Is 4k Better On A Smaller TV?

As an owner of a small television, I often find myself wondering if the larger 4K TVs offer a better viewing experience. After all, if I’m going to invest in a new TV, I want to make sure I’m getting the most out of my money.

So, I decided to do some research and testing to see if 4K TV is really worth the extra cost. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my experience, as well as other solutions I discovered.

4K is better on a smaller TV if your room allows you to watch it from 3 feet away, and you can see the entire screen comfortably. With 4k TVs, the larger the screen, the farther away you need to sit without being able to notice the individual pixels that make up the image on the screen.

Table of Contents

Tips

4K resolution on a small TV is only worth it if you sit no farther than 3 feet away and can comfortably see the entire screen.
Small TVs have bigger pixels with the same resolution as bigger TVs because the resolution is higher.
42-inch screens are the best starting point to ensure you can experience 4K without needing to sit too near.

4K TVs require a larger budget, faster internet speeds, and a larger distance between the viewer and the TV to get the best visual quality.
Not all content is available in 4K resolution.

Is 4K Better On A Smaller TV?

When you gaze upon a beautiful 4K resolution image on a TV, the image is usually crisp, clear, and highly pleasing to the eye. While it’s true that most people prefer larger displays, the thought that the same image could look better on a smaller screen might have crossed your mind at some point.

The truth is that big and small TVs have the same amount of pixels. Pixels are tiny dots that, when put together, create images on TVs, cameras, printers, or monitors. They act as a unit of measurement for resolution and determine how much detail an image can resolve per pixel distance on the image.

In other words, there aren’t more pixels on a larger display; instead, the pixels are farther apart to create a bigger screen. When pixels are far apart, they will look worse the closer you are to them – like how coloring a picture with blunt crayons will look less detailed than with sharp pencils.

To receive the full visual benefit from a 4k TV, you need to sit far enough yet not close enough for your eyes to notice the pixels. Essentially, the larger the screen, the farther away you need to sit.

For instance, if you have a 50-inch 4k TV, you should sit 3 feet away to enjoy the best quality. If you have a much larger 120-inch 4K TV, the optimal distance is 8 feet.

If you try to view the same 120-inch 4K TV from 3 feet, you will notice individual pixels on the screen, which will ruin your viewing experience. Additionally, you may have difficulty seeing the entire screen if you are too close.

As such, consider the size of your TV room and the distance between you and the TV because they play a vital role in enjoying a 4K TV. Of course, you can also use this hack to use a non-4k TV or existing TV to improve your viewing quality – all for free!

Is It Worth Having 4K Resolution On A Small TV?

It is only worth having 4k resolution on a small TV if you plan to sit no farther than 3 feet away and can comfortably see the entire screen.

Considering the size of the room and the distance between you and your TV, a 32-inch 4K TV will likely be a viable option if you plan to sit 3 feet away. In comparison, it also makes the most sense for computer or laptop monitors to be 4k.

It would be best if you sat farther from a TV because it will be hard to see the entire picture up-close, and you will quickly notice each pixel on the image.

As a side note, when many people refer to 4k resolution, they’re talking about Ultra High Definition (UHD), which has a resolution of 3840 x 2160. However, the real 4k feature is what you might see at the iMax cinema – sometimes called True 4k – and has a resolution of 4096 x 2160.

While rare, some 4K TVs can run true 4k resolution. It often requires unique apps and services, but some Netflix series also provide the option to view them in true 4K.

It is also vital to remember that streaming in 4K requires the exchange of much more data than regular streaming. Consequently, you need to have a minimum internet speed of 25 Mbps to prevent the video from buffering. If multiple people want to stream 4k, you might even consider 50 Mbps.

Do Small TVs With High Resolutions Have Bigger Pixels?

Small TVs have bigger pixels with the same resolution as bigger TVs because they provide a higher resolution. Higher resolutions put pixels closer together and make it impossible for the human eye to discern them.

Regarding resolution, it’s wise to refer back to pixels. Remember, resolution technically refers to how much detail a given imaging device can resolve per unit distance within the image.

For instance, if you have two screens running at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, one measures 4-inches diagonally while the other is 20 feet from corner to corner.

If you were to view both screens from six feet away, the larger screen would appear coarse because you would quickly see individual pixels and detract from the overall image quality. However, if you were to show the same image on the small screen, your eye wouldn’t be able to distinguish the pixels.

In this case, the image’s resolution is so high that your eyes can’t perceive the pixels, and so it will appear to be of higher quality.

Most experts claim that 42-inch screens are the best starting point to ensure you can experience 4K without needing to sit too near. The larger the TV screen, the further away you can sit while still getting the best visual quality.

All of this is important to know when televisions with ever greater pixel counts hit the market.

Pros

Stunning image quality when viewed from a distance
More detail than traditional HD TVs

Compatible with streaming services that offer 4K content
Compatible with gaming consoles that offer 4K graphics

Cons

Requires a larger budget to purchase a 4K TV

May require faster internet speeds to stream 4K content
Requires a larger distance between the viewer and the TV to get the best visual quality
Not all content is available in 4K resolution

Conclusion

Considering 4k on a small TV, first consider how far you will sit from the TV and the room size. If you don’t mind sitting around 3 feet from a small 4K TV, you should have no issues with your viewing experience.