There’s nothing like the feeling of bringing home a new TV. Everything you watch is bolder, brighter, and much more lifelike than you’ve seen before, and the latest new TVs have smart functions that let you stream video, music, and use them as a smart home hub. If you’ve been wondering if it’s time to get a new TV, here are a few reasons why it might be.
Is it time to get a new TV?
You may have heard someone say that all TVs are essentially the same, so why would you upgrade to a new TV if you’ve only had your current model for a few years? There are a 4 really good reasons to start shopping for a new TV right now, long before your old TV stops working.
1. Choose a new TV for sports this summer and fall
Team sports are back and they’re going to be better than ever, so now is the time to get a new TV to watch NHL, NFL, or NBA games.
2. Enjoy movies and TV shows on a brighter screen
With movies and TV shows back in full production, there is going to be a lot to watch this fall. Having a new Mini-LED, QLED, or OLED TV will enhance everything you watch.
3. You’ve got one of the latest gaming consoles
If you’re a gamer or someone in your family is a gamer with the latest gaming console, you’re going to notice how your older TV doesn’t have the speed or features required to support your favourite games. Older TVs have longer lag times, lower refresh rates, and don’t offer the resolution available for consoles like PS5 or Xbox Series Ss.
4. New TVs are less expensive than before
The cost of new TVs has dropped significantly over the last decade. When you buy now your new TV will cost a fraction of what it used to, and it will still have all of the features you’ve always wanted in a TV.
What’s new in TV tech?
TV technology has evolved from the industry standard of strictly LED backlight to Mini-LED and MicroLED, QLED, and OLED. You can read about the difference between them in this blog post, but it’s safe to say any new TV you choose will be a significant upgrade over a TV from 5 years ago.
New TVs have better resolution
It’s hard to imagine what 4K or 8k can look like when you’ve been watching a TV with max 720p or 1080p resolution, but 4K is now the standard for online video and gaming. Many new models of 4K TV also offer upscaling for older video, so even 1080p video looks great on a new TV.
New TVs stay brighter for longer
Older style TVs designed with LED technology can begin to lose their brightness after a few years. The TV begins to look dim in all types of light, and you’ll become so used to watching it grow darker that a new TV will almost blind you with its brightness. The latest TVs are designed to stay brighter for longer.
Smart TVs do more than stream video
A smart TV is a TV with built-in Wi-Fi and a home screen with all of your favourite streaming apps. Having a smart TV means you’ve got so many streaming options you’ll be able to cut your cable if you’d like to.
TV brands used to use their own operating systems to manage streaming apps and brand-specific features, but you’ll find more and more brands moving to a central TV operating system like Google.
With a smart TV running the Google TV operating system, you’ll be able to use your Google Assistant for voice control, run all of your smart home devices from one screen, and download the latest streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime.
New TVs are thinner and lighter
If you want your TV to double as a picture frame on your wall, you’ll find a wide variety of different models to choose from. These TVs are ultra-thin and light so they hang close to the wall and look like art.
Your choices for new TVs right now
Entry level resolution – 1080p HDTV
Although it’s a technology that’s almost phased out, you can still find new TVs available with max 1080p resolution. The term 1080p refers to the 1080 horizontal lines of resolution on the TV, and this type of TV will display in 16×9 widescreen format.
You’ll find most TV shows and cable content is available in 1080p HD, and you can find 1080P Full HD smart TVs with the latest streaming apps built-in. Just keep in mind that there are a few things to be aware of if you’re choosing a 1080p TV. Most streaming video platforms are moving to 4K resolution, so your TV won’t be able to display the max resolution of the video you’re watching. 1080p TVs are also designed with older LED technology, so you won’t find a 1080p Mini-LED or QLED TV. If you have a 4K gaming console, you won’t be able to game in 4K either.
The industry TV standard – 4K UHD TV
4K has slowly been replacing 1080p as the standard resolution for new TVs. If you sort through the TVs on Best Buy you’ll find over 500 different types of 4K TVs and only 30 1080p TVs.
4K Ultra HD, UHD, or simply 4K – these are all terms for a TV with approximately 4000 horizontal pixels and 8 million pixels total. That’s double what a 1080p TV can offer. With more pixels comes improved image quality, so your TV will be brighter, have more realistic detail, be sharper, and have better contrast than a Full HD TV.
4K TVs can keep up with the latest gaming consoles, have improved graphic handling and lower lag rates, and can handle motion for sports, movies, and gaming without ghosting or blur. Because 4K video is becoming the streaming standard, there is nothing you won’t be able to watch on your favourite streaming platforms. You’ll also find Dolby Vision options on 4K TVs, so your movies will stream in such high quality you’ll feel like you’re in the movie theatre.
4K TVs are available with different backlights and new TV technology including LED, Mini-LED, QLED, and OLED.
The future is 8K TV
8K resolution has been slow to start but it’s finally hitting the mainstream. An 8K TV has 16 times the pixels of a Full HD TV, with a resolution of 7680 horizontal pixels and a total of 33 million pixels. 8K TVs are available in the same types as 4K including Mini-LED, QLED, OLED, and MicroLED.
While you’ll be completely blown away by the picture quality of an 8K TV, streaming content hasn’t quite caught up to it. You can find 8K videos on YouTube right now, but most streaming platforms only offer 4K video as the standard. Although you can’t really stream in 8K right now, an 8K TV will offer upscaling. That means your TV will upscale all of your 4K content to as close to 8K as possible, so you really get the best of both worlds.
Shop for a new TV right now
There’s never been a better time to shop for a new TV. You can find a wide selection of all types of TVs on Best Buy right now.
