Buying a TV in the age of internet

Television technology has made exemplary advances in the last decade that has resulted in a ridiculously wide range of options to choose from. There is 4K, HDR, Full HD, Smart TVs, LED, OLED – the list is eternal! Watching television is simply a task that requires you to lean back and relax while catching up on your favourite sitcoms, but the menace behind choosing a TV is a hellishly, energy draining task. This perplexity and TV jargon could often cloud our decision and drive us to merely settle for a mediocre TV. So, here’s what to look for…

Size does matter
Screen size is one of the biggest deciding factors while opting for the TV. There is an immense variety of TVs available, right from 14 inches to 100 inches. Of course, bigger is better but, there are a few other things you’ve to consider. Distance, if you can see the individual pixels on the screen, your TV is too big for your home. The simple formula is you should divide the diagonal width of your screen by 0.84, and the result is the number of inches you’ll ideally put between you and the screen. Using this method, if you get a 65-inch TV you should sit around 6.5 feet from it. So accordingly, pick a screen size that will fit comfortably into that space — and your budget.

Connectivity: More the merrier
We often have the tendency to treat this feature with nonchalance but it is necessary to pay attention to the number of HDMI inputs a set has. Hook up a sound bar, your laptop and a gaming console and you’ve used up three ports already. To make things simpler, before you buy one, count the number of gadgets you will ideally link with your TV and make sure you have room for more. Make sure they have at least two HDMI ports. Another thing to keep in mind is the placement of these ports. Ones facing the wall are awfully difficult to reach. Ideally, opt for a set that has the ports on the side or bottom.

Sound’s good?
Even the finest, sleekest, dazzling TV has its hamartia: poor sound quality. Crappy sound is the most direct casualty of a slim TV and the built-in speakers are obviously, smaller. Sound quality varies and hence it is necessary to consider this while buying a TV, especially if you are considering a Champions League screening at your place.

While buying a TV, you may be given the number of Watts that power your speaker, but that’s pretty much useless as it doesn’t determine how your TV will sound. In fact, you should consider the number of speakers, the placing of these speakers and its configuration. Given that the TV has a thinner body, audio is impacted. Modern TVs usually have their speakers fitted at the bottom which blares out a more clean, rich, in depth sound. A subwoofer is always an add-on since speakers don’t reach so far down the sound spectrum.

Keep it smart
The Smart TV, a break away from the lineage of traditional TVs has now laid siege to every home and electronic store. One of the fundamental features that make a Smart TV better than other TVs, is its inbuilt ability to browse the internet. You can flip through web pages, do your homework, and check the weather forecast or trade Bitcoins while being seated comfortably on your sofa.

Probably, the most used feature on a smart TV is the Video on Demand services. This gives you access to your favourite music or your keenly awaited trailer that is not currently airing on TV. Several Smart TVs integrate preloaded social media apps, one of which is Skype. Some higher-end TVs, with the help of an optional webcam, extends to full screen for better video calling with your friends and family.

Resolution
Yup, here’s where most of the TV acronyms sound like baloney. Just remember, the resolution defines the sharpness of the TV picture, usually in terms of horizontal lines of pixels. There are a sizable number TVs available with the tag ‘HD ready’ which means they offer high or Full HD resolution. Ultra HD or 4K, which is growing in popularity, offers more resolution which is almost four times the pixel found in your HD TV. The biggest benefit of 4K TVs is that small objects on the screen have more detail, including sharper text. (The writer is founder and CEO at Daiwa)

By Arjuun Bajaj