Today, almost every one of us watches TV, and for most people this is the main source of information. Old models are replaced by new ones, and we are faced with the problem of choice.
Let's try to figure out how to choose an LED TV and find out which diagonal is right for your apartment. Everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. Let's start from the very beginning.
What everyone should know about LED technology
First you need to figure out the name itself. LED is an LCD TV equipped with LED backlighting. By the way, this type of backlighting has a lot of advantages, but about that not now. LEDs are located, or rather can be located over the entire area of the LCD matrix or only along the edges.
When choosing, check with our consultants how exactly the location of the backlight is made here. Best of all, if the lamps are around the entire perimeter of the matrix, this solution gives an optimally saturated picture. And right away I would like to say that the image is incredibly high quality. This is especially noticeable when looking at dynamic scenes. Now let's talk about how to choose an LED TV for your home. The first parameter by which a purchase is made is the screen size.
How to choose the diagonal of your LED TV?
It's safe to say that the viewing experience on a large screen is much brighter than on a small one. It is worth paying your attention to the fact that the diagonal is counted in inches, if it is more convenient for you to calculate in centimeters, then in one inch 2.54 cm. The choice should be based on the size of the room.
Due to the wide range, and in stores you can see TVs with a diagonal of 10 to 80 inches, you will have the opportunity to install equipment in the nursery, kitchen, living room, etc. For a large room, it is recommended to choose a diagonal of at least 32-42 inches and sit at least 3 meters from the screen. Such a TV will perfectly fit into the hall, but in a small kitchen it will only interfere. Do not forget that as the screen increases, so does the cost of equipment, so choose carefully. If you buy a TV that is too small, you will not be able to enjoy all the pleasures of LED technology, too large is expensive and cumbersome.
About resolution and format
For an image to be of high quality and have high detail, it must have a high resolution. In the store above the point of interest to us, you can see the following numbers: 1920x1080. In this case, we have 1920 pixels horizontally and, correspondingly, 1080 pixels vertically. The higher these values are, the better. Digital television HDTV is also very demanding for this parameter. Even if you take two absolutely identical TVs, then a better picture will be on the one where there are more pixels.
To watch movies in HD quality, buy equipment with the following resolution: for 720p quality - 1280: 720, for 1080i - 1920: 1080. Then it's up to you to decide. If you do not plan to watch movies and broadcasts in high quality, then it will be enough to purchase a TV with standard definition. Today, you can recreate a real cinema, for this, the 21: 9 format and the 2560x1080 resolution are suitable. We now know how to choose the diagonal of an LED TV, so we will consider other important parameters.
Pay attention to the frame rate
This parameter is responsible for the smoothness of the image transfer. In simple terms, the high frame rate allows you to get an exceptionally high-quality image on the screen. This is especially true for dynamic moments. For example, at a refresh rate of 50 Hz, there was a noticeable flickering of the display, but today there are already TVs with values of 1,000 Hz and above.
Of course, you can assert as much as you like that the higher this parameter, the more enjoyable it is to watch a movie or program, and this is correct. But there is one "but" here. The fact is that for the human eye there is a certain threshold, after which the difference is almost imperceptible. That is why it is recommended to stop at around 100 Hz. This will be enough for comfortable viewing. You will get clarity, smoothness, and excellent dynamic scenes.
Which LED TV should you choose?
Now we are talking about the advanced parameters of the technique, and not about any particular brand. The more advanced features there are, the more enjoyable your viewing will be. Pay attention to such an important indicator as response time. This parameter is responsible for the fastest possible color change. Therefore, the shorter the time, the less blur on the screen. Values in the range of 2-8 milliseconds completely eliminate the effect of blurring. This will be the optimal solution.
Contrast allows you to distinguish a lot of shades. But again, the capabilities of the human eye are limited here, although LED technologies allow you to fully enjoy the variety and saturation of the color gamut. There is one interesting feature here, which is that the TV itself determines the optimal parameters for a particular scene. If the action takes place at night, you get deep dark colors, if during the day - bright colors. Contrast ratios can currently be as high as 5,000,000: 1, but a lower value should be sufficient for you.
Offering an obscenely large discount? Think about it!
Usually, buyers do not know which LED TV to choose and rely on the opinion of consultants, but the employees of a particular digital technology store are completely dependent on the instructions of the manager. When you receive an incredibly lucrative offer, immediately think: "Why is it so cheap?" It is possible that the technique does not have any defects, but it is definitely not devoid of various shortcomings.
Insufficient viewing angle is one of the popular reasons why seemingly great TVs are not bought. Remember that the recommended angle at which distortion is considered minimal is 120 degrees. If the model has a lower figure, go around it. If you are not in front of the TV, but on the side, you are unlikely to be able to watch it normally. Most LED TVs today have a fairly wide viewing angle - 170-178 degrees.
Tuner connectivity
Every modern TV has a built-in electronic unit, its name is a tuner. He is responsible for receiving a signal (satellite, digital, terrestrial). As a rule, there is one built-in tuner, rarely two. This allows you to watch several channels on one TV at the same time.
Of course, all this is done subject to the connection of additional equipment. For example, one signal will go from the antenna, and the second should come from a computer or flash card. In principle, it is difficult to say unequivocally whether it makes sense to buy a TV with several tuners. The overpayment will be quite high, so think about it several times before choosing. In any case, it is recommended to choose an LED TV by parameters. We will talk about this now.
Types of tuners
There are currently three types: analog, digital and hybrid. Analog - the simplest, allows you to receive a signal from a conventional antenna or cable TV. It is safe to say that today this type of tuner is used less and less. Digital television is gaining popularity.
The presence of an appropriate tuner allows you to enjoy high quality picture. Absolutely all models of modern LED-backlit TVs provide for a tuner for receiving a digital signal. There is also a hybrid option. It is easy to conclude that this is a combination of digital and analog signals. In principle, today this is the best option, so if there is such an opportunity, give preference to a hybrid tuner.
3D TV: buy or not?
And here's another interesting point that raises questions from many buyers. The presence of this function allows you to view films, programs both in regular format and in three-dimensional. So you can not even go to the cinema, just buy special glasses and enjoy watching. Basically, if you are not very limited in the budget and do not mind periodically watching new movies, it is recommended to choose an LED 3D TV.
In most cases, you will receive special glasses in the kit. Of course, there are some nuances here. For example, when buying a Samsung technology with 3D support, you need to buy 3D glasses from the same manufacturer. This is due to the fact that others may not fit, although this should be clarified before purchasing. You should immediately prepare for a high price, which is about 10-15% higher than a regular LED TV.
How to choose a quality product from Samsung?
It's no secret that this manufacturer is one of the digital giants. This company produces exceptionally high quality goods. Let's take a look at how to choose a Samsung LED TV. There are several important details here. First, look out for digital TV support as some models still use an analog tuner.
Secondly, if you are going to use the device to connect to the Internet, check the possibility of connecting a wireless keyboard. By the way, pay attention to the number of USB ports, it is better that there are more than 2 of them. It is desirable that the frame refresh rate is at least 90-100 Hz, this is the only way you can get an image that is ideal for the human eye. If there is 3D support, pay attention to the image depth, as many users complain that this indicator is at a low level.
Glossy or matte finish?
Large TV companies supply both types of coverage to the market. In principle, this is good, especially if you consider that some people like the gloss, while others think that viewing is more pleasant on a matte finish. Gloss allows you to get a brighter and more contrasting image, but at the same time, when exposed to sunlight or artificial lighting, viewing is very difficult, since the rays are reflected and glare appears.
As for the matte finish, everything is exactly the opposite. Glare and reflections are absent, but the picture is not as bright and contrasting. As you understand, it's up to you to decide, here it is difficult to advise something specific. Love to watch TV in the evening without lighting - definitely gloss. For daytime use, a matte finish is better. Since it will be quite simple to choose the right LED TV in this case, there should be no problems.
We have already figured out how to choose an LED TV. A 40-inch diagonal should be sufficient for a medium-sized living room. At the same time, watching films in both regular and 3D formats will be optimal. When purchasing, carefully examine the back of the device. Popular interfaces and connectors such as HDMI, USB, D-Sub, Scart and others should be present there. Thanks to all this, you can connect a computer, keyboard and mouse, if necessary, watch movies from a flash card and much more. As for the control methods, there are several of them today, in all cases - this is a remote control. The only difference is that it can be a remote control, a smartphone or a tablet. Of course, it's much more common to use a regular remote control.
Conclusion
Well, here we are with you and figured out how to choose an LED TV. Refresh rate, resolution, screen diagonal - all this must be taken into account.
Do not forget that this is a very expensive technique, the warranty period in most cases is 3 years, but in practice, with proper operation, everything will work much longer. That is why it is important to choose all the parameters correctly.
Of all the important details, devote the most time to the choice of diagonal, resolution, tuner and backlight. As for the last parameter, today there are a lot of solutions for its placement. This is, for example, a full array with local dimming (LEDs themselves react to the situation and change their brightness). In addition, there is a side illumination (light sources are located at the edge, there are no in the center). And, of course, don't forget about the manufacturer. Such giants as "Samsung", "Sony" or "Philips" will make watching a movie just a fairy tale, after which you will not want to return to reality.
