Whenever we upgrade to a new television, my husband and I have a discussion about just how big of a big screen we need to choose. We’ve always stayed in the 55-inch range until our recent upgrade to a 65-inch QLED. To me, that felt like a huge leap in size. He’s someone who has always wanted to see what a large screen TV that’s 75-inches or 85-inches would look like in our living room.
Given the recent upgrades to large screen TVs, I’m ready to agree with him. Having a large screen TV really brings the movie theatre experience home, and you can choose a wall-sized screen without losing a pixel of contrast, colour, and clarity.
Just how big are large screen TVs?
If your TV is 32 inches or smaller, a 55-inch TV will seem huge to you. Yet a 55-inch or 65-inch TV is actually considered mid-range in size, and large screens only start at 70-inches or bigger. Best Buy has two categories for large screen TVs; 70-79 inch TVs and 80 inch and larger TVs.
A decade ago a large screen TV would have been an unaffordable luxury for most people, but large screen TVs are now readily available, affordable, and have all the same options as smaller TVs including Smart TV options.
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.
Does screen size affect resolution?
No matter what size of TV you choose, if you pick a 4K TV it will have 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 they will be a different 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.
With a TV that large you can have a really immersive viewing experience. Sports look like they are taking place right in front of you, you feel like you’re in the middle of an action movie with rockets or guns firing all around you, and you can take in detail you’ve never seen before when watching TV shows or YouTube clips.
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 70 inches and larger have 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 better display overall.
Because large screen TVs have their own backlight, they can display HDR content at a level a projector 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.
Is your room big enough for a large 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.
Designate your 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 that large screen before you commit to it.
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.
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).
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.
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’ll have that option if you’d like to use the stand. If you have small children in your home you’ll want to be sure the TV stand your new TV is placed on is sturdy enough for a large screen. You also want to have it properly anchored so it can’t tip over.
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 surfing your streaming options.
Bigger TVs are better than ever
For the most immersive experience for movies, sports, and gaming, a large screen TV that’s over 70 inches is a great choice. You can find all brands and sizes of big TVs on Best Buy right now.
