If you're after a flat screen TV buying guide, but you don’t want a guide which is overly complicated or takes you too long to read, then look no further. This concise guide will get straight to the point and highlight all the essential factors you need to think about. To begin with we'll look at the main sorts of Television on the market, then look at the main makes out there, and then we’ll take a look at the key features that you need to look for.
What Are the Main Types of Television?
Now,
I imagine you've already decided on the kind of size Television you would like, so here we can deal with more important factors. When it comes to the screen technology available, you'll find basically three main sorts of TV display: LCD, LED, and Plasma.
LCD
- Slim, light.
- Available in a variety of sizes.
- Great for bright rooms.
- More makes and sizes to select from than Plasma.
- Frequently cost more than Plasma televisions of exactly the same size, but this is now becoming less so as the technology progresses.
LED TVs
- A form of LCD display, but with a different type of lighting.
- Uses LED to light the LCD particles, versus Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps, as were used in older LCD units.
- Better energy efficiency.
- Longer lasting - doesn’t degrade like older style LCDs.
Plasma
- Good for large sets (42 ins or greater).
- Can be viewed from almost any angle.
- Fantastic for high-speed action, such as games, sports or action films.
Which Make Do I Choose?
Samsung
- Market leader and innovator.
- LED pioneer.
- Popular brand - probably the top, if you ever had to name just one top make. Definitely the best-selling in England, anyway.
- Fantastic image quality.
LG
- Another good company.
- Offers a variety of plasma sets, but in addition makes LCD and LED.
- Makes some fully featured TVs called Infinia.
Panasonic
- Market leader for Plasma TVs.
- Makes LCD TVs as well.
- Produces some extremely large TVs.
- One of the first to offer 3D.
Toshiba
- Makes a wide range of TVs, from low-priced to fully featured models called the Cinema Series.
- Have plans to start manufacturing 3D sets soon.
VIZIO
- Younger brand (began in 2002).
- Creates LCD HDTVs.
- Makes itself as “The USAs number 1 LCD Television company”
Features to Look For from a TV
There are numerous features that TVs have nowadays, but allow me to share a few of the important things to look out for.
Screen Refresh Rate (Frame Rate)
- For LCD, go for new 120Hz or 240Hz TVs.
- Plasma has extraordinarily fast transition between frames, so copes better with fast digital scenes.
Internet
- PC input - some TVs have PC input, so you can surf the internet on your TV.
- Internet@TV - some Samsung TVs come with a function called Internet@TV, which gives access to the internet as you watch TV.
- Some other new TVs also allow internet access to services like YouTube, Netflick, Facebook, etc.
Connections
- Wi-Fi - connect to your private network.
- HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface.
- PC input - as mentioned above.
Easy Settings & Specific Modes
- Game Mode - some TVs (e.g. Samsung) have a unique mode for game playing, which enhances the sound and image specifically for this use.
- Picture Wizard - this is an easy step-by-step wizard that comes with LG TVs and lets you easily adjust your picture settings.
- Some TVs can even detect the lighting of the room and automatically optimize your screen settings.
It's Your Choice
So, as you see, there's lots of different factors which could determine which kind of Television you are going to buy. Once you have decided on the size of the screen you then need to decide on the screen type, whether it’s Plasma or LCD. After you have decided on that, it’s best to check out the brand that is the leader in that specific technology. For instance, if you'd like an LED style LCD TV, then Samsung is probably your best bet. However, if you decided on Plasma, then LG is a good choice. Once you have made that decision, it’s really merely a case of keeping an eye out for the features you need, and then reading reviews from existing customers, to find out whether it’s a pretty good model to buy.
