The Olympics are finally here, bringing non-stop sporting action to our screens for a glorious couple of weeks. It also happens to be a big occasion for upgrading TVs to get the most out of the sporting bonanza. So, what should you look for when choosing a TV for watching sports?
Visit any tech shop’s showroom and you’ll be inundated with options. Price is naturally a main consideration, but so is size, and the technology within. GadgetGuy spoke with every major TV brand in Australia to get to the bottom of what you should ultimately consider for the best sports-viewing experience.
While each company has a different philosophy on what constitutes the “best”, there’s a lot of common ground. Size, viewing angle, and audio quality stood out as some of the main factors. Whether it be for the Olympics, the upcoming footy finals, or the summer of cricket, these tips will point you in the right direction.
How to choose a TV for watching sports
Screen size
Bigger is better, right? Logically, it makes sense that According to research from Samsung, 35% of Australians wished they had bought a bigger TV, getting envious after seeing others’ big screens. The major TV brand estimates that 42% of Aussies own TVs at least 60 inches in size, which drops to 11% once you get to 75 inches and above.
If you ask the folks at LG, size is incredibly important, as explained by Tony Brown, LG Australia’s General Manager of Home Entertainment and Content Business Marketing.
“A large screen size is the number one consideration for sport viewing, to bring that stadium feel into your living room,” Brown told GadgetGuy.
It’s a sentiment backed up by Hisense ANZ’s National Training Manager, Chris Mayer.
“We have seen Australian sports fans prioritising big screen experiences at home,” Mayer said. “Australians are moving towards bigger and brighter TVs to help them feel more immersed in the game – always reserving themselves the best seat in the house.”
Many of the major TV brands have models going up to and beyond 100 inches measured diagonally. Hisense has a 110-inch behemoth on the way, topped only by TCL’s mammoth 115-inch X955 screen. However, you need to temper your expectations with reality; Rafael Mayen, TCL Australia’s National Marketing Manager, reminded buyers to choose according to the available room.
“Larger screens, ranging from 85 inches to 115 inches, provide a theatre-like experience that’s perfect for sports, but ensure your room can accommodate it comfortably,” Mayen said.
Not only should you choose a TV based on whether it will fit on your cabinet or a wall, you need to consider how far away you’ll be sitting. RTINGS.com has a helpful calculator that recommends the optimal screen size based on viewing distance. For example, it recommends sitting 2.35 metres away from a 55-inch TV, and adding roughly half a metre of distance for every 10 inches beyond that.
But, as the old adage goes, size isn’t everything – it’s how you use it that counts.
Picture processing
Size is great, sure, but Sony’s Daniel Kennedy, Senior Product and Partner Specialist, stressed that you should consider the quality of a TV’s picture processor above all else.
“Often overlooked and easily misunderstood, [picture processing] is arguably the most important consideration when looking at a TV for sport,” Kennedy said. “A good picture processor will enable better picture quality and motion, regardless of whether the sport being watched is streamed via the internet or a free-to-air broadcast.”
“So much of the sports content in Australia is either delivered in lower quality via the internet or at a higher quality but low framerate – it’s hard to find a streaming service that gives you both.”
Although TVs with 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution are fairly ubiquitous in Australia now, the overwhelming majority of sports content is broadcast or streamed in Full HD (1920 x 1080). The larger the screen, the more you’ll notice a lack of clarity and sharpness compared to native 4K content.
More than just a marketing point on a spec sheet, the processors in modern TVs help upscale lower-resolution content to match the display’s native resolution. When done well, it boosts the image quality without introducing weird glitches or artifacts.
Samsung is embracing the label of “AI TVs” this year, with Simon Howe, the brand’s local Director of Audio Visual, hyping up artificial intelligence’s sporting prowess.
“[Samsung is] making 4K and 8K viewing experiences more accessible for Australians, while also using AI to help resolve common issues with sports content such as screen tearing or juddering,” Howe said.
“Samsung’s new and mighty AI-powered processors can upscale content up to a pin-sharp 8K resolution and produce remarkably realistic pictures that mirror how the human eye processes depth, so you can enjoy live sports in astonishing detail.”
What about motion rate?
Like display resolution, motion rate is also bolstered by a decent processor. A lot of the currently available TVs advertise 120Hz refresh rates or above, referring to how many times the panel refreshes an image. Generally speaking, the higher the refresh rate, the smoother the output.
It’s not quite that simple, though. Again, it goes back to the source image. 120Hz refresh rates are great for video games because they actually output at that rate. Broadcast TV, on the other hand, doesn’t. As outlined in the Free TV Australia operational practices, programming, which includes sports, airs at either 25 or 50 frames per second.
So, does this mean putting up with motion blur when watching sports on TV? Not exactly. Motion smoothing may get a bad rep when it comes to movies and TV shows – which is why Filmmaker Mode exists, presenting video in its native refresh rate – but it can help make following fast-moving sports easier.
“A higher motion rate minimizes blur and judder during rapid action sequences, ensuring that every play is displayed with precision,” Brown said. “Look for TVs with advanced motion enhancement technologies, which provide smoother transitions and clearer images during high-speed moments, making sure you don’t miss any of the action.”
Pretty much all of the 2024 TV models from the big brands include some form of image processing to enhance clarity and motion. Samsung’s top-of-the-line QN900D got the tick of approval when watching NBA games online, making it easier to track the ball during fast plays.
Viewing angle
Watching sports is a communal experience best enjoyed with plenty of mates in the same room cheering on the action. As mentioned earlier, a large screen helps take in as much of the action as possible, which can help when you’re catering to a crowd. But the biggest TV in the world doesn’t count for much if only a select few get the best view.
Plenty of TVs look great from straight in front, only to lose detail and colour accuracy when viewed at an angle. A wide viewing angle is also important when space is at a premium and can compensate for smaller screen sizes.
“A BBQ, few friends and a big TV to watch the footy – that’s the real Australian dream,” Kennedy said. “For those who live in an apartment though, practicality means that the TV is often smaller with a lot of people viewing the sports action from all sorts of angles.”
OLED technology, which produces a picture by illuminating each pixel individually, is traditionally known for having the widest viewing angles. You can almost sit side-on to an OLED TV and still clearly see the picture. It’s an area dominated by LG, with strong competition from Samsung too.
It tends to be the most expensive type of TV, unfortunately. Alternatively, Mini LED – championed by Sony, Hisense, and TCL – is typically more affordable. Plus, it’s brighter. As great as OLED is, it’s not capable of producing the same peak brightness as Mini LED and is prone to glare – although the tech has made major steps towards rectifying this.
If your living room catches a lot of sunlight, or you want a TV for watching sports in an outdoor entertaining area, look for a Mini LED model with anti-reflective technology. Some of the more affordable models include Hisense’s U7NAU and U8NAU TVs, while TCL’s C755 and C855 are also very bright. At the premium end, Sony’s Bravia 7 and 9 fit the bill.
Experiencing the sound of sports
There’s nothing like hearing the roar of a sporting crowd. Rising as one in celebration after a hard-fought contest, it’s a euphoric high matched by little else. When you can’t make it to the game yourself, you still want to capture that energy as best you can at home. A good-quality picture helps, but audio completes the package.
If you only focus on the visuals, you’re missing out on half of the experience.
“Sports content producers understand the importance of premium sound to bring the viewer atmosphere,” Kennedy said. “Unfortunately for them, many TV buyers will generally prefer screen size and motion capabilities before looking at sound quality in any great detail.”
But can you get good audio quality from a TV alone? Some TVs come with more powerful speakers than you might expect.
“Look for TVs with built-in subwoofers and up-firing speakers, which can deliver richer, more immersive sound,” Mayen added. “If the TV’s built-in speakers aren’t sufficient, consider pairing it with a soundbar or home theatre system for an enhanced audio experience.”
Better quality built-in speakers are generally reserved for more premium TVs, but it’s easy to pair an affordable TV with a reasonably-priced soundbar to instantly benefit from an audio boost. Depending on the soundbar, you can get more audio channels and increased bass compared to relying on a TV’s integrated speakers.
As far as sports in Australia are concerned, there’s not much that supports Dolby Atmos, the object-based audio codec that provides more precision than standard surround sound.
There’s no need to immediately rush out to get Dolby Atmos-compatible gear, but most current TVs and soundbars support the format anyway. At the very least, it’ll future-proof you for when more streaming services hop aboard the Dolby train.
What else to look for in a TV for watching sports
After exhausting all other elements, software is another point of difference between TVs. Each brand favours a different operating system; LG has its webOS platform, Samsung runs its in-house Tizen OS, Hisense uses VIDAA in Australia, while Sony and TCL are Google TVs.
In 2024, most platforms natively support the biggest streaming apps or at least make it easy to cast from your phone. LG made a substantial upgrade with webOS 24, supporting both Apple and Android casting – a rarity in Australia – along with a sporting twist.
“Our new webOS 24 platform also features Sport Alert, a hub for sports channels, live content, match schedules, scores and more,” Brown said. “This means you can check the score of one match while watching another.”
In the event that you can’t find the app you want, or you can’t stream from your phone to any given TV, there are some affordable solutions. Streaming devices like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Hubbl cost less than $100, and a Fetch TV box gives you plenty of free-to-air flexibility.
Projectors are also an option if a TV doesn’t fit your living space. If you want a big picture above all else, the Hisense C1 projector supports up to a massive 300 inches of screen real estate. Mayer described the C1 as a “Premium Laser Long Throw Projection” device, made with “the modern Australian home and its bright, open planned living spaces in mind”.
As for which TV you should pick? We’re in the middle of updating our list of best TVs available in Australia, including options for all budgets. Stay tuned for our full recommendations as we review this year’s TVs.
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