7 Most Important Specifications to Check Before Buying a Smart TV

From well-known brands to emerging manufacturers, the Smart TV market is exploding with thousands of different models. With countless attractive offers, you can easily be attracted to cheap TVs, but is that the right choice? Remember, attractive prices do not necessarily mean quality. Although they are all called Smart TVs, each TV has its own advantages and limitations.

Before you decide to "spend money", you need to understand that not every TV is suitable for your needs. To avoid buying a product that is not as expected, take some time to carefully study the following technical specifications.

1. Screen space and size

Screen size is always the first factor that attracts the attention of TV buyers. Although everyone wants to own a big TV, consider carefully before making a decision. Before deciding to buy a TV, take some time to measure the space and visualize where the TV will be placed.

The worst thing is to excitedly unbox your new TV only to find it's too big or too small for the room. Measure exactly where you want to put your TV and compare it to your screen size to make sure they fit.

On the other hand, a TV that is too small will make your entertainment space lack focus and vitality. A TV that is too small will make you miss out on vivid image details and the movie viewing experience will not be complete. For the best movie viewing experience, it is important to carefully consider the screen size that is suitable for the space and viewing distance.

According to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the ideal screen size is one that takes up at least 30 degrees of your field of view. This means that when you sit in your viewing position, the TV screen should take up at least 30 degrees of the space you can see without moving your head.

A quick and simple calculation that many people use is to multiply the viewing distance (in inches) by 0.625 to find the appropriate TV screen size (in inches). For example, if the distance from your eyes to the screen is 90 inches, when multiplied by 0.625, we get 56.25 inches. Thus, a 55-inch TV would be the right choice.

2. Resolution

For most users, the two most popular resolutions today are 1080p (Full HD) and 4K (Ultra HD). 1080p resolution is usually suitable for screens under 40 inches, while 4K is for larger screens. Although 8K resolution offers superior image sharpness, the price is still quite high and 8K content is still limited. Therefore, unless you have a very large room and want the most realistic image experience, 8K may not be really necessary.

If you're still unsure, check out Rtings' comparison chart. This site provides detailed recommendations for the appropriate resolution for each screen size and viewing distance. In general, you should choose a TV with a resolution of Full HD (1080p) or higher. In particular, for screens 40 inches or larger, 4K will be the optimal choice to enjoy sharp images.

For those who love technology and are willing to invest in image quality, 8K TV is an attractive option. However, the price of current 8K TV models is quite high. In fact, the current 8K content is quite limited, making it difficult for you to take full advantage of the TV's capabilities.

3. Screen type

In the past, choosing a TV was simply limited to one option: CRT TV. However, the advent of plasma and LCD TVs has opened up a new world of countless options, sometimes confusing consumers. Today, the TV market is becoming more diverse with three main screen technologies: LED, QLED and OLED.

In fact, LED TVs are just an upgraded version of LCD TVs, instead of using traditional fluorescent lamps, they use more modern LED lamps. Because of this simplicity and popularity, LED TVs are often affordable and meet the basic movie and entertainment needs of most users.

Meanwhile, OLED TVs are famous for their ability to reproduce true-to-life colors and deep blacks, providing a vivid visual experience. However, to get this excellent picture quality, you have to accept a higher price than other types of TVs. Besides, OLEDs also have limitations in brightness, so the ideal viewing room for OLED TVs is a space with adjustable lighting.

QLED TVs are a harmonious combination of the advantages of OLED TVs and LED TVs. They provide higher brightness than OLED, suitable for spaces with a lot of light, and at the same time provide better color quality than LED. Thanks to that, QLED is an ideal choice for living rooms, which often have many windows.

New technologies such as QNED and QD-OLED have combined the outstanding advantages of both QLED and OLED TVs. They not only bring high brightness like QLED but also have the ability to reproduce colors accurately down to every detail, comparable to OLED. However, to own these top technologies, you will have to invest a large amount of money.

4. HDR compatibility

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It is a picture technology that helps reproduce images on TV more realistically and vividly by enhancing the light and dark of the image. As a result, you will experience images with high contrast, more vibrant colors and more details than conventional TVs.

Nowadays, most of the movies and TV shows are produced in HDR format to provide the most realistic viewing experience. So, to fully enjoy this content, you need a TV that supports HDR.

However, not all monitors that say “HDR” are up to the standard. To ensure image quality, look for monitors that have HDR certification from reputable organizations like VESA. For example, the DisplayHDR standard ensures that your monitor meets strict requirements for brightness, color, and contrast.

In addition to VESA's DisplayHDR certification, you should also look for other HDR standards like Dolby Vision, HDR10, or HLG. These standards ensure that your TV is capable of handling and displaying HDR content properly.

5. Connection

Most smart TVs today come with a variety of wired and wireless ports, making it easy to connect to a variety of devices. At least one HDMI port is standard, but for the full entertainment experience, you should choose a TV with two or more HDMI ports.

This is especially useful when you want to connect multiple devices at the same time such as computers, game consoles. In addition, pay attention to the audio connection ports to combine with external speaker systems for more vivid sound quality.

You should also double-check that the smart TV you choose has built-in Wi-Fi. Most newer models do, but it’s always a good idea to check, especially if you plan on using it to stream movies and TV shows. Bluetooth connectivity is also useful, especially if you want to connect headphones to the TV so you don’t disturb those around you while watching your favorite shows.

6. Refresh rate

The refresh rate of a TV, measured in frames per second (FPS), determines how smooth the picture is. Most TVs today have a refresh rate of 60Hz (i.e. 60 frames per second), which is enough for watching movies and TV shows. However, if you are a gamer, choose a TV with a refresh rate of 120Hz or higher to experience smooth, stutter-free images, especially when playing fast-paced games.

High refresh rates help reduce motion blur, especially in fast-moving scenes like action movies or sports matches. This results in sharper and clearer images, providing a more realistic and vivid viewing experience.

7. Operating system

Smart TVs are essentially computers specifically designed for watching television. Just like a computer needs Windows or macOS to function, a Smart TV needs an operating system. If you are familiar with the Android ecosystem, Google TV OS will be the ideal choice for a seamless and easy experience.

The Smart TV market is currently very diverse with many different operating systems. Besides Google TV, manufacturers such as LG with webOS, Samsung with TizenOS, ... also provide attractive options. Each operating system has its own unique features, suitable for different customer groups.