TV Buying Guide for Your New Smart TV
TV Buying Guide for 2018 NewYou’d think shopping for a TV would be simple, given that it’s a pretty mature product category. But buying a TV still involves many choices, some of which may be new to you. You’ll see plenty of Ultra HD (UHD), or 4K, TVs with greater promised picture detail than that of HDTVs, and improved contrast and color. There’s also a new 4K featured, called high dynamic range, or HDR, which promises brighter, more dynamic images, and more vivid, lifelike colors. So one question you’ll face is whether it’s time to move to one of these newer 4K UHD TVs, or stick with a regular 1080p set.
You may also notice that there’s a newer TV technology, called OLED TV, that dominates our current TV ratings in the larger size categories. These sets are still pricier than LCD/LED models—though every year that price gap narrows—so you’ll need to decide if it’s worth splurging for a top-performing set. Also, every year top-performing LCD TVs get better, edging closer to OLED TV-like performance. Right now OLED TVs are available from only two brands, LG Electronics and now Sony, so you’ll have fewer choices than you will with LCD-based sets.
Once you know what type of TV you want, focus on getting the right size, picture quality, and a few key features. And make sure your new TV has the connections required for equipment such as a streaming media player or sound bar speaker. (Our full TV ratings, available to members, provide all the picture-quality evaluations you’ll need. Looking to get rid of cable or change providers? Check our telecom services reviews, covering triple-play bundles and internet, TV, and phone services.)
Screen Size
Perhaps the most important choice you’re going to make with a new TV is the size of the screen. TV screens are measured diagonally, and they range in size from fewer than 20 inches to more than 80 inches. However, not many people shop at the extremes. Televisions going into kitchens or small bedrooms might measure just 24 to 32 inches, but if you’re shopping for your primary TV, we recommend going bigger—say, a set with a 50- to 65-inch screen. You could consider an even bigger set for spacious family rooms or if you’ll be sitting very far from the TV.
While there are no hard-and-fast rules for determining the right size TV—personal preference, the field of view, and even visual acuity come into play—there are some general guidelines you can use. You can try one of the many online calculators that are available free, or apply the following, easy-to-use, equation.
If you’re buying a 1080p set—and there are fewer choices now in larger screen sizes—the closest you can sit to your television, while still maintaining the proper maximum field of view, is 1.6 times the diagonal measurement of your television. So if you have a 60-inch screen, you’d want to sit at least 96 inches (or 8 feet) away.
You can simply reverse the arithmetic if you want to start out with the viewing distance. Measure the distance from your couch to the TV in feet, divide that number by 1.6, and then multiply the result by 12 to get the screen measurement in inches. If you’ll be sitting 8 feet from where you want to put the TV, you’ll end up shopping for a 60-inch television. (You can make the math even simpler if you just measure everything in inches.)
But these days, most larger-sized sets are 4K UHD models, and we think it makes sense to buy one since you’re no longer paying a premium for one. These TVs have higher-resolution 4K screens with more densely packed pixels. That means you can go larger, and your seating distance can be as close as the screen diagonal itself. So, for example, with a 65-inch UHD TV, you could sit as close as 5 1⁄2 feet from the set. Just remember that the goal is to create a comfortable, immersive viewing experience. You don’t want to be so close that you can’t see the whole picture or so far back that you miss out on the high-definition detail you’re paying for.
You’ll also have to pay attention to your budget. It’s possible to find good TVs selling for a few hundred dollars, while others go for several thousand, and there are many sets that fall in between those extremes. Screen size, features, and brand will all affect pricing.
Here are a few typical selling price ranges for several screen sizes:
• About $150 to $400 for a 32-inch model
• $250 to $700 for a 39- to 43-inch set
• $350 to $900 for a 49- or 50-inch set
• $450 to $2,500 for a 55- to 59-inch set
• $600 to $7,000 for a 60- or 65-inch set
Our full TV ratings are broken down by screen-size categories ranked by overall score, so it’s easy to see how well the TV performed in our tests and how much it costs relative to other sets of its size.
While there are no hard-and-fast rules for determining the right size TV—personal preference, the field of view, and even visual acuity come into play—there are some general guidelines you can use. You can try one of the many online calculators that are available free, or apply the following, easy-to-use, equation.
If you’re buying a 1080p set—and there are fewer choices now in larger screen sizes—the closest you can sit to your television, while still maintaining the proper maximum field of view, is 1.6 times the diagonal measurement of your television. So if you have a 60-inch screen, you’d want to sit at least 96 inches (or 8 feet) away.
You can simply reverse the arithmetic if you want to start out with the viewing distance. Measure the distance from your couch to the TV in feet, divide that number by 1.6, and then multiply the result by 12 to get the screen measurement in inches. If you’ll be sitting 8 feet from where you want to put the TV, you’ll end up shopping for a 60-inch television. (You can make the math even simpler if you just measure everything in inches.)
But these days, most larger-sized sets are 4K UHD models, and we think it makes sense to buy one since you’re no longer paying a premium for one. These TVs have higher-resolution 4K screens with more densely packed pixels. That means you can go larger, and your seating distance can be as close as the screen diagonal itself. So, for example, with a 65-inch UHD TV, you could sit as close as 5 1⁄2 feet from the set. Just remember that the goal is to create a comfortable, immersive viewing experience. You don’t want to be so close that you can’t see the whole picture or so far back that you miss out on the high-definition detail you’re paying for.
You’ll also have to pay attention to your budget. It’s possible to find good TVs selling for a few hundred dollars, while others go for several thousand, and there are many sets that fall in between those extremes. Screen size, features, and brand will all affect pricing.
Here are a few typical selling price ranges for several screen sizes:
• About $150 to $400 for a 32-inch model
• $250 to $700 for a 39- to 43-inch set
• $350 to $900 for a 49- or 50-inch set
• $450 to $2,500 for a 55- to 59-inch set
• $600 to $7,000 for a 60- or 65-inch set
Our full TV ratings are broken down by screen-size categories ranked by overall score, so it’s easy to see how well the TV performed in our tests and how much it costs relative to other sets of its size.
Rule of thumb for sizing a 1080p TV: Screen diagonal = (Distance to couch, in inches) divided by 1.6. You can go bigger with a 4K, or UHD, set.
Choose Between HD and Ultra HD
These terms refer to the TV’s native resolution. A regular high-definition (HD) 1920×1080. That means it has 1,920 pixels horizontally and 1,080 pixels vertically, so it contains roughly 2 million pixels in all. Think of pixels, shortset is also a called a 1080p model because its screen resolution is for “picture elements,” as the tiny individual dots that make up the TV’s picture.
Ultra-high definition (UHD) TVs, also called 4K TVs, have screen resolutions of 3840×2160, so they contain 8 million pixels, or four times the number of individual pixels as an HD set. The more densely packed array of pixels in UHD sets makes them capable of greater picture detail. The benefits of a UHD TV are more apparent in larger screen sizes—say, 65 inches and above—or when you’d like to sit closer to the TV than you could with a 1080p set.
These days, purchasing a 4K TV makes a lot of sense, especially in larger screen sizes where it’s getting harder to even find HD sets. And you won’t have to pay much more for one because the price gap has narrowed. But you will still find 1080p and 720p TVs in the smaller screen sizes—say, 32 inches or smaller.
The good news is that there’s a growing amount of 4K content to watch, especially from streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix. There are now a number of 4K ultra HD Blu-ray players that can play 4K Blu-ray discs. We expect more to come on the market in the future.
Another reason you might decide to make the 4K TV leap: Standards for some UHD features, including high dynamic range (HDR) and a wider palette of colors, have now been set, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on a new important feature. To find out more about high dynamic range, see our HDR section below.
Ultra-high definition (UHD) TVs, also called 4K TVs, have screen resolutions of 3840×2160, so they contain 8 million pixels, or four times the number of individual pixels as an HD set. The more densely packed array of pixels in UHD sets makes them capable of greater picture detail. The benefits of a UHD TV are more apparent in larger screen sizes—say, 65 inches and above—or when you’d like to sit closer to the TV than you could with a 1080p set.
These days, purchasing a 4K TV makes a lot of sense, especially in larger screen sizes where it’s getting harder to even find HD sets. And you won’t have to pay much more for one because the price gap has narrowed. But you will still find 1080p and 720p TVs in the smaller screen sizes—say, 32 inches or smaller.
The good news is that there’s a growing amount of 4K content to watch, especially from streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix. There are now a number of 4K ultra HD Blu-ray players that can play 4K Blu-ray discs. We expect more to come on the market in the future.
Another reason you might decide to make the 4K TV leap: Standards for some UHD features, including high dynamic range (HDR) and a wider palette of colors, have now been set, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on a new important feature. To find out more about high dynamic range, see our HDR section below.
1080p TV
A high-definition TV, with 1920×1080 resolution, will be fine for most viewers, and you’ll save a bit of money compared with a similarly sized UHD set. Almost every 1080p set available is an LCD TV with an LED backlight, but there are also a limited number of 1080p OLED TVs. And right now you’re unlikely to find a UHD TV smaller than 39 inches. We’ve found that many viewers aren’t able to see the extra detail in a UHD TV from normal viewing distances until they get to very large screen sizes, say 65 inches or above. Just remember that resolution is only one of a number of attributes a TV has to get right to produce Excellent overall picture quality. Regular HD TVs remain an excellent choice for many consumers when you factor in price, especially in screen sizes smaller than 65 inches.
Ultra HD TV
Thanks to its higher-resolution 3840×2160 screen, a UHD TV (also known as a 4K TV) can display greater detail than a 1080p set when presented with high-quality UHD content. Images appear a bit sharper, with smoother lines on the edges of objects—depending on your viewing distance. The jump from regular HD to ultra HD isn’t as dramatic as the change from standard definition to HD, but many UHD sets attempt to enhance the image in other ways. For example, we’re starting to see TVs with HDR that provide a high level of contrast between the lightest and darkest images. Newer UHD TVs also widen the array of colors a TV can display, but exploiting these advantages requires specially produced content. More content that’s been encoded with HDR is available every year.
High Dynamic Range (HDR)
As we previously noted, perhaps the TV industry’s biggest buzzword is high dynamic range, or HDR. When done right, HDR boosts a TV’s brightness, contrast, and color, making the pictures on the screen look more like real life.
As you can see in the dramatized image below, when HDR is at work, you’ll see details that might not otherwise be obvious, from the texture of the brick on a shady walkway to nuances in the white clouds in a daytime sky.
You’ll also see brighter, more realistic “specular highlights,” which are glints of light, such as the sun’s reflection off a car’s chrome bumper or an airplane wing. With HDR, those highlights pop; without it, they wouldn’t stand out against other bright objects.
HDR does all that by increasing the contrast between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks a TV can produce. That’s where the “dynamic range” in the name comes from.
“When done well, HDR presents more natural illumination of image content,” says Claudio Ciacci, who heads the Consumer Reports TV testing program. “HDR can flex its dynamic-range muscles in strong sunlit scenes that push the TV’s contrast to the limits,” he adds, “but you’ll also see HDR’s subtler benefits on more simply lit scenes.”
Typically, HDR TVs also produce more vibrant, varied colors than other sets. That’s because HDR is often paired with “wide color gamut,” or WCG, capability.
Standard HDTVs can display about 17 million colors, but those with WCG can display up to a billion. That’s like giving your TV a larger box of crayons to play with.
But you won’t see all that fantastic contrast and color every time you turn on the TV. You have to be playing a movie or TV show that has been mastered to take advantage of HDR and WCG. You can get 4K content with HDR right now from streaming services, on 4K Blu-ray discs, and even from DirecTV’s satellite TV service. But we expect to see more HDR content become available later in 2018, and even from a new over-the-air broadcast standard when that’s launched over the next year or two. (Find out where you can watch 4K content with HDR.)
Types of HDR
So far we’ve been talking about HDR as if it were just one technology, but there are a few types of HDR, each following a different set of technical specs.
One type, called HDR10, has been adopted as an open standard. It’s free to use, and all 4K TVs with HDR support it. That’s also true of all 4K ultra HD Blu-ray players and HDR programming, so you won’t be stuck with a set that can’t play HDR.
But some TVs also offer another type of HDR, called Dolby Vision, which is being promoted as an enhanced version of HDR10. Companies pay a licensing fee to use it. On paper it has some advantages. In particular, it supports “dynamic” metadata, where the brightness levels for a movie or show can be tweaked scene by scene. In contrast, HDR10 uses “static” metadata, where brightness levels are set for the entire movie or show.
Dolby Vision won’t be alone in using dynamic metadata, though. There’s a newer version of HDR10, called HDR10+, waiting in the wings. It, too, has dynamic metadata, making HDR10 more like Dolby Vision. We’ll have to see whether any companies in addition to Samsung, which developed HDR10+, adopt it. Amazon has said it will support HDR10+ in its streaming service.
You may also hear something in the coming months about another HDR format, called, called HLG (hybrid log gamma). It could be important if it’s adopted for the next generation of free over-the-air TV signals, which will follow a standard called ATSC 3.0. Many new TVs already support HLG, but it looks like others will be able to get firmware updates if necessary. This only matters for people who get TV through antennas, which are making a comeback.
Finally, there’s another flavor of HDR, called Advanced HDR by Technicolor. It’s more popular in Europe than here right now. Currently, some LG 4K TVs support it, and Philips has said its 2019 TV models will have it. Late last year, the Blu-ray Disc Association said Technicolor HDR would be one of the three optional HDR technologies—the others are Dolby Vision and HDR10+— supported by the group. HDR10 is the lone mandatory HDR format, and all TVs support it.
Yes, that all sounds complicated.
But there’s some good news. First, your TV should automatically detect the type of HDR being used in the content and choose the right way to play it.
Second, the type of HDR doesn’t seem to be too important right now. What we’ve seen in our labs is that top-performing TVs can do a great job with either HDR10 or Dolby Vision. The quality of the TV is more important than the type of HDR it’s playing.
Our advice: Buy the best TV you can regardless of the type of HDR it supports.
Are All HDR TVs Created Equal?
No. Our tests show that not every TV with “HDR” written on the box produces equally rich, lifelike images.
First of all, TVs are all over the map when it comes to picture quality, HDR or no HDR. But there are also challenges specific to this technology. Most notably, a TV might not be bright enough to really deliver on HDR. To understand why, you need to know your “nits,” the units used to measure brightness.
Better-performing HDR TVs typically generate at least 600 nits of peak brightness, with top performers hitting 1,000 nits or more. But many HDR TVs produce only 100 to 300 nits. With an underpowered TV, the fire of a rocket launch becomes a single massive white flare. With a brighter television, you’d see tongues of fire and smoke, as if you were really there.
“The benefits of HDR are often lost with mediocre displays,” Ciacci says.
How Can I Tell a Great HDR TV From a Bad One?
Unfortunately, you can’t just read the packaging—or even rely on how the picture looks in the store.
Though some TVs carry an “Ultra HD Premium” logo, indicating that they’ve been certified as high-performance sets by an industry group called the UHD Alliance, not all companies are going along. For example, LG and Samsung participate in the program; Sony and Vizio don’t.
What to do instead? Check our TV ratings and buying guide.
As you’ll see, the TVs with the best HDR tend to be the priciest. But there are also some good choices for people who want to spend less. And if you’re buying a smaller set, or just want to wait on 4K and HDR, you can find several good—and inexpensive—options.
As you can see in the dramatized image below, when HDR is at work, you’ll see details that might not otherwise be obvious, from the texture of the brick on a shady walkway to nuances in the white clouds in a daytime sky.
You’ll also see brighter, more realistic “specular highlights,” which are glints of light, such as the sun’s reflection off a car’s chrome bumper or an airplane wing. With HDR, those highlights pop; without it, they wouldn’t stand out against other bright objects.
HDR does all that by increasing the contrast between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks a TV can produce. That’s where the “dynamic range” in the name comes from.
“When done well, HDR presents more natural illumination of image content,” says Claudio Ciacci, who heads the Consumer Reports TV testing program. “HDR can flex its dynamic-range muscles in strong sunlit scenes that push the TV’s contrast to the limits,” he adds, “but you’ll also see HDR’s subtler benefits on more simply lit scenes.”
Typically, HDR TVs also produce more vibrant, varied colors than other sets. That’s because HDR is often paired with “wide color gamut,” or WCG, capability.
Standard HDTVs can display about 17 million colors, but those with WCG can display up to a billion. That’s like giving your TV a larger box of crayons to play with.
But you won’t see all that fantastic contrast and color every time you turn on the TV. You have to be playing a movie or TV show that has been mastered to take advantage of HDR and WCG. You can get 4K content with HDR right now from streaming services, on 4K Blu-ray discs, and even from DirecTV’s satellite TV service. But we expect to see more HDR content become available later in 2018, and even from a new over-the-air broadcast standard when that’s launched over the next year or two. (Find out where you can watch 4K content with HDR.)
Types of HDR
So far we’ve been talking about HDR as if it were just one technology, but there are a few types of HDR, each following a different set of technical specs.
One type, called HDR10, has been adopted as an open standard. It’s free to use, and all 4K TVs with HDR support it. That’s also true of all 4K ultra HD Blu-ray players and HDR programming, so you won’t be stuck with a set that can’t play HDR.
But some TVs also offer another type of HDR, called Dolby Vision, which is being promoted as an enhanced version of HDR10. Companies pay a licensing fee to use it. On paper it has some advantages. In particular, it supports “dynamic” metadata, where the brightness levels for a movie or show can be tweaked scene by scene. In contrast, HDR10 uses “static” metadata, where brightness levels are set for the entire movie or show.
Dolby Vision won’t be alone in using dynamic metadata, though. There’s a newer version of HDR10, called HDR10+, waiting in the wings. It, too, has dynamic metadata, making HDR10 more like Dolby Vision. We’ll have to see whether any companies in addition to Samsung, which developed HDR10+, adopt it. Amazon has said it will support HDR10+ in its streaming service.
You may also hear something in the coming months about another HDR format, called, called HLG (hybrid log gamma). It could be important if it’s adopted for the next generation of free over-the-air TV signals, which will follow a standard called ATSC 3.0. Many new TVs already support HLG, but it looks like others will be able to get firmware updates if necessary. This only matters for people who get TV through antennas, which are making a comeback.
Finally, there’s another flavor of HDR, called Advanced HDR by Technicolor. It’s more popular in Europe than here right now. Currently, some LG 4K TVs support it, and Philips has said its 2019 TV models will have it. Late last year, the Blu-ray Disc Association said Technicolor HDR would be one of the three optional HDR technologies—the others are Dolby Vision and HDR10+— supported by the group. HDR10 is the lone mandatory HDR format, and all TVs support it.
Yes, that all sounds complicated.
But there’s some good news. First, your TV should automatically detect the type of HDR being used in the content and choose the right way to play it.
Second, the type of HDR doesn’t seem to be too important right now. What we’ve seen in our labs is that top-performing TVs can do a great job with either HDR10 or Dolby Vision. The quality of the TV is more important than the type of HDR it’s playing.
Our advice: Buy the best TV you can regardless of the type of HDR it supports.
Are All HDR TVs Created Equal?
No. Our tests show that not every TV with “HDR” written on the box produces equally rich, lifelike images.
First of all, TVs are all over the map when it comes to picture quality, HDR or no HDR. But there are also challenges specific to this technology. Most notably, a TV might not be bright enough to really deliver on HDR. To understand why, you need to know your “nits,” the units used to measure brightness.
Better-performing HDR TVs typically generate at least 600 nits of peak brightness, with top performers hitting 1,000 nits or more. But many HDR TVs produce only 100 to 300 nits. With an underpowered TV, the fire of a rocket launch becomes a single massive white flare. With a brighter television, you’d see tongues of fire and smoke, as if you were really there.
“The benefits of HDR are often lost with mediocre displays,” Ciacci says.
How Can I Tell a Great HDR TV From a Bad One?
Unfortunately, you can’t just read the packaging—or even rely on how the picture looks in the store.
Though some TVs carry an “Ultra HD Premium” logo, indicating that they’ve been certified as high-performance sets by an industry group called the UHD Alliance, not all companies are going along. For example, LG and Samsung participate in the program; Sony and Vizio don’t.
What to do instead? Check our TV ratings and buying guide.
As you’ll see, the TVs with the best HDR tend to be the priciest. But there are also some good choices for people who want to spend less. And if you’re buying a smaller set, or just want to wait on 4K and HDR, you can find several good—and inexpensive—options.
PHOTO: SONY
Decide Whether You Want a Smart TV
Like cat videos and Kardashians, smart TVs seem to be everywhere. These increasingly popular televisions can access online
Around 70 percent of the TVs sold these days are now smart TVs, according to market research firm IHD Markit. But if you’re considering a more basic TV or you already have a TV that lacks smarts, you can easilcontent, such as streaming video services from Amazon Prime and Netflix. Basic smart TVs may be limited to the most popular services, and others offer a vast assortment of apps. Many have full web browsers, and more sophisticated smart TVs can respond to voice commands, make program recommendations, and let you view content from your smartphone on the TV screen.y add internet capability using a separate streaming media player, such as an Amazon Fire TV, an Apple TV, a Google Chromecast, or a Roku player. Prices start as low as $30 for a smaller 1080p models, and 4K players start around $70.
Some manufacturers have developed their own smart-TV platforms, while others may use a licensed system, such as Android TV from Google or Roku TV. A TV with built-in smarts can make accessing content easy—there’s only a single remote control—but a separate streaming media player may have more content options, or use an interface that makes finding and accessing content easier.
Around 70 percent of the TVs sold these days are now smart TVs, according to market research firm IHD Markit. But if you’re considering a more basic TV or you already have a TV that lacks smarts, you can easilcontent, such as streaming video services from Amazon Prime and Netflix. Basic smart TVs may be limited to the most popular services, and others offer a vast assortment of apps. Many have full web browsers, and more sophisticated smart TVs can respond to voice commands, make program recommendations, and let you view content from your smartphone on the TV screen.y add internet capability using a separate streaming media player, such as an Amazon Fire TV, an Apple TV, a Google Chromecast, or a Roku player. Prices start as low as $30 for a smaller 1080p models, and 4K players start around $70.
Some manufacturers have developed their own smart-TV platforms, while others may use a licensed system, such as Android TV from Google or Roku TV. A TV with built-in smarts can make accessing content easy—there’s only a single remote control—but a separate streaming media player may have more content options, or use an interface that makes finding and accessing content easier.
Streaming Media Players
Streaming media players are a popular add-on for TVs, bringing streaming movies, TV, music and games to TVs that lack internet access. Even if you own a smart TV, you may consider a streaming player if it has features or services your TV doesn’t.
There are more than a dozen streaming player models, offered in two styles: set-top boxes, and stick players about the size of a USB flash drive. The most recent set-top box models include an updated version of the Amazon Fire TV, $100, a new Apple TV, $179, and the Roku Ultra; all support 4K video.
The Google Chromecast Ultra, $70, and new Roku Streaming Stick+, $70, are stick-style players that support 4K. There are also a number of less expensive 1080p models that cost as little as $30. These types of streaming players plug directly into a TV’s HDMI port, so they can often disappear from view, although they need to draw power from the TV’s USB port or an AC adapter plugged into an outlet.
Check to make sure the player you choose supports the services you want—streaming services may be added later via an update, but there’s no guarantee that they will be.
And be aware that streaming video requires robust broadband and WiFi connections to prevent the video from freezing or buffering. If you move more of your entertainment to the internet, you may need to upgrade to a faster connection.
There are more than a dozen streaming player models, offered in two styles: set-top boxes, and stick players about the size of a USB flash drive. The most recent set-top box models include an updated version of the Amazon Fire TV, $100, a new Apple TV, $179, and the Roku Ultra; all support 4K video.
The Google Chromecast Ultra, $70, and new Roku Streaming Stick+, $70, are stick-style players that support 4K. There are also a number of less expensive 1080p models that cost as little as $30. These types of streaming players plug directly into a TV’s HDMI port, so they can often disappear from view, although they need to draw power from the TV’s USB port or an AC adapter plugged into an outlet.
Check to make sure the player you choose supports the services you want—streaming services may be added later via an update, but there’s no guarantee that they will be.
And be aware that streaming video requires robust broadband and WiFi connections to prevent the video from freezing or buffering. If you move more of your entertainment to the internet, you may need to upgrade to a faster connection.
Smart TVs
Smart TVs, also called internet TVs or connected TVs, can be your bridge to a world of online content that you can access directly from the TV itself. Most smart TVs these days let you access multiple streaming video services, such as Amazon Prime, FandangoNow, Hulu, Netflix, or Vudu, plus one or more internet music services, such as Pandora or Spotify. Many smart TVs also let you go to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and several support casual games as well.
More smart TVs this year will be voice-enabled, using either their own proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, or working with established third-party digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. (Some sets may have all three.) Some TVs from the major brands will also connect to, and interact with, other smart home devices, allowing you to play music on smart speakers, raise or lower the temperature on smart thermostats, or adjust the room’s lighting on smart light bulbs, all from the TV.
A growing number of smart TVs have full web browsers that let you go almost anywhere on the internet, though we’ve found this to be a less satisfying experience than using a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer. Many smart TVs come with point-and-click remote controls that can manage onscreen interactions using hand motions or by responding to your voice commands.
Like streaming media players, smart TVs need to be connected to your home network. We recommend using a wired Ethernet connection, if possible, but all smart TVs now also have built-in WiFi for accessing your network wirelessly.
More smart TVs this year will be voice-enabled, using either their own proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, or working with established third-party digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. (Some sets may have all three.) Some TVs from the major brands will also connect to, and interact with, other smart home devices, allowing you to play music on smart speakers, raise or lower the temperature on smart thermostats, or adjust the room’s lighting on smart light bulbs, all from the TV.
A growing number of smart TVs have full web browsers that let you go almost anywhere on the internet, though we’ve found this to be a less satisfying experience than using a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer. Many smart TVs come with point-and-click remote controls that can manage onscreen interactions using hand motions or by responding to your voice commands.
Like streaming media players, smart TVs need to be connected to your home network. We recommend using a wired Ethernet connection, if possible, but all smart TVs now also have built-in WiFi for accessing your network wirelessly.
Check the Viewing Angle
Despite many improvements, most LCDs still have a fairly significant shortcoming: limited viewing angle. (OLED TVs have virtually unlimited viewing angles, just like plasma TVs did.) That means the picture looks its best only from a fairly narrow sweet spot right in front of the screen. We recommend checking the viewing angle by watching a TV from off to the side, and from above and below the main part of the image. As you move away from the center of the screen, the image can dim, lose contrast and color accuracy, or look washed out. And the degree of picture degradation varies from model to model. We’ve found that TVs that use “IPS” LCD panels offer wider-than-average viewing angles for LCD sets, though this can sometimes come at the expense of contrast.
If you try to check out a TV’s viewing angle in the store, be aware that the TV’s retail setting typically cranks the brightness and boosts colors to unnatural levels, artificially improving off-angle viewing. Whatever you experience in the store, it’s important to also check the viewing angle after you’ve set it up in your home. We suggest you do it immediately so that you can easily return the set if it proves to be disappointing.
If you try to check out a TV’s viewing angle in the store, be aware that the TV’s retail setting typically cranks the brightness and boosts colors to unnatural levels, artificially improving off-angle viewing. Whatever you experience in the store, it’s important to also check the viewing angle after you’ve set it up in your home. We suggest you do it immediately so that you can easily return the set if it proves to be disappointing.
A television’s picture looks best when you’re sitting right in front of it. Check out the quality of the image from a variety of viewing angles.
Make the Right Connections
Don’t forget to consider a TV’s connections before you buy. You’ll want to ensure that it has the right type of inputs and outputs to support all your A/V gear.
Nearly all TVs now have side input connections, as well as rear inputs, which provide some flexibility for connecting source components to your TV. Inputs located on the side or bottom of the TV work best if you’ll be mounting a TV flat against a wall. If you are wall-mounting a TV, a short HDMI extender can be used to make connections a bit easier to use.
Nearly all TVs now have side input connections, as well as rear inputs, which provide some flexibility for connecting source components to your TV. Inputs located on the side or bottom of the TV work best if you’ll be mounting a TV flat against a wall. If you are wall-mounting a TV, a short HDMI extender can be used to make connections a bit easier to use.
HDMI Inputs
HDMI is now the most common technology for connecting cable boxes, Blu-ray players, streaming media players, and game consoles to a TV. However, many budget sets have only one or two HDMI inputs. When choosing your primary TV, we recommend that you look for at least three HDMI connections unless you’ll be connecting all your other components to a home-theater receiver or HDMI switcher. Some sets have an HDMI input marked “ARC,” which stands for “audio return channel.” This input lets you send sound back out of the TV to the connected component, such as a sound bar speaker, using the same single HDMI cable. If you’re buying a UHD TV, you’ll want to check that it has at least the HDMI 2.0 version of HDMI, which can support the 60-frames-per-second 4K video content and HDR. A newer version, which will support 8K video—yes, that’s coming—and faster frame rates, is likely to appear on new TVs late in 2018 or early in 2019. Most new sets also have HDCP 2.2, the latest copyright protection, which is needed to play prerecorded 4K movies from a UHD Blu-ray player connected via HDMI.
TV Brands
Hisense is a multinational manufacturer with headquarters in China. In addition to selling its own Hisense-branded TVs, it also markets TVs in the U.S. under the Sharp brand, the result of its acquisition of Sharp’s TV business, as well as a TV manufacturing facility in Mexico. The company offers a wide range of models at varying prices, including UHD TVs that include quantum-dot color technology. Its models are sold at Walmart, Costco, and some independent retailers.
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