With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about gifts for your family. If you’re buying a gift for someone who loves to stream movies, watch hours of TV, or play games, there are a lot of TV & home theatre gifts you can choose from.
Features on TVs for anyone who loves to stream
I always look for gifts with a short set-up time so the recipient can start enjoying them as soon as possible. A smart TV is a great gift for that reason. You can plug it in and jump into streaming without worrying about picture settings or compatibility options. Smart TVs come pre-loaded with streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. Depending on the type of smart TV you choose, there are always more apps you can add. For example, TCL Roku smart TVs have over 30,000 apps you can download.
Ambient light detection adjusts picture quality for your room
Many smart TV brands such as Sony and LG have an Ambient Light Sensor built-in. This feature detects your room’s lighting and auto-adapts brightness settings to fit how light or dark the room is. This is a helpful feature for anyone who loves to stream because the adjustments make watching easier on your eyes. It’s also good if the person you’re buying the gift for has trouble navigating custom settings on their TV. It makes everything you watch look even better and your gift recipient will spend more time enjoying the TV because they don’t need expert knowledge on how to adjust the picture settings.
Smart TVs offer high refresh rates and content upscaling
If you’re buying for someone who watches action sports and fast-paced movies or someone who is a gamer, a 4K Ultra HD TV with a high refresh rate will be a great gift. I never understood the big deal with higher refresh rates or resolution until I experienced it in person. Now that I own a TV with 120Hz refresh rate, I would have a hard time going back to 60Hz.
Even if you play games casually, 60Hz to 120Hz when gaming and content streaming makes a world of difference. A TV with this feature is more immersive because it eliminates motion blur and makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the action. If you are buying for someone who wants a high refresh rate and other gaming features, there are more options available in the Gaming TV section.
Some smart TVs can also upscale content. If you are watching 1080p videos your TV will upscale your video to almost 4K. If your gift recipient likes old movies, this will be a great feature for them. The streaming experience will be more enjoyable because everything will have high-resolution picture quality.
OLED TVs provide better colour and contrast
If you want to give a movie fan the perfect gift, an OLED TV is a great choice. OLED TVs offer the best contrast and picture quality and are ideal for dark rooms and nighttime movie sessions. They can achieve true black and intense colour, and the picture quality is so sharp it makes the viewer feel as though they are watching a movie in their own personal theatre. If your gift recipient loves to stream movies with friends, OLED TVs also have improved viewing angles for streaming content in large groups. Your gift recipient will be so impressed with the upgrade over a traditional LED screen.
TV accessories for streaming content with friends and family
One of my favourite ways to spend quality time with friends and family is by streaming movies and games together. You can give a gift that lets your recipient plan a movie night without leaving the comfort of their home.
Built-in-camera to stream movies together
A built-in camera is helpful for anyone wanting to share their streaming experiences with loved ones over the internet. Some TVs have the option of adding on video cameras, but smart monitors are a great gift too because some models have a camera built in.
Despite the smaller screen size, smart monitors come with many of the same features a smart TV does. Some models have remote control and built-in streaming software for movie apps and TV. The forward-facing camera is directed at the person in front of the TV so you can host a virtual viewing party for the latest movie releases or share your thoughts about the movie on a live streaming platform.
Smart monitors offer smaller sizes than smart TVs so they are a great gift option as a second TV for anywhere in the house. If you want to learn more, I’d recommend checking out the article “What’s the difference between a smart monitor and a smart TV?”.
Media streamers offer unique streaming content
Even if your gift recipient has a smart TV with built-in Wi-Fi and apps, if you’re buying a gift for someone who loves to stream video, a media streaming device is a great gift option. There are a lot of different media streaming devices available including Apple TV, Roku, and Google Chromecast. Each media streaming device has unique features with different entertainment options. As I mentioned, Roku has over 30,000 apps you can download. Roku is beneficial for older audiences as it has a very easy-to-use menu and many free options everyone can enjoy.
One of the banes of my friends’ and my movie-watching experience is trying to find which streaming platform an old movie is available on. An all-in-one media streamer like Google Chromecast makes it easy to find and stream all types of content. You can search on your computer and stream video from your computer to your TV or stream video from streaming apps on your phone to your TV. Apple TV is also a great choice. It offers exclusive Apple+ video content, and you can access other Apple TV features like Apple Arcade.
Smart lights set a movie mood
If you want to give a gift that sets a movie theatre mood, smart lights are the home theatre addition you’ve been looking for. Smart lights come in many types and have a colour range to fit any movie streaming fan’s setup.
Gradient hue lights surround your TV with colour
LED hue lights are my personal favourite gift for anyone who has a home theatre or loves to watch movies. TV lights like the Phillips Hue Gradient Light Strips attach directly to the back of your TV and provide a soft ambient light around your screen. Having a dynamic light source that matches the colours on your display makes for a memorable movie-viewing experience, especially if you have a group of people over to watch with you.
Another lighting alternative that makes a good gift are LED hue bulbs. They replace your existing light bulbs in the room. These bulbs are compatible with most sockets and some offer Bluetooth connections so they don’t need to connect to Wi-Fi. Smart lights are only one of many gifts that can improve a home theatre experience!
Choosing the right gift for anyone who loves to stream
I know gift-giving can be overwhelming, but I think these gift options are great for anyone who loves to stream movies, watch sports, or play games on their TV. You can find all types of home theatre and TV gifts at Best Buy.
