Smart TV’s are any television that can be connected to the internet. Smart TV’s are useful for streaming media, running internet based applications, and browsing the internet. Many TV manufacturers are gradually making internet connectivity part and parcel of the TV’s they manufacture. Over the next few years, it is likely that all TV’s will be able to connect to the internet as standard.
Smart TVs are manufactured by almost all major manufacturers. The technology has become more readily available over the years, which has resulted in reduced costs for manufacturers and customers alike. Smart TV’s can be bought from a range of manufacturers, including high-end brands such as LG, Sony and Samsung, and cheaper manufacturers such as TCL or Hisense. When searching for a Smart TV, the main thing you want to look for is good value for the money you’re about to part with; forget about cheap gimmicks and flashy extras, the main indicators of quality when it comes to a Smart TV is its ability to connect to the internet, screen size and picture quality. Smart TV’s do not all connect to the internet in the same way; many use a wired Ethernet connection connected to a router you have set up in your home; others have built in Wi-Fi to connect to your home network. Most modern models will have both options; for the fastest connection, it is advisable to connect an Ethernet cable directly to the router, however, if this is not possible and you are relying on a Wi-Fi connection alone, consider where the TV will be placed in relation to the router’s location. If this is going to be a long distance, it may be worth investing in a Smart TV with a stronger connection, otherwise you may struggle to stream without difficulty. Make sure you read reviews and check the stated Wi-Fi coverage before making a purchase. If you have a particularly large house, or you plan to put your TV a significant distance away from your router, you may want to consider getting a set-top box instead, as these tend to have a more sensitive Wi-Fi receiver. There are also numerous Wi-Fi extenders available for purchase to boost your signal, these can be purchased from companies such as Netgear. The services offered by Smart TV’s tend to differ significantly. The software used, online apps and services available vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. If you’re looking for a relatively cheap Smart TV, it’s a good idea to have in mind which apps, services and capabilities you would like your Smart TV to have, and search for a budget Smart TV that fulfils your criteria. Almost all Smart TV’s will support popular services such as Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, etc, but some of the cheaper ones may only offer a small range of apps. If you’re looking for an extensive list of apps, you may want to invest in a brand name Smart TV; however, if you’re content with the bare essentials, a budget Smart TV should be fine. In terms of user interface, Smart TV’s range from display panels to tabbed windows or scrolling screens. Though these are all very user-friendly, if you have a particular preference, make sure you try before you buy. If you find navigation simple to use, and you are happy with the services included, then consider making the purchase. One of the main downsides to buying a budget Smart TV, as opposed to one of the more high-end brands, is that depending on the manufacturer, you may see the apps available are not updated as frequently as they should be. Smart TV’s that use platforms such as Android TV and Roku tend to see regular updates and bug fixes, but some of the cheaper models are likely to update less frequently.
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4K televisions are an emerging technology which –similar to its predecessor, the HD TV- is gradually becoming more popular. In the same way that HD TV’s were rolled out just over ten years ago, 4K is showing similar adoption rates and buying trends, and is likely to be the next big advancement in audio visual technology.
Where once there was Standard Definition (480p resolution or lower), technology advanced and SD was phased out by the superior visual experience of High Definition (720p resolution or higher, usually 1080p). 4K is standardised at 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, eclipsing the pixel size of HD fourfold, and offering a significantly superior viewing experience. How long has 4K been around? 4K televisions have actually been available for several years, however, they’ve been only slowly adopted mostly due to the price (which until recently was at least £4000), the lack of standardised formatting for video transmission, and the minimal amount of 4K content available. How much 4K content is available? As the market has developed, streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix have massively ramped up their 4K content, with many shows now available for viewing, and many more on the way. 4K programming is proving to be quite popular, and so it is likely that other streaming services will follow suit. Is Broadcast TV available in 4K? At present, you won’t find much standard television programming available in 4K; this is because the additional pixel size makes 4K programming 4x larger in terms of file size, making it unprofitable and cumbersome to broadcasters, however, as the market grows and the technology becomes more common, this is sure to change. Does HD content look any different? Thanks to a process called ‘upconverting’, lower resolution video signals will actually produce a crisper, sharper image when viewed with a 4K television. No doubt, the effect of 4K will be far more noticeable when native 4K content is watched, but the added clarity of HD content is still a bonus. This also applies to Blue-rays, which will look better on a 4K TV even if the disc only contains 1080p video data. What about the price? The price has fallen too, with budget models available for less than £500. A top name brand such as LG or Samsung will still cost several thousand pounds, but if you’re happy to accept lower specs and aesthetics, a 4K TV can be purchased relatively cheaply. What about ‘retina display’? ‘Retina display’ is a marketing term coined by Apple to refer to devices and monitors that have a resolution and pixel density so high (around 300 or more pixels per inch) that a person would be unable to discern the individual pixels at a normal viewing distance. With so many more pixels than a HD TV, this has been a concern for many. There is some truth to this; if you’re located at a relatively far distance from your 4K TV, you may not be able to notice the difference between a 4K TV and a HD TV. For this reason, it’s imperative that after purchasing a 4K TV, it is located at a distance in which the difference in quality is noticeable. It should also be noted that with 4K TV’s, the pixel gridlines cannot be seen even a few inches from the screen. The size of the TV makes a significant difference to the picture quality, and the larger the TV the more the retina display impact is minimised, which is why all 4K TV’s on the market are in excess of 50 inches. The popularity of curved TV’s has risen steadily in recent years. With major television manufacturers such as LG and Samsung producing and refining curved TV’s, there are many who insist that the viewing experience is superior and more immersive than flat screen TV’s; this, coupled with the sleek aesthetic of the curvature makes for a unique viewing experience. And there are also some cheap deals that can be found online for them and so do have a good shop around. As they are a very new technology you would think that prices would be sky high, they definitely were but are now quite affordable and so it’s easy to find cheap deals. However, there are some things to consider when buying a curved TV, we have put together this guide for anyone looking to purchase a curved TV, including things to watch out for and things that will improve your viewing experience. The Immersiveness improves with the size of the TV The ‘wraparound’ effect of curved TV’s is caused by curving the image forward, adding more depth to the picture. This gives it a slightly more tangible feel to it that some have compared to 3D viewing. As the size of the TV increases, the curvature and depth increases too, thus improving immersiveness. The field of view changes based on your location The curved effect makes the image appear wider when looking at the TV from somewhere near the centre. This can mean that you are getting a wider field of view than you would from a flat screen of the same size. However, those watching the television from the periphery may find that some of the screen is obscured by the curves, so it’s a double-edged sword. Ideally, the location of the television will be somewhere central to the room you are in, maximising the optimal angles from which the tv can be viewed. The contrast is sharper Because curved screen focus light in the same way a satellite dish strengthens signals, the contrast on a curved television is up to 1.8x sharper than a flat screen. This provides a noticeably better image quality, particularly when watching movies. This works in tandem with the fact that the curved screen fits the roundness of our eyes more comfortably, meaning image quality and sharpness is not lost in the corners of the screen, as mentioned earlier, the effect of this increases with the size. They are cumbersome to mount on walls Though the look of a curved TV is aesthetically pleasing to many, the shape makes them difficult to mount on a wall. If you’re looking for a compact, space-saving TV, the curved TV may not be suitable for you. That being said, the space they take up is not much more than a flat screen of the same size. Reflection can be an issue Though the curvature of the TV itself has little effect on reflectivity, it can –if place in a brightly lit area- stretch out the reflection it creates. That being said, the glossiness of a screen has a far more noticeable effect on reflection than shape, and screen with a more matte colouration to them will be noticeably less reflective. Luckily, with good brightness, colour vibrancy and contrast, you’re unlikely to notice much reflection unless you place the TV next to a window, or your home lighting is placed in such a way that it causes glare. |
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