If you are in the market for a new television, definitely consider its size relative to your home, resolution, HDR support, and other key points.
In the decades since the inception and popularization of the consumer TV, the process of actually purchasing a set has become steadily more complicated. Where once buying a TV was as simple as picking a box you were reasonably sure would fit in your living room, improvements in technology have made this decision much more multifaceted. You do still need to consider physical sizing, of course, but you also need to know about different display types, resolutions, operating systems, and other more advanced factors.
If it’s time to replace a worn-out TV for a room in your home, whether it’s the living room, a rec room, your bedroom, or wherever else, it’s important to know and understand the vital factors. Having all the knowledge you can before you purchase a prohibitively expensive device like a TV will ensure that said TV is the ideal one for whatever you plan on using it for. To that end, here are five of the biggest data points you should research on a TV before you hand over the cash.Physical sizing and distance to seats
The first and foremost thing to consider when purchasing a TV for any room is the TV’s actual size. Depending on your available space, a larger TV may not fit comfortably in the room you want to put it in, but a smaller TV may not be suitable for your needs. Look up the particular model you want online to find its dimensions, then get out a tape measure and line it up on your floor, shelf, or wherever else you’d like to put the TV to make sure it’ll fit.
In addition to the TV’s basic size, there’s another factor you have to consider: how close you plan on sitting to the TV, and your angle of viewing. Even if you could fit a massive TV in your living room, if the room itself isn’t that large, you’d be forced to sit right in front of it, where you likely wouldn’t be able to see the whole picture – one of the biggest mistakes you could make when buying a TV. Depending on the TV’s display type, which we’ll get into in detail in a bit, you also might not be able to see the picture clearly if you’re looking at the screen from an odd, sharp angle. If you can, try making a markup of the TV in front of your seat, then sit down to ensure you’ve got an optimal viewing position where you’re looking right at the whole screen.Safe weight for mounts and stands
In the olden days of boxy CRT TVs, you could place a set just about anywhere, and it could stand up just fine under its own power. In the age of flat screen displays, though, things have gotten a little trickier.
