Last Updated on September 27, 2023 by Markeyus Franks
In almost every home all over the world, one can find a television. Ever since its invention back in the 1920s, the television has been an excellent means for people to get information on current events, entertainment, fashion, sports, education, and many more.
Indeed, the television is an unmissable home appliance that never ceases to evolve through time. Many decades before, we used to own bulky squarish televisions that produce black and white pictures. But today, it is a whole other story.
Flat, sleek, and big televisions are currently on display in electronics and home appliances stores and shopping websites. Curved televisions are also available for those who want to have a unique, high-tech viewing experience.
With thousands of choices available today in the market, what are the factors that you should consider when it comes to television? What do you have to look for in the television’s picture quality?
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN TV PICTURE QUALITY
- Resolution
The resolution of the television is all about the amount or the number of its vertical and horizontal pixels. It means that the higher the pixels, the higher the resolution, clarity, and quality of the picture.
For televisions that have 1080p or lower resolution, the resulting picture has an average to low quality. However, in televisions that are equipped with 4K or 8K resolution, the resulting picture is significantly clearer, better, and more beautiful because of their 4000 and 8000 pixels, respectively.
Moreover, the resolution of 1080p televisions or lower refers to its vertical pixels. Meanwhile, the resolution of 4K or 8K televisions refers to its horizontal pixels.
Televisions with higher amount or number of pixels are generally priced higher than those with lower resolution. It is because high resolution televisions produce high resolution pictures that are definitely more clear, quality, beautiful, and realistic.
- Color
The days of black and white televisions have long been gone. Around twenty years after the invention of television, color television was released and presented to the world.
The color of the television refers to its color accuracy. Not all televisions have the same color accuracy because some are so much better at displaying accurate colors than others.
Color accuracy is all about the ability of the television to display the exact shades, tones, and colors of the picture sent from the source device. If the source device signals and sends an image of a red apple, the viewer should be able to see a red apple on the television, not an orangey-red one.
If the television is not able to display the exact color shades and tones, then it has low color accuracy. But if it displays accurate shades, tones, and colors, then the television has a high color accuracy.
This is a very important factor to consider when it comes to the television’s picture quality because color accuracy affects all the images and videos being displayed on the screen. It will be more challenging for the viewers to appreciate a television show if the colors are simply inaccurate.
- Black Levels
When talking about the black levels of the television, it is basically about its brightness. Even though it kind of sounds a bit contradictory, the black levels of the television adjust when the brightness is increased or lowered.
The higher the black levels, the darker the shadows and grays will appear and the lower the brightness. The lower the black levels, the lighter and brighter the picture will be.
Most up-to-date televisions have excellent black levels or brightness options that could significantly lower or increase the brightness of the resulting picture according to the preference of the viewer. These are unlike the older models of televisions which have lesser versatility in terms of black levels.
- Contrasts
In contrary to black levels, the contrasts of the television refers to its white levels. As the contrast applies scale factor to the blue, green, and red signals, it impacts the luminance of the television’s picture.
Contrast is directly related to brightness. Once the brightness of the television is set, the contrast can then be adjusted in order to have a comfortable viewing experience.
A television’s contrast ratio is the luminance ratio between the darkest black and the brightest white that can be produced by the television. The contrast ratio affects the perceived quality of the television’s picture.
If a television is able to display high contrast ratio, then the images and videos will appear to be sharper and clearer, with or without the consideration of the resolution. However, the videos and images of high resolution televisions that can only display lower contrast ratio will appear to be duller.
- TV Size
Last but not the least is the size of the television. Nowadays, the bigger the television, the better.
At present, television comes in various sizes. Probably the smallest size that is currently available in the market today is the 24-inch television.
Meanwhile, the common biggest size of televisions today ranges from 80 to 150 inches. But Samsung, one of the leading tech companies in the world, has been able to make The Wall MicroLED TV with a whopping size of 292 inches.
Even though size does matter, it still depends on the needs and preferences of the user. If the viewer lives in an apartment with a relatively smaller living area or bedroom, then he/she might opt for a smaller television. But if the viewer lives in a huge home with a spacious living area or bedroom, then he/she might choose to purchase an 80-inch television.
WHICH TV BRANDS HAS THE BEST PICTURE?
- LG
LG is known for releasing several television models, from IPS LCD TVs to OLED TVs, annually than any other company. While most LG televisions are affordable, these ones do not really offer better value than their competitors.
Cheaper LG televisions are said to have poor display performance and low picture quality especially in a dark room. However, when it comes to LG’s flagship TV offerings, especially the OLED ones, their technology and picture quality are quite mature and up there. In fact, there are many people who love LG OLED TVs.
On Consumer Affairs (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/lg-tv.html), LG televisions have received an average rating score of 3.7 stars out of five.
- Samsung
One of the tech giants in the world, Samsung is known for manufacturing versatile and excellent quality televisions. The LED models of Samsung TV are known to be equipped with amazing features on gaming.
However, some consumers reported issues on the viewing angles of entry-level and some midrange Samsung TVs. Other than that, their televisions are mostly exceptional.
Today, Samsung’s flagship line up called Neo QLED TVs are simply amazing to watch and use. In general, this company makes very good televisions, from low-end units to high-end models.
The smart features of their televisions are quite good and most consumers would find the right Samsung TV that will suit their preferences. Most importantly, the picture quality and versatility of the top-of-the-line Samsung TVs are simply great.
On Consumer Affairs (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/samsung_tv.html), Samsung televisions have received an average rating score of 3.9 stars out of five.
- Sony
Among the top consumer choices of TV brands is Sony. In general, Sony televisions are reliable, quality, and long-lasting. The color accuracy is good, the picture quality is great, and the extra features are exciting and useful.
Just like other brands, Sony’s entry level televisions are incompetent. However, when it comes to their mid-range and flagship models, Sony is indeed one of the best.
However, Sony TVs are known for not being affordable. Even their mid-range TVs are quite pricey. But, the plus points when it comes to Sony TVs are their versatility, functionality, and overall quality. Through the years, Sony has stayed true to its great reputation.
On Consumer Affairs (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/sony_tv.html), Sony televisions have received an average rating score of 3.9 stars out of five.
- Vizio
Vizio is known for providing televisions with compelling performance regardless of the price range. Ever since their establishment, Vizio has been offering good value televisions for the consumers.
Even though they are not that well-polished in comparison to other mainstay television brands, Vizio never ceases to produce televisions that have great quality for the price. The picture quality of their TVs are said to be amazing as well. However, their smart features have to be developed more.
On Consumer Affairs (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/vizio.html), Vizio televisions have received an average rating score of 3.5 stars out of five.
- Roku
Last on this list is Roku. Roku televisions have good performance and great features. The platform is easy to use, convenient, and responsive.
Their TVs are also great for gaming since there are fewer lags and blurs. However, some of the cheaper models are said to have issues on brightness levels and versatility.
In terms of picture quality, Roku TVs have decent to above average quality. The contrast ratio is great, especially those in the top of the line models.
On Consumer Affairs (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cable_tv/roku.html), Roku televisions have received an average rating score of 3.9 stars out of five.
FINAL VERDICT
On which TV brands has the best picture, the final verdict will include: Samsung and Sony.
Both Samsung and Sony have gotten the highest rating on Consumer Affairs among the five brands reviewed above. Even though Roku has the same score as these two, Roku is not quite at the same level of picture quality as Samsung and Sony.
Samsung is a tech giant that constantly produces great quality gadgets and home appliances. Their name is known all over the world and millions of people would prefer Samsung TVs over other brands because of their excellent picture quality and versatility.
Meanwhile, Sony is a huge player in the television and entertainment industry for a very long time. Sony has proven to be reliable when it comes to its products, especially televisions. Their excellent reputation in terms of picture quality, color accuracy, and overall quality has always been sustained through the years.
