Buying A New TV For The Big Game: We Sort Through The Different Options
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- For the first time ever, people watching the Super Bowl on Feb. 2 will get to see it in 4K, though certain providers and, of course, given they have a 4k compatible television.
With the Super Bowl just two days away, you might notice some big fancy TVs on sale. And with them comes a whole lot of acronyms like 4K, 8K, OLED, etc.
WCCO's Christiane Cordero is helping us sort through the differences.
So, one thing unique about this Super Bowl is that it's the first year that it's available in 4k on certain apps and TV services. Of course to get the best quality you should have a 4K TV.
Also helps to know what 4K means.
"HDTV. We've heard that term for years, right? Ever since I grew up it's been HDTV. And at its simplest form, it has 2 million pixels. 4K is four times that, 8K is eight times HD and what you're getting is a crisper image," Kyle George said.
George does in-home consultation for Best Buy. He usually finds people consider two main things when shopping: how big of a TV do I want and what's my budget.
TV prices range from less than $200 to well into the thousands. Among the biggest factors are 4k, 8k when we talk price.
With size, of course it's about what kind of room you're putting it in, what you'll be watching. And actually the room itself is a really important factor. Let's say your family room has big bright windows. You might want a different TV there than your dark basement.
If you're putting it in a room that gets a ton of light, George suggests going with an LED TV. It's brighter, it's made for open spaces. If you're doing most of your TV binging at night or are putting it in the basement, he says you'll want to look for OLED.
The difference with OLED?
"Every single one of those little dots we were talking about has a light behind it. Every single one. So it can be the blackest of blacks, or the whitest of whites. Give that TV a contrast like that, every color looks stunning and vibrant and the picture just ranges in so many different ways," George said.
The picture quality has improved pretty much across the board. But you can't say the same about the sound.
Because the TVs have become skinnier, there's less room for speakers. Sometimes speakers need depth. So even though you can get a solid TV for a couple hundred bucks, George is finding more people are also spending that much to get good, quality speakers that give you the full effect.
