| Toshiba | - | Toshiba has won many awards for it's range of televisions, see their website for a complete list of all their commendations |
| Sony | - | Sony produce some of the highest quality televisions on the market |
| Panasonic | - | Panasonic's exclusive TV technologies always guarantee a class-leading performance. Unique innovations such as exclusive Quintrix tubes, Acuity digital technology and T[au] flat screens deliver the best pictures in the business. From small screens and widescreens to sets with integrated digital TV tuners (IDTV)* and digital cinema sound, you're sure to discover the perfect one for you |
| Philips | - | Thanks to their unique innovations, Philips is leading in picture quality and has been for many years. Choosing a Philips television is therefore a logical choice |
| ZDNet Reviews | - | Authoritative and comprehensive reviews of the latest lcd televisions available on the market. They have been writing reviews for a while so if you want to get an opinion on products already on the market you should be able to. |
| AVForums | - | View reviews and discussions on the latest lcd televisions at this forum. The AVForums are the official forums of several Audio Visual magazines including What Digital Camcorder, Total Mobile and Digital Photgraphy User. The forum is very busy with lively and expert discussion on the latest Audio Visual Technologies. |
| The Review Centre | - | Browse hundreds of reviews on lcd televisions at the Review Centre. Probably the biggest UK online product review website, you can get reviews on pretty much anything. It's a well organised website, easy to browse and fast. |
Televisions
Once upon a time choosing a new TV was easy - black and white or colour, big
or small? Today there is a huge variety of choice, here we'll explain what the
various new technologies are and what their individual benefits are, hopefully
leading you to being able to make a purchase based on your needs - or desires.
Whatever type of TV you are looking to buy, there are some universal quality
indicators that we list here, you'll see them labelled in the television specification
- now you'll know their implications!
Screen Resolution: Measured in pixels, the greater the pixels the better
the picture quality.
Dolby Surround: Any TV you buy will use Dolby Pro Logic to process Dolby
Surround, however some new TVs will have the ability to process the improved
Dolby Pro Logic 2, and if you're a made crazy DVD or Computer Games fan some
even have Dolby Digital 5.1 which is radically better then the previous two.
Good Connectivity: The quality of the leads has a big impact on sound
and picture quality - it's worth investing in decent gold-plated Scart leads
for instance if you have a good system to go with it.
LCD Televisions
LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display, it works by shining light through
liquid crystals, the various images are created by different intensities of
light. Because there is just one sheet of liquid crystal between two panes of
glass LCD TVs are very thin. There has been criticism of LCD TVs, like picture
and colour distortion when viewing from an angle, the cost, the lack of depth
in displaying the colour black to name a few, but the technology is improving
all the time and it is safe to say it is already proving to be the most superior
technology for television viewing. Plasma
TVs are still better for very large screen size, but LCD TVs have a higher
native resolution for the same size which becomes more important with the advent
of HDTV (Higher Definition Television).
Features to look for:
HDTV Readiness
Most new LCD Televisions come equipped with HDTV
technology. High Definition TV delivers an unparalleled picture quality
- but you have to have channels or programmes delivered in this format for it
to work. As analogue broadcasting is phased out (it will be completely by 2010)
all broadcasting will be in HDTV so it really is a good idea to make sure your
television is HDTV ready.
Freeview Compatibility
Freeview is a free service with some excellent
channels, quite a few of the new LCD TVs come with a Freeview decoder built
in so you don't have to buy a seperate set top box for it.
Viewing Angle
The quality of the picture on LCD TVs can be reduced if you are watching from
an angle, it's important to ascertain how a model performs from various angles
- the newer more expensive models are generally very good for this, but it's
best to check anyway. It's also an important factor if you are wall mounting
the TV, too high and not angled towards the viewer and the picture may not be
great.
Pixel Response Time
Traditional televisions have a "pixel response" time (meaning the
time it takes to move from one colour to the next) of 15-17ms while the average
LCD is 20-30ms, newer models are much quicker but if it's not you'll get some
blurring with fast moving objects on large screens. So check for response times
and aim for models with lower ones.
Make sure you get a warranty of some length for your TV too, LCD TV's are not
cheap and there are a number of things that can go wrong with them, however
a good LCD TV should outlast the warranty by many many years taking you safely
into the digital age when anologue TV is phased out.
Shop By Brand
Philips
LCD Televisions, Sony
LCD Televisions, Samsung
LCD Televisions, JVC
LCD Televisions, LG
LCD Televisions.