Everything you need to know before buying a TV set

Philipp Rüegg

25.4.2017

Translation: machine translated

Big, small, curved, 4K, smart TV... When it comes to TVs, you're spoilt for choice! Don't panic, our buying guide will help you find what you're looking for.

There are many criteria to consider when buying a television. They depend on your requirements. The following information will help you find the perfect set for you.

Distance and screen size

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We all remember our parents' instructions: "Don't sit too close, you'll damage your eyes!". Don't worry, you no longer need to move away from the screen to enjoy great picture quality. This idea has been rendered obsolete by the advent of 4K and UHD televisions. With their excellent resolution and pixel density, you can stick your nose to the screen without the image being pixelated.

While we used to have to stand back far enough to see the whole picture, the situation is tending to be reversed. From too far away, the difference between Full HD and UHD disappears. From too close, only poor image quality or TV broadcasts in SD (720 x 576 pixels) bother.

The larger the pixels, the further away from the screen you should be. For example, on a screen of the same size, a pixel looks bigger at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) than at a resolution of 3840 x 2160 (4K/UHD). For 4K televisions, the formula is generally as follows: screen diagonal x 1.5 = optimum distance. This equates to 2.25 m for a 60-inch screen. Opinions differ, however.

So it's always best to test the device before you buy. The closer you sit to the screen and the bigger it is, the more you'll feel like you're right in the middle of the action. But perhaps you'd prefer to be a little further away. And let's not forget to take the size of your living room into consideration. So it all depends on your preferences.

The resolution

The most common resolutions today, in descending order, are Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 4K, also known as UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels), HD (1280 x 720 pixels) and SD (720 x 576 pixels).

While there are still a few Full HD screens, new TV sets are almost all equipped with 4K. However, the content is not keeping up. The major TV channels are using Full HD, while many others are still using HD. Some are even still using SD. 4K material is mainly available in the form of 4K Blu-Rays or used by streaming services such as Netflix. But the offering is continually being expanded.

Since 4K TVs upscale non-4K content, you get high resolution even if you don't have the corresponding content.

The technology

The once-famous plasma screens have all but disappeared from circulation. The market is now dominated by LCD and LED technologies. The price of OLED televisions is becoming increasingly attractive.

LED and LCD technologies are distinguished by their backlighting. LCD uses fluorescent tubes, whereas LED uses LEDs. This is why black is never completely black. Various software programs can almost completely eliminate this defect.

Samsung is making more and more news with Quantum Dot technology. This is often associated with LED or LCD, which is why it is also called QLED. This combination improves contrast, maximises clarity and offers a much wider colour gamut than LCD or LED. But real Quantum Dot screens are not yet on the market. They work on a similar principle to OLED and would represent an interesting alternative.

OLED TVs are self-illuminating and do not need a backlight. They offer the best contrast amplitude and the deepest black. However, their lifespan is half that of LCD screens.

Sound

Let's not underestimate the effect of good sound. Even exceptional picture quality will never make up for rotten sound. Unfortunately, as screens become flatter and flatter, they can no longer accommodate speakers worthy of the name. What's more, bass needs room to develop.

If you're investing a tidy sum in your new TV set, don't skimp on the sound. Soundbars come in various price categories and perform well depending on their quality. A multiroom system - with an optional subwoofer for good bass - will further enhance the sound quality throughout your living room. These systems are usually set up via a WiFi or Bluetooth connection, so you don't have to worry about tedious connections.

Curves

Curved-screen TVs are more expensive than their flat counterparts. They're worth it if the screen is big enough, and if you sit close to the centre of the screen. You'll feel like you're in the film. However, this effect doesn't work on the sides; it can even be distracting.

The equipment

Television manufacturers like to invent new terms and features that seem essential, even if they don't ultimately tell us much. Pay attention to the following.

HDR technology

Briefly put, "High Dynamic Range" technology, commonly known as "HDR", offers, among other things, better contrast amplitude and more vivid colours. It must be supported by the television, video equipment and, above all, the player. There are two standards: HDR 10 (the most common) and Dolby Vision.

Most manufacturers are banking on Premium UHD certification, which means that their televisions comply with precise standards (as regards picture clarity, colour gamut or other characteristics). So you know that your television is transmitting the HDR signal in the best possible way. With Dolby Vision, each sequence or image is analysed and optimised, whereas normal HDR 10 technology only does this once for the whole film.

The Smart-TV

All TVs are smart these days, at least in theory. Almost every manufacturer has its own operating system that gives access to apps, YouTube, Netflix or Spotify. The RTS archives are also often just a click away. Pre-installed client-server software such as Plex also lets you access the content of your video or music library. In most cases, you can use your mobile phone as a remote control. Or send content from your smartphone to your TV using Google Cast or Screen Mirroring.
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Navigation is often more laborious than that to which our smartphones have accustomed us, even though Android-TV employs the same type of software, for example. Still, take a look at the extra features.

The connections

Unless you have a VHS player or an old games console, you pretty much only need HDMI cables. And the more you have the better, as there are several types. UHD is only supported from HDMI 1.4 upwards. That's 8.16 Gb/s. Since higher resolution requires greater data transfer, it requires a specific type of HDMI cable. If it's labelled 'Highspeed', it should suffice. But if you also want to play 4K content, ideally at a frequency of 60 Hz, you'll need an HDMI 2.0 cable, which reaches a maximum speed of 18 Gb/s.

Reception

If you're still watching traditional TV, ask about built-in tuners. However, you'll only need one if you use a smartcard or connect the aerial socket directly to your TV set via a cable. You are not affected if you use a Set-Top-Box from UPC or an aerial socket from Swisscom.

• DVB-T for digital aerial signal reception
• DVB-C for digital cable TV reception
• DVB-S for satellite signal reception

3D

Forget it; go to the cinema instead. Most new televisions don't even have this function any more. 3D failed to convince consumers. It wasn't developed enough, and the number of films was too limited.

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Philipp Rüegg

Senior Editor

Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.ch

Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur. more