10 Most Desirable Features While Buying A TV In 2018

TVs weren’t what they used to be a few years ago. Ever since internet became faster and more accessible, it led to TVs getting smarter and today, it can do a lot more than simply just browse channels from your local cable provider. Over the years, TVs have continue to evolve at a rapid pace and fast forward to 2018, we can now stream 4k content while sitting on our couches on our TVs. So with that said, Killer Features did a bit of digging as to what features are most highly coveted by consumers, and here are the top 10 in no particular order:

1. Display Quality: This wasn’t surprising as it was the most highly coveted feature sought out by customers. A TV is a somewhat large investment as far as home appliances goes and at the end of the day people, above all else will be staring at the screen than going through the menus. So how do you determine the picture quality of a TV? Here are our tips:

• Resolution: A higher resolution will output a sharper image and depending on the viewing distance, you’ll get a really sharp image. The thing to avoid here is the temptation to go bigger if you have limited space and viewing area as bigger TVs are meant to be watched from a distance. While a higher resolution is in itself is a plus, but as the image gets bigger, the pixels gets bigger as well. Simply put, it makes little sense to watch a 50 inch plus TV from a distance of 2 feet.
• Avoid HD-Ready TVs: Similar to the resolution, HD ready TV’ shave a native resolution of 1366×768. That combined with a large-ish screen size, means that your picture is going to be distorted and appear torn due to the need to incredibly large pixels to display the image.
• Check for Certifications: Most TV manufacturers will often equip the display with certain proprietary technology certifications that aims to improve image quality. While some of it is just snake-oil, others do work. Just Google up your knowledge before falling for them. Additionally an HDR certification is reserved only for the best, so if your TV has got it, that likely means that it is using good quality components.

2. Streaming online: Online content streaming isn’t a new concept and over the years, especially with the launch of smart TVs, it has gotten even more popular. So one of the most highly regarded features among the TV binging enthusiasts was the ability to Netflix and chill and stream YouTube. Plus let’s not forget that many shows now stream online first rather than make a TV premiere on launch date.
3. General Connectivity: Generally speaking, your TV will most likely be hooked to a set top box or a media server or some external device of this nature. But as we know, there are a multitude of other devices that can now connect to a TV like gaming consoles, Mouse/Keyboard and USB drives. So, another highly anticipated feature among fellow consumers was the ability to have multiple connections from different devices and switch between them on the fly.
4. Wi-Fi Mirroring: This was one of the lesser mentioned features but nonetheless Mirroring is a good way to share what’s on the screen of your phone direct to your TV without connecting it with a physical wire. Do note that there are a few proprietary technologies at play here and could cause some compatibility issues depending with your phone and TV setup.
5. Audio: Any TV isn’t complete without a speaker. Generally speaking, most TVs do come with integrated speaker setups, but only a few stands out. The key to deciding if the TV has a decent enough audio setup and doesn’t require a 3^rd party speaker system is to actually get a demo of the TV unit before buying. Or if that isn’t possible, then you’ll most likely have to stick to online reviews. A tip here is to watch out for audio certifications, especially if the TVs speakers are Dolby or DTS certified.
6. Form Factor: This isn’t an outright feature as such but it is close enough. Today’s LED TVs can get incredibly slim, a point proven with the LG Wallpaper TV which currently holds the record for the slimmest TV in production. Most consumers actually prefer their TVs to be as slim because it is more aesthetically pleasing and consumes a smaller footprint in the room.
7. Vesa Mount: It is basically the ability to mount the TV on a wall and not consume any additional table space. This is a nifty little feature to have as most of the wall space in our homes is wasted. Having this will enable you to not only save some space but also protect it against accidental damages from falling off the table.
8. Voice Control: As of 2018, a few TVs have started to appear which can be controlled by Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Now this feature is only reserved for the top of the range TVs. However a growing number of customers have started to see the benefits of voice control with home automation devices. So, it could potentially be a good feature to keep an eye out for.
9. Faster refresh rate: Refresh rate, measured in Hertz, is the amount of pictures that can flash on your TV screen in a given time. Generally the higher the number, the better. So, if your TV claims that its supports a faster refresh rate, then it is worth going for because a faster refresh rate will equate to a smoother image.
10. Warranty: Oh yes, the good old warranty. Now most TVs will generally come with a standard warranty. But if it supports a longer warranty period, then the TV will definitely last you for a good couple of years.

So, those were Killer Features top 10 most desirable things to look out for in a TV this year. For more useful tips and top deals, don’t forget to visit killerfeatures.com.