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The lead-up to the holiday season has begun once again, and fall is when 2022 TV prices start coming down. This TV buying guide will help you cut through the raw numbers and find the best TV; How to Buy a TV in 2022; to fit your space and viewing habits. It’s much harder to choose a TV today than in the past due to the wide variety of screen resolutions, display types, and other factors. Here’s how to shop. things to consider including screen size and display type.
What to Look For When Buying a TV
It can be tough to sort through the massive number of TVs on the market, but you can use five crucial factors to help you find the right one.
- Price
- Resolution
- Screen size
- Display type
- Smart platforms
How Much Should You Spend on a TV?
The right amount to spend on a TV depends on where you plan on using it and how big it needs to be. The size, resolution, and display type play significant roles in determining a TV’s sticker price. You can buy a smaller set with a better picture, a bigger TV with a lower-quality picture, or find the sweet spot in each price category.
TVs priced below $300 are usually good for kids’ and guest rooms, a TV under $600 can be a good choice for a primary bedroom or smaller living room, and most people will get by just fine with a budget of around $1,000 for a living room TV.
If you want a better picture combined with a bigger screen, you can expect to pay more than that.
Here’s a general guideline of what to expect at a variety of price points:
| Price Range | What to expect | Size | Resolution & Display |
| > $300 | You won’t get the latest display technology. When higher screen resolutions are available, the upscaling usually isn’t very good. | Up to 32-inches | 720 or 1080 LCD or LED |
| $300-600 | 43-inch class TVs in this range are typically high-end with lots of features. Manufacturers have to cut corners to hit this price point for a 65-inch TV. | 40 to 65-inches | 1080 or 4K LCD, LED, or QLED |
| $600-1,000 | Occasionally, you will find smaller OLED TVs at the upper end of this price range. | 45 to 75-inches | 4K QLED |
| $1,000-2,000 | OLED is typically limited to 45 and 55-inch class TVs in this price range. | 45 to 85-inches | 4K or 8K QLED or OLED |
| $2,000-5,000 | You’ll find TVs with fantastic built-in sound, higher-quality materials, bezel-less designs, and other features at the higher end of this price range. | 55 to 85-inch | 4K or 8K QLED or OLED |
| $5,000+ | Beyond this point, manufacturers offer futuristic features like rollable screens, massive 8K displays, and other luxury options. | 75 to 85-inch+ | 4K or 8K QLED or OLED |
What Resolution Should a TV Be?
The correct resolution for a TV depends on the screen size and viewing distance. The exception is that if you want to play games on your Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 in 4K or watch UHD Blu-rays, you should choose a 4K TV regardless of other factors.
You should generally select a TV with a higher resolution if you’re buying a large set and a lower resolution if your screen will be on the smaller side. If you’re buying a budget television for a guest room or child’s room, and it has a screen that’s 30 to 40 inches, then a 720p or 1080p resolution may be satisfactory.
For a better quality picture, where you can’t make out the individual pixels on the screen, 4K is preferable even for a 40-inch TV. Higher resolution 8K TVs provide diminishing returns, as 4K televisions already allow you to sit a comfortable distance from the screen, and there isn’t much native 8K video content available.
| Resolution | What it means |
| 720p | 720×1280 resolution (HD) Suitable for TVs under 32-inch Pixels will be visible if you sit too close |
| 1080p | 1080×1920 resolution (Full HD) Suitable for TVs under 42-inch Pixels will be visible if you sit too close |
| 4K | 2160×3840 resolution (UHD) Suitable for all size TVs Necessary for 4K gaming and UHD Blu-rays |
| 8K | 4320×7680 resolution (UHD) Suitable for very large TVs There is a lack of 8K content |
What’s the Right Screen Size For a TV?
Like resolution, the correct screen size for a TV depends on the viewing distance or how far you plan on sitting from the TV. Smaller TVs are better for smaller rooms, while bigger TVs are better suited to large rooms where you can comfortably sit far away from the screen.
Televisions with higher resolution displays allow you to sit closer without experiencing a reduction in picture quality. Higher resolution displays have more individual pixels on the screen, so you can sit a lot closer without being able to make out the individual pixels. It’s the difference between the image on the TV looking like a solid picture versus being able to make out the series of dots of color that create the image.
To avoid seeing the individual pixels on the screen, you need to sit about twice as far away from a 1080p TV as from a 4K TV of the same size.
The easiest way to figure out the right size TV for your space is to measure the distance between the seating area and where you want to put the TV. If you’re getting a 1080p TV, divide that distance in half. If you’re getting a 4K TV, use the distance measurement without additional calculations. In both cases, the number you end up with is the biggest TV you can comfortably use in that space.
For example, let’s say your couch is seven feet away from the wall, or 84 inches. You could use a 42-inch 1080p TV or an 84-inch 4K TV. If you use a bigger TV, you’ll be able to make out the individual pixels on the screen.
What about all those picture settings? Should I buy a calibration?
Properly adjusting the picture is very important to getting the most out of your TV. That said, simply selecting the “Movie,” “Cinema” or “Calibrated” preset will get you the most accurate picture on most TVs. If you want to go deeper, or perhaps bring in a professional to help, check out our picture settings tips and professional calibration explainer.
What accessories should I buy?
Let me reiterate: All HDMI cables are the same. If you want better audio, we recommend starting with a soundbar or investing in a home theater system. And if the built-in smart TV system on your set isn’t up to par, check out a streaming device.
How long will my new TV last?
The short answer is “it should last a very long time.”
Can I use my TV as a computer monitor?
Yes you can, and it should work very well, whether you use HDMI or go wireless.
How come you never mention rear-projection or plasma TV?
Because rear-projection TVs are no longer on sale as of 2012, and the last plasma TVs were manufactured in 2014. They’re sadly missed.
OK, what about projectors?
Unlike dinosaur rear-projectors, we think front-projectors are really cool.
What Display Type Should a TV Have?
The type of display on your TV will depend mainly on your budget. OLED provides the best picture quality, unparalleled contrast, and incredibly deep blacks. QLED displays get close and don’t cost as much, but they’re only available in TVs that fall on the more expensive end of the spectrum.
Most TVs have LED LCDs, where the picture is displayed by an LCD screen and lit by LEDs. This setup can provide a high-quality picture, but lower-end displays often have hot spots where the lighting is brighter and can struggle to display dark blacks.
Features like active and local dimming help LED LCD TVs to look better, with higher contrast ratios, and mini-LED backlighting and quantum dot QLED displays also help with those issues.
OLED television displays use organic LEDs that are controlled pixel-by-pixel. That means that each pixel can be shut off independently of the others. This results in extremely high contrast ratios, as one part of the screen can display perfect black while another part displays a bright, colorful image.
OLED displays are the best, and they’re also the most expensive. Though LCD TVs can get brighter, high-end QLED TVs offer a good balance between price and picture quality.
How to choose the best TV for you – Buy a TV in 2022
What TV technology is best? Which is the best LCD TV? Which screen size is best for your living room? What’s the difference between LCD and LED TVs?
The answers aren’t always obvious. In fact, buying a new TV can be stressful even for the tech-savvy – as there are so many brands, so many features, so many screen sizes, colors, technologies and flavors to choose from.
So which one is right for you, your family and your living space? In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about buying a new smart TV.
What is a smart TV?
Should a TV Be Smart or Non-Smart?
For better or worse, most TVs are smart TVs at this point. Every year, finding a “dumb” TV gets more challenging, and even budget models come with built-in streaming platforms. If you set your sights on a non-smart TV, your options will be minimal.
Instead of deciding between a smart or non-smart TV, it’s more helpful to focus on which smart TV platform you want.
If you already use Fire TV sticks or a Roku household, look for a TV with the platform you already use. That will make it a lot easier to transition from your old TV to your new one, and you won’t need to plug in any additional hardware.
Some manufacturers have their own in-house smart TV platforms, but you always have the option to plug in your streaming device. Check how well the TV you’re interested in integrates external streaming devices, as some do better than others.
Do the best TVs need 4K resolution?
What happened to 3D TV?
Once a futuristic add-on filled with promise — remember Avatar? — 3D TV is now basically dead. The last two major brands to support 3D, Sony and LG, dropped support entirely in 2017, joining Samsung, Vizio and most other brands. All of the TV makers we asked cited lack of interest from consumers.
Which HDR format is better, HDR10 or Dolby Vision? What about HLG and HDR10 Plus?
Neither one has proven better in our tests yet, and it mostly depends on the TV.
Which brand is best for TV?
There’s also the matter of whether you’re already familiar with a particular TV brand. If you’re familiar with a certain interface or smart TV platform then it
What’s the best TV brand?
We don’t have a favorite brand; instead we try to judge the TVs I test on their individual merits, largely ignoring brand cachet or reputation. We don’t test TVs over the long term, but from what we know all of the major brands are more or less equally reliable. Some brands do perform more consistently better than others in my tests, or deliver remotes, smart TV systems or designs we prefer over competitors, but these can change on a fairly regular basis.
What’s the best TV for gaming? What about sports?
Trick question! We believe the best TVs for watching pretty much anything are the TVs with the best black level, color and other standard performance characteristics (not to mention the biggest screen). Motion resolution isn’t a major concern since most blurring on TV sporting events is inherent in the source, and input lag, which we measure for every TV review , can often be improved by specialized gaming modes common on most TVs.
The exception, as mentioned above, is for gamers with next-generation consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X who want features like 4K/120Hz and variable refresh rate. Those are only found on newer, more expensive TVs.
Who Should Buy a TV?
You’ll benefit from owning a TV if you fit into any of these categories.
- Binge-watchers. Whether you have stacks of DVDs and Blu-rays or subscribe to every streaming service under the sun, an appropriately sized HD or UHD TV will give your favorite shows way more room to breathe than your phone or laptop screen.
- Cinephiles. If you’re a big fan of movies, nothing beats a nice home theater setup, starting with finding a suitable TV.
- Parents. If you’re a one-TV household, you’re probably tired of the kids arguing over what to watch, and many great budget-priced TVs can take care of that.
- Gamers. You’re missing out if you’ve managed to get your hands on an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, but you’re still gaming on an old 1080p TV. You need a 4K TV to take full advantage of current game systems.
What Should I Do After I Buy a TV?
If you’re replacing an existing TV, your setup process will consist of just swapping the new TV for the old one. Here’s a quick rundown of some things you should do after you make your purchase:
- Measure the installation area. Measure the available space if you’re replacing your TV with a bigger one. Even if the new TV is the same size class, it may be thicker, thinner, or have slightly different dimensions to consider.
- Check the weight limit of your stand or mount. Consider the weight of the new TV compared to your old one. If it’s significantly heavier, you may need a new wall mount or TV stand.
- Check your cables. If it’s been a while since you got a new TV, your HDMI cables may be outdated. If you bought a 4K TV and want to connect a current-generation game console, you’ll need cables that support HDMI 2.1 for the best results.
- Consider transferring your streaming device. If you’re currently using a streaming device like an Apple TV or Fire Stick, consider removing it from the old TV and connecting it to the new one, even if it has built-in streaming capabilities, for the smoothest transition.
- Get your passwords together. If you aren’t using your old streaming device, have the login information handy for all your streaming services. You’ll need to download all the relevant apps and log in on the new TV.
How big should your TV be?
How many HDMI sockets do you need?
Should you wall-mount one of the best TVs?
Do you need a separate sound system?
How did we test for the best TV?
The best TVs are chosen by our writers and editors based on a few main criteria: their overall picture performance including contrast, color saturation and motion handling, as well as their feature set, design and smart TV platform. We’re looking for TVs that are well-built and have the technology to last for the next few years.
Obviously, there is a level of subjectivity that goes into the review process, however we strive to maintain fairness across brands by testing the same type of content on each screen (HD/SDR, 4K/HDR, games, movies and music) and reporting what we’ve found the experience to be like.
More Tips for Buying a TV
When buying a new TV, the general rule is that bigger is better, which goes for both the screen’s physical size and the resolution. You’ll rarely regret buying a too big TV unless you go too far. For example, purchasing an 85-inch 4K TV for an 80-square-foot bedroom is overkill, but that will take up too much space in the room.
The main exception to the rule is that 8K is currently overkill. It doesn’t hurt if you have the room in your budget, but you’re unlikely to regret “settling” for a 4K TV. The highest resolution content you’re likely to consume regularly will be 4K video from Blu-rays, game consoles, and streaming services because 8K content isn’t widely available yet.
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