Who doesn’t want a great TV screen to binge the latest boxset!
We look at how Covid has affected the TV market and drool over the latest models available from Exertis
The UK is certainly a nation of TV lovers, and the Covid-19 pandemic has only fuelled our habit for sitting in front of the box. A survey by communications regulator Ofcom has shown that there was a surge in screen time during the height of lockdown, with adults spending an average of 40% of their day watching TV and online video services.
As people across the UK followed official health advice to stay home during April 2020, they kept themselves informed and entertained by spending six hours and 25 minutes each day on average – or nearly 45 hours a week – watching TV and online video content – a rise of almost a third (31%) on the year before.
While “direct-to-video” may have once been a phrase used to describe sub-par content that by-passed the cinema, it now means top-quality Hollywood blockbusters ready for you to stream at home. The biggest factor behind viewing increases was people spending twice as much time enjoying subscription streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video – one hour 11 minutes per day on average in April 2020. With recent and time-honoured hits, cult classics and award-winning original content, popular streaming services offer something for everyone.
…there was a surge in screen time during the height of lockdown adults spent 40% of their day watching TV and online video services.
The trend for streaming was even more pronounced among 16-34s, who streamed for an average of two hours each day in the same month. However, even the older generation were getting more onboard with streaming services during 2020, with almost a third of the 55-64 age group investing in subscription viewing on demand, up from 25% pre-lockdown.
The initial lockdown in March 2020 helped to boost the sales of TVs, as Nick Simon, client insight director for consumer electronics at analyst GfK, explains: “There was a big surge in 32in TVs – but not particularly high-end models. People were buying secondary sets for kids’ gaming or home offices, or they just needed an extra set because they had more people at home than normal.”
He adds: “We almost went back to the situation we had about five years ago, when there were well over 60 million TVs in the households of Britain. The pandemic completely changed expectations. The cancellation of the ‘Summer of Sport’ and other events created a totally different trading scenario, which, nonetheless, saw a dramatic increase in sales.”
Sharing some statistics, he says: “The TV market performed spectacularly well – right up until the end of the year. It was 15 or 16% up in units. Overall, it went from just under six million units in 2019 to just under seven million in 2020.”
For those customers in the market for a new TV this year, there’s a whole host of superb products out there to cater for every budget, room size, design taste and viewing style.
HISENSE
With cinemas remaining closed until mid-May at the earliest, due to the on-going Coronavirus restrictions, many customers are still looking to recreate that cinematic experience in their own home.
Hisense’s 100in model, the 100L5 4K HDR Laser TV (SRP £3,999), can offer just that. The light you see on a Laser TV screen isn’t shone directly into your eyes but is instead reflected. First the light is thrown from the Laser TV’s console onto the screen, and then it is reflected from the screen to reach your eyes. Hisense says this means that the way you watch a Laser TV mirrors the way we see the world around us, allowing for a more natural viewing experience.
Let the Laser show begin! By utilising less harmful blue light, the Hisense 100L5 Laser TV has been certified by technical services provider TÜV Rheinland as a low blue light hardware solution, which reduces eye strain for more comfortable, safer viewing.
It’s also easy on the eye when it comes to design, delivers over 136 per cent more screen area than a standard 65in LED TV, has embedded 30W speakers and supports Dolby Atmos technology for that truly immersive home cinema experience.
LG
Unveiled at the CES 2020 tech exhibition in Las Vegas, the stunning ZX 88in 8K Signature OLED from TV heavy-weights LG really was one of the stars of the show, though it does possess a somewhat hefty price tag that’s perfect if you’ve won the jackpot– £29,999.
In contrast to LED TV technology that uses backlight, this LG OLED screen has SELF-LIT pixels, which work independently to emit their own light. This allows for perfect black levels, outstanding colours, infinite contrasts and the sharpest details, which is especially useful if you’re watching films or TV shows with dark scenes in them.
Added detail and clarity means that viewers can see every minute feature and enjoy the most thrilling movie and TV sequences of all time just as the director intended.
LG’s powerful a9 Gen3 8K processor is said to deliver the ultimate image and sound quality – Dolby Atmos provides quality three-dimensional sound, and 2K or 4K content can be upscaled into life-like 8K.
If that isn’t clever enough, the ZX offers LG’s award-winning smart TV platform, LG webOS so users can access content from BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV and more. Thanks to LG’s intelligent ThinQ AI technology, the TV can be controlled by voice recognition. Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are also built-in. Now look who’s talking!
AFFORDABLE
For those consumers who can’t stretch to spending almost 30 grand on a telly, LG has some more affordable OLED options.
The WX 65in 4K smart OLED TV (£3,999) is powered by the a9 Gen3 processor and has Dolby Atmos sound and the webOS smart platform, as well as an ultra-slim and flush ‘wallpaper’ design that’s only 3.85mm deep and blends seamlessly into your home interior.
When not in use, the TV can be turned into a ‘painting’ thanks to the gallery feature. How’s that for life imitating art?
LG’s CX 48in 4K Smart OLED TV shares the tech attributes of the WX, but is even more affordable (£1,499) and differs in looks – it has a premium thin design and comes with a sleek, metallic stand.
All the LG TV models are ideal for gamers as they are crafted to offer a clearer, smoother and more lifelike gaming experience, with less stutter, lag and flicker. This ensures you won’t, ahem, lag behind the competition.
SONY
The 75in XH80 BRAVIA LED TV from Sony (£1,599) boasts a whole host of features and tech, including 4K UHD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and great smart functionality courtesy of the Android TV platform.
For an improved picture quality, with more colour, contrast and clarity, Sony’s powerful 4K HDR processor X1 uses advanced algorithms to cut ‘noise’ and boost detail.
Movie buffs, serious gamers or box-set bingers, there are plenty of top-class TVs available from Exertis that will satisfy all of your customers’ needs
Images filmed in 2K and even Full HD are upscaled close to 4K resolution by 4K X-Reality PRO, using a 4K database, for an even better picture quality every time.
A more precise range of colours is achieved by Sony’s TRILUMINOS display technology, while its Motionflow feature keeps every on-screen movement smooth and clear by creating extra images between images and black segments between scenes. Sony says this results in less blur and afterimage, meaning more flowing motion.
The set is equipped with Dolby Vision, which helps to bring film and TV scenes to life with striking highlights, deeper blacks and vibrant colours, in turn creating a more immersive and engaging cinematic experience in the home, while Dolby Atmos sound puts you right at the heart of the action.
The Android TV smart functionality lets users choose from a wide variety of movies, shows, music, games and sport simply by talking to the TV.
Chromecast is built-in, meaning you can enjoy mobile apps on your TV, and with Google Assistant and smart speakers, you can control TV and smart devices with your voice. Cleverly, the XH80 from Sony can function as an essential part of your smart home ecosystem.
TOSHIBA
Also on the Android platform, Toshiba’s 50in Ultra HD Smart Android TV (£449) lets you enjoy thousands of movies, shows and games, as well as get answers to your questions on the big screen with Google Voice Assistant, or Amazon Alexa. Perfect if you like shouting at the telly! With in-built Chromecast, users can cast movies, shows and photos from all of the family’s smart devices, so viewing is never limited.
When it comes to picture quality, the TV’s TRU Micro Dimming and TRU Resolution features provide better contrast and upscaled, more refined images. Enhanced sound is also taken care of by Dolby Audio Processing and Onkyo speakers which are incorporated into the TV.
Gamers aren’t forgotten either. The Toshiba Gaming Mode optimises the vibrancy of the graphics for a more exciting experience. Plus, the TV is all set-up for supporting HDR games too, so it’s very much game on! Toshiba also offers voice control on its 32in HD Ready Smart TV with Alexa built-in (£209). For flexibility, Google Assistant is also an option.
The company’s TRU Picture technology provides smooth more detailed viewing and upscaled resolution, HDR enhances colour contrast, making blacks darker and whites brighter, while Dolby Vision HDR makes for a more captivating experience. Combining Dolby Audio Processing and Onkyo speakers, the viewing experience is enhanced by a perfectly tuned sound.
Whether your customers are movie buffs, serious gamers or box-set bingers, there are some top-class TVs out there that will satisfy their needs. Why not let Exertis put you in the picture? Speak to your Account Manager today to learn more.