Originally Published: September 19, 2019
Updated: February 16th, 2024
The first electronic television was invented in 1927 by a 21-year-old inventor named Philo Taylor Farnsworth. There was only one line on the screen. The first-ever television station started working in 1928 and by 1931 approximately 25 television stations in the United States were running. Television soon became a pillar of mass communication technology!
Today televisions are becoming essential to every household. Companies like Samsung, SONY, and LG produce TVs that are more affordable than ever and have more amazing features every year.
What to look for when buying a TV?
Here is the ultimate guide to getting the right TV for your place!
What is your budget?
Whether you are a college student looking for a TV for your dorm room or looking to set up a home theater system, Electronic Express has the TV to fit your budget. For something in the dorm room, you can look into something that is 39″ inches and under that’s roughly at most $300. TVs that are 4K ultra HD from 40″ to 59″ will cost between $200 to $2,000. Starting at 60″ and up, you can get something between $600 to $15,000. These TVs are great fits for the master bedroom, living room, or den! Oled and Qled TVs start off around $700 and up to $15,000.
What kind of TV do you want?
There are a few different types of TVs and we’re going to break them all down!
Smart TVs
Almost every TV on the market is a smart TV, they connect to your Wi-Fi and make streaming movies and shows easier. Some smart TVs offer voice operating, so you’ll be able to search for shows and movies by the sound of your voice. You can also download your favorite channels to the home page and watch shows airing in real time. Much like smartphones and smart home devices, they offer a range of apps, including streaming music.
8K Ultra HD TVs
An 8K TV is the highest resolution with a 7,680 by 4,320 resolution, giving you four times as many pixels on the screen. An 8K TV is often compared to hyperrealistic art! With an 8K, you will have exceptional depth, detail, contrast, and resolution that will transport you into a new dimension of groundbreaking picture quality.
4K Ultra HD TVs
A 4K TV is no longer for early adoption, it has become a very common and affordable style of TV. 4K is also known as ultra-high-definition and adds better clarity to the screen. A 4K display will have 3,840 columns and 2,610 rows of pixels whereas a 1080p TV has 1,920 columns and 1,080 rows of pixels. As a result, images look more natural and have a smoother outline than on a 1080p TV. 4Ks also come with powerful image processors that can upscale older content so you can enjoy UHD quality even from older content.
OLED Panel TVs
OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. These types of TVs have pixels that emit their own light. This means that the pixels can also turn off individually, creating perfect inky blacks with no haloing. Immerse yourself in the wonders of infinite contrast and ultra-deep shadows that 8.3 million individually lit pixels can render.
How is this possible? Well, OLEDs are inherently different technology from liquid crystal display (LCD) that other types of LED TVs are based on. That allows OLEDs to be ultra-thin while still creating vibrantly bright and colorful images on screen.
QLED Panel TVs
The Q in QLED stands for “quantum dot”, which offers a different way for screens to produce color instead of the usual color filters. These TVs use a transmissive LED backlight that sends light through the quantum dots that change color to produce the onscreen image.
QLED TVs open up a whole new range of colors on the TV. Images explode with an array of over one billion shades of vivid and brilliant colors. It is four times the resolution of a Full HD TV. With such high definition, QLEDs frequently rival the quality of OLED TVs. They also tend to have friendlier price tags if budget is one of your considerations.
What is an LED?
LED stands for light-emitting diodes which are directly behind the screen. It is adjacent to the brightness and darkness so it can be displayed more effectively and improve contrast. LED TVs have a blacklight mounted along the edges of the panel.
Answers to Frequently Asked TV Shopping Questions
If you’d like to learn more about the different stats and specifications that you should know when you’re looking for a TV to buy, check out our guide: When TV Shopping, What Do All Those Letters Actually Mean?
What about streaming devices?
If you don’t have a smart TV there are other ways to watch streaming channels such as Sling, Hulu, and Netflix! Streaming sticks are affordable and easy to use.
Roku Streaming Sticks
A Roku allows you to get over 500,000+ movies and TV episodes. They have everything from original series, kids’ shows, news, sports, and more. There is a ton of free entertainment with a Roku streaming stick, with access to live–streaming and on-demand free channels. A Roku streaming stick will also give you that 4K content, so you can still enjoy your favorite movies and shows in stunning hi-definition and brilliant color.
Google Nest Chromecast with Google TV
A Google Chromecast is an ultra-high-resolution streaming device. This device plugs into your TV or home theater receiver’s HDMI port, enabling you to stream media from your mobile device or the web. It supports video with 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) resolution for use with compatible displays. Set it up with the free Chromecast mobile app, then send your favorite online shows, movies, music, and more to your TV using your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. And easily control other connected devices with the remote’s voice controls right from your couch.
Amazon Fire TV Stick
A Fire Stick lets you stream thousands of channels and apps while enjoying beautiful full HD resolution. The Fire TV Stick features an all-new Alexa voice remote to control your TV, soundbar, and receiver with both buttons and voice controls. Stay connected to your smart home by having Alexa control the lights, your thermostat, and other compatible devices. Access your favorite apps including Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu, stream thousands of movies and TV shows, and tap into Alexa’s endless skills to enjoy a seamless entertainment experience.
February 19, 2024 – Revised the title and heading structure to provide better clarity and added links to other TV articles for additional readings.
August 6, 2024 – Revised the list of linked articles to provide better topical navigation to users.