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Tablets started out in a sort of gray area — bigger than a phone, but not quite a computer either. They’ve since grown out of their awkward phase, gaining the ability to do pretty much anything a laptop can do (especially with a connected keyboard), and even rivaling them or outperforming in some specs. Games and graphics are detailed down to the smallest nit, while video and photo software runs fast, and design applications – particularly with a compatible pen – pick up every nuance and stroke to craft your perfect project.
Tablets are also great for watching movies on. Unlike gaming or photo/video editing though, watching movies isn’t necessarily going to require the latest and greatest processing speeds. Instead, what’s going to be more important are things like resolution, screen size, color, brightness, aspect ratio, sound, and battery life. A lot of these can overlap, and quickly become confusing when searching for the best tablet for streaming, so we’ve helped to break some of them down
What Are the Best Tablets for Movies?
Here are a few features to keep in mind when shopping for the best tablets for streaming movies and TV shows on.
Resolution: This is one of the main measurements you’ll always find listed in a tablet, since it’s among the most important. Resolution simply means the number of pixels that are able to be displayed on the screen, and is always listed as width x height. Generally, the higher the pixel count, the better quality the image will be. But that also depends on…
Screen Size: Bigger isn’t always better. If your big screen’s got a low resolution, the image quality suffers, and can appear blurry since the pixel density (measured as pixels per inch, or ppi) is lower. On the flip side, a too-small screen with a super high resolution might be uncomfortable to watch movies on, forcing you to zoom in to see any action. The best tradeoff is a sizable screen with a proportional resolution quality. This also affects price too, as getting one of the newer highest-res screens cost more, and it isn’t worth it if you’ll have to squint to see whatever you’re watching.
Aspect Ratio:Aspect ratio is simply the width to height comparison. The most common format you’ll find is 16:9 – a width of 16 units and height of 9, creating more of a widescreen effect. In the last decade or so, it’s become the standard for movie watching and digital TV as well. You may also find, and prefer, a 4:3 aspect ratio, which produces a fuller picture that fills up the screen more.
Refresh Rate: Screens update with new images each second, and the number of times they do this is known as the refresh rate. It may appear to our eyes that we’re seeing unbroken images, but behind the screen, it’s actually changing pretty fast — sometimes up to 240 times each second. A low to mediocre refresh rate is around 60Hz, while 120-144Hz is noticeably better, and anything beyond that is speedy. So for impeccably smooth visuals, go for something with a decently high refresh rate.
Sound: It’s easy to get distracted by beautiful displays and overlook audio, but if you won’t be hooking this up to bigger external speakers or headphones, then don’t forget about sound. As tablets have evolved, their built-in speaker capability has gone from tinny and too-soft to booming with impressive bass. The amount, and the placement of speakers inside varies between tablets, and while they still may not meet the needs of an ardent audiophile, they’ll be more than enough to accompany any movie.
