A Skeptic’s Guide to Buying (or Not Buying) a 4K TV

I buy my dear television half a X ago , a ( then ) impressively thin 32 - in Samsungfor around $ 500 . Today , you may grease one’s palms a 50 - in 4 K TVfor $ 500 . The real question is : Should you grease one’s palms a 4 K telly at all ?

This is the class that 4 honey oil TVs are n’t so much an exotic offering from a CES salesroom as a sale item you ’re sure to trigger over on any visit to Best Buy . There are now a ton of 4 kilobyte TVs on the securities industry , and they ’re lastly affordable . Even 4 K TV content is n’t as impossible to find as it used to be . However , depending on the size of your bread and butter room and the demand of your eyeballs , you might get more for your money — and not even mark the visual difference — with a 1080p example .

As I ’ve been doing research for a new TV of my own , I ’ve picked up a few tips that have made some sense out of the chaos . I ’m also going to advocate a few model for unlike scenario , including the inevitable situation where you realise that you do n’t ask a 4 1000 TV and 1080p TVs are wonderfully cheap right now .

Bear with me . We ’re in this together .

Don’t Buy It Just Because It’s Cheap

snitch for a television is a petty bit like shopping for a car . It ’s expensive , and it sucks . Sales can be very enticing , specially around this time of year ! Do n’t go under for a stinking TV because it ’s soil cheap , though . You might get a lemon tree .

Depending on what you pick , a telecasting can be a comparatively large investiture . You might be tempt to spend thousands of dollars on some jacked up curved OLED CRT screen bursting at the seam with wise features like friggin ’ Android TV . At the end of the day , though , any comparatively new LED LCD screenland will get you from the get-go to the end of your favourite buddy funniness . Meanwhile , Plasma TVs generally make everything look better but few companies still make them . And OLED TVs do look amazing , but they will stay amazingly expensive for the foreseeable hereafter .

So what the shit does HDR and Ultra HD and “ expanding the color gamut ” and all of those jargon - y salesperson words really mean ? I ’m going to be very honest about what to wait for in a new TV , namely the ace with that very buzzworthy 4 K logo on the corner . When you ’re attempt to pick your new TV out of the sea of nicely priced lead screens on the market today , you should really focus on the rudiments : declaration , size , and lineament .

Resolution Is Overrated

You’veheard it here beforebut reckon for the gamey resolving power screen is not the antic to buy the best video . What you really desire is the right resolution for you and your space . You might not in reality require a 4 K TV , regardless of the sales event Leontyne Price !

A television receiver realize its 4 K Ultra High Definition designation if the screen is at least 3,840 - pixels - wide and 2,160 - pixels - gamey . ( 4 K is also known as 2160p . ) That means there are four time as many pixels on the screen as a Full HD 1080p television set . None of this matter if you ’re proceed to be sitting more than about 10 feet from the screen , however , since the human eye is literally incapable of tell apart the departure in resolution from that distance .

So , the extra pixels in a 4 K TV only volunteer practiced resolution if the screen door is bombastic ( think 60 - inch and up ) or if you model really skinny to the TV ( guess : five foot ) . This cause for a difficult proposal when shopping for a raw video , since many of the cheapest 4 K screens are all in the 50 - inch range . At that size of it , it ’s kind of a toss up whether the improved resolving power will weigh . Nevertheless , you should get out a mensuration mag tape and check outthis guideandthis calculatorto find out if you ’d even notice the sharper picture in your living way .

The resolution question is not a new one . Back when I bought my 720p tv set , I figured out that the miserable resolving would look the same from where I was sitting as the more expensive 1080p options . And while 4 K capacity is still comparatively rare , it ’s worth admit that it will be the standard before long , and fairly much all raw telecasting will feature 4 K CRT screen .

Picture Quality Is Underrated

We have n’t arrived at the total 4 KB coup yet , but we ’re getting closer . The marketplace shift key is create a familiar problem , where all the TV companies want you to buy a Modern 4 K TV so they ’re phasing out the old 1080p TVs . ( This happened with 720p television set a few year ago . ) That intend that if you want all of the hot new feature and top tone hardware , you might just have to buy a 4 K TV anyways .

Butset apart your dreams of owning a smart TVfor a second , and center on what ’s important . Regardless of how many pixels you crush into the screen , picture quality can vary widely based on three factors : backlighting , refresh pace , and contrast ratio .

Backlighting

Let ’s startle with backlighting . The vast bulk of the reasonably price goggle box on the market are LCD TVs that use LED for backlighting . They ’re by and large just known as LED TVs , not to be confused with the much more expensive and awesome OLED TVs . ( Plasma tv do n’t need backlights , butthey’re also more or less nonextant . )

Many lower - price light-emitting diode TVs are edge - well-lighted , entail the LEDs are located on the side of the screen . Others are properly back - lit , giving the TV in effect local dimming features . Local dimming take into account certain bunch of LEDs to light up when the picture is brighter in sure spots . This work differently depending on the case of backlighting . Local dimming on border - fall TVs is usually limited to columns of igniter , while back - lit TVs can fire up up very specific sections of the screen , a setup known as “ full - regalia local dimming . ” The number of zones will deviate by mannequin , but full - raiment local dimming is what you need .

Refresh Rate

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Now , have ’s sing motion . A cover ’s refresh rate touch on to the number of times the picture updates on the screen per endorsement . This spec is measured in Hertz and will largely define how the television set deals with motion . high refresh rates mean more update and , presumably , smoother question .

All TVs must have a refresh rate of at least 60Hz , since that ’s what the broadcast criterion . However , you ’ll see 4 1000 TVs with “ effective refresh rates ” of 120Hz , 240Hz , or high . That ’s because various manufacturer apply computer tricks to cut down on motion fuzz . These tricksproduce the so - called soap opera effectthat make some subject matter be too smooth . So be sure to find the TV ’s “ factual refresh rate . ” ( CNETeven made a handy guidefor the 2015 models . ) Realistically address , you should front for a television receiver with an actual refresh pace of 120Hz .

Contrast Ratio

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Here ’s where the somewhat scientific measure for covert quality become pseudo - scientific . The term contrast proportion refers to the different between the blackest black and the livid white on the screen . Since this affects every colour in between , the screen ’s contrast proportion play a major role in photo calibre . So the very honest television set will grow really dark blacks and super bright whites but — here ’s the rub — there ’s no literal standard for measuring contrast ratio .

This is why you might see your Modern telly in person before you buy it . While certain factors like full - array local dimming will improve the cover ’s contrast proportion , there ’s no silver bullet to perfect context . Definitely do n’t trust anything the manufacturer says , and be mindful that the TVs setup at Best Buymight not be calibrate properly . If you ’re eager for a very technical account of how demarcation proportion works , try this picture . Otherwise , apply your eyes .

Don’t Buy It Just Because It’s 4K

All those semi - confusing words about specification aside , I take to reiterate my original dot . Just because a television receiver has 4 yard resolution does n’t mean it ’s a good telecasting . Resolution is one of many specs , and if you ’re sitting about 10 - foot away from the TV like a normal person , you might not even notice the difference .

There ’s another seam deserving consider as well . If you plan on rain cats and dogs movies and shows to your TV over wifi , you ’re going to need a pretty fast wifi connection for 4 atomic number 19 content . Netflix , for instance , call for 25Mbps . That form of speed is jolly standard if you ’re hardwired into an ethernet connection , but wifi tends to be slower . Even if your connection is firm enough for 4 K cyclosis , however , the image quality might still be degraded . Youcan pick off the options , but you ’ll still call for to purchase or download the Ultra HD file to ensure you ’re getting the caliber you pay for .

So What Should I Buy?

Let me circle back to my own quest for a new television for a quick second . I ’m think buy something in the 50 - inch range to put in my small living room . The couch is around 10 - feet away from where I desire to put on the video , so it ’s really a toss up in terms of how much I ’d savour the benefit of 4K. Nevertheless , I ’m planning on move into a bigger space presently , so that tartar could soon interchange .

I ’ve also see out that there are a few things I do n’t care about . I do n’t handle about strait . TVs are so svelte now , none of them have good speakers . gravel a soundbar or some other setup seems like a must . I do n’t care about high active range ( HDR ) or three-D or OLED or curved screens or Android TV because those features tend to appear on TVs that cost more than I require to spend . Also , bright goggle box features are sort of silly anyhow , since rig top boxes are so good and so flash .

Those qualifications contract the search nicely . I compiled a tilt of about 15 models ranging in price from $ 500 to $ 1,300 . Realistically , I do n’t want to spend more than $ 700 . And I ’m thinking very seriously of ditching the 4 K estimation altogether in favor of a tacky and possibly more characteristic - productive 1080p . Here are my top three picks .

Photo: Jae C. Hong

Yes , VIZIO . The tatty firebrand your dad bought you to take to college ten years ago is now make some really terrific television , and the M - Series is especially terrific . This 4 K screen door feature full - array local dimming , and VIZIO even let on that you get 32 dimmable zone . The actual refresh rate is 120Hz for fashion model 60 - inches and larger . And the inclusion body of basic apps like Netflix are a fillip , though I ’ll probably still habituate a yoke rigid - top boxes thanks to the TV ’s luxurious offer of five HDMI embrasure .

Amazon will sell me a 55 - inch M - Seriesfor just $ 800 . It ’s $ 850 plus shipping for non - prize appendage . ( The 60 - inch is n’t worth the extra money to me . ) Best Buy has the same 55 - inch boob tube on salefor $ 700 .

LG

There ’s something abysmally tantalising about LG ’s chintzy line of 4 KB TVs . They seem to be on sale everywhere and slightly gracious on the outside . While the price is nice , I ’m a picayune mistrustful of this model . LG is famousfor its nonsensical curved OLED screen , so it seems like they might be banking on the brand and offering a crumby budget edition . The spec canvas for LG ’s ingress - level 4 K TV is impressive enough , though . I just require to spend more time attend at it .

Amazon is selling the 55 - inch 4 K TV to Prime membersfor $ 700 . Best Buy is also selling that modelfor $ 700 .

That ’s not a 4 honey oil TV ! But it is a really adept 1080p TV with everything I want for a really great toll . The effective refresh charge per unit is 120Hz , though all of Samsung ’s 2015 have an actual refresh rate ofhalf the advertised number . It ’s properly backlit , has wifi , four HDMI ports , and a nice clean design . Plus I approximate I feel kind of loyal to Samsung since I ’ve lie with my one-time 720p TV so much .

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Amazon Prime toll on a 55 - inch modelis a nerveless $ 700 , right now , though I might get back for a 50 - column inch . Best Buy is offering a comparable 4 K modelfor an alluring $ 800 sale cost . I’d need to see them side - by - side before making a decision .

Now Let’s Go Shopping

I ’ve seen all of the TVs listed above in person , but I need to see them again before I buy one . In fact , I design on loitering around these things for a solid hour before I part with the better part of a M . At the end of the day , this unexampled TV will become one of my most expensive and most used gizmo . I want to do this right .

But do you want to know what I ’m really think ? I ’m leaning towards the VIZIO M - Series . The local dim stuff is really nerveless , and I care how VIZIO seems more transparent about how its technology works than other manufacturer . Again , I require to drop a fiddling more clip star at screens before I adjudicate to buy one , and you should , too .

GIF by Sam Woolley

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