Page 6 - DIGICEL 24 NOV 2015
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TECHNOLOGY A23
Tuesday 24 November 2015
TV Buying Guide: Get out tape measure before shopping
RYAN NAKASHIMA In this Jan. 5, 2015, file photo, Joe Stinziano, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics Crutchfield.com, says that
AP Business Writer America, introduces a Samsung SUHD 4K TV at a news conference in Las Vegas. even though 60 frames
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If per second is the highest
you’re shopping for a TV, Associated Press that will come from Blu-
get out a tape measure ray discs or video games,
and do some quick calcu- you:http://interactives. ellite TV, you’ll need one your voice because it gets higher rates on a TV will still
lations before you head to ap.org/2015/tv-buying- for your set-top box, then fine-tuned through millions cut down on blur. Either
the store. And count the guide/ one more for a streaming of interactions on smart- the TV’s processor will in-
number of gadgets you’ll Also consider how little device or Blu-ray player. If phones. terpolate frames between
want to connect to your 4K content there is. A few you want to add a game If you plan to use a smart each actual frame, or the
screen. streaming services, includ- console or sound bar, you TV for streaming, consider backlight will blink, reduc-
Buying a TV is no longer ing Netflix, Amazon and see how quickly they can the type of Wi-Fi it comes ing the stutter.
just choosing how big a M-Go, offer some 4K con- fill up. with. The best right now is He says to play down ef-
screen you want. tent, and a standard for Switches that let you con- 802.11ac, which can deliv- fective refresh rates that
Here are some big deci- 4K Blu-ray discs is coming nect multiple HDMI de- er several gigabits per sec- are wildly higher than the
sions you’ll face: together this year. But 4K vices sell for $9 to $30, but ond of data. You’ll want native, though “it’s not to-
HD OR 4K? broadcasts are potentially that could mean another the best, especially for 4K tally bunk because they
There’s an emerging pic- years away. Buying a 4K remote control to fiddle video. are doing something.”
ture standard that offers TV now is mostly about be- with, or getting up to press REFRESH RATE Consumer Reports rates
four times the pixels of to- ing ready for the future. a button. Better to get ex- Manufacturers fudge how specific models with blur
day’s high definition. It’s You also have to consider tra ports with your TV. fast images are refreshed tests, but doesn’t general-
known as ultra-high defi- whether you’ll be sitting so SMART TV/WI-FI on screen with technolo- ize about brands or num-
nition, or 4K. But do you close to a big screen that Many TVs come with Wi- gies called “AquoMotion” bers.
need it? you’ll have to move your Fi connectivity and apps or “Motionflow” that show OTHER SCREEN FEATURES
Measure the distance be- head to look left or right. from major services like “effective” refresh rates. Curved screens just look
tween your couch and Jim Willcox, senior editor Netflix and Hulu. Using this These help smooth out cool sitting on a stand,
the spot for your new TV. at Consumer Reports, says for streaming will save you fast-action scenes that and some people say it
If you’re sitting far away, the ideal viewing width is an HDMI port. might otherwise look stut- cuts down on reflective
a regular HD set will be just about 30 to 40 degrees. But stand-alone stream- tered or blurry. It’s largely glare, according to Kindig.
fine — for $100 to $200 less. Our online tool will warn ing devices have more a matter of taste and per- They’re about $200 more
The farther away you sit, you if you are too close features. If voice control sonal sensitivity. than non-curved screens
the less the extra pixels and might want a smaller is your thing, for instance, The minimum native re- and mostly made by Sam-
matter, as your eyes won’t screen instead. go for more ports to plug fresh rate you’ll see these sung. But he says they
notice the difference. HDMI PORTS in your Apple TV, Amazon days is 60 frames per sec- don’t look good mounted
Conversely, the bigger The more the merrier. TVs Fire TV or other device. ond, or 60Hz. The most is on a wall.
the screen you have, the will have at least two, but I Some TVs have voice con- around 120 Hz. Organic light-emitting
worse the resolution will recommend three or four. trol, but Apple’s Siri will Steve Kindig, senior edi- diode screens are pric-
be, and you’ll notice that If you pay for cable or sat- be better at recognizing tor at electronics retailer ey, but will give you true
more when you’re closer blacks and better color
up. representation because
How good is good each pixel illuminates on its
enough? own. Regular, LCD screens
A rough rule of thumb: require a backlight, which
You should sit back a little can wash out the colors a
more than 1.5 times the bit. If you’re willing to pay
diagonal length of the for OLED, you’ll likely get
screen for TVs with full HD, every other goodie thrown
also known as 1080p. So in besides 4K.
if a screen is 48 inches, or More expensive sets might
4 feet, that’s 6 feet back. also offer 3-D. “Active”
For 4K, it’s one to one, or 4 glasses require batteries,
feet for that same screen. which add to the weight
If your couch is 7 feet and trouble of wearing
back, having 4K isn’t worth them, but will offer better
it because you won’t be resolution. “Passive” glass-
able to tell the difference es, like the ones you get in
anyway. But it might if your movie theaters, will suffice
couch is 4 or 5 feet back. for those few times you
The calculation isn’t that want to settle in for a 3-D
easy, but we’ve created movie, likely on disc. Con-
this online tool to help tent is still limited.q
