How To Choose The Best TV 2023: A simple guide to LCD, LED, OLED & QLED by the experts!
The Samsung Frame TV - 65” with integrated artwork display technology
When it comes to choosing the best TV for your home, it is easy to be bamboozled with all the new technological jargon that surrounds the latest television choices available. As well as considering the design, size, price, energy-saving options and if you want it wall-hung or freestanding on a side unit, for TVs in 2023, you also need to choose between the options of LCD, LED, OLED and QLED! In this post, Dan Brown - Operations Director at Bolton-based Mitchell & Brown TVs - gives a quick and simple explanation of the difference between each of these complicated TV terms, while also providing a buying guide to choosing the best type of TV for your home in 2023:
Image Credit: Mitchell & Brown
“With all the specifications and acronyms, buying a new TV can be an overwhelming experience,” says Dan. “The technology can be baffling, but it is the end result for your hard-earned cash that counts - the good news is there are no ‘bad’ TVs these days! Even budget HD-ready LCD models will deliver sharp and vivid images but spend a little more on the latest technology, for a punchier, richer, and more detailed picture, often using less energy, too."
The Best BUdget-Friendly TV: Just What is an LCD TV?
If you are looking for a good-quality, budget-friendly TV, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs are the best option. "LCD is commonly used across basic flat panel TVs, so the technology is well-developed and very affordable,” says Dan. “Backlights in the TV shine through LCD pixels creating the picture so the technology is limited in its depth of colour and blacks tend to look a bit grey, but for an affordable TV, LCD can’t be beaten."
Image Credit: MItchell & Brown
The Best Energy-Saving TV: LED TVs Explained
LED (Light Emitting Diode) TVs use energy-saving LED light to illuminate programmes on the screen. Rather than traditional TV backlights, LED TVs use an array of LEDs to shine through the LCD panel. According to Dan, “the crisp light from the LEDs improves brightness and contrast, while also reducing energy usage, making them a worthwhile upgrade over basic LCD models."
The Best Picture-Quality: Choose a QLED TV for colour and contrast
QLED (Quantum dot Light Emitting Diode) TVs are the latest form of LED TV that use an extra layer of Quantum dots between the LEDs and LCD panel. According to Dan, this important extra layer “dramatically improves colour and contrast, delivering a tremendous improvement in picture quality over a basic LED TV, while keeping energy consumption low."
In my home, I have a QLED Samsung Frame TV which turns into a work of art on the wall when the TV is turned off. The thin cable is chased into the wall and the box sits within the TV unit below.
Best wow factor: choose an OLED TV for the ultimate viewing experience at home
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) TVs are at the higher end of the TV price bracket and consume more energy than other television options, but for the ultimate viewing experience, an OLED TV cannot be beaten. "Each pixel in an OLED TV is a small organic LED that is individually lit, coloured, or shut off to form the image,” says Dan. “OLED pictures will wow even the most critical viewer with stunning colours, deep blacks and unbeatable contrast.”
Image Credit: Mitchell & Brown