LED TV Buying Guide for India in 2023 (with tips)

TV Buying Guide in 2023

Looking to know how to buy a TV? Here’s our easy-to-understand TV buying guide to help you buy the best smart TV in India. We have mentioned all you need to know about buying TVs so you need not look anywhere else!

Factors to look for when buying a TV
  • TV Display
  • Screen Size
  • Resolution
  • RAM & Storage
  • Operating System
  • Sound
  • Refresh Rate
TV Display: Which TV Display Technology is best?

The display of the TV is one of the key factors to look for when buying a TV. Currently, there are many different TV Display technologies available in India. The most popular are LED, OLED and QLED. All these panel technologies come with different positives and negatives. Below is a detailed explanation of which TV display to choose. This can help you
decide which TV display is the best for you.

LED vs QLED vs OLED TV display Technologies Comparison

Features

LED

QLED

OLED

Viewing Angle

Good

Good

Excellent

Black Levels

Poor

Good

Excellent

Brightness

Good

Excellent

Good

Motion Handling

Poor

Good

Excellent

Color Accuracy

Good

Excellent

Very Good

Contrast

Poor

Good

Excellent

Discoloration/Screen Burn

Good

Excellent

Poor

Price & Availability

Excellent

Good

Poor

 As seen above, there’s a significant difference between LED vs QLED vs OLED and how all three of these display technologies are better or poor in comparison to other in different factors. While for most people, LED TVs offer the best value for money, OLED TVs are extremely expensive and not suitable for everyone.
 

1) Who should buy a LED Display TV?

If you are looking for a TV under budget but with the best value for money features, you may consider buying a LED display TV. Many of us often believe that LED and LCD displays are two different ones. Though this is only partially true. LED display is just a better version of LCD display. A LED Display uses Light Emitting Diodes (LED) to power the
backlight of the TV panel as opposed to Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL), most commonly used in LCD TVs. Because of the difference in technology between LED & LCD televisions, LED TVs consume 30% less energy and are thinner, and lighter in weight than LCD televisions.

Pro buying tip: When buying a LED TV, be sure to pay attention to the type of LED backlight technology used. Edge-lit LED
televisions are less expensive but because their LEDs are placed on the edge of the panel display, it may result in poor contrast levels as compared to full array LED TVs that have numerous LEDs spread out on the screen. Also, Full Array LED TVs use something called “local dimming” which basically means each LED can be individually illuminated depending on the content, providing more contrasting colors.

2) Who should buy a QLED Display TV?

Quantum Dot LED or QLED TV displays can be your best choice for buying a TV with a balanced TV display. Between LED TVs and OLED TVs,  LED televisions are more balanced as they offer more color accuracy, brightness, and motion  handling as compared to traditional LED tv displays. In comparison to OLED televisions, QLED TVs are also less likely to have discoloration or screen burn-in issues. Those who are looking for the best color display may consider buying a QLED Display.

Pro buying tip: When buying a TV with a QLED Display, be sure to buy a TV with the appropriate screen size and resolution as per your viewing distance because QLED TVs generally lack the “best viewing angle” feature that OLED TVs have a much easier time offering. Nevertheless, QLED TVs are a better choice if you are looking to purchase a TV as a PC monitor or watch a lot of static content due to them being less susceptible to screen burn-in.

3) Who should buy an OLED TV?

Organic Light Emitting Diodes or OLED TVs are currently among the top TV display technologies that offer a superior viewing experience. OLED TVs beat both LED & QLED televisions when it comes to providing the best viewing angles, contrast, and motion handling. While both OLED & QLED TVs offer 4K & 8K resolution, OLED TVs because of their
display technology can offer you a truly immersive experience.

The major drawback though of OLED TVs is that they are more susceptible to screen burn-in which basically happens when you leave your display on with static content for a long period of time, the print gets imprinted on the TV Panel. But as long as you are varying what is displayed, this problem should not arise. If you are looking for the best-in-class experience with excellent display quality, good color accuracy, amazing viewing angle, and motion blur, you may consider
buying an OLED TV.

Pro buying tip: When buying an OLED TV, be sure to check if the brightness nits are between 700 to 1000 nits for getting a well-lit viewing experience because older OLED TVs generally lack in brightness levels and a higher refresh rate of 120 Hz to eliminate stuttering if you wish to play Playstation or Xbox series. Also, it’s better to avoid OLED TVs if you are going to be watching a lot of static content or want to use your TV display as a PC monitor. Otherwise, they are one of the best TV display technologies currently.

 
Screen Size: Bigger isn’t always Better

Next important factor to consider when buying a TV is to select an appropriate TV size as per your viewing distance. When buying a TV, people generally have this notion that the bigger, the better. However, this is not always true. If you buy a TV screen size much bigger than your viewing distance, you would not get the best clarity experience, not be able to see the whole picture, put strain on your eyes, or even get strain in your neck. On the other hand, if you buy the right TV
screen size, you are more likely to get a cinematic viewing experience with your TV.

So ditch the idea of “the bigger, the better” when buying a TV and choose the right TV size as your viewing distance. Below is a table that explains what size TV should you buy as per your viewing distance.

Guide for TV screen size as per viewing distance

Viewing Distance

Minimum Screen Size

4 feet

32 inches

5 feet

42 inches

6 feet

50 inches

7 feet

55 inches

8 feet

65 inches

Resolution: The bigger the screen size, the more resolution you need.

The next important factor in our TV buying guide is the resolution of the TV you are purchasing. The resolution of the TV along with the screen size determines the quality of your viewing experience. Generally, the bigger the screen size of your TV, the more display resolution you need. For example, if you decide to get a television of 40 inches then an HD Ready resolution may be fine. However, if you are going for a larger screen size like 50 inches, it would be better if you buy a TV of a Full HD display. HD Ready TVs are among the cheapest ones that you can get and as the resolution goes up, so does the price. However, getting a Full HD display TV over an HDR can be a smart decision in the long run as FHD displays are only slightly higher priced over HDR resolution displays.

Below is a table that explains what TV resolution is good based on screen size & viewing clarity.

TV Display Resolutions available in
India

TV Resolution

TV screen size Availability

Viewing Clarity

Good for

480p (Standard)

Rare

Poor

Nothing. You don’t need it.

720p HD Ready (HDR)

24 inches

Okay

Watch basic cable TV channels

32 inches

39 inches

1080p Full HD (FHD)

32 inches

Good

Enjoy movies in a Blu-ray print, play games

39 inches

42 inches

50 inches

4K Ultra HD (UHD)

32 inches

Very Good

Enjoy movies, gaming with a cinematic experience & great
clarity. Also good to use as PC monitors.

39 inches

42 inches

50 inches

55 inches

65 inches

77 inches

83 inches

98 inches

8K Ultra HD (UHD)

55 inches

Excellent

Watch movies, TV shows, play games, use as PC monitor, all with
the utmost superior clarity of each pixel

65 inches

77 inches

85 inches

RAM & Storage: The higher RAM & Storage, the lesser your TV lags

RAM and Storage in smart TVs function similarly like in mobile smartphones. RAM in your smart TV powers your TV input as well as helps in processing certain functionalities. While the storage of your smart TV helps distribute the processing load. Hence, the higher your RAM & storage get, the more your television is likely to perform smoother, and have fewer lags. Our recommendation would be to avoid settling for 1GB RAM or even 1.5 GB RAM if you are looking to buy a smart TV as we progress to more modern smart TVs features, you’d require at least a RAM of 2GB or higher to still be able to enjoy your television to the most after 1 or 2 years. Below is a table that displays what RAM & storage in a smart tv is good and how much you need and the price range for each.

 

What RAM & Storage in a smart TV is best?

RAM

Storage

Performance

Price availability

1 GB

4 GB

Poor

Under ₹ 10,000

1.5 GB

8 GB

Okay

Under ₹ 20,000

2 GB

16 GB

Good

Under ₹ 30,000

2.5 GB

16 GB

Good

Starting ₹ 70,000 approx

3 GB

32 GB

Very Good

Starting ₹ 100,000 approx

4 GB RAM

64 GB

Excellent

Rare

Operating System: Which OS is better for TV?

The next factor to consider in our TV buying guide is the Operating System (OS) in the TV. The OS in smart TV is the operating system based on which the tv operates. Different Operating Systems in TVs include Android TV, Google TV, WebOS & Tizen OS. While Android and Google TV OS are owned by Google, WebOS is owned by LG and TizenOS is an
operating system by Samsung. You’d want to choose the right operating system for you depending on your usage. If watching a lot of OTT content is your main requirement, you may want to get a TV with Android or Google OS. But if you wish to connect your TV to your PS5, you may want to consider buying a TV with Tizen OS. Similarly, buying a WebOS smart TV can also be considered if you do not care much about having the most access to android apps or games.

Below is a list of Operating Systems (OS) in TV in India and which one is the best for you depending on your usage.

Android TV OS vs Google TV OS vs WebOS vs Tizen OS Comparison

Operating System (OS)

Android TV

Google TV

WebOS

TizenOS

Apps Access

Excellent

Excellent

Good

Okay

Speed

Okay

Good

Good

Excellent

Interface

Good

Excellent

Good

Okay

Connectivity

Excellent

Excellent

Good

Good

Voice Recognition

Good

Excellent

Good

Okay

Games Access

Excellent

Excellent

Okay

Okay

Brand

Google

Google

LG

Samsung

 
Sound: Don’t overlook the audio output of your TV

While deciding on the audio output of your TV, generally you want to look for higher audio output wattage. The higher the audio wattage of your TV is, the louder sound your TV speakers can produce. Depending on the kind of TV you are buying and the price range, the audio wattage may differ. But try not to settle for anything less than 30 Watts sound output when buying a TV. Below is a table that can help you get an approximate idea of the sound output of your TV that you can expect to get depending on your budget.

Audio outputs for TV available in India

Price range (approx)

10 Watts

Under ₹10,000

20 Watts

Under ₹15,000

30 Watts

Under ₹30,000

40 Watts

Under ₹35,000

50 Watts

Under ₹60,000

60 Watts

Starting ₹75,000

80 Watts

Starting ₹90,000

104 Watts

Starting ₹130,000

However, it is important for you to note that the wattage of the sound output of your TV is not the only deciding factor of the sound quality of your smart TV. Here are some other things to look for to get a TV with the best sound quality:

  • Consider the audio technology used. For example, Dolby Atmos, X Symphony, etc.
  • Consider the number of in-built speakers your TV has. The more, the better.
  • Don’t forget to check the type of speaker your TV has. For example, stereo speakers, sub-woofers, etc)

Lastly, keep in mind that the brand of the TV you are purchasing also influences the sound quality that you may receive. We can’t compare Sony TVs’ sound outputs with Toshiba TVs, can we?

Refresh Rate: The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the images transition
 
The refresh rate of your smart TV is one of the important factors to consider when buying a TV. The higher the refresh rate your TV has, the smoother the image frames display. A good refresh rate can help enhance the motion blur of your TV. Not just that, if you are considering buying a TV for gaming or sports, getting a good refresh rate TV is especially
important to eliminate possible lags. Our recommendation would be not to settle for anything less than a 60 Hz refresh rate which is what most TVs today come with. A 60 Hz refresh rate in TV is good enough for most people, especially for watching movies and TV shows seamlessly. However, for gaming purposes, you’d have a better experience with a TV
having a 120 Hz refresh rate.
 

Refresh Rate of TVs in India

Price Range (approx)

50 Hz

Under ₹15,000

60 Hz

Under ₹20,000

120 Hz

Starting ₹70,000

240 Hz

Rare

 

So this was all about the factors to consider while buying a TV in India. Apart from what we have mentioned above, be sure to also look for features in your TV such as

  • The number of HDMI ports & USB ports your TV has
  • Does it support extra functionalities like voice control, parental control, built-in Chromecast, screen mirroring, etc?
  • Does it support features like Wi-fi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth?
  • Is your screen display IPS or VA?
  • Lastly, be sure to also check the version of the operating system you are getting

Buying a TV can be costly especially if you are going for OLED TVs. You want to make sure that the TV you are buying is the best and actually worth what you are paying for right? So, be sure to keep these factors in mind while making your TV purchase and we hope our TV buying guides will help you make that decision a little easier. Do feel free to share with us any questions you may have or if you think we missed adding something here.

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