Got the whole family round this Christmas? Then you’ll want to get the entertainment locked down early. And by entertainment, we’re of course talking about your TV.
If you’re choosing a new one that’s ready for the Boxing Day football or a cosy Christmas Day film, you want to get it right. A 4K TV has 4 times the pixels of full HD – giving you a much crisper, more detailed picture. It’s currently the most popular kind of TV tech too. But how do you find the right one? We’ll explain exactly what to think about.
What size do you need?
One of the pros of a 4K TV is that you can get a bigger screen without losing out on picture quality. That’s because there are far more pixels to fill the space. But it’s also handy if you decide to go for a smaller TV. With 4K, you can sit closer without the image looking pixelated – because the detail on show is so much finer.
Whether you choose big or small, you’ll need to think about the size of your room, viewing angle and viewing distance.
Your space
Work out how much space you’ve actually got by measuring the area you want your TV to go in. Screen size is measured diagonally from the bottom left-hand corner to the bottom right. So make sure you measure your space in the same way.
Or maybe you’re replacing your old wall mounted TV and want to fit a new one into the same bracket? No worries. Just make sure your new telly’s VESA wall mount size matches your old one.
Your viewing distance
This is all about how far you’ll be sitting from your screen. With a bigger TV, you can sit further away without missing out on any of the detail. But sit too close to a large TV and you might get a headache from the eye strain. This is because your eyes will be forced to work overtime and dart about, instead of taking in everything at once.
Top tip: the recommended viewing distance is usually about 1.5x the size of your screen. Check out our graphic below for a better idea.
Your viewing angle
This is super important if you’re planning on having a big family Christmas. If you want to make sure everyone has the best possible view, you might want to choose a larger screen. Bigger TVs have wider viewing angles – as there’s more space for people to be sat in front of it, rather than at an angle. So everybody has the best seat in the house!
If you prefer, there’s some special TV tech that can get you a wider viewing angle without the bigger screen though – like NanoCell or QLED TVs.
How important is HDR?
In a few words – pretty important. HDR (or High Dynamic Range) creates a better contrast between really dark colours and really light colours. The result is a far more realistic picture with improved shadows, colour and detail.
If you want a seriously good viewing experience that’ll make 4K content pop this Christmas, then it’s worth bagging an HDR set.
What are you using it for most?
Any extra bits, bobs and nice-to-haves will depend on what you use your TV for most. So, choose your own holiday adventure right here…
Festive films and TV specials
If you’re fighting off a Christmas dinner coma, you’ll want to find a TV show or film to watch quickly and without a fuss. That’s where a smart TV is really handy. Get instant access to catch-up TV and streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. You’re bound to find something that’s suitable for everyone.
Voice control is a plus too. Take this Samsung Smart 4K Ultra TV - call up Alexa and search through a load of channels and apps in an instant with just your voice. You don’t need to figure out whether Elf is on Netflix or Prime – it’ll do it all for you.
Just check which apps your TV actually supports before you buy it, as different TVs will offer different selections.
Cracking out the new console
Recently bagged a PS5 or Xbox Series X? To get the most bang for your buck, get a 4K TV which supports HDMI 2.1 connectivity. That’ll allow you to play new games exactly as the developers intended – in 4K at 120 Hz. You’ll get the most detailed, smoothest picture possible for some truly epic gaming sessions.
A fair few TVs are practically built for gaming. Look out for features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) – like on the Sony Bravia XR. VRR will cut out lag, while ALLM automatically adjusts your TV’s settings to keep the picture looking its very best – whether you’re gaming or not.
Slinking off to watch the sport
Like gaming, sports have got a lot of fast-paced action for your TV to keep up with. For that, your telly’s refresh rate has got to be pretty high. 120 Hz should do. Otherwise, you’ll end up with annoying motion blur, where you lose detail on things that are moving quickly. Not ideal when trying to keep track of where the football is…
That’s where clever systems come into play. Motionflow tech on certain Sony TVs makes fast-moving matches look a lot more realistic. That’s because as well as a super-high refresh rate, it automatically reduces the blur on each frame.
And if you want to beef up the atmosphere even further, it’s probably worth grabbing yourself a sound bar too.
Hopefully you’ve now got more of an idea of the kind of 4K TV you’re going to pick up. But do you need help finding something to watch over the holidays? If so, check out some of our favourite festive films on Netflix and Prime Video.
