Black Friday deals are here. How big should you go for that TV?
Nov 27, 2019, 3:27 PM
This is an editorial piece. An editorial, like a news article, is based on fact but also shares opinions. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and are not associated with our newsroom.
“How big should I go?” It’s the first question for all new TV buyers and with Black Friday on the horizon, the deals are massive and plentiful.
My first big screen was 40 inches. The year was 1994 and I thought the heavens had opened up and poured their love directly onto my head.
Today, I won’t even reach for the remote for anything under 60”.
The Black Friday TV deals matrix
I knew there had to be a matrix. A simple computation from the TV nerds that would tell me the proper TV size to optimize my viewing experience. I’ve done the research. I’ve scoured many sites. This is where I land.
It all depends on where you’re sitting. The closer you sit to the TV, the smaller the TV, and vice-versa.
Here’s the key and what you need to remember; 2-to-1 ratio. That’s the rule of thumb. The inches from the TV should be double the size of the TV; a 60 inch TV is 120 inches away (10 feet); a 75 inch TV is 150 inches away (12.5 feet).
Should I pay for 4K?
If you’re set on a 4K TV, it’s a 1.5-to-1 ratio. 4K TVs let you sit closer without compromising quality. You’re not going to see the individual pixels with a 4K TV, therefore you can sit closer.
Here’s a word of warning for all you would-be 4K TV purchasers — do you really want 4K?
4K TVs are the future, no doubt, but 4K TVs are worthless unless you check these three boxes:
- 4K content. There’s not a lot of 4K content out there right now. Some new and original programming from Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime is being produced in 4K, but anything more than a couple of years old is just not 4K. If your viewing habits are endless reruns of “Friends” on Netflix, then it’s not produced in 4K—and 4K doesn’t matter.
- 4K receiver. You need to be able to receive that 4K content via a 4K Apple TV, 4K Roku, 4K satellite receiver, PS4 Pro, Xbox One S, etc. If your receiver doesn’t receive 4K, then 4K doesn’t matter.
- 4K TV. If you check the first two boxes—then 4K matters.
Where are the deals? I got you.
There’s no shortage of incredible TV deals out there. Let me dazzle you with the ever plummeting prices of TVs.
In 2007, according to an article by CNET, you could purchase a 50-inch Pioneer Elite Kuro TV for $7,000 dollars — in today’s bucks. That’s paying $6.60 per square inch of viewing pleasure.
I found a Black Friday sale for a Samsung 75 inch, 4K, Smart TV for $750. That’s $0.30 per square inch.
So again, I ask the question, “How big should I go?”
It depends — but you can afford to go big!
Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.
