Dave, I want to buy a TV for my bedroom but am completely overwhelmed by modern television specs and features! What are must-have features and what can I safely ignore? Thinking about a 50-inch TV or thereabouts.
The first television demonstration was way back in 1927 by 21-year-old inventor Philo Farnsworth. The tech gradually improved until the last 10-20 years, during which there have been a startling wave of improvements in both the television itself and the way we get our “signal”. Young Mr. Farnsworth would undoubtedly also be baffled by all of the tech involved in television nowadays!
The primary differentiator with televisions used to be picture quality, but now is resolution, the number of horizontal lines shown on the screen. These lines used to be interlaced, so every refresh of the TV display would alternate between updating the even-numbered horizontal image lines and the odd. Back and forth, 60 times per second. To our eye, it was smooth and fluid but modern displays are now all progressive: every line is updated on each refresh.
ALL ABOUT RESOLUTION
In terms of those horizontal lines, early TVs worked with 480i (i = interlace) content, then stepped up to 720i. High definition (“HD”) is 1080p (progressive, not interlaced) and the fanciest modern TV sets are 4K with an image comprised of 2160 horizontal lines.
We can’t talk about horizontal without vertical, though, since TV screens are a grid of dots (or “pixels”). Here’s the rundown: 480 is 720 x 480 (345K pixels), 720 is 1280 x 720 (921K pixels), 1080 is 1920 x 1080 (2.07M pixels), and 2160p (4K UHD) is 3840 x 2160 (8.3M pixels).
Note: There’s an 8K TV standard that delivers 7680 x 4320, or 33.2M pixels, but there’s not yet any commercially available content and it’s not obvious that this will take off for residential use.
Did you catch the acronym I slipped in above? “UHD”. That’s Ultra High Definition. Generally speaking, 1080 is known as “HD” resolution, and 4K is “UHD”, though technically a TV can have a 4K display that’s not Ultra HD.
Also important is “HDR” or High Dynamic Range. This indicates that the display can show a greater range of colors, offering better contrast and brightness and a richer picture. The best are certified as “HDR10+” or “Dolby Vision”.
WHAT ABOUT THE AUDIO EXPERIENCE?
Speaking of Dolby, there are three different sound decoding technologies: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Dolby Digital. All offer an enhanced auditory experience if you have compatible sound gear.
This is critical: However fantastic your new television, if you don’t have additional sound equipment, it’s going to sound flat and uninspired: The built-in speakers on TVs are mediocre, at best. The separate audio gear is known as soundbars and it’s a separate purchase. At a minimum, I recommend a “5.1” system with a “center speaker” bar that goes under the TV, two small speakers to place behind you, and a subwoofer. You’ll also need source programming that’s in Dolby or DTS:X: if you watch old TV series with mono sound, it’s going to be underwhelming.
Too much for your bedroom? There are some interesting and surprisingly enjoyable all-in-one soundbars worth considering. You won’t get that surround effect, but it’ll still sound way better than those built-in TV speakers.
SMARTEN UP THAT TELEVISION
One more consideration: the TV operating system. Yes, TVs have operating systems, just like your computer and smartphone. The most popular TV operating systems are Google TV, Roku, and WebOS, and companies like Vizio and LG have their own systems built into their televisions.
The OS lets you directly connect to Netflix, MAX, Amazon Prime Video, thousands of free streaming channels, and much more. Did you know NASA, Bon Appetit, and Criterion movies all have their own streaming channels?
Modern TVs also have digital tuners, and rumors to the contrary, there are still quite a few broadcast channels, now in digital. I encourage you to experiment by attaching an external TV antenna and letting your new TV scan the frequencies to see what it can receive. Indoor antennas can be as cheap as $20-$30. You might be surprised what’s available through over-the-air broadcast, sometimes in HD quality, for free!
I hope this helps you make a smart decision on your next television purchase. The modern television is a marvel of engineering far beyond anything Mr. Farnsworth could ever have imagined!
Pro Tip: I’ve been writing about technology, social media, and the digital community for many years. You can find my articles here in the Computer and Internet Basics area. Check it out, there might well be more that will pique your interest!