Home entertainment is bigger than ever before and with so many different technologies and products available on the market, it can be difficult to know what to look for. From deciding the right resolution, to thinking about what screen technology appeals most to you, buying a TV is a purchase that takes time. It is important to make sure you pick the right TV for your home, viewing needs and budget.
To help you navigate the overwhelming number of brands, technologies and terminologies, our TV Buying Guide will guide you through the considerations you need to make to create the home entertainment system of your dreams. We will also show you some of our top picks.
WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR?
When you’re buying a new TV it’s important to think about how you use your current TV. Different homes will have different needs and so it is important to purchase a TV that will align with the things you and your family require. Some things you will need to consider are:
What do you like to watch: are you just a regular TV viewer or are you more of an avid movie fan that needs the clearest visuals? How you use your TV will determine what resolution your new TV should have.
Do you want a smart TV: a smart TV offers many uses such as browsing the web, streaming from online streaming services, and even allowing you to connect your TV to other smart devices so you can use your voice to control the TV. For some, a smart TV is an absolutely necessity, but for others it may not be important.
Do you like to game: some TV models will have smart gaming technologies including Variable Refresh Rates and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). If you’re a gamer, it would be worthwhile to consider purchasing a TV with these features.
What room will the TV go in: it’s important to match the size of your new TV to the space its going in. You’ll also need to think about whether you plan to mount your TV, if you plan to place it on your wall then you should make sure that it’s not too heavy for your wall to support it.
SIZE GUIDE
TV screens range in size from 30″ to a massive 88″. The TV size that will work in your home depends on the room size and how far you are from the screen. See our handy size guide below:
Room/Space
Size in inches
Ideal Seating Distance from TV
Bedrooms/Offices/Kitchens
45″ and smaller
1 – 1 ½ metres
Medium Lounge Rooms
55″ and larger
1 ½ – 2 metres
Larger Lounge Rooms/Home Theatres
70″ and larger
2 ½ metres +
RESOLUTION
The content you love to watch will impact on the resolution you should buy. TVs increase in price as their resolution increases, so it’s important to buy a TV that you’ll enjoy looking at which also meets your budget. The most common TV resolutions are:
HD: High Definition TV, also known as HD TV, is a higher resolution and picture quality than older standard definition TVs. HD TVs feature a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels.
Full HD: Full HD TV displays sharper images than a standard HD TV. Full HD content is the most common resolution found in free-to-air television shows. The resolution for Full HD is 1920 x 1080 pixels.
4K / Ultra HD: 4K TV, also referred to as Ultra HD or UHD, is four times the resolution of Full HD and provides greater clarity and depth in content. The resolution for 4K / Ultra HD is 3840 x 2160 pixels.
8K / Ultra HD: the newest wave of resolution technology is 8K. 8K Ultra HD has double the pixels of 4K, with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels. 8K provides incredible depth and detail and allows you to watch a bigger screen TV closer. Currently there are few commercial 8K content available but smart intelligence processors can upscale your existing content to 8K Ultra HD.
SCREEN DISPLAY
LED LCD TV: liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs are the most common TV technology available and use lamps to shine light through liquid crystal cells in the TV to present an image. You can have either a back-lit LCD or an edge-lit LCD. Edge-lit LCDs are thinner than back-lit LED TVs and the power consumption of edge-lit LCD TVs are much lower when compared to back-lit models.
OLED TV: this stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. Unlike LED TVs, each pixel in an OLED TV changes colour and emits light. This means that OLED screens do not need a separate light source and are typically thinner than LED TVs. With self-lighting pixels, OLED televisions can produce deep black tones, giving you even greater life-like image quality with rich and vibrant colours.
Mini LED: Mini LED is a display technology that uses miniature versions of regular LEDs to provide improved contrast and deeper shades of black. As they’re much smaller than regular LEDs, there are more Mini LEDs in the TV, displaying screen quality that is similar to OLED, without the costly price tag.
Quantum Dot: a quantum dot TV is essentially a newer type of LED-backlit LCD TV with dramatically enhanced colour. Quantum dots are nano-sized particles and do not use traditional filtering that back-lit LED LCD use which can ‘dull’ the brightness of the image. Quantum Dots display a wider range of brightness levels for more vivid colours.
NanoCell: NanoCell is a technology that uses nano (extremely small) particles that absorb unwanted light wavelengths, which allows the TV to achieve a purer and more true-to-life colour by filtering out the incorrect colour waves, providing a brighter and enhanced image. NanoCell is LG’s proprietary technology, meaning currently NanoCell TVs are an LG only product.
FUNCTIONALITY & TECHNOLOGIES
There are so many different TV technologies that it can seem a bit overwhelming at first to figure out exactly what you need. Some technologies are better suited to different conditions than others and some are more affordable, while others will inflate the TV price. Here are some definitions of the most popular TV functions so you can understand exactly what you’re shopping for:
HDR: High Dynamic Range, or HDR, refers to technology that allows a greater range of contrast and colour. HDR enables brighter whites and deeper blacks. The result is a more realistic and natural image.
HDR10+: HDR10+ differs from HDR10 in that HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata as opposed to static metadata. In other words, with HDR10+, every different scene in a movie uses different settings, whereas HDR10 uses the same settings throughout.
Dolby Vision: Dolby Vision is another type of HDR, which is a certification issued to TVs that meet strict minimum specifications for cinematic viewing. Dolby Vision will add greater depth, incredible contrast, and more colours than you thought possible to the movies, TV shows, and games you love. Dolby Vision unlocks the full potential of HDR technology by dynamically optimising the image quality to deliver mesmerising visuals every time.
Dolby Vision IQ: Dolby Vision IQ uses the TV’s built-in light sensors to adjust brightness to match the room’s light. This is ideal when you’re watching in a brightly lit room filled with afternoon sun.
Upscaling: processors in the TV reads content you’re watching and enhances it. Commonly found in 4K Ultra HD TVs, upscaling technology will upscale Full HD content to 4K Ultra HD. Many 8K TVs feature AI upscaling, which uses AI technology to convert any video type (SD to 4K and everything in-between) into 8K resolution.
Smart TV: a Smart TV is one that can connect to the internet. They usually have an interface on the TV to navigate to various options including Netflix, Facebook, YouTube and the web browser. More recently, Smart TVs can be controlled by voice, and they can be used to control other compatible smart home appliances like smart lights.
Lifestyle TVs: these types of TVs not only enable you to watch all your favourites, but they’re also capable of blending into your home lifestyle when not in use. Some TVs can be used to display works of art, showcase a collage of your own photos, or even blend into the wall to look like your wallpaper.
Samsung’s 65″ The Frame 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV allows you to enjoy the magic of watching TV but also displaying amazing artworks in your own home.
Beautiful Lifestyles: when you’re not watching TV, display a range of artworks, or even your own photographs to match your mood with Art Mode. The Frame TV is also customisable with additional frames available (sold separately) to suit your décor.
Stunning Pictures: powered by QLED technology, watch all your favourites with immersive colours and scenes aided by visual functions including AI Upscaling, Intelligent Mode for automatic fine-tuning and Adaptive Picture.
Immersive Audio: enjoy exceptional sound with the built-in up-firing speakers and True Dolby Atmos. This TV also features Object Tracking Sound to clearly project audio and with Q-Symphony compatibility, sound can be synced with a compatible Samsung soundbar for a surround-sound experience.
Intelligent Control: smart enabled, the Frame TV has Bluetooth connectivity and Screen Mirroring for content sharing. It also has built-in voice assistants like Bixby, Alexa and Google Assistant for simple voice control.
This LG OLED TV will transform your home viewing, no matter the genre of your favourite content the LG G2 4K Smart TV lets you enjoy them all with stunning images and sound.
Engineered for Excellence: with an OLED self-lit panel and a9 Gen 5 AI Processor, watch with brighter images as the processor reproduces images with vibrant visuals and detailed clarity.
Smarter Content: at a touch of a button, access popular apps like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Binge. This LG TV’s ThinQ AI gives viewing recommendations and is compatible with a range of smart assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple AirPlay 2 for easy voice control of entertainment.
Amazing Movie Nights: Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos technology helps to deliver a cinematic viewing experience. Be transported into another world with the AI Sound Pro function which intelligently transforms 2-channel audio into virtual 7.1.2 channel, so you feel like you’re in the middle of the action.
Suits any Decor: this LG OLED TV is crafted with a sleek Gallery Design that’s made to sit against your wall, with an optional table-top stand sold separately and use the Always Ready feature to show art, play music or display the time and weather when you’re not watching TV.
Perfect for any genre of entertainment whether that is watching live TV, streaming movies or playing games this TCL TV is sure to impress.
Impressive Visual Tech: featuring a Mini LED panel, Quantum Dot technology, Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, your home entertainment will be taken to the next level with incredibly immersive visuals and audio.
Limitless Watching: view built-in apps such as Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime and YouTube with a touch of a button, allowing you to quickly enjoy all your most-loved content. Plus, inclusion of the Google Play store means you can download apps and other content providers.
Smart Control: controlling your home entertainment is easy with Google Assistant. Adjust the volume, change channels or pause your content all with the hands-free voice control. This TV is also compatible with Alexa and Apple HomeKit so you can control it any way that suits you.
Perfect for Gaming: gamers will love the responsive play provided by the TV’s delay-free visuals with a range of technologies including a 144Hz Variable Refresh Rate, 200 Clear Motion Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).
Suitable for all genres of entertainment, this Hisense 65” 4K Mini LED Smart ULED TV is designed for enjoyment no matter what you watch.
Brilliant Visuals: powered by 4K Mini LED Pro, this TV features thousands of smaller LEDs over hundreds of dimming zones to deliver deeper shades of black with stronger contrast. See all your content with brighter colours and greater detail.
Adaptive Images: powered by a Hi-View Engine, this TV enhances pictures scene by scene, so that you can enjoy incredible images. Meanwhile, the Dolby Vision IQ & HDR 10+ Adaptive technology provides a powerfully cinematic visual experience.
Lag Free Content: watch action movies and sports at their best with the 200Hz Smooth Motion Rate, plus the Auto Sports Mode enables your TV to detect sports content and automatically switches modes so that you can see all the action, minus the lag.
Gamers Rejoice: gain the competitive edge the next time you game with the Game Mode Pro with HDMI 2.1 input and 4K@120Hz. The Game Mode’s Auto Low Latency Mode and Variable Refresh Rate reduces input lag so that you can quickly enjoy that winning feeling.
To get the best out of your home entertainment experience, view our full TV range to find the best one to suit your needs.
Home entertainment is bigger than ever before and with so many different technologies and products available on the market, it can be difficult to know what to look for. From deciding the right resolution, to thinking about what screen technology appeals most to you, buying a TV is a purchase that takes time. It is important to make sure you pick the right TV for your home, viewing needs and budget.
