TV Buying Guide
Welcome to our television buying guide. We have summarized the most important information you need to know when buying a TV, in an easy to understand format. We have also provided additional resources at the bottom if you wish to get more detailed information.
Types of Televisions
There are three different types of televisions you should be considering today: LED/LCD, QLED, and OLED.
| Type | Definition | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LED/LCD | Light-Emitting Diode / Liquid-Crystal Display | The oldest technology of the three. Although often grouped together, LED is the much better of the two which offers better brightness, colors, and contrast |
| QLED | Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode | The next step up from LED. Offers better colors and brightness. QLED are not typically found in smaller screen sizes. |
| OLED | Organic Light-Emitting Diode | Considered the best. Offers the highest levels of contrast and most realistic colors. |
Resolution
Resolution refers to the number of pixels displayed that make up the picture on your Television. The higher the resolution, the better your picture will be as it provides a more clear and detailed image.
| Name | Resolution (Horizontal x Vertical pixels) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 1920 x 1080 | Also known as High-Definition (HD) |
| UHD | 3840 x 2160 | Ultra High Definition (UHD) is four times higher the resolution than 1080p |
| 4K | 4096 x [varies] | The most common resolution for new TVs. While 4k is technically different, it is often used interchangeably with UHD. |
| 8K | 7680 x 4320 | Since most services do not offer content in 8K yet, it's probably not worth buying at this point |
Top Brands
| Brand | Headquarters | Founded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Electronics |  South Korea |
1969 | The largest TV manufacturer. Known for their QLED TVs. They excel with their high-end models. |
| LG Electronics | South Korea |
1958 | Second largest TV manufacturer next to Samsung. Similar to Samsung, their best TVs are their high-end models. Known for their OLED TVs. |
| Sony |  Japan |
1958 | A pioneer in LED and OLED TVs. Known for their OLED TVs, and X1 Extreme processor. Direct competitor to LG. |
| Hisense |  China |
1969 | Known for offering a vast selection of quality models at budget friendly prices. Biggest competitor to TCL. Newer models come with either Android TV or Roku media player. |
| TCL | China |
1981 | Provide low prices with excellent budget and midrange TVs. One of the fastest growing manufactures. Most newer midrange models come with built-in Roku media player. |
| Vizio |  United States |
2002 | The newest manufacturer of the top brands. Similar to TCL and Hisense, they offer TVs at a low price-point and provide great value. All Vizio SmartCast models work with Amazon Alexa. |
| Skyworth | China |
1988 | Lesser known brand, but offer a wide range of televisions using the latest technologies. Newer models come with Google voice command. |
| Panasonic | Japan |
1988 | Once known for their plasma TVs, are now focusing on OLED models. They stopped selling to the US market in 2016 though. |
Optimal Screen Size
Your optimal screen size depends on how far away you will be sitting, and also the resolution of your television. For 4k Ultra HD Televisions, you can have a higher screen size compared to a 1080p resolution. The following chart gives you a general range for optimal screen size.
| Screen Size | Optimal Distance (1080p) | Optimal Distance (4k) |
|---|---|---|
| 35" | 4.4 - 7.3 Feet | 2.9 - 4.4 Feet |
| 40" | 5 - 8.3 Feet | 3.3 - 5 Feet |
| 45" | 5.6 - 9.4 Feet | 3.8 - 5.6 Feet |
| 50" | 6.3 - 10.4 Feet | 4.2 - 6.3 Feet |
| 55" | 6.9 - 11.5 Feet | 4.6 - 6.9 Feet |
| 60" | 7.5 - 12.5 Feet | 5 - 7.5 Feet |
| 65" | 8.1 - 13.5 Feet | 5.4 - 8.1 Feet |
| 70" | 8.8 - 14.6 Feet | 5.8 - 8.8 Feet |
| 75" | 9.4 - 15.6 Feet | 6.3 - 9.4 Feet |
| 80" | 10 - 16.7 Feet | 6.7 - 10 Feet |
| 90" | 11.3 - 18.8 Feet | 7.5 - 11.3 Feet |