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How to Choose and Buy a New TV

It can be difficult to know what to look for when choosing a new television. There are so many different types and models of television on the market that sometimes it’s hard to know where to start! To make life easier for you, here are some hints and tips on what to look for when choosing a new TV.

Type of Television

The first decision that you’ll need to make when choosing and buying a new TV is about the type of television you want. There are many different types of television on the market today ranging from the traditional CRT televisions that most of us will be familiar with through to new flat panel LCD and plasma televisions. You might even want to buy a home cinema projector instead of a television!

Different types of television have different advantages and disadvantages, so it’s worth doing your research on this site before making your decision. You can find out more about the different types of television and home cinema equipment available in our Types of Television section.

Size and Positioning

You’ll also need to decide where you are going to put your new television and make sure that the model of TV that you are considering will fit (and also that you’ll be able to manoeuvre it through any corridors or doorways to get to the room that you want to put it in!). If you’re looking for a television for your living room, you might want to buy one of the larger models, such as a rear projection television or DLP television, whereas a portable television or TV Combi might be more suitable for a bedroom or kitchen.

If you decide that you want to wall-mount it, you’ll need to look for a flat panel plasma or LCD TV and check the product description carefully to make sure that it’s wall-mountable. If you decide to place your television in a cabinet or on a stand, make sure that you take the measurements of the stand into account as well when working out whether or not your new television will fit where you want it.

Screen Resolution

When you look at a product description for a television, the screen resolution will be shown as, for example, 1024 x 768. This refers to the number of pixels that make up the picture. The first number refers to the number of pixels displayed horizontally on the screen and the second number refers to the number displayed vertically. The higher the screen resolution, the better the picture you’ll be able to get on the television, so it’s worth choosing a television with a high screen resolution.

Contrast Ratio

You’ll also notice that most product descriptions for televisions include a “contrast ratio”. This ratio shows the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest black images that a television can produce. The higher the contrast ratio, the subtler and richer the colour detail will appear. For a medium contrast, look for a television with a contrast ratio of at least 500:1. If you want a high contrast, try and find a television with a contrast ratio of at least 1200:1.

Widescreen Televisions

When choosing a new television for your living room, you might want to consider buying a Widescreen model. Most movies are now filmed in Widescreen format, so a Widescreen TV is ideal if you watch a lot of DVDs, and Widescreen television broadcasts are now becoming more popular.

Hig Definition TV - HDTV

HDTV stands for High Definition Television and HD broadcasts provide outstanding picture and sound quality. HDTV is seen by many as being the future of television technology, and so it’s worth considering buying a television that is ready to receive HD broadcasts so that you won’t have to upgrade your television again later.

In order to receive high definition broadcasts, you will also need a HD receiver (set-top box) and access to a HD service but by investing in an HD-Ready television now, you’ll be able to add these elements whenever you want to.

If you are planning to buy an HD-Ready television or home cinema system, check that is has an HDMI connection. This is a type of connection designed to carry digital and high-definition signals.

Freeview Access

With the analogue television signals in the UK due to be switched off from 2008, many people are now choosing to use digital television services. Rather than subscribing to a cable or satellite service, you can access free digital televisions and radio stations through Freeview. In order to do this, you either need to buy a set-top box or a new television with an integrated digital tuner.

If you are buying a new television, you might find it useful to buy an IDTV (a television with an integrated digital tuner) so you don’t need a separate set-top box or to subscribe to cable or satellite television. However, check to make sure that you can actually receive digital television signals in your area before you buy your IDTV.

TV Accessories

It’s a good idea to think about what accessories you might need for your new television before buying it. For example, you might want a television stand or cabinet, wall-fixings, cables or even a home cinema system! By ordering these at the same time as your television set, you’ll be able to set everything up the way that you want it when your TV arrives. Take a look at our Accessories section for details of some of the television accessories available.

How to Choose and Buy a TV – Other Hints and Tips

• Think about other features that you might want before making your choice. You might want a child lock to stop your children from accessing the controls without your permission, or an Electronic Programme Guide so that you can plan your viewing.
• Check the guarantee carefully – you may want to extend it.
• Shop around – you can get some great deals on new televisions and home cinema systems, particularly if you are buying online. You can find out more about some of the places to buy a new television in our Where to Buy section.

Further Information

You can find out more about the different types of television and home cinema equipment available in our Types of Television section.

For more information about some of the leading brands and models of television available, check out our Brands of Television and Top Models sections.

You can find out more about the types of accessory you can buy for your new television in our Accessories section.

To find some great deals on televisions and details of where you can buy a television or home cinema system, visit our Where to Buy section.

You can also find out what some of the terms used in product descriptions for televisions and home cinema systems actually mean in our Television Jargon Buster!

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