Choosing a TV: size, panel and refresh rate

With a 4K set it is comfortable to sit 1 to 1.5 times the diagonal away. A 55-⁠inch screen is 140 cm across, which suits 1.4 to 2.1 metres. A 65-⁠inch is 165 cm, for 1.7 to 2.5 metres. If your sofa is 3 metres away, anything under 65 inches will look small in the room.

For a kitchen or a bedroom 43 inches is enough: people usually watch there from 1 to 1.5 metres. In that size the Samsung UE43U8000F costs ₼899.

In plain LED and QLED sets a backlight shines through the screen; in QLED, quantum dots make the colour richer. Mini LED splits that light into thousands of small zones, so black does not turn grey in dark scenes. OLED has no backlight at all: every pixel lights itself and black is fully black.

In a sunny room Mini LED is brighter: the Sony Bravia 7 and the TCL 65C7K. In a room where you watch films in the evening OLED looks better: the LG OLED55C5. QLED sits between the two and costs less: the 55-⁠inch Samsung Q7F is ₼1,899. You can see the difference at the city-centre store, where the sets play the same video side by side.

For broadcasts, films and YouTube 60 Hz is enough. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X games run at up to 120 frames a second; to see that you need a 120 or 144 Hz panel and an HDMI 2.1 input. We have three such sets: the LG OLED55C5 and the TCL 65C7K at 144 Hz and the Sony Bravia 7 at 120 Hz. In the catalogue it is the “Refresh rate” filter.

Wall mounting costs ₼39 up to 55 inches and ₼59 from 56 inches, with a fixed bracket included. Our fitter checks whether the wall is concrete, brick or plasterboard; we do not hang a set over 55 inches on plasterboard. Choose installation under the TV in the cart and the fitter comes on the delivery day.