Which Type Of TV Screen Is Best For You?
Duane Beckett
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When purchasing a television, screen size is often the first factor considered. But it shouldn’t be.
FACT: A TV’s size doesn’t impact acceptable viewing angles, color, brightness, contrast, or resolution. And these factors are more important than size.
With so many TVs available, the first question should always be, which type of TV screen is best for you?
For example, getting a bargain 85-inch 4k smart TV is pointless, if the only person who can see it in your living room is the one sitting directly in front of it (viewing angles).
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1. Which screen type is best for smaller rooms?
Differences in viewing conditions are a big factor in picking the right screen type:
And in the case of a smaller space, like a bedroom or office, spending on a high-end screen is pointless. It can even be impractical due to the angle and distance as to which you’ll be viewing the screen.
For example, in a bedroom, you will be sitting directly in front of the screen, likely with lights off and curtains closed. Therefore, you don’t need to spend big on an OLED or QLED to deliver eye-popping colors and contrast.
Conclusion: A 4k 55-inch TV screen of any type, is sufficient in a small room. So, focus on the TV’s features, like being voice-enabled and HDR compatible instead.
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2. What is the ideal screen size?
Start by deciding just how much space you want to commit to the TV. For example, an 85-inch screen will dominate most rooms, dictating the position of furniture and seating.
Consider this:
- 55-inch, 3.28 feet recommended viewing distance
- 65-inch, 3.94 feet recommended viewing distance
- 75-inch, 4.59 feet recommended viewing distance
- 85-inch, 5.25 feet recommended viewing distance
For most U.S. citizens, according to statista.com, the average screen size is 55-inches.
Conclusion: If you have seating pointing at the TV from different angles, you’ll need a ULED, OLED, or QLED screen to ensure colors and contrast pop across a broader viewing angle.
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3. What is ULED, OLED and QLED?
ULED, OLED, and QLED refer to different types of displays that go inside TVs:
- OLED stands for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes. Displays using OLED technology with appropriate materials are refreshed faster, leading to better image quality, faster response time, or both compared with LCD screens which require constant backlighting. OLED displays are generally less affected by ambient light,which causes a reduction in power consumption.
- QLED stands for Quantum Light-Emitting Diode. A QLED TV is similar to a standard LED TV, except it incorporates quantum dots, which are small nanoparticles that boost the brightness and color. Consumer Technology Association defines QLED as the latest display technology, offering brighter pictures with deeper blacks and better color saturation.
- ULED stands for Ultra Light-Emitting Diode, and is a proprietary technology from Hisense that combines an LCD TV with LED backlight technology – which is also known as quantum dots.
Conclusion: If you’re a gamer or a live sports fan, go OLED. If you however need a huge screen for the space and must have solid viewing angles, go for a QLED or ULED.
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4. What is 4k, 8k resolution, and how do they affect the quality of the picture?
The higher the resolution, the better the picture quality. A 4k resolution means the screen is displaying 3840 X 2160 pixels:
And if the source is also 4k, the picture will be extremely sharp and clear because it will be displaying roughly 9-million horizontal pixels and 8-million vertical pixels. This is almost one-and-a-half times more than 1080p (HD-standard).
An 8k resolution means the TV is displaying 7680 X 4320 pixels. Which is more than four times the number of pixels on a 4K television.
Obviously, the image quality on an 8K TV is crisper and more detailed. However…
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Is it worth investing in an 8K TV now?
For almost all consumers, 8K isn’t worth the investment. When 4K TVs first came out, they cost roughly the same as an 8K TV does now (several thousand).
The big issue with 8k is that there is little-to-no native content. So you’ll be stuck with upscaling from 4k, which makes the investment worthless in our opinion.
Conclusion: Go for a 4k TV. Don’t spend thousands on 8k because, by the time the technology is at a consumer level, it will be better, cheaper, and have a library of content worth watching.