What to look for when buying a ‘lifestyle TV screen’ in the EOFY sales

Lifestyle TV screens are more functional than ever. But how do you know what to pick in the EOFY sales when the range is so vast? Follow this guide.

Samsung’s The Frame lifestyle television. It looks like art when not in use.

We watch them each day, often for hours on end, yet televisions are something we only tend to replace when something goes wrong, like the screen freezes or dies. If yours is long overdue for an upgrade, perhaps the kids are complaining their games won’t load or installing Netflix is too much work, it may be time for a new one.
 Of course, as you look at row upon row of colourful screens, it can be hard to choose, especially when the acronyms look like a foreign language you started learning way too late.

The first heads up is that TVs are now called screens, and they are multipurpose and more immersive than ever before.

John Milonas, TV buyer at The Good Guys, says if you haven’t bought one in the past 10 to 15 years, you’re in for a technology shock. Screens are not just for watching your favourite drama anymore, rather a lifestyle object that doubles as an artwork. They offer a home-cinema experience, a gaming station, stream live sport, connect to the internet and apps, and will link into your next Zoom call.

Just like art, Samsung’s The Frame is the new wave of lifestyle televisions, available from The Good Guys.

“If it’s been a while since you last bought a TV, you’ll be surprised at how thin and how huge the screens can be,” says John.

“These days 75 to 85-inch is the norm and now come at a much more affordable price. Most include wireless capabilities and digital tuners, so you can enjoy all sorts of features simply by connecting them to your wireless home internet. Smart TVs now come loaded with all the apps you could want too – think Netflix, Binge, Kayo and YouTube with no additional devices required.

“Some of the most interesting tech is transforming what TVs have been in the past, such as Samsung’s lifestyle TV range. The Frame is a TV that doubles as a picture frame when it’s off.”
RELATED: ‘Don’t make same TV buying mistake I did’

Watch TV, play games, screen movies, connect to apps and stream live sport and more.

Learn the lingo

LED, LCD, OLED or QLED, HDR, 4k, HDMI 2.1 … for the uninitiated, TV acronyms appear like an alphabet no one understands. But it’s all to do with picture quality, resolution and colour accuracy. While most of us are familiar with LEDs (light emitting displays), now there’s LCDs (liquid crystal display) which enable the flattest screens than ever before and are energy efficient. A 4K display refers to the screen’s resolution which has about 8.3 million pixels, so it’s high definition (HD) while 8K screens (or UHD) are double that, upping the quality, contrast and colour.

Now OLED (organic light emitting diode) and QLED (quantum dot LED) panel technologies are leading the way. In OLED, pixels emit their own light, while QLED rely on an LED backlight.

“Most of the TVs today are LED or LCD TVs, think flat panel TVs. If you want the newest tech, you will want to go with OLED – there’s no doubt about it, they give you better picture quality,” says The Good Guys’ John. “Higher-resolution displays allow you to see more fine details in your favourite games, movies, and TV shows.”

For gamers, an HDMI 2.1 is the next-gen cable to connect to consoles, allowing super-fast refresh rates, higher resolution and increased bandwidth to cope with graphics speed.

Bigger is actually better, such as the LG CineBeam screen and projector.

When watching, the experts say your eye level should be at the centre of the screen.

On the level

A screen that’s too high or too low can impact what you watch, whether that’s vying for first place in Mario Kart or watching your favourite flick. “When it comes to the height of your TV, the easiest way to think about it is that the centre of the screen should be at eye level in your normal seating position,” John says.

Wall mounting screens can optimise placement and also maximise your space, but you’ll need to check if your walls can take the added weight first.

“For the best result, you will definitely want professional help. They will look at your wall type, weight of TV and materials needed,” he says. “A strong bracket is key when it comes to the installation – The Good Guys have a huge range including flat, tilt, fully articulated, and super flat.”

The right screen for games will make all the difference.

Size and scale

While TV rooms differ in size, there is a rule of thumb when it comes to scale and the size of the screen you should have. Sitting 2.4m-3m away from a 55-inch is a recommended distance, or five times the distance from the screen, as the screen is wide. When it comes to sizes, imperial measurements still reign, so it’s out with metrics. Screens are measured diagonally, from the top left corner to the bottom right.

“Nowadays, 85-inch TVs are the new gold standard in home entertainment,” says John.

“If you’re looking for a larger screen, a large TV in 4K means you don’t need to sit as far away as you probably think you do. Sizes you may have ruled out previously may now be an option.” Screens and projectors made for outdoor spaces are looming large, like LG’s CineBeam range which is taking movie night up a notch. Its models, including 4K laser and Ultra Short Throw projectors, are designed for both indoor and outdoor use.

LG has screens for outdoor areas such as the HU715QW projector.

A soundbar is essential for an immersive cinema experience. This one is from Hisense.

Immersive experience
“Nowadays, 85-inch TVs are the new gold standard in home entertainment,” says John. “If you’re looking for a larger screen, a large TV in 4K means you don’t need to sit as far away as you probably think you do. Sizes you may have ruled out previously may now be an option.” Screens and projectors made for outdoor spaces are looming large, like LG’s CineBeam range which is taking movie night up a notch. Its models, including 4K laser and Ultra Short Throw projectors, are designed for both indoor and outdoor use.

LG StandyByME is a movable and adjustable screen.

What’s next
While curved screens made a quick appearance, The Good Guys’ John says these have moved on to be movable and adjustable (such as LG’s StanByME, a wireless display, pictured), are ready for gamers and come loaded with all the apps.

“And with all sorts of impressive tech like Variable Refresh Rate and Gsync capability, your

gaming PC monitors can now be found in your living room,” he says.

“It’s also all about big screens these days, with the best TVs having super thin profiles for super flush wall mounting. A big trend is true borderless TVs, where there is no discernible bezel and your screen can stretch to the full edge of the TV.

“We’re also seeing the rise of laser TV, or UST (Ultra Short Throw) projectors like Samsung’s The Premiere Projector.”

Samsung’s The Premiere Projector, available at The Good Guys.

MORE: The Good Guys

Originally published as What to look for when buying a ‘lifestyle TV screen’ in the EOFY sales