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Full HD HD-ILA Hybrid TV. Ultra Slim Extra-Fine Design. Full HD 1920 X 1080. Integrated Freeview.

Latest TV Articles

Glossary

Posted in General

Contrast Ratio - A way to measure the difference on a TV between the lightest colour and the darkest colour. A high contrast ratio is desirable on any TV.

HDMI - Stands for the mouthful: High-Definition Multimedia Interface. A way to connect receivers, DVD players and games consoles to an HD ready television set. A better way to connect than through a scary socket. HDTVs usually provide many different ways to connect stuff to them as well as this more modern method.

HDTV - This stands for High Definition Television. An HD TV is a television that can accept HD signals. They may the picture on your TV look crisp, clear and in much better detail than regular old TV signals.

PC input - A way to connect your PC to your TV. While this might not seem like something you want to do now, it will be something that more people will want to do in the future. PCs can be run as media centres, hard disk recorders, or even games machines. You can even surf the web on your TV. So a PC input is something to consider when buying a new TV.

Resolution - This is a unit of measurement (just like inches, cm) that applies to how much detail can be shown on a TV. HD television sets can display a 'high resolution' which means that when you watch a DVD you'll see much greater detail.

Vesa - A standard way that you can connect your TV to a wall mount or bracket. If you buy a TV that's 'VESA Bracket Compatible', you'll know it will fit just about every wall mount there is. Just about all flat screen TVs are 'Vesa compatible'.

Viewing Angle - The higher the viewing angle on a TV the better! The viewing angle is the maximum angle that a TV can be viewed at from the side. All TV's look great if you stand or sit in front of them. As you move round to the side, this increases the viewing angle. TV displays on plasma, LCD and rear projection sets only work up to a certain angle. Go beyond the viewing angle and the display will start to vanish.

i - Stands for interlaced. This is one kind of HDTV display. This is the standard HDTV display. Think of your TV display as being divided into thousands of tiny horizontal lines. Interlaced means that the picture is updated in two passes. It updates lines 1,3,5,7,9... and so on in the first pass. Then updates the lines in between those 2,4,6,8 on the second pass. This all happens so fast you can't see it of course.

HDTV Made Easy

Posted in Buying Help

HDTV Made Easy

Most people know that if they're going to buy a TV online today. But what exactly is this and what's all the fuss? We take a look at HDTV and it's implications when buying a new TV.

What's this about HDTV?

HDTV (that's High Definition TeleVision in case you didn't know) means much better quality pictures from your television. People use their TVs for all kinds of entertaining activities. And HD means much more detailed, clearer pictures for all of them - whether you want to watch TV shows, play DVDs or save the world on your games console.

A bit about HD signals

If, like me, you've recently upgraded your old set to a nice large flat screen TV, you might have got a bit of a shock when you tuned in to your favourite TV show. The image that used to look good on your old 28" is now stretched over nearly twice the size. And it looks... well... a bit blobby.

This is because although the TV is 'HD', the signal isn't. Just because you buy an HD television, it doesn't magically improve the detail of the picture. The TV needs an HD signal before it can reproduce pictures in HD.

That's not to say you can't enjoy your HDTV with a standard signal of course! Just that when HD is available everywhere, we'll all be watching TV in a much improved format. So when you see that a TV is 'HD Ready', it means that you'll be all set to enjoy HD signals once they're available in your area.

How do you get HD TV then?

So you've got your HD television set? Great. Next thing you'll need is a receiver to pick up the HD signals. Check with your current TV / satellite / cable provider and see what they offer in this area. You'll likely be able to pick up a receiver immediately and enjoy at least some channels in HD. More and more are being released all the time.

Telly types

Posted in Buying Help

Telly Types - Comparing LCD, Plasma and CRT

Learn the difference and each ones pros & cons

In this short guide, we take a look at the three main TV formats and examine what's so great about each one, as well as looking at their weaknesses.

CRT - Cathode Ray Rube

This is the TV we've been watching all of our lives. Good old glass tubes used in this ancient technology. Where 28" is considered a 'big' display. But don't knock the 'old' TV. The old dog's still got a few plus points.

Strengths
  • Great looking picture
  • Rich, deep blacks
  • Great colour
  • Smooth motion
  • Very cheap
Weaknesses
  • Incredibly heavy!
  • Bulky - take up lots of space
  • Small screen sizes
  • Very few support HD
  • No digital inputs

Plasma

Plasma TVs uses advanced technology, that involves gas to emit light. Plasma displays are bold, bright and can come in huge sizes. (With an equally high price tag. The sizes start from around 37" upwards.

Strengths
  • Very thin
  • Sizes can go up to 65" and more
  • Very impressive picture (on better sets)
  • Wide viewing angle
Weaknesses
  • Can be very heavy
  • Consume lots of power
  • Suffer from burn in (images left on the screen)
  • Can be very expensive

LCD

Liquid Crystal Displays are the best selling and most popular form of flat screen TV at the moment. They're the same technology you'll find on your notebook computers and similar gadgets. They come in a huge range of sizes and are very affordable.

Strengths
  • Light weight - ideal for hanging on walls
  • Sizes range from 15" to 50"
  • HD Ready
  • Feature excellent connectivity
  • Doesn't suffer from burn in
Weaknesses
  • Contrast & tones weaker than other formats
  • Can suffer from motion blur
  • Not ideal for anything over 40"

Digital TV

Posted in General

Digital is coming - make sure you're ready

With the Digital TV switchover looming, we thought it would be a good idea to take an in-depth look at what digital was, and what it means to you.

What is Digital TV?

Digital TV is a change in the way TV programs are broadcast and received. It's a much-needed replacement for the regular old 'analogue' service we've all been watching for years. Digital TV will be the only kind of TV you can watch after 2012 because of what's called the Switchover. This is where broadcasting networks switch over completely to digital broadcasts.

What it will do for you?

Digital TV does some really good things, no matter who you are and what you do with your TV. For starters, it gives us all much sharper, better quality pictures and sound. It also lets you see on screen programming - so you can see what films are coming on, and when all the programs start. You can also use many interactive features.

How you can get it

4/5 households in the UK already have digital TV. You can get it with a set top box (available in high street shops or very cheaply on eBay. It's also available with a satellite TV service such as Sky. And you can get your digital TV with a cable service. Most newer TVs have it built into them as standard too.

When does the switchover happen?

The Digital TV switchover doesn't happen over night. Because of the amount of work involved it will be happening gradually, region by region. The border region will first see the switchover, followed by the rest of the Country. It happens gradually between 2008 and 2012. So you'll need to get one of the receivers mentioned above before then.

Further help

There's a number of good websites available to help you get to grips with Digital TV.

LCD Or Plasma?

Posted in Buying Help

Energy consumption

In an ever greener world, it's always a good idea to check how much energy the products you're buying for your home will consume. Of course it will also save you money at the same time. Contrary to popular belief, LCDs and Plasma tvs use up about the same energy. So this shouldn't be a major concern when deciding between the two technologies.

Did you know: Both LCD and Plasma consume far less power than the old CRT sets.

Will one last longer than the other?

This is another area where the two kinds of TV will basically be the same. An average LCD or Plasma TV set will last you about 50,000 - 60,000 hours worth of viewing. This is incidentally around twice the length of the older CRT TV sets.

Deeper blacks with Plasma?

One of the main reasons viewers opt for a plasma set is that they are capable of reproducing really rich, deep black colours on the screen. Run side by side with an LCD TV, the difference is very noticeable. However LCD TVs are capable of producing rich, vibrant colours also. Especially the Bravia range, renowned for it's colour reproduction.

What else can plasma do better?

Plasma displays will also produce slightly sharper-looking images, and have a faster response speed. This will make fast-paced action scenes or sporting action appear smoother. Contrast is another area where Plasma screens can also look much better over it's LCD counterparts.

Weight

Plasma TVs are usually quoted as being heavier than LCD tellys. But it's worth bearing in mind that they aren't that much heavier. They are generally 10 - 15% more heavy than LCD TVs.

Further reading

  • Tesco's Guide has some good tips on Plasma and LCD
  • Panasonic has a nice section to do with which format to choose.
  • And the Guardian offers some excellent advice on LCD vs. Plasma here
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