The Stress of Buying a new TV

A couple of days ago we decided to break the daily routine of cottage life and drive to a nearby town to buy a new television set for the cottage living room.

We had discussed replacing the tiny ten-year-old flat screen model when we did our annual budget for cottage repairs and replacements.  This was not essential as we have another bigger TV in our bedroom. However, our bedroom is not a space where overnight guests or family visitors watch TV with us. When the remote control for the living room TV began to respond sporadically, action was required — either to get a new remote or a new TV.

Both of us wanted a TV with a bigger screen.  I wanted to use it with apple tv for watching occasional movies on netflicks; my husband wanted it for watching football games.

The old -- but faithful tv
The old — but faithful tv

Before leaving home, we measured the screen to determine approximately what size we would purchase.  We agreed that we did not want a TV that would dominate the space which is usually a place for reading, entertaining, listening to music or quiet conversation.

After arriving at an established furniture, electronics, and appliance store we quickly learned that buying a TV is no longer a simple decision. Fortunately it was not a busy afternoon as this summer theatre town had several matinees playing so the store was quiet.  We approached an older salesperson who showed us several floor models.  Unfortunately, we were not prepared for the many considerations he suggested as elements  of purchasing a TV.

Suddenly we were faced with questions:

  • did we want LCD or LED?
  • were we considering HD, Full HD, HDR, or Ultra HD?
  • would it be a flat screen or a curved screen?
  • was power efficiency a concern?
  • what apps would we use?
  • how many HDMI ports did we need for accessories or games?
  • would we need a wall mount?
  • were contrast levels a consideration?
  • what about the colour palette?

It seemed that thinking about the size of the screen and the price point for a cottage TV were among the least important considerations. After looking at several options, we left the store with a list of models, screen sizes, price points, and sale dates.

Who knew there was so much more to buying a TV than getting one that would fit  — but not dominate — the space and would have a working remote?

It was mid-afternoon; we had not eaten lunch but needed alcohol more than food to digest all the information.  We drove back to the cottage, poured a drink, manually turned on the old tv, watched the news, and decided to leave purchase of a new tv for a future rainy day.

 

 

2 Replies to “The Stress of Buying a new TV”

  1. Good Grief! I would not know where to begin to answer all the questions about which TV to buy. Wow.

    1. We went back yesterday and bought a mid-priced model that will fit the space! Hopefully the screen won’t overpower the room. We’ll see once the delivery truck comes tomorrow!
      Be well,
      Jeanette

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