Which TV for sport suits you best?

If you’re choosing a TV for watching football, cycling or another sport, these are the main things to keep in mind:

• Viewing distance and screen size.
• Refresh rate.
• Resolution.
• Display type, such as OLED, QLED and HDR.
• Viewing angle.
• Useful features.
• Audio quality.

Distance from the TV and screen size

For watching sport, it’s best to choose a screen between 55 and 65 inches, so you get a better overview during fast-moving action, such as an attack in a football match. If you’ve got a spacious room and sit far enough from the screen, you can even go for an extra-large TV. However, if you sit too close to a large TV, you may lose the overall view. So, match the size of your TV to your viewing distance for a comfortable viewing experience where you don’t miss a thing. With a TV wall mount, you’re not dependent on a piece of furniture and you’ve got more freedom when placing your TV.

High frame rate for smooth action

To enjoy sport on TV to the fullest, choose a set with a refresh rate of 100 hertz or more. This helps ensure that a fast-moving football, a Formula 1 car or a cyclist doesn’t appear blurry, and that the picture doesn’t stutter. A higher frame rate or refresh rate also feels more realistic, so you can enjoy the action even more.

At least 4K resolution for detail

If you don’t want to miss a single detail, it’s best to choose a TV with 4K resolution. That way, shirt numbers remain clearly readable, and you can still recognise athletes from a distance. 4K is 4 times sharper than Full HD (1080p) and makes a noticeable difference, especially on a larger screen.

Not every sports broadcast is shown in 4K. For example, you may watch the Tour de France and some FIFA matches in 1080p. But if you have a 4K smart TV with upscaling, you can still enjoy sport in near-4K quality. If you want to choose with the future in mind, you can go for an 8K TV, so you can keep watching in the best possible picture quality.

Extra picture technologies for better colour reproduction

OLED and QLED are popular display types for watching sport. The display type determines how your TV shows light and colour. On top of that, HDR improves contrast and colour range, making it a useful technology for your sports TV.

In short:

OLED: each pixel switches on and off individually, which creates deep blacks, sharper shapes and more flexibility in viewing angle.

QLED: the best choice if you watch during the day or in a bright room, thanks to the higher brightness that handles reflections better.

HDR: not a display type in itself, but a technology that works together with OLED and QLED to further improve colour and contrast.

Decide on the TV’s viewing angle

If you watch sport with friends or family, there’s almost always someone viewing the screen from an angle. In that case, the viewing angle is especially important, because it determines how well the picture remains visible when you’re not sitting directly in front of the TV. With a limited viewing angle, colours fade and contrast drops as soon as you watch from the side. With a wide viewing angle, the picture stays bright and consistent from different positions. If you usually watch TV on your own, this matters less in your decision.

Extra atmosphere with high-quality sound

Good sound adds to the stadium feeling during sport. If your TV supports Dolby Atmos or has a built-in subwoofer, the sound feels as though it comes from all around you rather than only from the TV itself.

With a soundbar, you take it a step further. The commentator, the kick of the ball and the whistle for a penalty all sound even more realistic. In a smaller room, a soundbar without a separate speaker set works well and keeps the focus on clear voices and sound quality. If you add extra speakers, you’ll hear the crowd around you and it feels as though you’re right in the middle of the stadium.

Extra TV features for a unique experience

Besides picture and sound, there are extra features that can make your viewing experience even better:

• Sport mode: automatically optimises picture and sound for clear, smooth action and clearly audible commentary.
• Smart TV apps: switch quickly to sports services such as Proximus Pickx or Play Sports.
• High peak brightness: with at least 600 to 1,000 nits, the picture stays clearly visible in a bright room.
• 4K upscaling: sharpens broadcasts in 720p or 1080p so they look better on your 4K or 8K TV.
• Anti-glare or anti-reflection screen: reduces distracting reflections from daylight and indoor lighting, so you can watch sport comfortably even during the day. Anti-reflection is also useful if you want a TV for outdoor use.