As someone who loves to get long years out of their devices—like the nearly decade-old PC I’m writing on—I want the same for my televisions. I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars every couple of years on an upgrade. TVs aren’t smartphones.
Here’s my solution: picking a television that has the most essential features and a wealth of options. Do you stick with 1080p or spring for 4K (or even 8K)? What about HDR and ports? When I think of the ideal television, I usually envision a balance of performance and utility, and there are a few key specs that help nail the balance.
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Now is a good time to upgrade to 4K
Going to 8K isn’t worth it
The jump from 720p to 1080p is quite noticeable, and even the jump from 480p to 720p is clear. That effect is then compounded by the size of the TV, with 1080p looking at its best on 24-inch displays. Unless you plan on getting a television the size of a house, jumping to 8K just doesn’t seem all that promising.
For starters, 4K and 8K both look fantastic, but on comparable screen sizes, the difference feels more like the jump from 1080p to 1440p. It’s slightly sharper, sure, but you have to practically squint to notice that change. That’s why I firmly recommend going no further than 4K and call it a day. At that resolution, the content looks phenomenal already, so it just feels like you’re getting diminishing returns.
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HDR is a must for movies, series, and more
It brings so much richness to colors
Speaking of image quality, HDR shouldn’t be slept on. Even subpar HDR is better than none, and it’s the richness that it brings to the colors. They’re vibrant and, well, colorful—that’s the best way to put it. And it isn’t just good for making movies look better, but also for video games, since consoles these days support HDR, such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
In addition to HDR, having a television that supports other HDR formats, like Dolby Vision, is an excellent way to extend the life of your television. This is especially true if you opted for a model with superb contrast. You may also consider waiting for the full rollout of Dolby Vision 2, which got underway at IFA 2025.
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Smart features will put an expiration date on your TV
There are other ways to get smart features
I really like the all-in-one aspect of a smart TV, but since the hardware can’t be upgraded, you’ve put an expiration date on an otherwise useful feature. Eventually, your smart TV stops receiving updates, and eventually it’s unusable. If you buy a TV with the intention of using its smart home features, you may feel pressured to upgrade if you’re accustomed to it.
I say skip the smart TV features and just go with an external streaming device or even connect your smartphone with a cable. It even works with laptops, tablets, and gaming consoles. There are plenty of other ways to stream Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ without needing to spend more on hardware that will eventually be obsolete.
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Up-to-date ports will come in handy for entertainment
You want the best out of your games and media
Although I don’t care one way or the other whether my games are running at 30 FPS, 60 FPS, or 120 FPS, it would still have been nice to have the option. Now that I have a PS5 and can take advantage of 120 Hz, it’s a dead feature for me because my television is limited to HDMI 2.0. Had I bought my PS5 before a new TV, I would’ve paid more attention to what ports it had.
In addition to that, you want a television that has HDMI-ARC ports, too. This will greatly open up your audio options, while also providing audio quality that is leagues better than the built-in speakers. An HDMI-ARC port (that’s also HDMI 2.1) can be used to simplify your setup, and what you’d ideally use if, say, you bought a soundbar, which I totally recommend having.
You also want to consider a television that supports multiple audio formats, such as Dolby Atmos and DTS. In fact, there are multiple streaming services that support Dolby Atmos, as well as other audio formats.
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Don’t overlook installation options
It looks rather nice hung on the wall
Whenever I’ve had to shop for a television, I always make it a point to get one that can be installed on the wall with a VESA mount. I have yet to actually screw one to a wall, but because the TV I own had the screws for VESA mounting, I could hang my television from a TV stand I bought for the very same reason.
Who doesn’t like options, right? I completely changed the kind of TV stand I wanted solely because my TV could be bolted to the wall, but I lacked a wall to do it. And if I ever want to replace my television, I can still reinstall the legs if I want the TV atop the table.
Don’t forget to take good care of it, too
It should go without saying, but taking care of your TV will only pay it forward, and it’ll be worth hanging onto for much longer if you opted for one or more of these features. Resolution is so sharp and fine on televisions these days, I’d be genuinely happy with 4K for the rest of my life.
More importantly, if I want my television to last beyond its expected lifespan, I like to keep the screen clean and completely dusted. I also made it a point to place my television in an area that isn’t in direct sunlight or pushed against the wall. Keep your TV cool and clean!
