Way back when televisions were square boxes with screens only marginally larger than a modern day iPads, there really wasn’t much to discuss when people were shopping for a new TV.

How big did you want it to be (a 21 inch screen was big back then) and depending upon how far back we’re talking about, if you really wanted to show off to friends and family, you’d get one of those new fangled remote controls (which may, or may not have, had a wire that connected it to the television).

Today, there is enough technology in televisions to confuse even the savviest of shoppers.

So, while we could probably give you one hundred things to consider, we’ll explain two modern day elements you should consider before buying (and we’ll even give you a relatively inexpensive add on that can make any television viewing experience better).

Hertz ratings

Television shoppers should pay attention to the hertz rating on the television. The higher hertz rating the better.

What is a hertz rating you’re wondering? This refers to how quickly the screen refreshes itself. The higher the number means the higher the refresh rate. (So a 60hz rating refreshes itself 60 times per second, a 120hz refreshes it 120 times per second, and so on).

The advantage of a higher hertz rating and its corresponding faster refresh rate means that fast moving objects seem less blurry or jittery.

This makes a huge difference, particularly when watching sports, action movies or gaming.

But even if you’re not into sports, action or gaming, we still recommend a higher hz rating. Even the most casual viewer will immediately realize that the visual impact is much sharper, crisper and impressive with a higher rating.

Edge lit or full array

This refers to how the television panel is lit.

An edge lit screen has the lighting along the edge of the screen, whereas with the full array there are lights embedded in multiple areas behind the entire area of the screen.

While edge lit screens were the top of the TV hill for years, the newer full array screens allow for more lighting due to more geographic area for bulb placement.

Probably not surprisingly, full array screens almost always produce clearer and brighter images.

If it fits in your budget, go with the full array. The visual impact of the images on the screen is noticeably better than edge lit in a direct comparison.

Sound improves viewing

So, we promised an inexpensive add on to improve your viewing experience. Get a sound bar or surround system.

How does better sound improve viewing?

While we could rattle on about the scientific studies that show the impact sound makes to viewing experiences, it’s probably better that you just experience it yourself.

Ask one of our associates for a comparison.

You’ll immediately realize the impact having an immersive high quality sound makes to your visual experience.

So, there you have it. Happy television shopping!