How to Choose a 4K TV

This How.com.vn teaches how to find the perfect 4K UHD TV for your living room, home theater, or any other room.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Determining Optimal Screen Size

1
Measure the seating distance. Getting the optimal screen size for your seating distance can increase immersion while watching.
- At the end of the day, the size of the TV will likely be the most important factor when determining the best TV for your budget.
TV displays are measured diagonally in inches in every region, so convert your distance. If you measured by feet, multiply by 12. If you measured by meters, multiply by 39.37.
3
Multiply the distance by .6667. This is the approximate ideal size for your TV display so that it takes up the majority of your field of vision while watching.^{[1]XResearch source}
- For example, if your viewing distance is 9 feet, the optimal screen size is about 70" (9 x 12 x .6667). This may seem on the larger side, and should only serve as a recommendation. Price will likely be the biggest factor when it comes to screen size.
4K features a much higher pixel density than 1080p HDTVs, so you can sit closer without sacrificing image quality. This essentially means that you can get a larger screen than you may be used to. You'll get the most effect from a 4K TV if it is taking up a large portion of your field of view.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Comparing Specs

1
Look at HDR options. HDR (High Dynamic Range) is one the the new display technologies built-in to many of the higher-end 4K TVs. HDR is used to create more dramatic contrast and display more colors than a standard display. Blacks are darker, whites are brighter, and the color palette is wider.
- To confuse matters more, different manufacturers use different HDR standards. The most common is "Ultra HD Premium," while others use "Dolby Vision." Both display HDR from content that supports it.
- HDR is still only common on the most expensive sets, so you may need to sacrifice this feature if you can't find the right size in your price range.
Nearly all TVs you look at should have a 120 Hz refresh rate. While you'll spend most of your time watching at 60 Hz, you still shouldn't buy any TV that has a refresh rate of less than 120 Hz.
More and more devices connect to your TV using an HDMI port. If you have a game console and a Chromecast, that's two HDMI ports already. If you have a lot of devices you want to connect, make sure to find a TV that can support all of them.
In order to view 4K content from a UHD Blu-ray player or other 4K device, you'll need to have it connected to an HDMI port that supports HDCP 2.2. This is a copyright protection technology, and many 4K TVs only have one HDMI port that supports it.
5
Find the TV's input lag if you play video games. An important factor to consider if you use your TV for video games is the input lag. This is the amount of time it takes a signal from your game console to reach the TV. Input lag is a non-factor when watching movies or TV shows.
- You may not be able to find the input lag on a TV's spec sheet. Check out sites like www.rtings.com for input lag tests on the TVs you're looking at.
- "Response time" is a different measurement, and is not related to input lag.
6
Decide between LED and OLED. The two most common display types for 4K TVs are LED LCD and OLED. If you can afford it, OLED will almost always provide a superior picture with better colors and more dramatic contrast. LCD will typically be much more affordable, and you can still get great picture from them.
- OLED TVs will have much better viewing angles than LED TVs, as well as significantly less blur for fast images. Expect to see more and more OLED TVs as time goes on.
- When shopping LED LCD screens, look for full-array backlighting (FALD) for better color contrast, and quantum dots for more accurate colors and higher brightness.^{[2]XResearch source}
7
Know what specs to ignore. There are several specifications you'll come across that can be safely ignored, as they are measured so wildly differently by each manufacturer, or they are essentially just marketing jargon:^{[3]XResearch source}
- Refresh rate - For the most part, refresh rates are made up or inflated. You can rest easy knowing that any TV from the major manufacturers will have a suitable refresh rate for virtually all viewers.
- Contrast ratios - These measurements are completely different for each manufacturer. They can be safely ignored. If you can, shop in person so that you can see the contrast differences yourself.
- "TruMotion," "MotionFlow," "Clear Motion Rate," etc. - These are all marketing terms for high refresh rates, and don't really mean anything to the average viewer.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Buying a TV

You can buy a TV purely based off of reviews online and order sight unseen, but for the best experience you'll want to try to get your eyes on it. Be aware that many retailers calibrate the displays and the surrounding lighting for maximum "pop," and the display may not look exactly the same in your living room.
2
Don't waste time shopping a lot of places. The major TV manufacturers all set prices that have to be matched at every store. This means that the specific model you want can probably be found for almost exactly the same price regardless of where you shop.
- One of the exceptions to this is Vizio, which does not mandate set prices.
- You may still be able to find discounts at club retailers like Costco.
Pretty much every flatscreen TV will have middling to terrible speakers. You'll be much better off picking up an external sound bar and subwoofer, which can be found for as low as $100 and provide superior sound.
4
Know when to buy. TV prices are at their highest when they first release, typically in the spring. Prices will drop a bit heading into summer, and then drop drastically in the weeks leading to Black Friday.^{[4]XResearch source}
- TV models are replaced essentially every year, and old models drop in price fairly quickly, so if you find a TV you want you can save a lot of money if you can hold off purchasing for a year.
- Avoid purchasing any TVs that only appear on Black Friday. Many retailers will sell TVs made specifically to be sold for cheap on Black Friday, and their quality is significantly lower than the major brand TVs.
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Tips

The major brands tend to cost more, but you'll end up with much better picture quality and a longer life than the budget models. If you're shopping for the centerpiece for your living room or home theater, you may want to spend a little more for a known quality like Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio
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Curved screens are more of a novelty than anything, and will not result in an appreciably more immersive viewing experience than a slightly larger flat screen.
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Virtually all 4K TVs are Smart TVs these days, and if you find one that isn't, you can turn it into one with a $30 Chromecast or other streaming device.
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