How to Choose the Right TV: Quantum Dot, HDR, RGB, etc. for 2025
Maybe TV is It’s difficult to buy. Whether you read us Exquisite guide The best TV If you’re right, you probably won’t find all the top models at your local Walmart, Best Buy, or Costco. Also, if you’re browsing retail websites, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by marketing speaks like HDR, QLED, or “Local Dam”. So we’ve gathered a few tips, tricks and terminology that will help you shop smartly when buying a new TV. Think of this as a checklist to consider before purchasing your next big screen.
Be sure to check the guide The best bookshelves speakers, The best soundbarand we How to buy a soundbar guide For other useful tips on how to upgrade your home theater.
June 2025 Update: Added new information to the latest TV Tech, including RGB LEDs, new OLED displays, HDMI 2.2, updated pricing and TV options.
table of contents
What size TV do I need to get?
When it comes to screens, Bigger is great, right? Certainly, that doesn’t mean you should always swell for the largest size. Pricing for larger models continues to decline, but it may still be out of hand soon. You should also always make sure there is room for all screen footage. If you’re looking at your budget, you should balance your size and performance needs evenly as common cheap TV performance issues such as screen abnormalities, inaccurate colors, mediocre image processing can be difficult to overlook a larger canvas.
Less than 55 inches
Some High-end OLED The small size of the TV can double as a computer monitor, but most TVs under 55 inches are almost non-standard these days. Many manufacturers still produce models below this size, but they are not able to get the latest and greatest performance.
55 inch TV
This is the smallest standard size for modern TVs. It is generally considered ideal for small to average rooms in a home or apartment, but if you have larger spaces, you may want to set up a size. Please note that TVs above this size often have feet on both ends of the screen. If it’s not wall hanging, measure the width of the TV stand to make sure you can hold your new TV. That said, even intermediate models that switch to adaptive feet and pedestal stands are seen more frequently.
65 inch TV
This was the default option for a large living room or space where you could see many eyes at once. As TV Tech improves and prices drop, the 65-inch model has begun to become the norm for many, but it should be noted that in a small room it may dominate your decoration to some extent. If you have extra cash and space, it’s definitely worth an upgrade for those who love to bring more details to the films and TV shows.
Over 75 inches
I have this size and a large room and would only recommend a larger TV for anyone looking for a truly cinematic experience. Buyers should be careful: pricing on this large TV can be extremely expensive (well above $2,000 on high-end models). The cheaper ones (under $1,000) may not look good due to processing and panel lighting restrictions. Be prepared to help a group of experts and friends move and attach the screen more.
What screen resolution do I need?
Resolution means the number of pixels on the screen. Modern TVs come in 1080p “Full HD” resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels), 4K Ultra HD or “UHD” (3,840 x 2,160), and 8K “8K UHD” (7,680 x 4,320) variants. TVs below or above 4K UHD resolution are relatively rare, but for the opposite reason: the full HD screen is currently an older technology, reserved only on the smallest and cheapest models. 8K resolution is primarily available on expensive, large screen televisions, with 8K content still virtually unavailable.
What is the difference? More pixels! 4K TVs have about four times the number of pixels as a 1080p screen, while 8K TVs have about four times the number of pixels as a 4K model, or 16 times the number of 1080p (!). In theory, this means much clearer images than 4K TVs, but that’s not necessarily the case. The pixels of standard size (55-65 inches) 4K TVs are already densely packed into the display, so you may not be able to see the difference between 4K and 8K TVs unless you are watching from a close range or from a very large screen (below 75 inches).
The lack of 8K content means that most of the videos you are watching must be upscaled or raised to the TV resolution by an internal processing system. For this reason, if you’re buying an 8K TV, you’d usually want to buy and buy more premium models regularly with excellent upscaling from the brand. Samsung QN900 Series.
Unless you’re a high roller, you’ll stick to a 4K UHD screen for now.
What is a backlight?
All TV – once OLED and some specialisations Micro LED Model– Uses a combination of LED backlights that have passed through a multi-layer board. There are layers that create colors and images, and layers that feature lights that describe images, which can be controlled by internal processing of the TV. These lighting systems have a big impact on how well an LED TV screen looks in terms of contrast (the difference and definition of dark and bright objects).