Playoff Prep – Finding The Best TV To Watch Sports

When you want the best TV for sports, there are several things to consider. First, with the big game around the corner, now is an excellent time to upgrade your home audio setup and your TV. Second, you need to find the right TV when you upgrade. Fortunately, there are some great TVs available today that provide an awesome sports viewing experience. You’ll want the best possible picture so you can feel like you’re there with all the action, and so you don’t miss anything important if you can’t actually be at the game.

For the best TV when it comes to viewing sports, you may want look at the refresh rate, which is a measure of how your TV processes the motion that’s being sent to it and translated to the screen. Is the higher the rate the better? Before you make your purchase, here’s what you need to know about refresh rate and your new TV, so you can make the most informed choice possible and thoroughly enjoy your sports-watching experience.

What is Refresh Rate and is it Important?

The refresh rate is the number of frames your TV is showing you every second. For example a 60Hz refresh rate, which is the standard refresh rate, would be 60 frames per second. In 2021, any new TV you buy, whether it’s a budget 4K TV or the best new 8K TV, will have at least 60Hz refresh rate.

That sounds fast, but it’s important to note that there are TVs that can provide you with 120Hz or higher. The problem with only looking at refresh rate is that most basic cable providers aren’t providing that output to your TV at a 120Hz rate. In that case, your TV will match what the source is offering, which is generally 60Hz. The two exceptions to this are gaming, and watching movies that have a 24FPS rate on Netflix or other streaming services. For both of those situations, a 120Hz TV will have a noticeable improvement over a 60Hz TV. As this post is primarily about sports though, refresh rate shouldn’t be a primary factor in your decision. 

To recap, generally your 120Hz TV is still showing you a 60Hz picture because of where the signal is coming from, and you aren’t getting any actual benefit from solely buying a higher priced TV due to a higher refresh rate. That being said, you don’t want to watch the game on an old TV that’s not going to give you the kind of experience you’re hoping for, because even if your team wins, the experience could still be disappointing when the picture and sound quality make you feel too far removed from the action.

Which TVs Do You Recommend?

You can avoid a lot of problems with refresh rate worries when you choose the best TV to watch football and other sports. Among the best options are the Samsung QLED TV’s and the Sony OLED TV’s, but there are also a lot of other good choices. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have and let us help you find the best TV for watching sports in your budget.

With the highest level of technology today it will be a while before you need to upgrade again, but keep in mind that a refresh rate above 60Hz isn’t really going to give you a benefit in most cases. Buy the TV that you like, and that gives you a good quality experience for the price. Then you can enjoy more than just football and can appreciate watching sports and other programming all year long. It’s a great way to see everything that matters to you on a TV that’s going to perform the way you want, need, and expect. With everything the TVs of today have to offer, why would you hold off on the kind of quality sports watching experience you know is out there? The following are great options that we recommend.

Don’t Forget the Audio!

When you’re improving your TV, don’t forget to improve your audio for the big game, too. By upgrading to a home theatre system or a soundbar with a sub, you can really bring the action to life, and surround sound can shift that crowd noise behind you, so you feel like you’re right in the middle of everything. Close your eyes, and it really sounds like you’re sitting in the stands. Open them, and you have a great picture right in front of you. It’s the best way to enjoy sports if you can’t be there in person.

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