What’s The Best TV Resolution?

As technology advances, the types of TV available to buy grows. A TV is usually an appliance we want to last for years, so ensuring it has the resolution or picture quality you require is crucial to its longevity.

What is TV resolution? 

Simply put, it’s the amount of pixels on your TV that create the images you see on screen. TV makers will display this as width x height when they describe the headline features of their set, and the higher this number is, the more detailed the picture quality will be.

Which TVs have the best picture quality?

There are a range of high resolution TV types available on the market, each with their own features that set them apart from the competition. We have listed the best below:

• - 4K TVs
• - HDR TVs
• - OLED TVs
• - QLED TVs
• - Nanocell TVs

What is 4K TV?

4K means 4K resolution. 3,840 horizontal pixels and 2,160 vertical pixels, for a combined 8.3 million pixels. Resolution means densely the tiny dots, or pixels, are represented on the display. They make up the image you see on the screen. So, the higher the count, the greater your resolution.

Is it good quality?

To put it into perspective, a 4K TV is four times more pixels than traditional Full HD (1920 x 1080) TVs. Side-by-side with TVs of the same size, the picture quality on a 4K TV will look more vivid and detailed because of higher pixel density.

What 4k content can I watch?

4K content can include full broadcasting channels and streaming services, to 4K Blu-ray players and or video content filmed with 4K cameras or 4K smart phones. The 4K broadcast channel count stands at 80, and that is in addition to 4K services from the likes of Amazon Prime, Netflix, and BT Sports.

What does HDR TV mean?

This acronym stands for ‘High Dynamic Range’ and is in reference to the quality of scenes displayed in very bright or very dark situations. For example, if you’ve ever watched a scene in a cave and struggled to see a level of detail, you’ll be able to see the colour of cave walls in all their glory. At the other end of the spectrum, if you’ve ever watched an ocean scene and can’t make out individual sunbeams, you will with a HDR screen.

What types of HDR is there?

Various, but the most widely used is HDR10. An upgrade to this is HDR10+, which uses dynamic HDR technology for an even more optimised picture in comparison to the previous generation of HDR technology.

What is an OLED TV?

OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diode is a new type of TV display technology that is capable of realistic picture quality while still remaining thin and lightweight in design.

How does an OLED TV work?

They use a thin film of an organic compound which lights up when electricity passes through it. It means that each dot on the screen is controlled independently, allowing a completely black pixel to be beside a fully white one, The result is a dramatic contrast of vibrant colours in comparison to the always-on backlights of LED TVs. Think of them like plasma TVs, but much slimmer and more power efficient.

OLEDs' mighty combination of lightweight slim design and exemplary contrast performance continues to ensure it stands out from the crowd of next generation TVs.

What are the benefits?

OLED TVs have individual organic cells behind the screen. They produce their own light source - unlike standard LED-backlit TVs. This gives it a few noticeable advantages when it comes to picture quality and design:

Deep blacks: OLED sets can switch off individual LEDs when displaying black, instead of just directing light away from that part of the screen, like LCD displays do. This means they can achieve very deep blacks.

Smooth motion: Motion looks fluid on OLED TVs, with hardly any blurring, even on fast-moving action.

Super-thin screen: OLED screens can be even thinner than most smartphones, because they don’t need a backlight. Some of LG's high-end OLEDs, such as the OLED W are half the thickness of an iPhone 7.

Viewing angle: Viewable from all angles with the same outstanding level of sharpness. Even when you’re watching from a wide angle, the picture tends to keep its quality, with accurate colours and eye-catching contrast.

Energy use: Even though OLED TVs were initially thought to use less power than similar-sized LED-backlit LCD sets, data suggests they use about the same.

What is a QLED TV?

QLED TVs are quantum-dot based and their use sets them apart from conventional sets.

What is a quantum dot?

Quantum dots are as advanced as they sound. They are ultra-fine semiconductor materials of nanoscale size. The dots create differing colours of light depending on the particle size. So if a dot is really large, the colour  will be redder, if it’s really small, it’ll be more blue in colour. They can emit precise coloured light due to particle sizes being adjusted at quantum-level velocities. The result is accurate and efficient light emissions and this causes huge improvements to the overall picture quality.

What are the benefits of QLED TVs?

These TVs leverage the use of quantum dots to offer “high luminance”. Luminance affects how bright a screen can look and is a major factor for greater picture quality. This is because the contrast of an image is naturally improved when brightness is higher. When the range of bright and dark that you see on screen is wider, it’s referred to as HDR (high dynamic range). In this light, QLED TVs can provide richer images with their advanced luminance.

When it comes to using brightness for better overall colour quality, QLED TVs handle this by increasing the colour range. For instance, the amount of bright and dark reds available are rendered better on screen. This technology, paired with black implementation technologies such as Direct Full Array, displays an entirely different picture quality and a more realistic viewing experience in comparison to non-OLED TVs.

What are NanoCell TVs?

LG’s NanoCell technology has been pioneered by LG to provide vibrant colour, crystal-clear clarity, powerful processors, wide viewing angles, and a host of smart features to keep a home connected. 

How does NanoCell technology work?

It uses particles to absorb unnecessary light wavelengths and improve the purity of the on-screen images. This gives a more precise rendering of the colours displayed on screen, helped in part, by a spectrum of one billion colours.

Benefits of a NanoCell TV

Gaming: LG opted to future-proof their NanoCell models by making HDMI 2.1 the standard port, this will allow higher frame rates and a fantastic variable refresh rate (VRR) to keep even the latest games running smoothly. With 4K HDR game support, you get detailed images and lifelike colour on-screen colours to make any game a visual spectacle, plus, its use of Dolby Atmos will upgrade the audio experience.

Nano Colour: Over one billion display colours along with 4K HDR support, help to turn a film night into an epic experience on a NanoCell TV. 

Nano Accuracy: Sitting, standing, either in the middle, or on the edge of the screen, everyone can enjoy each scene on a Nano TV. This is down to the superior picture quality at wide viewing angles.

Local Dimming: Superior contrast and deeper black levels add depth and perspective to those atmospheric dark scenes.

Get the right TV for your needs?

Each of these TVs have a specific strength, so consider them carefully when making your purchase. If you watch a lot of film and TV that plunges a scene into darkness, then a HDR TV might be the way to go. Need to be future-proof for the next generation of gaming? NanoCell technology may be your safest bet. By assessing your TV needs and feature must-haves, you’ll discover which resolution will work best for your viewing experience.

Size is also important when choosing a TV, check out our TV size buying guide.