Whether you are hosting guests at Thanksgiving and want to watch the big game in style, or you’re looking to surprise the family on Christmas morning, a larger than life TV is a go-to purchase during the holiday season.
Choosing the best TV for watching football with friends or a holiday movie classic with family can be as tough as deciding when to take the turkey out of the oven. Premium TVs provide stunning pictures with high style and sound to match. How do you select the best TV for your room?
There are many choices, sizes, and an alphabet soup of acronyms like OLED, QLED, LED, UHD, etc. It can send you into a rabbit hole of Internet research. You should also think about the TV’s sound, how you will mount it, and what height it should be. The purpose of this article is to provide clarity to this purchasing decision and get you closer to sitting on your sofa enjoying a great entertainment experience.
Integral Home Technology is the local resource for smart home technology in Central Florida, including Clearwater, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg and beyond. We are here to help you not only decide how big you can go and which TV to buy, but we can also optimally install it in your home—hiding wires and integrating it with your audio system. We particularly love Sony and Samsung models, and outdoor TVs from Sunbrite.
What Size TV Should You Buy?
So what is the right size TV for your home? Most consumer complaints are that their TV “could be larger,” not “my TV is too big.” So, the first piece of advice to avoid returns is to think big. Big as in the impressive Samsung 110″ MICRO LED TV, pictured above!
Just how big should your TV be? Since today’s televisions are very high resolution, you can get quite close to the TV without seeing pixels. Using the formula for “minimum viewing distance,” which is 1.5x the screen width, you’ll come to the realization that you only have to be about 8.75 feet back from the TV for an 85” diagonal display (all sizes in this article refer to diagonal TV size). This is probably much closer than you expected to be from the TV.
Use blue painters’ tape on the wall to represent the outer dimensions of your desired TV size. You’ll probably decide that the TV you thought was “too large” looks smaller than expected on the wall! If you are debating between two sizes (a 65” and 75” for instance), always choose the larger size. Sony Bravia TVs come in an impressive range of sizes, as shown below.
TV Size, Room by Room
Larger televisions are typical in Family Rooms, Living Rooms, Dens, Recreation Rooms, and Media Rooms. The smallest size we recommend for those rooms is a 65”. However, most rooms like this can accommodate a 75”, 85”, or 100” with ease. Home Cinema screens are typically much larger than this, but that’s a topic for another blog.
Secondary locations like Exercise Rooms, Offices, or Main Bedrooms, are generally going to require a smaller television. We typically recommend a 55”- 65” model. Guest rooms usually require a 43” – 55” TV and Kitchens require smaller screens in the 24” to 32” range.
In Florida, we have the benefit of enjoying the great outdoors far into the fall and winter months. So if your holiday or game time party takes you outdoors, you need a TV designed for the elements and outdoor use. Sunbrite’s Veranda, Signature, and Pro series of outdoor TVs can be used in both shaded spaces or full sunlight and are weatherproof for years of outdoor use.
Consider Viewing Angles
A vital consideration for TV selection is room width. If you have seating that is out to the side of the TV and not near the center line of sight, you may want to select an OLED TV. These TVs have a wider viewing angle than typical LCD and LED TVs, so guests to the side don’t see a darker image. OLED TVs are premium quality options, so in addition to wide viewing angles, you also get improved black levels and a more dynamic image.
How High Should You Mount Your TV?
A standard Family Room design uses the fireplace as a focal point. This design generally requires you to place the TV above the fireplace, which is too high for comfortable viewing.
Generally, your eye wants to land in the range of the middle to the bottom third of the screen when seated. This is by far the most comfortable viewing angle. If you mount a 65” TV at the correct height, the bottom of the TV will be roughly 2 feet off the floor. By comparison, a standard fireplace mantel is 5 feet off the ground. When room design allows, place the TV lower.
There are specialized TV lifts that can fix the TV height problem. They allow you to mount the TV above the fireplace mantel by articulating away from the wall and down to a more appropriate height. TVs can also be concealed in floors, ceilings, cabinets, and walls using motorized mounts.
Sound Matters
We highly recommend adding an audio system—whether a surround sound system or a soundbar—to your new TV setup for the ultimate media room experience. The tiny speakers built into TVs simply won’t cut it.
When deciding on the size of your TV, it’s therefore important to consider the height of a soundbar or center channel speaker. You want to locate your center channel speaker or soundbar as close to ear level as possible, which typically dictates that this speaker go right below the TV, as shown with this Leon FrameBar (designed to match beautifully with Samsung’s The Frame TV), below.
Who would have thought that so many considerations go into buying a TV? Something so simple can be a little more complex than first expected if you want to do it right. The right size, the right placement, the right audio, the right aesthetics, and the right mounting options all go into this decision. Integral Home Technology is your guide in this process. For expert advice on TV choices, sound systems, and installation, contact us today.
This article was sourced in part from The Home Technology Association.
