Shopping for a TV? Best models for 2016

For 2016, the price on 4K televisions has dropped to a level of affordability that makes them mainstream. The new buzzword is OLED, which stands for organic light-emitting diode. While this technology has been around awhile, it only recently became available and affordable for television.

OLED screens can be made to be extremely thin, small and remarkably flexible and they provide a premium-level picture quality.

“It used to be that OLED TVs were clearly superior to LED/LCD TVs in nearly every aspect,” reports DigitalTrends.com. “With the recent introduction of quantum dots and improvements to backlighting technology, LED/LCD TVs are much better today than they were just three years ago. Today’s LED/LCD TVs have better blacks, less light bleed and dramatically expanded color potential.”

Of course, any television is only as good as the available programming, so you get the highest level of functionality by pairing the set with a system like CenturyLink Prism TV.

A few years ago, screen size was the primary TV selection criterion for consumers, with 55-inch screens and larger costing thousands. While screen size is still important, image quality is now at the top of most lists.

Today, you can get a 65-inch model with 4K technology for less than $700 and even 70-inch models are available for under $1,000. Black Friday deals are likely to push those prices even lower. Before you buy, do some research to make sure you are getting the best deal. BlackFriday.com offers tips for buying electronics.

So how do you determine what size you need?

“A big TV that’s too close can be just as uncomfortable to watch as a small one that’s too far away,” explains Will Greenwald in an article for PCMag.com. “Generally, the distance of your couch to your TV should be between 1.2 and 1.6 times the diagonal measurement of your screen. So if your couch is 6 feet away from your screen, you can comfortably watch a TV between 42 and 60 inches. If your couch is 5 feet away, a 37- to 52-inch screen should work well.”

If you are in the market for a new TV this holiday season, here are some candidates for consideration:

LG OLEDB6P

• Found on PCMag.com for $2,999
• 65-inch
• This is LG’s most affordable 4K HDR OLED TV series and offers superlative performance you can only get with an OLED panel.

Vizio D65u-D2

• Found on PCMag.com for $1,199
• 65-inch
• PCMag.com calls this a compelling choice for anyone looking to make the jump to UHD. Publication editors chose it as the top pick for entry-level 4K TVs.

Samsung KS9500 Series

• Found from $3,699- $6,999
• 78-inch
• Recognizable by its curved screens, Samsung was the first brand to introduce a TV capable of showing high dynamic range pictures in 2015. TechRadar.com notes it builds on that achievement this year by delivering the brightest TV the world has seen so far in its KS9500 series.

SuperSonic Portable Widescreen LCD Display

• Found on Amazon for $84.99
• 9-inch
• This system is great if you want an inexpensive TV you can take camping, to the game or the park. It has USB/SD Inputs and is AC/DC compatible for RVs. It also has a rechargeable lithium battery.

Whatever TV you buy, make sure you get the best performance by matching it with a system like CenturyLink Prism TV with advanced features like Prism on the Go, Multiview and Wireless Set-Top Box.