If you’re interested in gifting someone a new TV this year, you’re probably wondering where to start. There are a lot of new TVs on the market and new TV technologies to sort through before you find the right TV to give as a gift. To save you time while shopping, here are 5 tips for gifting a TV for the holidays.
1. Choose between 4K or 8K
The first choice you’ll make when gifting a TV for the holidays is to choose between 4K and 8K resolution. You can read more about resolution in the TV buying guide, but a quick explanation is that resolution is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels on a TV. 4K resolution has 4000 horizontal pixels and 8K resolution has 8000 horizontal pixels. The more pixels the TV has, the sharper and more defined the picture quality will be.
Should you choose 4K resolution?
One of the main reasons why 4K TVs are the most popular choice right now is that most streaming services offer a wide range of content in 4K. Some streaming services also offer Dolby Vision and HDR content in 4K resolution. Choosing a 4K TV means whoever you’re gifting the TV to will be able to turn on the TV and enjoy the highest quality content available.
Should you choose 8K resolution?
8K TVs can stream 8K content. When you choose an 8K TV you’re choosing a TV with a resolution that will be able to handle content now and in the future. 8K TVs are also able to upscale current streaming content, so if you’re watching a 4K video the 8K TV will upscale the video to as close to 8K as possible. The only downside to 8K TVs is that there isn’t a lot of 8K video available via streaming services. You can find videos on YouTube that stream in 8K and more are being added every day, but the current standard is still 4K.
2. How big of a TV should you choose?
Choosing the right size of TV can be pretty simple for your own living room, but if you’re gifting a TV you may not know what size to choose. You can choose TVs ranging in size from 32 inches to 50 inches, 55 inches, 65 inches, 75 inches, and larger.
One of the easiest ways to decide on a TV is to find out what size TV your gift recipient is currently watching. If it’s 55 inches, you know their living room will accommodate a 55-inch TV. If you know the person you’re gifting a TV to has always wanted to have a larger TV, you may want to choose a 65-inch TV. If their room is large enough, you may even opt for a 75-inch TV. They might want an even smaller TV for their bedroom or another room in the house, and you can choose a smaller 32-inch TV as a gift.
3. Choosing between OLED, QLED, Mini-LED, or LED
After you’ve picked your resolution and the size of TV you’d like to gift, you’ll want to choose which display type you’d like. There are different TV types you can choose including OLED, QLED, Mini-LED, and LED. You can read more about these types of TVs in this article about different display types, but here’s a quick list of features of each you can use while shopping.
LED TVs as a gift
LED TVs have a backlight made up of LEDs. Also known as light emitting diodes, LEDs are quite a bit larger than newer types of TV backlight like Mini-LED or OLED. Because the light source is larger, manufacturers can’t use as many LEDs to make up the backlight of the TV. That means a TV of this type won’t be as bright, colourful, or have the contrast a Mini-LED or OLED TV will have.
If you’re on a strict budget, you’ll find LED TVs are less expensive than newer TV types. They are available with different resolutions including 4K and 8K. They are also available in sizes up to 85 inches. When gifting an LED TV you’ll just want to keep in mind that the picture quality won’t be as sharp, clear, or colourful as newer types of TVs.
Mini-LED TV as a gift
Mini-LED TVs use Mini-LEDs as the backlight. Mini-LEDs are much smaller than traditional LED lights. Just to give you an idea of size comparison, if you think of an LED as though it’s the size of a standard light bulb, a Mini-LED would be the size of a tiny Christmas tree light.
Because you can fit more Mini-LEDs in the TV, Mini-LED TVs are brighter, have a wider colour range, and have better contrast than an LED TV. They are available in 4K and 8K resolution, and they are thinner and lighter than LED TVs. Mini-LEDs are a bit more expensive than LED TVs, but your gift recipient will be thrilled with the impressive picture quality.
QLED TV as a gift
A QLED TV is a TV with a Mini-LED backlight and a layer of quantum dots over the backlight. The quantum dots add a boost of colour and improve contrast on an already bright Mini-LED TV. You can choose 4K QLED TVs or 8K QLED TVs in a range of sizes up to 85 inches. Even in larger sizes a QLED TV will look brighter, have a more realistic colour palette, and have stronger contrast between black and white than a TV with just Mini-LED backlight.
QLED TVs are a great gift for someone who has their TV in a brighter room because of the ultra-bright picture. QLED TVs are also a great choice as a gift for home theatre fans because they are less expensive than OLED but still offer HDR and Dolby Vision.
OLED TVs as a gift
If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line TV to give as a gift, you can’t find a better option than OLED. Instead of a backlight, OLED TVs use organic light-emitting diodes as their light source. These diodes are so small they can light each pixel individually.
OLED is the only type of TV that can achieve true black and the brightest white because each pixel can turn off and on as needed. In terms of picture quality, OLED is outstanding in detail, clarity, and realism. You can find OLED TVs in sizes up to 83 inches. Some models offer great features like gaming menus that auto-adjust settings to optimize gaming console performance. If you choose an OLED TV as a gift you’ll be spending more than other TVs, but it will be a gift that keeps giving all year.
4. Should you include a TV mount when gifting a TV?
TV mounts offer an easy way to place a TV on a wall. If the person you’re gifting a TV to would like to mount it, you may want to add a TV mount to your gift. There are different types of TV mounts you can choose from.
- Full-motion TV mounts let you move the TV up, down, and side to side
- Fixed or low profile mounts keep the TV close to the wall and don’t move
- Tilting TV mounts will tilt up and down
You can also gift a 3-in-1 TV stand with a mount. This is a great choice because it gives your gift recipient the best of both worlds. They can store items in the TV stand and mount their TV, all in one piece of furniture.
5. Should you choose the extended warranty when gifting a TV?
When it’s your TV, it’s easy to decide whether or not you’d like an extended warranty. When you’re buying a TV as a gift, you might wonder whether or not the person you’re buying it for would like to have that extra piece of mind. Overall, it’s a smart decision to choose the extended warranty. While it’s not likely something will go wrong with the TV, if something does after the manufacturer warranty period, your TV gift will still be under warranty.
5 tips for gifting a TV
I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be thrilled if they found a new TV under the tree. It might be a bit challenging to wrap, but it will be the best gift they receive all year. If you’re thinking about gifting a TV, save this article and open it up while you’re shopping. These 5 tips for gifting a TV should make choosing the best TV as a gift a lot easier. You can find a wide selection of TVs at Best Buy.
