Comparison Realme Smart TV 4K 43 43 " vs Xiaomi Mi TV P1 43 43 "

The type of coating used on the TV screen.

— Matte. Historically, the first type of coating for LCD screens, which is often found today. Screens with such a coating generally have average characteristics of brightness, saturation and colour reproduction quality, in terms of these indicators they are inferior to glossy counterparts. However, the matte coating has one important advantage: it has virtually no glare from ambient light. In some situations, this can be an important advantage — for example, if the TV is installed opposite the window. And for some users it is more pleasant to look at the screen without glare, albeit relatively dim.

— Glossy. A coating designed to improve the brightness and colour quality of the visible image compared to matte screens. The creators have managed to achieve this goal: "glossy" screens really provide rich, vibrant colours and a brighter image. The key disadvantage of such screens is the appearance of glare from ambient light on them — this can ruin the whole viewing experience. Because of this, the classic glossy coating is practically not used today, anti-glare solutions have taken its place (see below).

— Glossy (anti-glare). Modification of the glossy coating, created, as the name implies, in order to eliminate the main drawback of the classic gloss — glare from external lighting. This is not to say th...at such screens do not glare at all, but there are much less reflections on them than on ordinary glossy ones. As for the image quality, it is at least not much worse, and often even better (especially since such coatings are constantly being improved). Thanks to all this, most modern TVs of all price categories are equipped with anti-glare screens.

The maximum brightness of the image provided by the TV screen.

The image on the screen should be bright enough so that you do not have to strain your eyes unnecessarily to view it. However, too high brightness is undesirable — it will also lead to fatigue. The optimal brightness level depends on the surrounding conditions: the more intense the ambient light, the brighter the TV screen should be. So, on a sunny day, the screen may have to be “turned up” to the maximum, and in the evening, in dimmed light, a relatively dim image will be more comfortable. In addition note that large screens require higher brightness, since they are designed for a greater distance from the viewer.

Thus, the higher the number in this paragraph, the greater the margin of brightness this model has, the better it will show itself in intense ambient light. The lowest indicator sufficient for more or less comfortable viewing in any conditions is 300 cd/m² for models with a diagonal of up to 32", 400 cd/m² for models in the range of 32 – 55" and 600 cd/m² for large screens of 60" and more. In this case, the brightness margin anyway will not be superfluous. But with lower indicators, you may have to darken the room somewhat for comfortable viewing.

TV support for one or another brightness / contrast enhancement technology.

Usually, in this case, software image processing is implied, in such a way as to improve brightness and/or contrast (if necessary). Specific processing methods may be different — in particular, in some cases we are actually talking about turning standard content into HDR (see above), and some manufacturers do not specify technical details at all. The effectiveness of different technologies can also be different, and besides, it is highly dependent on the specific content: in some cases, the improvement will be obvious, in others it may be almost imperceptible. Also note that this feature is not always useful, so in most models it is turned off.

The TV's support of one or the other colour enhancement technology.

Such technologies usually involve image processing in software to provide brighter and/or more accurate colours. Specific processing methods may be different, some manufacturers do not specify technical details at all, limiting themselves to advertising statements. The effect of using such technologies can also vary: in some cases it is clearly visible, in others it is almost absent, depending on the features of the picture. It is also worth saying that this feature, usually, needs to be turned on manually in the TV menu (accordingly, it can be turned off if desired).

The nominal power of the sound produced by the TV's sound system.

The larger the screen and the greater the estimated distance to the viewer, the more powerful the sound system must be in order to be heard normally. Manufacturers take this moment into account, moreover, most often they also provide a solid volume margin. So if a TV is bought for home viewing in a quiet, calm environment, you can not pay much attention to the sound power: it is guaranteed to be enough for such a usage. It makes sense to specifically look for models with high-power speakers for a noisy environment — for example, a cafe or other public space. Detailed recommendations on this matter can be found in special sources, but here we note that even in such cases, connecting external speakers can be a good alternative.

The number of speakers installed in the TV.

Theoretically, one speaker is enough to work with sound, but most entry-level and mid-range models (as well as many premium devices) provide two speakers — for stereo operation, which allows to achieve some surround sound effect. And more than two speakers usually means the TV has enhanced audio capabilities such as a subwoofer or soundbar (see below).

A decoder can be broadly described as a standard in which digital audio (often multi-channel) is recorded. For normal playback of such sound, it is necessary that the corresponding decoder is supported by the device. Dolby Digital and DTS were the first in multi-channel decoding, gradually improving and introducing new features. The final stage for 2020 is Dolby Atmos and DTS X decoders.

– Dolby Atmos. A decoder that uses not a rigid distribution of sound across channels, but the processing of audio objects, due to which it can be used with almost any number of channels on a reproducing system — the sound will be divided between channels so that each audio object is heard as close as possible to its proper place. When using Dolby Atmos, ceiling speakers (or speakers facing the ceiling) are highly desirable. However, in extreme cases, you can do without them.

— DTS X. An analogue of the Dolby Atmos described above, when the sound is distributed not through individual channels, but through audio objects. The digital signal contains information about where (according to the director's intention) the object audible to the user should be and how it should move, and the processor of the reproducing device processes this information and determines exactly how the sound should be distributed over the available channels in order to achieve the required localization. Thanks to this, DTS X is not tied to a specific number of audi...o channels — there can be as many as you like, the system will automatically divide the sound into them, achieving the desired sound. Also note that this decoder allows you to separately adjust the volume of dialogues.

Types of digital tuners (receivers) provided for in the design of the TV.

Such tuners are necessary for receiving digital TV broadcasts; for normal operation, the broadcast standard must match the type of tuner (with some exceptions, see below). Note that the receivers are also available as separate devices; however, it is easier (and often cheaper) to buy a TV with a built-in tuner of the desired format. In modern TV you can find terrestrial tuners DVB-T2, cable DVB-C and satellite DVB-S and DVB-S2, here are their main features:

— DVB-T2 (terrestrial). The main modern standard for digital broadcasting. Such broadcasting has a number of advantages over traditional analogue broadcasting: it allows higher resolution and multi-channel audio transmission, with better sound and picture quality, and this quality is fully preserved until the signal weakens to a critical level. However, in some countries digital terrestrial broadcasting is just being put into operation, so it will not hurt to check the availability of DVB-T2 coverage in your area.

— DVB-C (cable). The main modern standard for digital broadcasting in cable networks. Despite the advent of the more advanced DVB-C2, it still continues to be widely used, and most likely this situation will not change for a long time.

— DVB-S (satellite). The first...generation of the digital DVB standard for satellite broadcasting. Nowadays, it is relatively rare due to the advent of a more advanced DVB-S2, which is also backwards compatible with the original DVB-S.

— DVB-S2 (satellite). The most advanced and popular of today's digital satellite broadcasting standards. Being the heir to DVB-S, has retained compatibility with it; therefore, manufacturers often limit themselves to installing only a DVB-S2 tuner on their TVs — it allows you to receive both major satellite broadcast formats.

The ability to display on the TV screen "pictures" from several sources at once. Usually, in the picture-in-picture mode, a small window is displayed in the background of the main image (or several such windows), which is displayed in full screen, in it you can see an additional image. One of the most popular ways to use this “multitasking” is to skip commercial breaks in TV broadcasts: for this time, you can switch the main image to a more interesting channel, and leave the ad in the auxiliary window to not miss the end of the commercial and continue watching. It is worth considering, however, that the images for each window must come from different sources — in other words, it will not work to turn on two channels at the same time from one tuner.