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	TV Buying Guide
	Introduction
	1. The HDTV revolution
	2. Which TV technology is right for me
	3. Choosing the right screen size
	4. What features should I consider
	5. TV selection tools
	6. Putting it all together
	7. Your consumer rights

 

HDTV has arrived

You might already be familiar with different screen technologies such as LCD and Plasma, but where does HDTV come into it? If you want an in depth guide, you might like to look at our dedicated HDTV Guide, if you want to know the essentials, read on ...

HDTV (High Definition TV) technology offers truly superb picture quality with a depth and clarity that has to be seen to be believed. Conventional TV’s which use the PAL standard, with 576 visible lines, offer a level of detail that doesn’t come close to the 720 or 1028 lines provided by HDTV.

Virtually every flat panel TV you buy today is 'HD Ready' with a logo which indicates that it is capable of accepting an HDTV signal.

So having bought your chosen 'HD ready' flat panel TV, you can sit back and watch Eastenders or Coronation Street to a level of clarity you never imagined, right? Well unfortunately, there is a little bit more to it than that.

Getting HDTV programmes in your home

The likes of Sky and Virgin Media provide access to a large choice of HD channels to UK householders on a subscription basis. Alternately, the free-to-air satellite service, Freesat, offers some HD programming while the roll out of Freeview HD is progressing across the UK.

A growing number of TVs offer built in Freesat and/or Freeview tuners through which you can access BBC1 HD, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD. You can still access both services with an HD ready TV via an external set-top box. It is worth remembering however that Freesat also requires a satellite dish.

We should stress at this point that the likes of Sky and Virgin offer a growing choice of HD channels in the UK but taking out a subscription to either one does not transform all of your TV viewing into the High Definition format.

Even with an HD ready TV, much of your viewing could still be in SD (Standard Definition). This leads us to one of our most important buying tips - When you visit your local retailer, make sure you see your TV in operation with Standard Definition as well as High Definition pictures.

Most screens look good with the benefit of an HD picture but results with an SD signal vary much more widely.

Now that you have a greater understanding of HDTV it is time to look at the various types of screens you can choose from.