Help, I have too many questions!
A European Football Championship (or World Cup) is the period in which almost the entire country adjusts its plans, buys the appropriate clothing and attributes and loudly supports its favorite team. For many football fans, it is also the perfect time to get a new television. But that raises a lot of questions. Is there an ideal size? An ideal resolution? Which HDR formats should the TV support? Is a certain imaging technology preferred? How do I get the sharpest image? The list of questions is long. Anyone who enters the store well prepared will undoubtedly leave with a beautiful device. Therefore, follow our checklist.
The right size
It may sound controversial, but big is definitely better. There is nothing wrong with a 32-inch TV that is three meters away from you, but you should not expect it to bring the atmosphere of a grand football stadium to the living room. So choose a nice large size. Of course, you shouldn’t exaggerate either. Especially since the new TV will probably have a permanent place in the living room. There are also practical and aesthetic concerns. Always keep that in mind.
The ideal size depends on how far you sit from the screen. Measure the viewing distance (in centimeters) between the main seating position and the TV screen. If you really want the feeling that you are in the stadium, divide that distance by 1.2. The result is the maximum screen diagonal (in centimeters) that we recommend. Please note, that is really large, for a viewing distance of 2.6m you have an 85-inch screen. An additional advantage is that you have a screen size that simulates a cinema experience, which means that watching a film will also be a fantastic experience.
But that size is not welcome in every living room. If you want the smallest screen that still provides a fun, immersive experience, divide the viewing distance by two. This gives you approximately a 55-inch screen for the same viewing distance of 2.6 m. As you can see, the fork is very wide, so there is always a good solution available. Please calculate for yourself what the two extremes are in your living room.
Resolution: Ultra HD 4K is ideal
The title says it all, but a word of explanation might make it even clearer. Ultra HD 4K has been the screen resolution of most televisions for several years. The 3,840 x 2,160 pixels (exactly four times more than Full HD) provide a sharp and detailed image. Full HD, yes, you can still find that, but only on the small models. Above 40 inches diagonally, we strongly advise against choosing lower resolutions.
And 8K? Major sporting events, such as the World Cup or European Football Championship and the Olympic Games, are indeed often recorded in 8K. But that does not mean that they will be broadcast in 8K by your provider. Do you think 8K might be useful for other content? That could be the case, but other 8K content is even rarer, and will remain so for quite some time. So you largely remain dependent on the upscaling of the 8K TV. And although it delivers good performance, it remains less good than real 8K material. Moreover, an 8K model is more expensive, and all that extra detail is of very little use unless you opt for 75 inches or larger. The added value of an 8K device is therefore very limited. That extra budget is better spent on a top 4K model.
Every goal in razor-sharp detail
Some goals are built up slowly but surely, others are scored in a brilliant flash. That’s why you want all the action to remain razor sharp. Even when the camera has to pan across the field at lightning speed to follow that lightning-fast breakthrough. Therefore, choose a television with a 100-120 Hz refresh rate. Because the more images per second, the less chance of a vague ball or blurry image.
HDR and maximum brightness
HDR (High Dynamic Range) still remains a rarity when it comes to live TV broadcasts. That’s a shame because HDR really gives images an extra dimension and makes them much more lifelike. But extra effort is made for major sporting events, so there is a real chance that you will be able to receive the European Championship in HDR. Check with your TV provider whether this will be possible.
HDR material is available in different standards. HDR10 and HLG are almost guaranteed to be present on all HDR TVs. Live TV will almost certainly use HLG, so you’re good on that front. If you want to fully enjoy films and TV series in HDR later, it is good to choose a TV that supports Dolby Vision and/or HDR10+. After all, these formats provide even better images. Dolby Vision is by far the most popular of these two.
In our article about it importance of clarity Read how and why you should pay attention to the maximum brightness. For sports, the influence of your viewing environment will be especially important. If you watch during the day, you have to take into account a lot of ambient light and then a TV with sufficient peak brightness is important. Entry-level models will struggle with this, so better look in the mid-range and higher segments.
There is no sports available in HDR!
Even if you cannot receive the European Championships in HDR, a TV that is well equipped for HDR really has added value. After all, for HDR we want a TV with good contrast, a wide color range and high brightness. These are features that also benefit clear and colorful SDR sports images. And once the European Championships are over, you can continue to enjoy your HDR TV with the enormous range of HDR material that you find on streaming services.
Which imaging technology do I choose?
Not all TVs use the same technology. And they also have different advantages and disadvantages. We can divide them into two broad categories. LCD and OLED. Both can be a great choice for the World Cup, but the best choice depends on how exactly you want to use the TV. We briefly discuss the various advantages and disadvantages.
LCD LED
Also often referred to as LED TV or LED LCD TV, and this category also includes the QLED models and miniLED models. The main advantage of LCD TVs is that they are available in many different prices and screen sizes. The top models also deliver the highest brightness of all TVs. Models with “Full Array Local Dimming” sometimes abbreviated as “Local Dimming” often also provide very good contrast. QLED models use quantum dots to deliver very intense colors. MiniLED models generally deliver the best combination of color, contrast and brightness. It is striking that mid-range models are now also equipped with miniLEDs.
OLED
OLED TVs deliver a perfect black display and therefore the best contrast. They have a very rich color palette and the best viewing angle. So even if you are not sitting directly in front of the TV, colors and contrast are very well preserved. The latest technology (QD-OLED) combines quantum dots with OLED, for more brightness and even more intense colors. The latest OLED top models are equipped with a microlens layer, which also delivers significantly better brightness.
If you mainly view in a lot of ambient light, then a top LCD model with high brightness is the better choice. The reason is not so much the classic peak brightness (which we measure on a 10% window), but rather the peak brightness on a completely white screen. This is still somewhat limited with OLED TVs. If you prefer to watch in dim light, an OLED or QD-OLED model will deliver the best results.
What should that cost?
As with many things, the price is fairly indicative of the performance. You obviously pay a premium price for the best contrast, the clearest image and the most beautiful HDR images. But for the European Championship, every manufacturer will undoubtedly give strong discounts. A good 55 or even 65 inch mid-range car in the region of 1,000 to 1,200 euros can already deliver wonderful performance. You will probably have to pay a few 100 euros more for an OLED TV. Be sure to keep an eye on last year’s series, which are often even more heavily discounted. In any case, make a list of your favorite models and check prices regularly.
Tags: European Football Championship choose
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