‘Tis the season! What better time to upgrade your television set?
As a smart home systems designer, Crestron dealer, and Control4 authorized gold dealer, we’ve identified the top five considerations to inform your purchase:
- COST
Let’s start with your budget. We’re going to be honest with you — an 85″ TV can range in cost from $900 to $7,000. Then there’s the cost of installation. If it’s any consolation, Samsung’s 110″ Class MICRO LED (2022) costs $149,999.99. Puts it into perspective!
#LiveSmarter Tip: Check out Sony’s BRAVIA 9 65” class Mini LED QLED 4K HDR Google TV (2024), currently on sale for $2,499.99
- SIZE
Our clients generally buy televisions ranging in size from 43” to 85”. Popular sizes: 65” and 77″ for entertaining areas, 55” and 65″ for primary bedrooms, and 43″- 55″ for guest bedrooms.
For home theaters — instead of a TV — we typically install a Sony projector and Dragonfly or Stewart film screens. 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 her cake and eat it too — she asked for a retractable screen with an entertainment TV mirror built into her wall unit.
#LiveSmarter Tip: Let the size of the room dictate the size of the TV.
- VIDEO RESOLUTION
While 16K resolution TVs will be the wave of the future, upgrading to this higher quality is premature due to the purchase price and lack of 16K content creation. An 8K TV will fit the bill nicely.
#LiveSmarter Tip: No matter the resolution, we recommend an OLED TV for its amazing picture quality and features.
- 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. For a custom-width soundbar with a crisp sound, he recommends Leon Speakers’ Horizon series.
#SmartBudgetTip: Pre-wire for speakers, even if you don’t want them now, because it will cost more in the future.
- 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 or to Crestron, making it a smart TV.
Or you could buy a smart TV and make it even smarter by integrating it with an automation system.
Premiere System Design Recommendation: Any smart TV manufactured by Sony after 2022.
#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?
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 Arcs, ports, and amps. 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 start your new year off right, contact us today.