Televisions Buying Guide

Buying a TV should be a simple experience; however, nowadays you've not only got to choose what type of screen you want, but also the features and style of the set too. And with so many models and makes in the market it's difficult to come to a decision. One must also remember that the biggest is not always the best and the lowest price does not always mean the best value for money.

When to buy a new TV

TVs tend to be very reliable, and most models will function for between seven and ten years, so until recently most TVs were bought because the old set had stopped working. With the introduction of new technology, like digital TV, widescreen broadcasting and DVD, the emphasis has changed, and now many people are upgrading their still-working older sets. In fact the active life of a set bought today is likely to be around five years before a new model supersedes it.

What about Digital TV?

The introduction of digital TV had been one of the reasons why people have upgraded their TV sets. In November 1998 the UK became the first country in the world to have its own digital terrestrial service. Prior to ITV Digital going bust in May 2002, the Government was committed to shutting down the analogue (non-digital) TV transmitters by 2010. That date looks slightly optimistic at present, although the success of the BBC-driven Freeview service means it could still happen. The new service can be received through new TV adaptors, which cost around £100 at the moment, via old ITV Digital boxes or dedicated digital TVs. The service is completely free after that, and as well as around 30 TV channels, including BBC News 24 and ITV2, you can also receive a selection of radio stations.

The future direction of TV

Over the next few years, more and more TVs and digital boxes will feature Internet access that will enable the viewer to send emails and surf the Web. Interactive services via the TV, such as home shopping and banking, are expected to become more popular. Also, it's possible that future sets will incorporate a hard disk (a bit like a PCs) which, when coupled with an intelligent programming guide, will become the hi-tech replacement for your VCR. You can already get external boxes to do this, with Pace offering a combined Freeview tuner and hard disc drive unit.

Different types of TV

Portable sets

These bedroom-friendly models range in size from around 10'' up to 20''.

Combi sets

Essentially TVs that also feature an integrated VCR or more commonly DVD players - Bush has one that offers both. They are mainly portable sets designed for bedroom/study use, although manufacturers such as Thomson and Philips now produce larger widescreen sets with built-in DVD players.

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) sets

All standard TV sets use a CRT to construct on-screen images. The CRTs that are used today aren't that different from the ones used in the early TV sets.

Widescreen sets

These sets sport a rectangular 16 x 9 shape as opposed to the 4 x 3 format that has dominated TV design up to now. Most large-screen sets are made in this format.

Rear projection

These are very large-screen sets in which the red, green and blue of TV images are projected onto a mirror reflecting the picture onto the rear of the screen. Pictures aren't generally as sharp as conventional CRT sets, although rear projection sets tend to be much thinner.

Plasma sets

One of the most recent developments in TV technology, these sets use a gas plasma system to construct images on their ultra-thin screens. The screens are designed to be hung on a wall like a painting. They are extremely expensive, although prices are dropping rapidly, with mass-market retailer Richer Sounds predicting £1,500 sets by the end of 2003.

LCD

More and more manufacturers are producing flat-panel TVs that use LCD technology to deliver on-screen images. With brands such as Sharp and Samsung pushing the size of the screens upward - and prices downward - this type of screen looks set to become a realistic alternative to Plasma screens. They will be more expensive for a while though, at least until the numbers produced rise significantly.

Do you need to buy a digital set?

To receive digital channels you don't need a digital set. It is important to have access to digitally broadcast channels, which is a different thing altogether.

The digital sets on sale currently feature a terrestrial digital TV tuner and a Freeview digital decoder. However, most people connect their analogue TV set to an external digital decoder. If you take this route you then have the option of choosing whether you want digital terrestrial, digital satellite (Sky digital), digital cable (there are several services), or the new Freeview service.

The advantages of digital TV

Fortunately, there are many benefits in upgrading to digital TV. The first is that you will significantly increase your choice of channels. Pictures from digital transmissions tend to be better than analogue ones; this is because the signals are more robust and less prone to interference. Finally the sound quality of digital transmission has the edge over analogue ones - some movies on the Sky+ service are even broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1.

Which is the best Sky Digital or Digital cable?

The short answer is that it depends what you want from your digital TV system.

Sky Digital

Sky digital boasts over 200 TV and radio channels. It also features a wide variety of 'near-video-on-demand' (NVOD) services, which allow viewers to select from up to 20 of the most recently released movies starting as often as every 15 minutes. The downside of Sky digital is that you need both a digibox and a mini-dish attached to the side of your home. You also need to attach the decoder to a telephone socket. Unlike digital cable, full Internet access via your TV is not an option, but Sky's interactive service Sky Active delivers a selection of interactive betting, shopping, information and email services.

Digital cable

Digital cable generally offers the widest choice of channels and the quickest and most convenient Internet access. You might also get the bonus of cheaper phone calls. However, much depends on whether or not your area has been cabled. It's estimated that around 20 million UK homes now have access to cable TV services.

Free-to-air digital

Once you have paid for your Freeview TV adaptor all the services are free. The channels on offer are less varied than with Sky or cable, but include a good selection of news services, the full range of BBC channels - including BBC3 and BBC4 - plus a selection of others. There are no plans to include any TV-on-demand services for Freeview, so if you want the latest movies and big sporting events, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Should I buy a digital set?

Sets with built-in digital terrestrial TV decoders haven't caught on as quickly as their makers had hoped. This has been because the sets have tended to be luxury, expensive models. You may prefer to buy an analogue set and team it up with a digital decoder. You might have an extra box under your set, but you will have a much wider choice of TV sets and it should work out cheaper, especially with promises of cheaper free-to-air digital receivers to come - one company has mooted a £30 box for 2003.

Why widescreen?

Over the past five years there has been a major increase in the number of widescreen sets on sale. You can still buy large sets in the traditional 4 x 3 shape, but numbers have dwindled dramatically. Within five years almost all TVs will be 16 x 9 shape, as broadcasters and TV networks are committed to making programmes in this format. The popularity of DVD has also had an effect as many films come in widescreen. Around 60% of digital TV transmissions are in this format, and that percentage will increase as time passes.

What do normal shaped TV pictures look like on widescreen sets?

There is still a lot of programming in the 4 x 3 format and these pictures traditionally only fill two-thirds of the screen on widescreen sets. However, manufacturers have spent millions of pounds developing ways of viewing 4 x 3 transmissions on widescreen sets, and the best are so good you'll hardly notice the difference. Most sets also have zoom modes so you can experiment with blowing up the image to fill the screen. If the set has a 14:9 mode, it's often a good compromise.

Screen shape

Widescreen or 4 x 3?

Most large-screen sets are widescreen but there are 4 x 3 sets out there. If you want to buy a set that will be compatible with changes in TV technology then it's worth buying a widescreen TV - it's amazing how quickly you will get used to watching images in that shape.

Screen size

Until recently the most popular TV size in the UK was 25''. However, since the advent of widescreen, 28'' screens have become the norm. If you can find the budget, a 32'' widescreen will deliver a big picture without completely taking over your living room. There are 24'' widescreen models on sale, but these aren't especially suitable for main-room viewing unless your lounge is quite small.

The largest-sized conventional CRT TV is Loewe's recently released 40'' model, which usurps the traditional 36'' large-screen CRT set. Screens larger than 40'' use either rear projection or plasma technology.

Sound system

Any TV larger than 24'' will have a choice of sound options:

Nicam Stereo

All large-screen sets feature a Nicam Stereo decoder. They will also play back all stereo videotapes and DVDs in stereo, too. For most people stereo sound from speakers built into their TV set provide sufficient sonic quality. However, it's worth bearing in mind that most sets now include stereo phono output connectors that connect your TV to a hi-fi system, enabling you to hear sound from your TV through your audio set-up, so it's well worth the effort.

Pseudo surround

These sets use a variety of systems (3D Phonic, Virtual Dolby Surround and Incredible Surround) to create a room-filling surround sound effect from just the speakers built into the TV set. Some systems are more effective than others, as some will make the TV sound echoey and thin. Systems that use a proper Dolby Pro Logic surround sound decoder can be upgraded to full surround sound by adding a pair of rear speakers.

Home cinema surround sound

This top-of-the-range system attempts to re-create the impressive sound you hear at the cinema in your living room.

Dolby Pro-Logic

Most surround sound TVs feature a Dolby Pro Logic decoder. It recognises Dolby encoded programming, takes the audio signal and splits it out to five speakers, which combine to create the surround sound effect. Dolby Pro Logic sets usually have the front stereo speakers and the central one (which handles dialogue) integrated into the set. The other two speakers are designed to be placed behind the viewer and relay the special rear effects. External rear speakers have to be connected to your TV, which may leave wires trailing around your room.

Dolby Digital

The number of Dolby Digital sets has grown in recent years. A standard facility in DVD players, Dolby Digital (a more advanced version of surround sound) has several key advantages over standard Dolby Pro Logic. Firstly its general performance is more precise and experiences less distortion than Pro Logic. Secondly it allows for stereo rear speakers (Pro Logic only offers mono), which means that effects can literally jump from speaker to speaker around a room.

Finally it has a dedicated output for a subwoofer. In practical terms, if you team a Dolby Digital decoder up with a bass-only speaker (some surround sound TV sets offer this as an option), you really will feel and hear those big rumbles and explosions that make action movies so exciting.

DTS (Digital Theatre System)

A rival format to Dolby Digital, and one that many critics regard as superior. It is currently only being used at cinemas and on DVD discs. DTS is increasingly employed on DVD soundtracks, in addition to Dolby Digital, and you'll have to make the choice of which one you want to listen to via the DVD disc's menu. Only the most expensive CRT and Rear Projection sets provide support for this format.

Picture processing systems

One of the drawbacks of large TV screens is that they tend to highlight some of the weaker elements of picture performance. To combat this, TV makers have developed a host of picture processing systems that improve on-screen images by keeping them steady and free from interference. The most popular system is 100Hz picture processing. This system, which features on most top-end sets, is very effective at reducing picture flicker.

Quite often 100Hz technology is coupled with other picture processing options. Digital picture processing systems work to get rid of noise (interference), while others systems work to sharpen contrast levels: possibly the best technology to do this is Philips' excellent Pixel Plus.

Picture format options

If you are buying a widescreen set it's essential that the TV features a good selection of picture format options. That's because your set will have to cope with both widescreen and 4 x 3 images from DVDs and TV transmissions, plus pictures that are neither wide nor 4 x 3. Most sets will have a widescreen option plus a zoom that allows you to fill out the screen and lose the black bars at the top and bottom caused by some picture shapes. Equally important is a halfway house mode that takes a 4 x 3 image and adapts it for your widescreen set. This stretches the sides of the image to fit the screen, but leaves the centre of the image untouched. It might sound unusual, but it works very effectively.

Instant connection

Fortunately most TVs come with instant set-up procedures that will start looking for and storing channels as soon as they are plugged in. Loewe's latest entry-level sets hold your hand through a very friendly installation process, that even tells you what sockets to plug your DVD and VCR into.

Connectors

The main way of connecting the various parts of your TV system together is through a socket called a Scart. Scarts are used to connect VCRs, digital decoders and DVD players to your set. Most widescreen sets now have at least three Scarts. Toshiba and Panasonic sets now offer a feature called 'component video connection'. This high-quality, video-only format is supported by an increasing number of DVD players, but if you are not using a separate surround sound system you will also have to buy a pair of analogue audio cables to get the sound to your set.

Other features

Another feature worth having is the increasingly rare picture-in-picture. This lets the viewer see two channels at once with a small box showing one image with the rest of the screen devoted to the other.

Extra Teletext facilities are useful, especially split-screen text that enables the owners of widescreen sets to see a text page in one half of the screen and a TV image in the other.

Child locks are also a common feature worth considering if you have a young family, while a security system where you enter your postcode into the set can often make you feel more comfortable about your expensive new purchase.