What kind of hdtv to buy

In the future 8K TVs will surely get cheaper and more mainstream, but it will be years before they're worth considering for all but the richest TV buyers. Read more : What you need to know about 8K TV. Another big trend in gadgets, including TVs, is the ability to be controlled by voice commands.

Many TV remotes have built-in mics and "push to talk" functionality, for example to search for TV shows and movies, and many work with one or both of the two major voice assistants, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. A handful of newer TVs even have built-in mics that allow them to respond to a "Hey, Google" or "Alexa" wake word, much like a Google Nest or Echo speaker. And numerous models work with existing Alexa or Google speakers too. Voice control makes some tasks easier than using buttons on a remote.

You can not only search for TV shows and movies, but order pizza, play trivia games and music, and control lights and other smart home devices. Other activities, however, are still easier using the remote. Just count the number of devices you'll want to connect, and make sure your TV has at least that many HDMI ports or one or two extra if you'll be expanding.

USB inputs are nice for displaying photos, but hardly necessary. You only need to worry about the analog ports if you have an older device to connect; the Nintendo Wii is the classic HDMI-free offender. And of course you'll need an antenna input standard on nearly every TV if you're cutting the cord and want free over-the-air TV.

The latest HDMI 2. And yes, you should just buy the cheap HDMI cables. Even so, your next TV will likely have smart apps whether you use them or not. One advantage of built-in apps is that they're likely 4K and HDR if your TV supports those formats, whereas the cheapest external streamers are not.

Read more : Best streaming device in If you're planning on cutting the cable TV cord , or you have already, you might want to make sure the TV you get has a built-in over-the-air tuner. It will allow you to watch free local TV broadcasts, usually in higher quality than cable, satellite or streaming.

Read more : Cord cutter's guide to the best indoor antennas. If you aren't planning to use a universal model or the remote that came with your cable box, pay attention to the TV's included clicker. It's nice when it can command other gear directly so you can ditch those extra remotes. We prefer smaller, simple remotes with just a few buttons that consign most of the action to the screen.

Read more : Best universal remotes. Since TVs are basically furniture, manufacturers have concentrated on making their sets look nicer. Many TVs today look like almost all picture from the front, and when seen from the side or hung on a wall, the thin cabinets almost disappear. Other innovations include channels to hide wiring and, in the case of high-end Samsung TVs, a separate input box to further combat clutter. We don't have a favorite brand; instead we try to judge the TVs I test on their individual merits, largely ignoring brand cachet or reputation.

We don't test TVs over the long term, but from what we know all of the major brands are more or less equally reliable.

Some brands do perform more consistently better than others in my tests, or deliver remotes, smart TV systems or designs we prefer over competitors, but these can change on a fairly regular basis. Another way to answer that question is to check out our current list of best TVs.

Trick question! We believe the best TVs for watching pretty much anything are the TVs with the best black level, color and other standard performance characteristics not to mention the biggest screen.

Simply search for, or ask about, the conversion you require e. Many TVs will now record shows. However, most TVs will only do it for the program they're tuned to. Very few TVs have two tuners, allowing you to record one channel while you watch another.

If you think one tuner is going to be enough for you it could help reduce the number of boxes and remote controls in your TV room. Speaker performance is often overlooked when buying a television.

While sound from the latest thin TVs is improving, you'll generally get a better sound by adding a soundbar. We've introduced a listening panel to our testing to get a better idea of the overall sound quality a TV can deliver. Make sure the more commonly used buttons volume, channel selector, standby and mute can be located at a glance. If you have young children or an absentminded partner and your remote is likely to go missing, choose a TV with easily accessible controls on the TV itself.

The TV's model number tells you what year it was made — if you know how to decipher each brand's product code. Having this information up your sleeve means you can look for the latest model, or drive a hard bargain on an older model. Read more in our article How to bag a bargain TV. No, 3D is as dead as disco. However despite TV companies trying to make it a big deal, TV viewers weren't taking the bait and no new models support 3D.

Most and some TV models are 3D-compatible. If you're looking for a 3D TV we suggest you look for a passive system rather than active because the glasses are lighter, cheaper and they work just as well. However, we don't think you should be making a buying decision based on 3D; rather, look for the best picture for normal HD video. Not so much a passing fad as a marketing gimmick, the refresher rate Hz is the number of times in a second that the screen is refreshed.

Supposedly the higher the number often expressed in Hz the smoother the image, particularly with sports. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true and manufacturers have taken to making up new ways to measure Hz, which just gives them big numbers to put on the box.

Ignore the Hz figures and look at the image on the screen. Some manufacturers claim a curved TV screen correlates to the shape of the human eye, while others simply admit it looks impressive. Freeview is simply the brand behind free-to-air TV i. It integrates the EPG electronic program guide , or onscreen program guide, which should be easy to navigate and read.

Most TVs also support Freeview Plus. This adds support for catch-up TV apps such as iView and 7plus, so you watch what you want when you want. However, for all this to work you need your smart TV connected to the internet through your home network, as the catch-up TV is delivered to you via streaming video. If you don't touch the screen and leave fingerprints behind, there's really no need for anything but the occasional dusting.

But there are a few tips to keep your TV in good condition. Firstly, don't clean the TV while it's on. Once you know which type of TV you want, you can focus on getting the right size screen, and on a few other important features and performance characteristics. You can see more details below.

CR members can get test reports and complete details on more than sets in our TV ratings. Consumer Reports also has advice on streaming media players , sound bar speakers , and antennas , along with ratings of internet and cable TV services. LCD TVs are getting better. One reason is the rollout of full-array LED backlights, where LEDs are arranged across the entire back of the panel, rather than just along the edges of the screen.

That design is combined with a feature called local dimming, where the LEDs are divided into zones that can be illuminated or darkened separately. By shrinking the size of the LEDs in the backlight, companies can pack more of them together into the same area.

These are divided into dimmable zones, and because the LEDs are so small, there can be a lot of them—say, a thousand zones, instead of the dozens found in even the best LCD sets up until now. And the zones can be controlled more precisely.

Mini LEDs can increase the dynamic range of the TV, the difference between the brightest whites and deepest blacks the screen can show. More OLEDs are on the way. One implication of all this is that you should be able to find some less expensive OLED options. One reason is that the extra detail you get with these TVs—which have 33 million pixels, compared with 8 million in a 4K set—is mainly evident only in the largest TVs.

These new 8K televisions are very expensive, too. But this year, we are seeing more 8K sets from more brands, in screen sizes starting at 65 inches.

While all those millions of extra pixels promise sharper, more detailed images than what you can currently get with 4K UHD TVs, that doesn't mean an 8K set makes sense for most people. Over-the-air TV is advancing, too. This refers to a standard for broadcasting signals over the air. Next-Gen TV is still available in just a few areas of the country, but more are coming.

The standard lets TV signals carry a lot more data, so broadcasters can start offering 4K programs and movies with HDR that get beamed to ordinary television antennas. With Next-Gen TV, you may eventually be able to get TV shows and other content on smartphones, tablets, and even in moving vehicles. Broadcasters are also promising improvements in emergency and weather alert systems.

Only a few sets come with one. However, you probably don't need to worry about that if you're television shopping. Though TV shoppers are seeing new technology in , a lot of the basic information you need to choose a TV has remained the same. Below is what you need to understand about screen size and other factors to make an informed decision. Remember when a inch TV seemed gigantic?

Well, TVs with and inch screens are now commonplace. In , the popularity of bigger sets is continuing. Paul Gagnon, a senior research director at market research firm Omdia, says he expects to inch TVs—mainly inch sets—to account for 18 percent of U. And even bigger TVs, 70 inches and larger, should account for 10 percent of sales.

There are no hard-and-fast rules for determining the right size TV—personal preference, the field of view, and even visual acuity come into play. However, if you'd like some guidance, you can try one of the many free online calculators available, or apply the following equation. You can simply reverse the arithmetic if you want to start out with the viewing distance. Measure the distance from your couch to the TV in feet, divide that number by 1.

You can make the math even simpler if you just measure everything in inches. These days, just about all larger sets are 4K UHD models. Because these TVs have more densely packed pixels, you can go larger, and your seating distance can be as close as the screen diagonal itself. Just remember that the goal is to create a comfortable, immersive viewing experience. One unusual development this year is that TV prices actually rose across the board, for reasons ranging from component shortages to higher shipping costs.

Below are rough price ranges for several screen sizes. In general, the bigger the screen, the more expensive the set. Of course, performance matters, too—for a given price you can often get a smaller screen with better performance or a larger screen with less performance.

It's still far too soon to know if either of these newer formats will have much impact on the market. There are a few dozen movies in the new 4K Blu-ray disc format, with a growing number of HDR shows available via streaming services, like Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Some new 4K Blu-ray players also promise to be upgradable to handle the new HDR discs, but check before you buy. Bottom Line : Don't choose a set just for its HDR support because the standard has not yet been settled. However, if you want the best, buy an HDR set that is compatible with Dolby Vision, as that format seems to be gaining momentum.

The refresh rate, expressed in Hertz Hz describes how many times per second a picture is refreshed on the screen. The standard refresh rate is 60 times per second, or 60 Hz. So, to create a more solid picture, manufacturers doubled the refresh rate to Hz and in some cases up to Hz. Since there aren't that many per-second images in original video content, TVs handle the faster refresh rates in different ways.

One method is to simply insert black images between the original pictures, tricking the viewer's eyes into seeing a less blurry, more solid picture. Another technique is to generate and insert new images — showing a state of movement in between the two adjacent pictures — to display more realistic-looking motion. However, depending on how the video-processing is done, it can make a movie or sitcom look flat, or as if it were a poorly lit, old-time soap opera. Some new models are boasting High-Frame Rate HFR support, which means that they have both a higher refresh rate and added support for content with higher than 60 Hz frame rates.

With HFR content set to come from both movies and live broadcats, and HFR will be especially good for live sports, so it's definitely a feature to watch out for. Gamers will be especially keen to get higher refresh rates, but if you're using a gaming console, 60 Hz is the sweet spot.

Most gaming consoles top out at 60 frames per second, and even the best 4K gaming TVs offer the best performance well below the Hz we suggest for other content. A word of caution: beware of terms like "effective refresh rate," which means the actual frame rate is half the stated rate e.

Everything else is done with video processing, not a refresh of the screen. It may seem like an afterthought, but pay attention to the number of HDMI inputs a set has.

Manufacturers looking to shave costs may offer fewer HDMI plugs on the back. These ports can get used up quickly: Add a sound bar, a Roku or Chromecast and a game console, and you've used three ports already. The newer HDMI 2. By matching the TV refresh rate to the frame rates of you content source — in this case the graphics card inside your game console or PC — you'll get smoother action and zero screen tearing.

It also adds higher frame rates for 4K video and richer HDR data that will allow adjustments at the scene level for more-precise backlighting control. As of now, we've seen HDMI 2. And HDMI 2. Still confused about the different ports on your TV? Checkout the best HDM2. Many of these TVs can dynamically light up specific portions of the screen and dim other parts to better represent a mix of light and dark areas in a scene — a feature known as active dimming or local dimming.

One hidden feature separating the budget TVs from the premium models is backlighting. With several different types of LED backlighting used in modern TVs, it pays to knwo the difference between the different options. Check out TV backlights explained: Edge-lit vs. Another LCD technology, called quantum dots, is becoming more common, spurred on by the requirements of HDR to produce a wider array of colors and more brightness.

The result is a wider color spectrum and increased brightness. Pros : Wide array of prices, sizes and features; Some affordable Ultra HD 4K models; Bright screens visible even in a sunny room; Image quality steadily improving with full-array backlighting and quantum-dot technology.

Cons : Exhibits imperfections when displaying rapid motion, as in sports; Loses some shadow detail because pixels can't go completely black even with full-array backlighting ; Images fade when viewing from the side off-axis. In place of a backlight, OLEDs use a layer of organic LEDs, controlled at the pixel level, to achieve absolute black and stunning levels of contrast.

Footage of fireworks against a black sky is a favorite demonstration of OLED technology. The best-in-class display technology is seen exclusively on 4K and 8K sets, and range in size from 55 inches on up to 75 inches or larger. Cons : Premium prices; lower peak brightness than some LCD sets, uncertainty about how screens will fare over time, including whether they will retain "ghost" images also known as burn-in from displaying a static picture for too long.

But the TV industry is always readying new technologies, and new jargon to go with it. While technologies like micro-LED and mini-LED are still new and relatively rare, you can buy TVs with the new tech now, so keep an eye on our coverage to find out about new features as they arrive.

An increasing number of sets come with built-in Wi-Fi for connecting Internet-based services like Netflix for streaming videos or to run apps for watching special-interest programs, downloading on-demand movies, playing games or even posting to Facebook.

The latest models can even search for content across streaming services and live programming on cable and satellite. The interfaces are generally getting better.

Vizio, LG and now Samsung use a handy bar of icons at the bottom of the screen. While most smart TVs include the major services, such as Pandora, Hulu and Netflix, check to make sure the TV you buy has the options you want.

Our guides to common questions about smart TVs and comparison of smart TV platforms are good places to start. With movies and shows offered by services from Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube, it's quick and easy to find both 4K resolution and HDR-enabled content — easier than finding Blu-rays with the desired formats. The only concern is whether your internet connection can provide enough bandwidth.