Your guide to buying a smart TV
Scott Hocking
STACK Senior Editor
Whether you’re purchasing a 4K smart TV for the first time, upgrading to the latest model, or considering a second set, our buying guide will help you make a more informed decision about which one best suits your needs and budget.
Size does matter
The first thing to consider is how big and where you’ll put it.
A 100” screen might be great, but maybe not in a small apartment. 43” and up is good for a bedroom or study; 55”– 65” will suit a modestly sized lounge room or living area; and if you’ve got the space, go bigger with a set that’s 75”–85” and above.
Get out the tape measure beforehand to ensure the TV will fit comfortably on an existing entertainment unit, or there’s sufficient wall space for mounting.
Bigger is better
The bigger the screen, the more immersive the experience, particularly when watching movies and sports, or gaming.
Any content you desire can be turned into a big screen event, from TV shows and music videos, to photos and video shot with a 4K smartphone.
Plus, lifestyle TVs like Samsung’s The Frame and the Hisense Canvas can double as a work of art when wall mounted, adding colour and style to your décor.
Location, location, location
Most TVs include a stand to sit it atop an entertainment unit, but if you want it on the wall, panels are becoming much thinner and more conducive to almost flush wall mounting with a slim fit bracket.
There are a variety of wall mounting options – from fixed, tilting and rotatable, to motorised ones with voice control.
Also consider the amount of natural light in the room, which can cause screen glare and may affect picture quality on a sunny day. However, most smart TVs will auto adjust the brightness to suit the environment.
Prime position
Consider the distance from seat to screen – there’s total immersion, and then there is sitting far too close.
A simple method to assess the best position is to go into a JB store, pick the screen size you’re interested in, and then step back until you’ve found the ideal viewing distance. Count those steps, and apply the same at home.
It also pays to choose a TV that has a wide viewing angle (OLED TVs have the widest) to prevent any reduction of contrast and colour if you’re not centrally seated, or entertaining a crowd. That way, every seat in the room can be the best one.
Picture perfect
This is probably the most important bit. You’ve seen how stunning new TVs look in a JB store, and you want that at home. 4K Ultra HD has become the standard resolution on today’s smart TVs and there is plenty of streaming content that supports it.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) is another essential feature (see below). Moreover, with many smartphones now sporting 4K cameras and HDR, you can enjoy the photos and video you’ve shot in stunning UHD on a big screen.
Smart TVs are designed to deliver the best possible picture quality and come with a range of AI-controlled image adjustment tools inbuilt – from upscaling SD and HD content to 4K, to auto adjustment of brightness, contrast and colour – with very little manual calibration required.
The HDR difference
HDR (High Dynamic Range) is a must-have feature, and available on a majority of today’s sets.
It optimises contrast for greater brightness, depth and colour vibrancy, reveals more detail in the bright and dark areas of an image, and adds a warmer and more natural look. Watching a favourite movie with HDR can be a revelation – you’ll notice things you never saw before!
HDR is the standard for 4K UHD discs and also now widely supported by streaming services for selected content.
There are three different types: HDR10 is the most common, setting colour and brightness at a fixed level, while HDR10+ and the more widely used Dolby Vision optimise content scene-by-scene for a more lifelike and detailed picture.
OLED excellence
OLED TVs use self-lit pixels to deliver greater contrast and truer blacks than TVs that use a backlighting source.
They have a wide viewing angle for stable colour and contrast wherever you’re seated, and an extremely fast response rate that minimises motion blur in fast moving scenes.
OLED TVs are also more energy efficient, which is good for the hip pocket. QD-OLED TVs feature quantum dot tech to further enhance colours and brightness.
Mini LED marvels
Mini LED backlighting uses tens of thousands of tiny LEDs (light emitting diodes) to deliver a picture that's significantly brighter than standard LED TVs.
They also provide greater control over the brightening and dimming of image zones to create an accurate contrast ratio of highlights and shadows in a scene, and keep black levels inky.
Mini LED TVs maintain clarity, colour, and depth in well-lit environments, and are ideal for rooms with a lot of ambient light.
Smooth operator
How well the TV reproduces fast moving scenes can make or break an action movie, sports match, or gaming session, so look for one with a high refresh rate – the number of times the TV refreshes individual video frames.
The higher the number (measured in Hz), the faster it is. Most TVs have a refresh rate of 120Hz, with some new models boasting a higher 144Hz.
The right connections
HDMI is the standard cable connection for adding external devices like a gaming console, PC, 4K Blu-ray player, or PVR to a TV.
The more HDMI ports it has, the better. Most TVs also have USB ports for recording to and playback from a flash drive. Many new TVs support HDMI 2.1 for higher bandwidth and resolutions, which is great for gaming. To connect a soundbar, make sure the TV has a HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) and/or eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) port – the latter supports Dolby Atmos content.
Smart stuff
A smart TV connects to the internet and can be controlled using voice assistants. You can also integrate it into a compatible smart home system to access and control linked devices like lights, security cameras and video doorbells - see the pizza arrive during the movie!
Full stream ahead
Smart TVs are a gateway to a world of entertainment and include many of the most popular streaming apps preloaded, as well as platforms like Google and Android TV that put all your entertainment options in one handy interface with voice control. With a smart TV, there will never be nothing to watch!
Sounds good
Smart TVs have inbuilt speakers, and many new models pack multiple ones in the rear panel for directional audio and Dolby Atmos support.
Some brands feature proprietary audio enhancement tech built-in that calibrates the audio to suit the room, along with precise matching of sound to scene, and virtual surround upmixing.
Adding a soundbar delivers the most immersive audio, and some new models have the option to sync the TV’s speakers and the soundbar, so both are firing at you on all cylinders.
Game on
Smooth and jitter-free is the way to play, and a TV with a high refresh rate is important.
Many TVs have a Game Mode to optimise play, and gamers should look out for specs like Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and the aforementioned HDMI 2.1 connectivity.
Set a budget
A smart TV is a long-term investment, so a quality model that will last is the way to go.
There are plenty of options available at a variety of price points from all the big brands, and premium displays like OLED and Mini LED are now a lot more affordable.
There’s a TV out there to suit all budgets, so ultimately it comes down to the size of the screen, level of picture quality, and features you want.
^Discounts apply to previous ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. As we negotiate, products will likely have been sold below ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. Prices may differ at airport stores.
