Big Screen TVs
Everyone needs a big screen. Here's our guide to buying yourself that big TV for your lounge.
LCD TVs don't emit any light but use millions of crystals which are suspended in liquid between two transparent panels. A bright fluorescent backlight is passed through the crystals which create the image. There is a filter which controls the colours.
Plasma TVs use chemical compounds called phosphors. Three phosphors make up each pixel. The phosphors represent Red, Green and Blue, the colours we see. The images are created when an electron beam strikes the phosphors.
That's enough of the science. Plasma screens tend to be for the bigger TVs, 32" and above at the moment.
LCDs have a much longer screen life.
Plasma's have a better picture quality.
If your looking to watch blu ray discs (the best quality broadcast available at present) then you'll need a TV with 1080p. Don't confuse this with 1080i which is the cut down version. You need to make sure that the 1080p is output some TVs only have the input. Sky HD is a much lower level of quality than the blu ray discs, you wont need a 1080p TV for just Sky HD.
Next on the checklist is the contrast, the higher the contrast the better.
HDMI, you'll need at least 2 of these sockets to plug your extra bits of kit into them.
You'll need your scart cables for some of your older technology.
Whose making the best TVs at the moment. Panasonic and Pioneer are the best TVs at the moment. They are busy winning all the awards...be warned they aren't cheap.
If your looking for a cheaper entry levels then try Samsung or LG.
Traditional makers like Sony are also making great TVs, and most retailers are throwing in PS3 with them
At the moment the high street chains are desperate for business and you'll find some great deals at the likes of Curry's or Dixons. These deals when they appear are on a par with the sets you can buy from the pure online retailers. If your unsure what to buy you'll get excellent help from people like the Sony Centre or retailers like John Lewis.