There are plenty more cold winter nights ahead, so now is the perfect time to invest in a new television
Whether you want a state-of-the-art setup for your living room or something more low-key, here’s our guide to finding the right model for you.
A great TV for small rooms
If you have a small living room, or want a TV in your kitchen, bedroom or even the garden shed, there’s no point in getting a huge screen as you won’t be able to see the picture properly. The best size for rooms where you’ll be sat less than 2·4m away is up to 22in and the Tesco 19” Widescreen HD Ready LCD TV DVD Combi with Freeview, is a great choice, with its built-in DVD player and Freeview, plus excellent picture clarity and high quality digital audio.
A big screen on a budget
When it comes to entertaining the family, you might want a bigger screen, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. If you’re going to be sitting less than 3m from your TV, opt for a screen size of up to 32in. An excellent-value model is the Technika 32” HD Ready LCD TV with built in Freeview. Not only does this have Freeview, it also has the essential connectivity needed to add games consoles or computers to transform your TV into an all-round home-entertainment hub.
An action-packed choice
Get a front row seat at this year’s most exciting events, from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations to great sporting fixtures, with a TV that offers a full HD picture. The LG 42LK450 42” Full HD 1080p LCD TV, which is an ideal size if you’ll be sitting less than 3·6m away, offers an outstanding picture with sharp colours, plus exceptional sound from invisible speakers, so you’ll catch all the action as it happens, making it (almost) as good as being there.
For a 3D experience and more
If you’re after the cutting edge of television technology, including 3D, check out the Sony EX723 55” Full HD 1080p 3D Backlit LED TV. With built-in Freeview HD, big screen and super-slim profile, it’s ideal if you’ve got a large room where you’ll be sitting more than 3·6m from the picture. This model also features IPTV technology, which allows you to connect to the internet and access services such as the BBC iPlayer. And for great 3D viewing, the old school red and blue specs have been replaced with sleek black glasses, which enable you to jump straight into your favourite films or games. What’s more, even without the glasses, 2D viewing still looks fantastic with true-to-life colours and clear, sharp images.
Create a home cinema
Help make the tradition of your weekly family film night a wow-factor occasion with the Epson Full HD Projector, which will project a HD image on to any suitable wall. It’s easy to install and has an adjustable lens and zoom so you can customise your picture size. The crisp, high definition images look great, even in daylight, so you get an authentic cinema experience in your front room whenever you want. Just don’t forget the popcorn.
Bust the jargon
Your at-a-glance guide to the lingo...
HD TVs These give you up to five times more detail than standard definition. There are two types – HD Ready TVs, which give an excellent picture on smaller screens, and Full HD TVs that give an even higher-quality picture on larger screens. Some HD TVs come with Freeview HD built in, or you can get a Sky, Virgin or Freeview HD box. You can also watch movies in HD if you have a Blu-ray player.
LCD Most modern TVs have an LCD screen. These create a picture by shining a backlight through a series of tiny, coloured liquid crystals.
LED Similar to LCD TVs, but the backlight is replaced by lots of tiny LEDs (light-emitting diodes) which shine through the crystals to give the truest, most evenly-lit television picture money can buy.
3D A 3D picture displays two different perspectives of the same image to each eye, which, when viewed through 3D glasses, give the impression of depth.
Freeview This is an easy way to receive more than 80 free digital TV and radio channels, plus a range of interactive services, through your existing television aerial.
IPTV The wave of the future, this system enables you to view programmes using your broadband connection rather than an aerial or dish.
