The all important question every guy has when he gets his chance to add his “man-design” to the pink and blue painted living room his wife just surprised him with, (I feel sorry for you if you have that color room), is “What is the best Television for the money”?
Unfortunately, if you walk into almost any electronics department, you will be immediately descended upon by the vultures of retail, who want nothing more than to suck your already thin wallet dry instead of sending you home with something you really want/can afford. This is where your OurMobileWorld tech experts will save you!
A Few Tips For Getting Started:
First step in selecting a TV is to know what your budget is. This is going to require you to sit down and see what your budget allows you to spend. Remember to factor in Blu-ray/DVD players, sound systems, entertainment centers, wall mounts, cords, media and furniture. Spend too much and you won’t get the full experience, spend too little and there is a chance you’ll be disappointed, (however, not if you get a sweet deal!). When you get to the store, show your guns straight up! Tell them what your budget is and all the piece of equipment you want and see what they can come up with.
Next step is measurements, measurements! You definitely may not want to get the biggest TV that you see as you walk into the store, and not too small so that you have to wear tri-bi-quadruple-bifocals. Here are my suggestions from my experience of being an electronics salesman for 4+ years:
Distance (Feet)
|
Minimum Size* (In)
|
Maximum Size* (In)
|
4-8 Feet
|
19”
|
37”
|
8-10 Feet
|
26”
|
47”
|
10-14 Feet
|
42”
|
60”
|
14+ Feet
|
55”
|
112”+
|
*TV size is measured diagonally
Now, before you go and just buy any size, if you have an existing space then you will need exact measurements to make sure that you won’t have to guess.
How much light is in your room? Is it usually bright, dark or somewhere in between when you usually watch tv? Again, here are some of my suggestions for specific type of rooms. When we talk about Dark, Mid-Bright and Lots of Light rooms, this is how bright it is when you watch TV 90% of the time.
Dark Rooms: Plasma TV's are the best for dark rooms, while they usually will have very reflective screens, their colors are usually some of the best, and the not so bright back light will keep you from squinting or being blind after the movie when you're trying to find the light switch. While you can turn down the brightness/contrast on a LCD/LED HDTV's, I wouldn't recommend that as it seems to take some of the vividness out of the color in my mind.
Mid-Bright Rooms: (Rooms that are lit with a few lights or has one or two windows. LCD or LED HDTV's are going to be your best bet here. If you have a bright light or a window directly across from the TV depending on where you are sitting, remember not to get one that has a reflective screen, otherwise all you will see is the window or the light.
Lots of Light Rooms: LED TV's are really the best option for this, they tend to have very bright screens and some even come with an anti-glare screen that combined with the brightness of the screen should remove or reduce most glare from windows or lights.
If you want to test the glare of a screen, take a bright LED flashlight with you and shine it directly at a TV. A little embarrassing to do, but it works.
If you don't want to be as direct, go to a Sam's Club or Costco (avoid Wal-Mart's/Targets etc, (for this test), and such because their lighting in the TV area isn't great), get close to the TV and look where the lights in the roof should be. Because they have to light the building with really bright lights, this will give you a great test on how reflective the screen is.
Now determine the features you want in a TV. Do you want 1080p, 120hz with WiFi built-in? LED/LCD/Plasma, how many HDMI, video and audio inputs are you going to need? Do you need an audio out to go to your home theater system?
Now you’re ready to go out shopping! When you are in the store, stand back the distance that your couch would be from the TV! Don't get sucked into standing right next to the TV or sitting on the couch that's too far away.
Here is the most important part of all! If you have different options, don’t let the salesman tell you which one is best. You will love your TV if you make the choice on which one has the best picture. Everyone's eyes are different and you might like something different from what the sales guy tells you is the best. Remember, what they are usually showing in the store is High Definition, so if you want the exact same picture, you may have to upgrade other things! (Back to your budget...)
Don’t be afraid to shop for TVs. You have all the information you need and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Let them know what you want and you will have a more pleasant buying experience.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me @ nick.dennis801@gmail.com
