anything else in. The majority of TVs on the market today are smart, but some of them go a bit further to become smart hubs, allowing you to change your lighting and heating, and even watch your baby monitor, all through your TV’s remote control, or you can control it all – including your TV – through your phone. Some smart TVs are voice controlled and some allow you to connect other devices wirelessly.
This can feel a bit overwhelming when you’re shopping, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a TV that isn’t smart nowadays, so it’s important that you find the right one for you. So what should you be looking out for?
In terms of picture quality, while HD is a term that most people will recognise, you can also choose 4KTV, which gives a resolution four times more powerful than HD, so that might be the best place to invest your money.
Picture quality is also affected by the TV’s technology, which could be OLED or LCD (sometimes called LED). OLED TVs are slimmer because there’s no backlight, as every pixel creates its own light,making the picture even more precise. LCD/LED systems are a bit cheaper and are still enabled for HDR footage, with a picture quality which is just as good.
HDR works with 4K resolution to improve the detail and contrast of the colours, and there are a few different options here. At a minimum, it is best to go for a TV with HLG or HDR10 formats, but if you would like to go for something better, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are worth considering, as they are the most advanced HDR options on the market now. If you’re considering your TV to be a long-term investment, it’s worth paying the extra for these, so that your TV can support the best pictures in the future.
If you are loyal to a certain brand, then you may find your options are limited by their preferences. LG offers Dolby Vision only, and Samsung just HDR10+, while Panasonic and Philips are available in both.
Of course, if you’re not in a hurry to upgrade your TV, you could always make your current TV smart by plugging a smart streaming stick into your TV’s HDMI port, but you won’t benefit from the smart home control or the improved picture.
If you do decide to invest in a new Smart TV, you’ll want to have it looking its best with the right TV installation. We’ll be happy to get things right for you and offer advice on how to make the most of not only your TV viewing, but your smart home. Please give us a call on 01279 656983 or leave your details below and we’ll get you set up right.
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