What to know before you get a new TV
Not all televisions are created equal or will suit your needs, so do your research and take your time before making a purchase, writes Blayne Slabbert.
Buying a new television is one of the most frustrating and confusing tasks in the tech world. There’s a glut of jargon to wade through, ill-informed sales staff to deal with and a lack of straightforward information available.
If you’re considering buying a new TV, steel yourself as you’re in for a rough ride.
Now is a good time to buy as most companies are releasing their new models. While this means the latest tech is available it’s also a chance to get a discounted model from last year.
Plan to spend about $1000 for a high-definition television (HD) and $2000 for an ultra-high definition (UHD) TV. However, you can get up to 30 per cent off last year’s models.
For these prices, you’ll only get an LED/LCD television. The latest OLED models are amazing but they cost about $5000.
Knowing your needs
The first thing to do is to determine what and how you’ll be watching.
If all you watch is Sky, then you only need an HD television (also known as 1080p) as that’s the format they broadcast in.
That means you don’t need to spend extra for an ultra-high definition (also known as 4K) model.
Avoid the temptation to futureproof as Sky has no immediate plans to move to 4K.
The same applies if you mainly watch the free-to-air channels and the odd DVD.
Only go 4K if you use Netflix and Amazon a lot, buy or rent movies from iTunes or the Google Play Store or are willing to buy a 4K Blu Ray player.
Lightbox and Neon still don’t have 4K content.
The other thing to consider is the way you watch television.
Do you sit right in front of your TV in a dimly lit room watching movies, or are there several people watching a game from multiple angles with the lights on?
Do you sit up close (you need to be near to notice 4K) or watch from a distance?
LG televisions mainly use IPS displays, which have wider viewing angles, whereas Samsung and Sony mainly use VA panels which give deeper blacks (important when watching movies) and are best viewed straight on.
Also, some TVs have ‘‘faster displays’’ which are better for watching sport. And if you’re into gaming you’ll need a television with a low-latency mode.
Or else you may want a TV with a simple remote (these can be hard to find) and easy to use interface (most models have these now).
How smart?
All televisions are now considered ‘‘smart’’. That means they can connect to the internet and you can use apps to watch streaming services.
Make sure the model you choose has the apps you like to use. If it doesn’t you may need to buy a streaming device which will add to the cost.
Also check it has FreeviewPlus which lets you watch TVNZ, TV3 and other channels on demand.
All about light
Two other important features to know about are HDR and dimming.
HDR (high dynamic range) makes light areas lighter, dark areas darker and also creates more lifelike colours.
However, to make it work effectively a television needs local dimming. This means the backlights are spread across several zones on the screen. Most affordable TVs have edge dimming so the improvements from HDR are hard to notice.
To really notice HDR you’ll need to spend more than $2000. Also, movies and shows that feature HDR (the same as those with 4K content) are limited so it may not be worth the extra expense.
Getting advice
Getting intelligent, impartial advice when buying a television is difficult.
I blame the manufacturers, who insist on using confusing acronyms and marketing terms to promote their televisions.
This jargon means nothing to the consumer and when I was looking I couldn’t find a salesperson who could explain the features of a television in plain English.
The advice I got from sales staff and manufacturers was not good. I tried to find out if a particular model had Freeview and a satellite port. No one, including the manufacturer, could tell me.
So I turned to the internet. There are lots of websites and YouTube channels dedicated to reviewing televisions but the best I found was rtings.com.
It contains a lot of technical information but also explains and rates each feature, including if it’s good for watching sport, movies or gaming.
One thing to look out for when reading reviews is that televisions often have different model names in different countries. And sometimes two different models will have the same name.
Final tips
Be patient. It’s frustrating buying TVs but since you’re spending a lot of money and will stare at it for many hours, it’s worth taking your time.
Make sure you do your research first before heading into a store. The big, shiny televisions on display are tempting but not all TVs are created equal or suit your needs.
When you’ve done your research, go into a store and play with the remote and interface and see if you like the design.
Once you’ve done this, hopefully, you’ll be ready to buy and then enjoy your favourite show, movie or match.