‘Tis the season! What better time to upgrade your television set?

As a smart home systems designer and Control4 dealer, we’ve identified the top five considerations to inform your future purchase:

  1. COST

Let’s start with your budget. We’re going to be honest with you — a good TV can range in cost from $800 to $4,800. Then there’s the cost of installation. If it’s any consolation, Sony’s 100″ TV costs $14,999.99 (reduced from $20,000). Puts it into perspective!

#LiveSmarter Tip: Check out Sony’s BRAVIA XR A80K 4K HDR OLED TV with smart Google TV (2022) Model: XR-65A80K.

  1. SIZE

Our clients generally buy televisions ranging in size from 55” to 77”. Popular sizes: 65” for entertaining areas, 55” for master bedrooms, and 48” for guest bedrooms.

For home theaters — instead of a TV — we typically install a Sony projector and Elite Screens projection screen. Kaleidescape provides a beautiful cinematic experience, leading the industry in terms of the highest quality picture and sound for movies. One of our clients wanted to have his cake and eat it too — he asked for a retractable screen with an 85” TV behind it.

#LiveSmarter Tip: Let the size of the room dictate the size of the TV.

  1. VIDEO RESOLUTION

While 8K resolution TVs will be the wave of the future, upgrading to this higher quality is premature due to the purchase price and lack of 8K content creation. A 4K TV will fit the bill nicely.

#LiveSmarter Tip: No matter the resolution, we recommend an OLED TV for its amazing picture quality and features.

  1. AUDIO

For better audio and surround sound, we recommend a Sonos soundbar mounted above or below your TV. “You get the most bang for your buck. It’s a great product and price point,” says Premiere Systems Design Founder and President Rex Aguirre. Keep in mind, this is semi-surround sound — left, right, and center. Full surround sound would include seven speakers and one subwoofer. The size of the room matters. Bigger rooms call for more speakers. We’ve installed a 9.1 surround system in our client’s family playroom.

#SmartBudgetTip: Pre-wire for speakers, even if you don’t want them now, because it will cost more in the future.

  1. TYPE

“Most TVs that are sold these days are smart TVs. It’s hard to find a dumb TV,” says Premiere Systems Design Operations Manager Ashley Bancroft.

That said, your TV doesn’t have to be smart. You could buy a “dumb TV” and connect it to Control4, making it a smart TV.

Or you could buy a smart TV and make it even smarter by integrating it with Control4’s automation system.

Premiere System Design Recommendation: Any smart TV made by Sony manufactured after 2020.

#LiveSmarter Tip: If you’re using Control4’s portable touch screen, you’ll want a strong Wi-Fi system in place. We can assist with this as well.

WHERE TO BUY?

Covid has caused supply chain issues across the board. We keep inventory of the products we sell on a regular basis, such as Control4’s CORE 1 and CORE 5 controllers. We also have Sonos Arc and Sonos ports. If we don’t have something in stock, we can order it for you.

#LiveSmarter Tip: If you purchase equipment from us, we’ll be able to service any issues that might arise vs. depending on customer support from the manufacturer.

READY, SET, GO

To be gift ready for Christmas Eve, we’ll need you to place your order by December 10th at the latest.

Contact us today.