What to Look for When Buying a TV

Technology has changed the way we watch TV—so much so that most people don’t watch TV at all anymore. Streaming services are making traditional television and programming obsolete.

The television is now just a larger version of a computer monitor hanging on the wall. No matter how you watch your favorite movies and shows, a good display is the most important thing to have, right behind the fast Internet.

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If you stream your binge-ables on your computer, there are some things you need to know. This goes beyond price and size—here’s exactly what to look for when buying a TV for entertainment purposes.

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See It in Person

You can read about stats, information, and dimensions all day long, but you need to view any television in person before buying one. The only thing that truly matters is how it looks to your eyes, and the only way to determine this is to go to a store and check it out.

Viewing the monitor in person gives you a better idea of what you’re buying. On a website, they all look the same.

Going into the store doesn’t mean you have to buy, but most stores will give you better pricing if you’ve found a lower price online, so be ready to buy just in case.

LED Is Where You Need to Be

Light-emitting diodes (LED) are a better, newer form of technology than liquid crystal displays (LCD). LED monitors use diodes in place of the fluorescent lamps that LCD uses. This technological difference is the reason LED screens are brighter, clearer, and more energy-efficient, which allows them to last longer.

They’re also thinner and lighter, making them more portable.

Respect the Resolution

Resolution is the number of pixels a screen has, vertical by horizontal. By itself, the resolution doesn’t mean much except that it determines the aspect ratio of the screen.

However, it does matter when combined with the actual display size—the more pixels packed into a screen, the sharper the image will be.

The number of horizontal pixels divided by the horizontal dimension gives you the number of pixels per inch (PPI). Generally speaking, the higher the PPI, the better the picture will be.

More Tips on What to Look for When Buying a TV

• 3 Easy Ways to Improve Your TV Viewing Experience
• Why You Should Upgrade to a 4K TV
• The Best Movies to Watch in Your Home Theater
• How To Troubleshoot an Old TV That Won’t Turn On
• How To Improve Your TV’s Display Settings for Movies
• Tips for Choosing the Best Projector To Show Movies