A Guide To Purchasing Your Next TV

So, here’s a rough guide that ought to narrow things down for you.

Budget Shoppers (RM999-RM1,499)

LED Backlighting and Sufficient Input Options

If you’re going to buy a new TV, the absolute minimum you should spend is RM1000. This isn’t some magical number – it’s just how much LED backlighting technology costs. This crucial technology has a lot of advantages. For one, they make for lighter, thinner televisions. They’re also very energy efficient. But most importantly, they ensure uniformly-lit and clear images with good contrast.

A small living room or studio apartment can be realistically served by a 32-inch screen. Something like the LG 32LJ510D will do the job nicely. You won’t find any extra functionalities such as apps or a web browser, but for the price you pay, it offers a pretty good picture quality. It even has a built-in USB port, so you can plug your portable hard disk in and watch all the movies to your heart’s content.

Value-for-money Options (RM1,500 – RM1,999)

Large Displays, High Refresh Rates

Buying a television is a big decision, so getting one with a big enough screen should be a consideration. Between RM1,500 – RM 2,000, it’s possible to get screens up to 49”. However, our pick is the 43” LG 43LJ510T. It may have a smaller display for a similar asking price, but it’s a superior product.

What you lose in screen real estate, you get back in features. Its Clear Voice III feature enhances sound quality by separating voices from background noise and coupled with its Virtual Surround Plus function, this baby will provide the best sound for a budget price. At just under RM2,000, it’s definitely the bigger bang for your buck. This is suitable for small families or couples.

Long-Term Investment (RM2,000-RM3,999)

Huge Displays, SmartTV, 4K/UHD

TVs aren’t what they used to be. Just a decade ago, most living rooms had television sets with DVD players and set-top boxes attached to them. Today, a SmartTV can handle all the media content you can throw at it thanks to an active internet connection and an integrated operating system. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a long-term replacement TV, it should be Smart, and support higher resolutions.

The terms 4K and UHD is often used without explanation. To be honest, they mean almost the same thing. In short, 4K = 4096 X 2160 pixels and UHD = 3840 X 2160 pixels. The difference is negligible. What’s important is that at least one of these terms is present on your new purchase. It may be difficult to justify now, but you’ll give yourself a well-deserved high five in just a few years.

Our pick in this category is the LG 43-inch Smart UHD TV LG-43UJ652T. It ticks all the above-mentioned boxes, plus it comes equipped with LG’s 4K Upscaler, which boosts resolution to near 4K quality through ultimate image processing technology. A television like this would work for your average household with 4-5 family members.

Bleeding Edge Technology (RM4,000 – RM8,000)

HDR, Cinematic Audio and Video

At this price range, the television becomes an all-out long term investment. If you’re going to buy something expensive for a room that’s large enough for a family of six, you might as well get something you’ll be happy with for many years to come.

One piece of technology you’d want is High Dynamic Range, or HDR. HDR is what separates the men from the boys in the TV world. It makes colours extra vivid and life-like. Game consoles like the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S can take advantage of HDR TVs, giving new titles a real graphical advantage.

For about RM6,000, LG’s 65UJ632T gives you all of these features, and more. It’s 65” display still relies on LED backlighting, but it has all the features one would come to expect of a modern-day television.

Zero Compromise (RM8,000 and up)

OLED, and everything else

Here’s where the biggest game-changing piece of technology comes in – OLED. OLED, or Organic LED displays have been around in the smartphone market for quite some time. Manufacturers have finally found a way to bring the technology to televisions in relatively affordable packages.

For those unfamiliar with OLED technology, what it essentially gives you is unrivalled realism. Because OLEDs don’t rely on artificial backlighting, areas of the screen can be completely unlit. This makes images of the night sky and shadows darker – almost lifelike to the naked eye.

Having built-in Dolby Vision and Atmos can really make a difference to the movie-watching experience. If you can find a television that puts these two in, you’ll probably never pay for a movie ticket again. Now, imagine all of these elements in one uncompromising living room showcase.

What you’re thinking of, my friends, is the LG OLED55B7T.

This 55” Smart OLED 4K TV is everything you could possibly want. Large enough for the whole family, connected enough for all types of media and equipped to give you the best image quality known to man. What’s more, this models comes with WebOS 3.5, which has hacking and privacy leak prevention built into it. A little extra security can go a long way.

The Best Way to Make It Yours

Now that you know what sort of television you should get, it’s time to find the best possible deal.

The 55” LG Smart OLED 4K TV we mentioned, for instance, is on promotion at all senQ showrooms between 25 May and 30 June 2017. This gets you an extra year of warranty coverage as well as a 0% interest 36-month instalment plan for your dream TV!