Ever noticed how many TVs are actually available in the stores? As great as the selections are, so great are your choices, and this, combined with all sorts of clever marketing and manipulation tricks that retailers have up their sleeves, the chances of you experiencing great pressure during the TV buying process are quite high.
Important things to know when buying a Smart TV
Many people love online shopping for the amount of available information it brings to the table about a certain product. It is a safe, easy, and most importantly, calm space in which to assess your options and find a product you like. While it is unarguable more peaceful than a retail environment, where sales assistants vie for your time, attention, and commission, online also removes the physical product experience from the process.
What is a Smart TV
Smart TVs are becoming a commonplace presence in many homes and come with built-in software that allows the user to not only connect the unit to the internet, but also to make use of online streaming services – many of which come pre-installed on modern TVs. Incorporated WiFi capability makes many models clutter free, as wires are redundant in cases where a wireless connection is possible.
What is HDMI?
HDMI is term that you will no doubt have encountered before, and it is an acronym for ‘high-definition multimedia interface’. What it comes down to by definition, is that the TV will have a digital cable and port in place, which will exist in the place of the combination audio-visual cables from years gone by. No more red to red and yellow to yellow with HDMI – just a simple, quick and clear connection that incorporates it all!
HDMI cables have started working their way into modern life since the early 2000s, making audio-visual connections easy and more seamless. A great benefit of this type of connection is its capability of connecting several peripheral devices simultaneously to the Smart TV, and the only limit is your imagination! Gaming? Hook it up. Streaming devices? Easily done.
To prevent yourself from getting caught up in an endless tangle of extensions, look for a model that offers at least four HDMI ports. If you don’t have enough, you can easily extend it with an adaptor, but if you are the type of person who prefers avoiding clutter, go for something that can address your needs right from the outset.
Where does LCD fit in?
Although most screens are moving into 4k territory, LCD or ‘liquid crystal display’ is nothing new – in fact they have been part of our lives going all the way back to the 60’s! The power of LCD is in the fact that, while it is certainly not cool new technology, it is tried, trusted and stable existing technology, which makes the price point of LCD screens very manageable. Make sure you compare resolutions when looking at LCD screens to ensure that you do not end up with a dim or dull display. Ask any salesperson to help you – they are very well trained in navigating the numbers on the box!