Whenever we upgrade to a new television, my husband and I have a debate about just how big of a big screen we need. We had always stayed in the 55-inch range until we upgraded to a 65-inch QLED. To me, it felt like a huge leap in size, but he’s someone who has always wanted to see what a large screen TV that’s at least 75-inches or a massive 85-inches would look like. If you’ve been wondering if this is the year you bring home a large-screen TV, here’s a quick look at how big TVs are now and how they can upgrade your living room.
Just how big is a large screen TV?
If your TV is 32 inches or smaller, a 55-inch TV may seem huge to you. Yet a 55-inch or 65-inch TV is actually considered mid-range in size, and a TV is only considered to be a large screen beginning at 70-inches. Best Buy has three categories for large screen TVs.
Big TVs are available from all your favourite TV brands including Samsung, Sony, and LG. Just like mid-size TVs, the cost of your new large screen TV will depend on how large of a TV you choose, whether it’s 4K or 8K, and what type of backlight you choose. You can take a look at the TV buying guide for more on the different types of TVs you can choose.
Does screen size affect resolution?
No matter what size of TV you choose, if you pick a 4K TV it will always have the same number of pixels. 4K TVs have a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and approximately 8.3 million pixels, and that number does not go up or down because of screen size. With an 80-inch TV, those 4K pixels will all be present and accounted for, but the individual pixels will be a different physical size than the pixels in a 55-inch TV.
With an 8K TV, the resolution is 7680 x 4320 and 33.2 million pixels. Just like a 4K TV, those pixels are distributed across any size of screen. Long story short, you can choose a large screen TV that’s 90 inches and the picture quality will still be sharp and clear.
Reasons you should choose a large screen TV
If you have the space, having a large screen TV will change the feeling of your living room. Instead of somewhere you just watch the odd movie, TV show, or sports, you’ll get to experience what it’s like to have your own movie theatre at home. Because of the size, a larger TV offers a much more immersive viewing experience.
Take my husband’s favourite sport for example – he likes to watch the different events at the Xgames every year. He usually watches at home, but this year we went to a friend’s house and he has an 85-inch TV. On the big screen it looked like the ramps and jumps were right in front of us, so it was really easy to get into the event and cheer them on. He hasn’t enjoyed watching the Xgames that much since we saw it live.
If you’re a movie fan, watching movies on a massive screen makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the action, with rockets or guns firing all around you. It leaves you feeling as though you were just at the movie theatre, but you didn’t have to leave the house. For me, having a large screen TV means I can see detail in videos I’ve never seen before. I just tested out a 4K projector and I found myself watching baking and cooking videos on the 100 inch screen. It was much easier to follow the steps and see how the food was supposed to look during each step, and it was more fun because it felt like someone else was in the kitchen cooking with me.
Projector or big screen TV?
It used to be if you wanted a large screen in your home, your best budget choice would be a projector. Fortunately, the cost of large-screen TVs has come down significantly. While projectors can provide a wall-size image with 4K or 8K resolution and look amazing in a dark room, a big TV can offer you a great display too.
Because large screen TVs have their own backlight, they can display HDR content at a level most projectors can’t achieve. You don’t have to darken the room to see the screen properly, and they also have a colour range and depth that makes them look spectacular, even when they take up your entire wall.
What to know before bringing home a big screen TV
Given the quality and affordability of very large screen TVs, it’s easy to make the decision to bring one home. There are a few other considerations before you do decide on how big of a big screen you’d like.
1. Consider wall space before you buy
The size of the room you’ll put your new TV in can affect your viewing experience, so you want to make sure you have the space for a large screen before you commit to one. Wall size is an issue if you are putting your TV on a wall that already has windows or a door. A good way to get an idea of how large your TV will look on your wall is to take the measurements of the TV you’re interested in and map it out on the wall with green tape. You can find the measurements for TVs on Best Buy by looking on the product page for the TV you’d like and click the ‘Detail & Specs’ tab.
2. Know how far away from your TV your couch should be
No one likes to sit in the front row of the movie theatre, so you probably won’t enjoy your new large screen TV as much if your room is so small the couch has to be right in front of it. If you have a specific TV brand in mind you can look up their distance recommendations for your TV. Just to give you a general idea, most 70 inch TVs are best viewed from a distance of 2.7 meters (around 9 feet) to 4.5 meters (around 14 feet).
3. Installing a large screen TV
I’ve installed enough TVs that I know this is a task you always have help with or you get a professional to take care of. Geek Squad can take on the install of your new large screen TV, and they’ll even calibrate it so it’s perfectly set up for the room you’re in.
If you’d like to install a large screen TV yourself, just be sure to have a few extra sets of hands around. You’ll also want to make sure you have the right accessories before you start your installation.
4. Wall mount or stand?
There are many different wall mounts designed for TVs that are 60 inches or larger. You can choose from different styles of wall mount including low profile to give your new large screen TV the appearance of a picture hanging on the wall.
Most new TVs are packaged with a stand so you can set it up immediately and be confident that the stand can support the size of the TV. If you have small children in your home you’ll want to be sure the TV stand is placed on a surface that’s sturdy enough and can support the weight of a large screen. You also want to have it properly anchored so it can’t tip over.
5. Don’t forget the cords and cables
If you don’t have enough HDMI cables to connect your TV to your gaming console, cable box, or soundbar, you’ll want to pick them up before you begin installing your new large screen TV. That way there is nothing more you’ll need to do than plug it in and start enjoy your new TV.
Bigger TVs are better than ever
For the most immersive experience for movies, sports, and gaming, a large screen TV that’s 70 inches or larger is a great choice. You can find all brands and sizes of big TVs at Best Buy right now.
