Late 2016 is seeing 32 inches, 40 inches, 42 inches and 50 inches as the most popular TV sizes, 4K took over as the new Full HD, gaming console makers struggled to provide 4k content, OLED surprised us with its ultra thin screens and curved screens and Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic and Philips led the brand race to bring us these stunning new TVs at affordable prices.

TVs with Blu Ray flopped whereas some TVs with built in DVD players became top sellers.

2016 will see a massive growth in 4K content and 4K gaming will continue to be a hot topic.

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Will Smart TVs replace the desktop computer in 2016 and will set top boxes lose their importance? 2016 promises to be a very active year as far as TVs and TV accessories are concerned and we’ll bring you every piece of news, reviews and updates from a UK perspective, so stay tuned!

TOP UP TV 2016 TV AWARDS

4K (Ultra HD) TVs

The number of 4K (Ultra HD) TVs in the market in 2016 is more than in the previous years. If you are looking to buy a TV set that offers high fidelity, sharper and crisper images and displays, then 4K (Ultra HD) TVs will offer you just that. Offer better quality images than what is available in the 1080p TVs.

Blu ray TVs are set to be big this festive season. Netflix and Amazon Prime are also set to provide 4k content to their online premium subscribers.

Although 4K TVs are not yet ready for console gaming because both Microsoft XBox and Sony Playstation (the 2 most popular gaming consoles) offer Full HD as the highest resolution, making a 4K TV meaningless for console gaming at the start of 2016.

However, according to a Forbes report, Netflix predicted that we’ll have 4K gaming consoles in 2016. They’re now expected in 2016. 4K TVs are ready for PC gamers and if you can’t wait to put your hands on one, then our review on the best 4k TVs under 2000, 1500, 1000, 900, 800 and 600 pound sterling.

BT sports are joining the bandwagon and plan to offer live premier league games on the ultra HD platform. There is a whole more than just 3840 x 2160 resolutions.

It makes use of various technologies such as HDR, Quantum Dot and OLED are able to deliver movies with amazing levels of picture quality. This makes UHD more than just the number of pixels.

Curved TVs

Curved TVs hit the market in 2013. LG, Samsung and Sony have continually invested in curved TVs especially in the year 2105. Curved TVs offer a better viewing experience than normal due to the following reasons. The field of view is wider than flat TVs. With the image outwards towards the viewer, the image appears wider than viewing on a normal flat screen TV. This is despite the fact that two TVs might be of equal screen size.

Another distinguishing feature that places curved TVs over the flat screen types is that the contrast in curved TVs is better. Due to the curvature, the curved TVs focus the light to your eyes at a higher intensity than the flat screen. Therefore the image appears sharper and projected. The home cinema experience can be enhanced with a curved TV and the right home cinema speakers or a soundbar if you don’t have space for surround speakers.

Curved TVs also offer a uniform viewing distance. Curved TVs are known to track the curved edges of our eyes thus providing us with a more comfortable and focused image than the flat screen TVs.

Another benefit that comes with watching curved TVs is that they enhance the sense of depth. Watching movies and TV shows on a curved TV almost feels as if you are watching it on 3D even though the source might be 2 dimensional. Curving the edges of the images outwards enhances the depth perception of the viewer.

OLED TVs

Organic light emitting diode or OLED TVs is a new TV technology that allows the creation of thinner or slimmer TVs than what LCD or plasma can provide. Apart from the sleekness, these TVs are also efficient and eco friendly. This technology is achieved by placing an organic carbon based film between two conductors. An electric current is then passed through making the film to emit light.

The main difference with LCD TVs is that LCDs use backlight to produce the light. The OLED pixels generate and emit their own light. OLED technology comes in two different types. Active matrix (AMOLED) and passive matrix (PMOLED).

OLED TVs use active matrix since it each individual pixel can be switched on and off. This is the type used for TVs since it is better in displaying motions. In the UK, there are only two manufacturers that have launched the OLED TV technology, LG and Samsung.

There is a big difference in the OLED TVs offered by the two manufacturers. Samsung uses the earlier red blue and green pixel format and no colour filters which are similar to plasma TVs. On top of the red blue and green colours, LG adds white to make it WRGB pixel structure. To achieve this effect, LG uses a white light which is shone through the three other colours, red blue and green. This results in a brighter image. OLED technology offers benefits over the traditional LCD panels.

OLED TVs are much lighter than the LCD TVs. Due to the lack of backlight; they are also thinner as compared to their LCD counterparts. The picture quality of OLED TVs is much clearer, and enhanced. Due to the direct emission of light by OLED TVs, the viewing angle is wider and enhanced.

Contrast and quality of colour remains the same even if you are watching at 90 degrees from the centre. OLED TVs can also achieve infinite and black contrast ratio because of the possibility of turning off each individual pixel. There is minimised blur.

LED TVs

Led TVs is a type of LCD TVs that uses light emitting diode technology to provide the backlight. Standard LCD TVs use the cold cathode fluorescent lights to provide the backlight. Led TVs consume much lower power compared to LCD TVs. Led TVs also have a more efficient way of converting power to light. This means that there is lighter and less heat in the conversion process.

Led technologies used today are categorized into three. Edge-lit led is the most commonly used among the three. With this technology, the display panels can be very thin. With the edge lit technology, LEDS are arranged at the edges of the screen and sometimes behind the screen. Image contrast is enhanced since the individual LEDS can be switched on and off.

Plasma TVs

Although manufacturers have ceased production of plasma TVs, there are many that are still in use. Plasma TVs are considered among the best when it comes to dark room viewing and wider viewing angles. Plasma TVs are available from 37 inches to 100 inches. These TV dimensions are measured diagonally. Manufacturers of plasma TVs include Samsung, Fujitsu, Panasonic, Funai, Proscan and Sanyo.

The main advantage of using plasma TVs is the black level performance. Black level performance refers to the intensity of black in the display which makes the image sharper by compensating for the ambience. High end models offer excellent picture quality. They have a high refresh rate that provides a smooth picture and minimal motion blur. They are not cumbersome and they can be mounted on walls.

Full HD (1080p) TVs

Also referred to as ultra HD, this is a TV display that provides better image sharpness and quality than the original HDTV. The image resolution is 1920 by 1080 pixels.

Smart TVs

A smart TV, which is sometimes called a connected TV, refers to any television that has internet connectivity that allows it to access varying online services. Smart TVs provide normal broadcast content while still giving users access to online interactive media and live media streaming.

In order to access smart features provided by smart TVs, users have to have a reliable internet connection at home. This can be accessed through the inbuilt Wifi or through the Ethernet cables. Read more about what smart TVs are and should you buy a smart TV.

With the popularity of smart TVs and growing competition among brands, you can buy a 4K smart TV or a even a 50 inch smart TV under 500 pounds. You can buy an entry level small screen smart TV for 200 pounds, with some of the best rated smart TVs available under 1000 pounds as we approach 2016.

LCD TVs

These are televisions that use the liquid crystal technology to display content on the screen. These TVs consume less power as compared to plasma televisions. Users prefer LCD TVs over the cathode ray tube TVs due to their lighter weight and slim design.

3D TVs

3d TV also called stereoscopic TV is a kind of TV technology that tries to make viewing more of a reality. 3d TV in general terms is watching 3D content in the movies or on our TVs at home. This is aided through the use of 3d glasses. There are different 3d TVs in the market all intended for different niches.

For the movie lovers, an active shutter 3d TV will display each and every pixel as of a 3D full HD formatted movie or film. Plasma from Samsung or Panasonic will be ideal. The bigger the size the better the 3d viewing experience. Some of the most popular 3d TVs in the market today include Panasonic’s VT30 Series which are among the best.

Freeview Enabled

Along with traditional Freeview which requires an aerial, Freeview Play offers catch up and on demand television streamed over the internet from the television set. It is aimed at smart TV users whose television sets have access to internet connectivity and can stream online content such as music videos or movies. With Freeview Play enabled, you can watch BBC Iplayer, iTV player and channel 4 through an electronic programming guide.

There are TVs with built-in Freesat, Freeview or Youview where all you need is the TV set and you’ve good to start watching free channels, without having to subscribe to a paid service like Sky TV.

Know TV Jargons

Reflection

Reflection is a common occurrence during daytime viewing. Light coming through the windows can fall on the viewing area thus reducing the contrast of the material on the screen. If light hits the screen directly, it becomes very difficult to view any content through that reflection. There are some TV brands that have managed to overcome that through adjustment of TV brightness.

Input Lag

In a television, the input lag is the duration of time that elapses from the moment an image is generated by a source; to the time that image appears on the screen. Input lag is important for gamers who participate in fast games such as Shooters. A slow input lag will affect the reaction time of the gamer.

Viewing Angle

Viewing angle refers to the maximum distance which is possible to view the screen of a television without loss of brightness and colour shifts. Viewing angle can be directly related to the contrast ratio. This is mainly a concern with LCD TVs.

Black and Grey Uniformity

This is a problem that is mostly associated with LED TVs. This normally happens when some parts of the screen are brighter than others. This affects colour and the black levels of the television. Due to the edge lighting of LED TVS, the left and right edges are brighter than the centre thus causing an imbalance.

Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio of TV is the measure or proportion between the width and the height and is normally expressed as w:h. A TV displaying images at an aspect ratio of 4:3 means that for a width of 4 units, the height must be 3.

Refresh Rate

The refresh rate of a television is the number of frames the television can display per second. It is measured in hertz. 1 hertz is equivalent to 1 second. For a TV with a refresh rate of 120 hertz, it means that the TV can display 120 frames per second.

Fake Refresh Rate

A Fake Refresh Rate is marketing trend used by TV manufacturing companies. Some quote that their TV brands have a refresh rate of 120 hertz while in effect it is 60 hertz. Watching a TV said to have a refresh rate of 120 hertz and that with 60 hertz has no difference. They offer the same response time.

Local Dimming

Local dimming is the technology that alters backlighting uniformity of a led screen. Some luminous zones are changed which lead to a better scene reflection and deeper blacks. This effect greatly improves LCD and led TVs since they have a weaker black level.

3D Plasma Filter

A filter helps in minimizing the light that reflects off from the screen. This effect is mostly observed in rooms with a lot of light or when watching movies during the day. For a plasma TV, a filter reduces the brightness of the picture.

Judder

Judder occurs when the refresh rate of a TV panel does not match with the frequency of a 24 HZ video. This leads to uneven images. Some TV manufacturers have tried to overcome this effect using technology that tries to smoothen out the pictures.

Motion Blur

Motion blur is a phenomenon that occurs when the TV screen cannot be able to process the fast movements of images on the screen. Games and sports which are fast programmed cause this problem on many TVs. This problem is more prevalent on LCD TVs.

Contrast Ratio

This refers to the ratio of the luminosity of the darkest black and the whitest light that a TV can produce. The higher the contrast ratio, the better the display.