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HDTV Guide |
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Buyer's Guide - Screen Use |
| HDTV Buyers Guide |  |
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| 1. What screen technology is right for me? | ||
| 2. What size screen should I buy? | ||
| 3. What will I be using my TV for? | ||
| 4. Connections | ||
| 5. My Budget | ||
| 6. Editors top choices | ||
Am I buying a TV for a specific purpose?
While we are all interested in buying a good all round TV, many of us are also interested in buying a screen that performs well in particular areas. We might want a TV that is particularly suitable for watching Sport, for watching Movies or for Gaming. We might be thinking of subscribing to High Definition Channels or buying a Blu-ray player (for another source of High definition content); alternately, we might only be planning to watch Standard Definition content.
If we are looking for a TV to fulfill a specific purpose there are some important aspects of screen performance to consider above and beyond general all round ability. You might like to read on to find out more or you might like to use our HDTV SELECTOR TOOL which will give you an indication of the right TV for your needs based on the criteria above and more.
Sport
The best TV's for sport are those which can handle the 'generally' fast nature of on screen sporting action. We need a screen which does not suffer to an intrusive degree from 'Motion Blurring' also known as 'Smearing'. The effect causes a 'comet' like trail as the TV's response time cannot keep up with the rapidly changing on screen action.
The human eye can perceive a response time of around 14ms (1ms = 1 thousandth of a second) and if your TV is not able to change frames (the rapidly changing static images that create the illusion of moving pictures) rapidly enough, 'Motion Blur' or 'Smearing' is the result.
Plasma technology has traditionally offered better response times than LCD, although the gap in performance has been narrowing of late. A number of LCD manufacturers have introduced increased frame rate from 50Hz (50 frames per second) to 100Hz or 200Hz on some models with varying degrees of success.
Gaming
As well as using our PC's for Gaming, we have always had the ability to hook up our games console to the TV. With big screen HDTV's becoming more affordable, this option is becoming increasingly attractive.
The most suitable TV's for Gaming are those which can demonstrate a reasonably low level of 'Input Lag', the time it takes for our interaction with the games console to be translated to on screen action. An input lag of anything over 80ms (1ms = 1 thousandth of a second) can render a game unplayable.
A TV most suitable for Gaming should offer an input lag of between 20-30ms. A number of HDTV's now come with a built in 'Games Mode' which has been designed to reduce input lag; and while some implementations are effective, do not rely on it as an indication that a TV is particularly suited for gaming.
Movies
While the general overall ability of a TV is a good indication of how well a TV performs with movies, there are certain considerations to bare in mind and there are also content specific issues when it comes to choosing the right TV. We might for example be more interested in fast action movies or we might be more interested in playing our old DVD collection rather than newer High Definition (Blu-ray) movies.
There are also particular features of a TV which can improve the movie experience. A growing number of TV's are 24fps (frames per second) compatible, having the ability to play movies (typically shot at 24 frames per second) at their correct speed. Without 24p support they are played on your TV at 25 fps (PAL TV standard).
A Full HD (1920 x 1080) enabled screen can play Blu-ray movies at the highest level of detail which can make a big difference, especially on 40in or bigger screens.
Our HDTV SELECTOR TOOL will give you an indication of the right TV for your needs if you require a TV for a specific purpose.
Top Ten LCD | Plasma
Top Ten LCD | Plasma