BUYING a new television can be intimidating. Every shop has a massive bank of flickering screens at varying price, all with acronym-heavy technologies promising the brightest, clearest, fastest picture. But don’t be scared – the basic choice still revolves around what size screen you are after and how much you want to spend. Beyond that there are a few other considerations we’ll take a look at.
LCD vs. plasma
There are three main TV screen technologies on the market at the moment: plasma, LCD and projector. The old cathode ray tube (CRT) that dominated the world for decades is now obsolete.
Whatever you may have heard, there is very little practical difference between plasma and LCD (liquid crystal display) screens. Each technology uses completely different methods to display a picture, but once it is in your room the end result is very similar. LCD screens use less power than plasma screens and tend to be lighter, while plasma screens generally offer darker shades and better contrast.
Screen size
Screen size and price are intrinsically linked. The size of a screen is measured diagonally, excluding any speakers attached to the sides. If you're after a smaller TV – less than 81cm or 32" – then an LCD screen would be the best choice. If you're going for a monster 120cm (50") TV, you'll probably end up with a plasma screen. For a medium-sized TV between the extremes, either LCD or plasma will do the job.
When shopping, remember that all the screens will have been turned up to maximum brightness to catch your eye, but don’t use this as a way of making a choice – you won’t be on that setting in your living room. Widescreen is well worth the investment if you have the space, but if you want a truly huge, wall-sized display for a home cinema room then you should look into buying a projector instead of a TV.
Connections
How you connect your DVD player and other accessories to your TV is extremely important if you want to achieve the best picture quality possible. Types of connections range from composite (lowest), through S-video and component (medium) to HDMI (highest). If possible, future-proof and buy a TV with a HDMI input. This connection is top-of-the-range and carries digital sound as well as video.
It's important to remember that the type of connection you use will directly affect your sound and picture quality. If you buy a first-rate TV and connect your DVD player to it with a composite connection, the picture won't look great – so don't spend a lot of money on a great TV and then connect it with composite unless you have no choice.
High definition (HD)
This is probably the most confusing aspect of buying a new TV. "High definition" is a confusing buzz phrase that can be used to mean different things, so make sure to check the actual definition of the TV yourself. A screen's definition – how sharply it can display images – is expressed as a number followed by the letters p or i. The digit stands for the number of vertical lines the screen can display, while the letters stand for progressive and interlaced. Progressive is far superior to interlaced. Ideally you would want a TV with at least 720p and 1080p. If your budget can stretch, look for a screen that supports 1080p. Also choose one with an internal HD tuner so you can receive HD-TV channels without buying a separate set-top box.
If you have the money, a brand-name TV with widescreen, 1080p, HDMI connections and an internal HD tuner that fits the size of your room would be ideal. For those who don't want to spend that much, there are plenty of other options. Hopefully this guide will help you clear a path through the confusing acronyms and make the right choice.
By Victoria Lea