TV Buying Guide: How to Find the Best Television for Your Home

If you’re looking to buy a new TV for your home, the choice can be overwhelming. If you want to ensure you buy the perfect television, read this guide from the Comet team now…

Your complete guide to buying a television

The entertainment space is booming, and at the heart of it all is the trusty television. Gone are the days of the old box model with its five channels and teletext. 

From smart features designed to bring all your favourite streaming apps under one roof, to AI enhancements that optimise the audio and visual quality of your entertainment in real-time, modern televisions are here to take your viewing experience to a new level. 

This guide will help you to navigate through the key features and technologies used in modern televisions, so that you can make an informed decision that fits your home and lifestyle.

In order to save you from jargon-overload, we’ll break down the information into these key categories: Smart technology, image quality, image enhancements, screen resolution, screen size, audio quality, durability and brand. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of what to look for in your next television upgrade.

Smart technology

So what is a smart TV and why are they so popular today? To put it simply, a smart TV is a television with integrated Wi-Fi and Ethernet ports, allowing you to stream entertainment, browse the web, and access apps straight from the television itself without the need for additional devices. Let’s break down some of the best features of a smart TV:

• Streaming services: one of the most popular features of smart TVs is the integration of streaming platforms. Access a vast library of films, TV shows and original content from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and more without the need for additional devices.

Great for: binge watching your favourite shows.

• Voice control and gesture recognition: modern smart TVs often come with built-in voice control and gesture recognition features, allowing you to control your TV and other smart devices with nothing but your own body. This feature can work with other virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to bring all your smart features together.

Great for: making your home a smart home.

• Screen mirroring: connect and display content from your smartphone, tablet or computer straight to your TV without the need for extra wires. Connect your social media accounts to upload and share photos, videos and presentations.

Great for: sharing and collaborating.

• Gaming optimisation: some smart TVs come with integrated game optimising features designed to help you get the most out of your gaming experience. This can include low input lag, high refresh rates, and compatibility with gaming consoles.

Great for: hardcore and casual gamers.

Image quality

If you’ve started looking for your next TV, you’ve likely come across terms like LED, OLED and QLED. These acronyms can be confusing, and leave you asking what is an OLED TV, and how does it differ from the other options available.

Understanding these technologies is a crucial part of making an informed decision, so let’s demystify these terms:

• LCD: Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is an older technology that was commonly used in televisions before LEDs became popular in the late 2000s. While they are more affordable, they generally have a shorter lifespan compared to newer LED displays.

Great for: buyers on a budget. 

• LED: Light Emitting Diode (LED) TVs are a more affordable option to those not looking to splash out on OLED or QLED. LED TVs offer a decent picture quality that doesn’t quite match the contrast and brightness of OLED or QLED models.

Great for: smaller screens.

• OLED: The term OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. Unlike LED TVs that illuminate the pixels on your screen with a backlight, OLED TV pixels are able to produce their own light. This enhances your viewing experience with true black levels, vibrant colours, and exceptional contrast ratios.

Great for: darker rooms.

• QLED: QLED or Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode TVs are a type of TV that uses Quantum Dot technology to improve picture quality. These dots are tiny particles that emit precise colours and light to provide excellent brightness and colour performance.

Great for: well-lit rooms.

• QNED: Lastly we have QNED, which uses Quantum Dot NanoCell technology to create richer colours and stunning visuals. It provides the most true-to-life colour spectrum that older models simply weren’t able to achieve.

Great for: Stunning visuals.

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Image enhancement

What is a HDR TV? HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Televisions utilising HDR technology have a greater difference between the brightest whites and the darkest blacks, resulting in a more realistic and vibrant image quality. 

There are several different HDR formats available, each with different specifications. The brightness of these different formats is measured in nits. A nit is a unit of measurement that describes how bright a display is. The higher the number of nits, the brighter the display.

Now with that out of the way, let’s explore the HDR formats on the market:

• HDR10: this is the most commonly used and widely-supported HDR format. It applies brightness and colour settings to the entire video you are viewing. HDR10 supports up to 1000 nits and 10-bit colour depth to provide a significant improvement of standard dynamic range (SDR) content.

Great for: a solid experience at an affordable price.

• HDR10+: HDR10+ builds upon the strong foundation of HDR10 by offering dynamic adjustments to brightness and colour based on the scene or frame on display. HDR10+ offers a greater peak brightness of 4000 nits, which has a great effect on the vividness and clarity of image quality.

Great for: improved brightness and colour depth.

• Dolby Vision: this is an advanced HDR format that allows for brightness and colour settings to change dynamically scene-by-scene, or even frame-by-frame, resulting in an optimised picture quality. Dolby Vision supports 12-bit colour depth and boasts a nit count of 10000, which far surpasses those available with the other HDR formats.

Great for: the brightest and most curated image quality.

• HLG: HLG or Hybrid Log-Gamma was developed to be backwards compatible with HDR and SDR displays. It is particularly useful for live TV broadcasts, including sports and events, where it can provide excellent picture quality.

Great for: live TV Broadcasts.

Screen resolution

When we talk about screen resolution, we’re referring to the pixels that make up the image on your screen. This is described as the number of pixels across the width of the screen by the number of pixels down the height of the screen.

So what is a 4K television in this situation? If we take the example of 1920 x 1080 pixels, known as 1080p or Full HD, then 4K is four times that resolution. 

That doesn’t mean that the screen is four times the size of a Full HD model, but is capable of packing in four times the number of pixels into the same amount of space. 

Think of it as pixel density, not screen size, which we’ll cover soon. So with that out of the way, let’s look at four of the most popular screen resolutions:

• HD: HD usually refers to a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (720p). Due to its position at the lower end of the HD spectrum, it is usually found on smaller television screens where the lower pixel count is less noticeable.

Great for: up to 32" screens.

• Full HD: Full HD screens have been the standard resolution for many years now. They offer a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080p) which provides good clarity and detail for medium-sized screens.

Great for: 32" to 50" screens.

• 4K UHD: 4K UHD (Ultra HD) resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) shines on those larger television screens. The jump from HD to UHD provides a significant rise in detail, making those blockbuster films burst with life.

Great for: 40" to 65" screens.

• 8K UHD: In order to get the most out of the high pixel density (7680 x 4320 pixels), 8K UHD is often found on the largest screens on the market. Better yet, many 8K televisions utilise AI upscaling technology to optimise the pixels on screen in real-time so that the detail of content you watch is ready for that 8K experience.

Great for: 65" screens and above.

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Screen size

We’ve covered screen resolution, so let’s move onto television screen size. So how do you measure a tv? You may have seen when searching for your next TV that sizes are measured in inches ("), but how is this measurement worked out? 

The size of a television screen is measured diagonally from corner to corner. Screens are measured this way because it provides a single, standard way to compare screen sizes with different aspect ratios (the ratio of width to height). This consistency makes it easier to compare different models as it ensures that the size comparison is not affected by the shape of the screen.

Most modern TVs stick to the 16:9 aspect ratio, which means for every 9 units of height, there are 16 units of width. 16:9 is commonly used for HD content and is the standard for most TV shows, movies and streaming platforms, so you don’t need to worry that your favourite content will look wrong on your new TV. You can also find exact width and height measurements for each television in the product specifications.

So with all that out of the way, let’s break down the most common television screen sizes:

• 24" - 32": these small TVs are a great, budget-friendly option for those who want something compact and easy to move. They tend to offer HD or Full HD as standard, which is the perfect accompaniment to their smaller screen size.

Great for: Small bedrooms and offices.

• 42" - 50": televisions in this bracket offer a more immersive viewing experience without overwhelming the space. They offer a great cinematic experience with options up to 4K UHD.

Great for: medium-sized living rooms or larger bedrooms.

• 55" - 85": If you’re looking for an unparalleled viewing experience, these are the screen sizes for you. Whether you want to watch movies, sports or gaming, there is no better option on the market. With many able to boost up to 8K UHD, it will be a long time before you’re looking to upgrade again.

Great for: larger living rooms and home theatres.

Audio quality

One element we have not yet covered is audio quality. This crucial aspect enhances your every viewing experience, so it’s important to tailor your choice in TV to your specific audio needs. Let’s look at the built-in options on the market:

• Dolby Audio: a common feature across many smart TVs, Dolby Audio provides a clear, crisp sound that enhances dialogue and adjusts volume levels to create a cinematic audio experience.

Great for: smart TV owners.

• DTS: Digital Theatre Systems (DTS) technology gives you that theatre sound experience from the comfort of your home. It offers a full, rich sound that creates that immersive cinematic audio surround sound experience.

Great for: movie lovers.

• Dolby Atmos: for a more dynamic and spatial audio experience, look no further than Dolby Atmos. A feature often found in higher-end smart TVs, it adds height channels to create a more immersive 3D sound experience.

Great for: 3D surround sound.

• Clear Voice: Clear Voice is the ideal technology for viewers who often struggle to hear conversations in movies and TV shows. It  enhances dialogue clarity, making it much easier to understand speech in those noisy scenes.

Great for: understanding dialogue.

Longevity

How long do televisions last? It’s a common question asked among our customers, and one that you should keep in mind. On average, most TVs will last for up to 100,000 hours of use, which approximates to around 7-10 years of frequent use. There are, however, a number of factors that can influence the longevity of our TV:

• Usage: Televisions that are used frequently or left on for longer periods of time will naturally wear out faster than those used sparingly.
  
  
• Settings: Turning the brightness and contrast settings up high can have a huge impact on the life of your TV as the technology used to achieve those standards has to work harder than on lower settings. Most televisions these days come equipped with energy-saving modes that help to prolong the TV’s life.
  
  
• Maintenance: Ensuring that your TV is regularly cleaned can prevent the build-up of dust inside, which in turn reduces the likelihood of it overheating.
  
  
• Backlighting: As discussed earlier, LCD screens have a shorter lifespan than LED due to their backlighting technology, which is more energy-efficient and produces less heat.
  
  
• Environment: The environment your TV is positioned in can also have an effect on its lifespan. TVs subjected to high humidity, extreme temperatures or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can degrade faster.

Brand

You’ve likely heard the saying “a poor man buys twice.” This highlights the idea that a cheaper item will often have a shorter lifespan when compared to a similar product of higher-quality.

While those lower prices of televisions from lesser-known brands might seem enticing at first, it’s important to remember that this cost-saving often comes at the expense of quality. If you want to get the most value out of your purchase, it’s wise to avoid being swayed by a lower price tag from an unrecognisable brand.

At Comet, we only sell televisions from the top brands in the industry to ensure you get the most out of your purchase. Let’s explore the leading brands on the market:

• LG: LG is renowned for its sleek, modern TVs, which offer exceptional picture quality through their OLED technology. Their smart TVs come equipped with a WebOS platform to provide a clean, user-friendly interface.

Great for: home theatre enthusiasts and tech-savvy users.

• Samsung: with a wide range of models from budget-friend to high-end, Samsung QLED TVs offer bright, vivid colours and outstanding HDR performance. Thanks to their SmartThings platform, Samsung TVs integrate well with your other smart home devices to create a unified smart experience.

Great for: gamers and smart home users.

• Sony: as one of the biggest names in the tech industry, it’s no surprise that Sony TVs are known for their excellent quality. Sony TVs come with impressive, built-in sound systems, and phenomenal picture processing capabilities.

Great for: cinephiles and audiophiles.

• TCL: with many budget-friendly options, TCL offers great value for money. Many of their TVs come with a built-in Roku interface and access to numerous streaming services. Despite a lower price, TCL TVs deliver solid performance and great picture quality.

Great for: budget-conscious consumers and streaming enthusiasts.

• Toshiba: one of the standout features of most Toshiba TVs is their Amazon Fire TV integration, offering a familiar interface and access to the Alexa voice control features. Similar to TCL, Toshiba offers a range of budget-friendly options that boast decent performance.

Great for: Amazon users and budget shoppers.

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Other considerations

We’ve run through the more technical aspects of modern televisions, but there are other things to consider before you make your purchase:

• HDMI and connections: do you need additional HDMI ports for games consoles and Blu-ray players? Do you require USB ports or Bluetooth connectivity? It is important to check your requirements are met with your television of choice.
  
  
• Energy efficiency: looking to keep those electricity bills down and reduce your environmental footprint? Our televisions come with an energy efficiency class rating to help you determine the right television for you.
  
  
• Operating system: do you have a preference for the operating system that comes built into your new television? Android TV, Roku TV, or proprietary systems like Samsung’s Tizen and LG’s WebOS will have their own ways of presenting their interface to you, so find one that fits your needs.
  
  
• Design: do you prefer the sleek design of a borderless screen, or prefer a bold bezel border? Do you intend to wall mount, or place on a stand? Consider these options with your new television and how it will look in your home.

Outstanding TVs at incredible prices

We stock a large selection of televisions here at Comet from a wide range of the top brands, including LG, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, and more.

Whether you’re looking for something to make your favourite shows pop, or want to get the most out of your gaming experience, we’re sure to have the right television for you.

We also offer a number of flexible financing options to take the hassle out of paying for your new television. You can use Klarna Pay in 3 or PayPal Credit to spread those costs over three, interest-free payments.

We also offer express delivery, so you can get your new television set up sooner!

Shop the best televisions at Comet today.

For more news, product buying advice, and inspiration, check out the Comet blog.