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Is anyone else old enough to remember TV's in a cabinet?
How about large screen TV's with the red, green, and blue lights you would see at restaurants or an insanely wealthy person's house?
Luckily, those days are gone. TV's are getting bigger, with better pictures, and with prices that have dropped dramatically. You might be married to someone who has dreams of wider screens with plenty of pixels (No, that's not a type of doll). This Christmas season is your chance to be the hero who brings illuminated joy to your house.
How do you know what buy?
Our first recommendation is that you shop 4K. Don't let all the terms confuse you when you're shopping. 4K can also be referred to as Ultra HD. Here's why you want to look for a 4K TV - all the big dogs are focused on creating 4K content because 4K TV's have dominated all the big tech shows the last few years. Netflix, Amazon Video, Apple TV, Xbox 1S, ESPN...almost everyone in video media is working to producing 4K content.
What does 4K Ultra HD get you?
Simply put, you see more detail. More detail makes football games better and emotional moments on This Is Us even clearer (You'll see every tear).
How big of a 4K TV should I get?
The reality for a 4K TV is that bigger really is better. We recently got a 55 inch 4K TV after never owning a TV bigger than 30 inches and the picture is incredible. Don't be intimidated by size because there are some great deals on bigger TV's.
What's a SMART TV?
Smart TV's are a result of so much digital media consumption. These TV's have ditched the old coax cable hook up your parents used when they got their first cable box for a wifi connection. If you pay for cable, you probably won't notice any change as long as your already using an HDMI connection. However, if you've kicked cable to the curb these TV's do not directly connect to antennas, you will have to purchase an additional digital tuner box (Don't fret, we have our recommendations below for that as well).
Click on any of the TV's below to be whisked away to online purchasing power.
Here's our best budget (Plus, we own it!)
Vizio 55" E Series 4K Ultra HD
Two words that define this TV - App controlled. That's right family, when your six-year-old accidentally put the remote in your pantry (Not that this has happened to us) you can break out your phone and turn down the volume instead of standing in your family room screaming in a loud enough volume your neighbors cover their ears, "WHY IS THE TV SO LOUD!?"
You're just not ready to commit to a TV over 50"
Then go with the 49" 4K TCL Roku TV
Here are two TV's that are BIG, both in screen size and value.
This next TV is for the spouse who would beat up Santa they won't to "Wow" their significant other this Christmas. It's time to get that BIG TV.
The 65" Ultra 4k TCL Roku TV
If you're not afraid of refurbished deals...this TV is for you!
Give me the best!
Maybe you're feeling like you want the best. Well, cnet.com has this listed as the best purchase of the year when it comes to TV's.
65" Vizio M Series SmartCast TV
Amazon doesn't sell this TV but Target does! That's right, if you want the best deal on this brilliant TV you're buying from Target, which currently has the TV priced at $999.
You might also need...
A wall mount that does it all. This Cheetah mount will hold a TV from 20" to 65" and it will swivel if you need it to.
If you want to go cableless you need three additional low cost items if you want to watch local TV at the highest resolution. Most of these smart TV's will already have the big digital entertainment companies built in through apps: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc..
First you need a digital tuner box since a SMART TV doesn't have one. This box will accept the antenna coax cable and then connect to your TV through an HDMI connection.
Here's a great digital tuner -
Here's a 4K antenna that we use at our house. The antenna is powered by a USB connection in the front of the cable box (Shown above).
Next you'll need the HDMI Cable that is 4K ready for the tuner or additional cables if you want to add a Roku, Xbox, Apple TV, etc.
One last suggestion. When we got our smart TV and the Tuner, we already owned a Roku 4, we didn't like having to manage several remotes to watch TV. We also didn't want to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a universal remote. After a few weeks of investigation we found this remote on Amazon and it has worked perfectly!
Buying a TV doesn't have to be stressful. TV prices have dropped so much you're not committing to purchase something that should have wheels, automatic sliding doors, and takes the kids to school. All of these TV's are bright, beautiful, and easy to operate. If you're family is like ours, digital media is the most used form of entertainment, so jump into the SMART TV pool and feel like a hero this Christmas!
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