We use cookies to allow us and selected partners to improve your experience and our advertising. By continuing to browse you consent to our use of cookies. You can understand more and change your cookies preferences here. In this article. Despite TV screen sizes getting ever bigger in recent years, inch is still the preferred option for many people shopping for a new set for their living room, or an additional TV for a bedroom, kitchen or study.
With manufacturers focusing on mammoth 50, 55 and inch TVs , these more modest models have been all but left behind. Here, we reveal the models that impressed our expert lab tests, as well as the ones to steer well clear of. Before we get to the best models, it's important to measure your expectations. The fact of the matter is that manufacturers don't release many inch TVs any more. Sometimes their range only includes one, and they are almost always inferior to their larger cousins.
The reason for this is partly to do with demand and partly to do with limitations of the small screen.
You will have noticed that almost every TV is 4K, but none of them are 32 inches. That's because the bump in resolution doesn't really show on anything smaller than 40 inches. Most people want, and should, be buying bigger TVs for their living rooms. The average living room is around The smaller size of a inch TV also means that they're offered a good degree more in the way of portability.
Need to move the TV to a different room or house? It's far more manageable with a smaller inch TV than with a 4K giant.
Prices vary between brands, but even the best inch TVs are cheaper than even the most basic, entry-level 4K tellies.
Prices can also vary depending on what features you're looking for. But, don't worry, the experts here at TechRadar are veterans at compiling lists that help you find out what features to check for when you're looking for the best inch TV for you.
One last thing to consider before you decide which inch TV you want, is whether or not it has all the ports you need. When you have a lot of different devices to connect, it will really make your life easier getting a inch TV that has enough ports to support everything you want to do with it. IPS panels offer slightly wider viewing angles, while VA panels support much better contrast. With big screen 'main' TVs likely to be used for watching films, sometimes with the lights dimmed, the lack of contrast with IPS screens can become a big issue, causing dark scenes to look washed out.
So if you're looking for a inch TV to go into a relatively dark environment, a VA panel is a must. IPS panel contrast issues are less problematic in bright rooms such as conservatories and kitchens, though, and the slight IPS viewing angle advantage can also be handy in such large environments where viewers may be using the TV while walking around the room. Far too many inch TVs treat sound as an afterthought, even though it's a key part of any viewing experience. It can be tricky to judge a TV's likely audio performance, though, without hearing it for yourself.
All you can do is look for rated speaker output specifications even though these are notoriously unreliable and clues in a TV's design: forward firing speakers, built-in bass woofers, enough space on the rear to allow air to move around, and so on.
It's worth considering whether other, smaller displays might fulfil your needs as well. Once your screen gets smaller than 32 inches, you're moving into monitor or even smart display territory. A monitor might be a better idea if you want to double up your TV with a computer screen — and you'll often get better specs and higher refresh rates thrown in, compared to the same size for televisions. Check out our guide to the best monitors for more. Smart displays , too, are effectively small screens that can be easily placed anywhere around the house, and tend to come with basic app support, such as YouTube.
North America. It's easy to think size is everything, but the best inch TVs take advantage of the smaller scale in ways you might not have considered. Specifications Screen size: inch. Resolution: x Panel type: LCD. The newer HDMI 2. By matching the TV refresh rate to the frame rates of you content source — in this case the graphics card inside your game console or PC — you'll get smoother action and zero screen tearing.
It also adds higher frame rates for 4K video and richer HDR data that will allow adjustments at the scene level for more-precise backlighting control. As of now, we've seen HDMI 2.
And HDMI 2. Still confused about the different ports on your TV? Checkout the best HDM2. Many of these TVs can dynamically light up specific portions of the screen and dim other parts to better represent a mix of light and dark areas in a scene — a feature known as active dimming or local dimming. One hidden feature separating the budget TVs from the premium models is backlighting. With several different types of LED backlighting used in modern TVs, it pays to knwo the difference between the different options.
Check out TV backlights explained: Edge-lit vs. Another LCD technology, called quantum dots, is becoming more common, spurred on by the requirements of HDR to produce a wider array of colors and more brightness. The result is a wider color spectrum and increased brightness. Pros : Wide array of prices, sizes and features; Some affordable Ultra HD 4K models; Bright screens visible even in a sunny room; Image quality steadily improving with full-array backlighting and quantum-dot technology.
Cons : Exhibits imperfections when displaying rapid motion, as in sports; Loses some shadow detail because pixels can't go completely black even with full-array backlighting ; Images fade when viewing from the side off-axis. In place of a backlight, OLEDs use a layer of organic LEDs, controlled at the pixel level, to achieve absolute black and stunning levels of contrast. Footage of fireworks against a black sky is a favorite demonstration of OLED technology. The best-in-class display technology is seen exclusively on 4K and 8K sets, and range in size from 55 inches on up to 75 inches or larger.
Cons : Premium prices; lower peak brightness than some LCD sets, uncertainty about how screens will fare over time, including whether they will retain "ghost" images also known as burn-in from displaying a static picture for too long.
But the TV industry is always readying new technologies, and new jargon to go with it. While technologies like micro-LED and mini-LED are still new and relatively rare, you can buy TVs with the new tech now, so keep an eye on our coverage to find out about new features as they arrive. An increasing number of sets come with built-in Wi-Fi for connecting Internet-based services like Netflix for streaming videos or to run apps for watching special-interest programs, downloading on-demand movies, playing games or even posting to Facebook.
The latest models can even search for content across streaming services and live programming on cable and satellite. The interfaces are generally getting better. Vizio, LG and now Samsung use a handy bar of icons at the bottom of the screen. While most smart TVs include the major services, such as Pandora, Hulu and Netflix, check to make sure the TV you buy has the options you want.
Our guides to common questions about smart TVs and comparison of smart TV platforms are good places to start. With movies and shows offered by services from Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube, it's quick and easy to find both 4K resolution and HDR-enabled content — easier than finding Blu-rays with the desired formats. The only concern is whether your internet connection can provide enough bandwidth. But not all smart TVs are created equal.
Many budget-friendly brands will offer smart TV functionality without naming the actual platform that they use. In these cases, expect to run into limitations. Off-brand smart platforms frequently suffer from severely limited app selection, sub-par performance and gaping security holes. But nowadays, it's hard to get a TV that isn't smart, even if you're going for a small bargain model.
Find out more about the functions and features in our guide to smart TVs and How to buy a dumb TV — and why you'd want to. Bottom line : Smart capability is now a standard feature in TVs, so it's less and less of a factor in your buying decision.
A good gaming TV won't just have a great picture and sound. You also need to consider the connectivity options, gaming features and overall responsiveness of the TV.
While we already recommend holding out for more HDMI ports, an extra HDMI port can mean the difference between leaving your console connected and swapping it out for your Blu-ray player every time you want to fire up a round of Call of Duty. While HDMI 2. And certain features offered by the 2. To get a closer look at our favorite console-ready TVs, check out the best gaming TVs for The contrast ratio describes the range of brightness levels a set can display.
Better contrast ratios display more subtle shadows and hues, and thus better detail. However, the way manufacturers measure such ratios varies widely.
Indeed, the specification has been so thoroughly discredited that if a salesperson uses it as a selling point, you should shop somewhere else. We use the same method for examining contrast ratios in all the TVs we test, so we can say roughly how well they compare to each other.
Nevertheless, it's still best to see for yourself how a TV displays shadow detail by finding a movie with dark scenes and seeing how well it reveals detail in the shadows of, say, a Harry Potter movie. Experiment with the TV's brightness, sharpness and other picture settings before making a final judgment. The best TVs will have deep, dark black levels while less expensive displays glow with a dark gray, even when they should be showing black.
Bottom line : You can ignore manufacturers' contrast-ratio specs, since they are not comparable across brands. Instead, look for deep black levels and minimal haloing around high contrast objects. It's a consequence of the svelte design of flat panels — there's not enough room for large speakers that produce full, rich sound. So, you have three choices: Use headphones which can make you seem antisocial , buy a surround-sound system which can be a hassle to set up and produces clutter , or get a soundbar.
The best soundbars are thin enough to fit under a TV stand without blocking the bottom of the picture. Most can also mount under a wall-hanging TV. Several companies also offer sound boxes or stands that can slide under a set.
Some TVs and soundbars also support Dolby Atmos , a newer audio standard from Dolby that includes overhead sound for a fuller listening experience. While you can get the Atmos effect using in-ceiling speakers, many soundbars have Atmos audio processing and upward firing speakers built-in to create more realistic sounding audio that doesn't require the multiple speaker placement that you'd have with 5.
This standard HDMI feature provides lets you use HDMI as both an input and an audio output, letting you not only send audio to the TV from your external media devices, but also out to your soundbar. That ARC connection means that you get great sound for all your devices, with no special receiver needed.
One of the biggest revenue generators for big-box electronics stores is the extended warranty. Because they are so rarely needed, especially for a flat-panel LCD set. So, if you do get a lemon, it's likely to be apparent immediately or at least within the first 30 days of ownership — a time period usually covered by a regular store-return policy. Beyond that, most manufacturers offer a one-year warranty. Credit card companies may offer additional automatic coverage on purchases, so check with your provider.
Bottom Line : Save your money and contact your credit card company to see if it has a price protection policy.
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