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Every
Manufacturer and Size in both Plasma & LCD Formats Presented
With
The Aim of Making Your Purchase Decision As Easy As Possible.
LCD or Plasma Screen -
Which is best
The
most commonly
fretted about decision is LCD or Plasma. For a full explanation see our
previous article LCD
or Plasma - Which Is Best.
But for a quick answer you just need to know that there are minor to
medium importance pros and cons to each. The nice thing about all these
pros, cons and of course the final decision is that they are nullified
by going through the process of selecting a TV by choosing one which is
most
suitable for you!
For
example if you decide you want a 26" then there will only be LCD
screens and if you want a 60" there will only be Plasma at that size.
So just read on and your decision will become clearer.
Size Matters
This
is perhaps the easiest of all the choices. Quite simply its really
about how big, or small you
want your LCD or Plasma screen to be while bearing in mind
some practical and common sense considerations.
After
thinking about what size you want
consider
how big your room is and where you and your family will be seated. It
is recommended that you sit at least 3x the size of the screen away. To
avoid
eye strain and the rarer (but more serious) photosensitive seizures.
So where will the TV audience be, and how far away. If you want a 60"
Mega Plasma, is your room big enough to be absolutely safe.
And if you want a full explanation on where to put your new TV read our
previous article, Where
To Put Your Plasma/LCD TV.
Which
Make Is
Best?
By Now you should know
what size you want/need and you should have put the LCD/Plasma
dilemma to the back of your mind (for now). This argument is also quite
simple. I will explain. There are very few actual manufacturers of
retail screens. The actual situation regarding who makes what for who
is incredibly complex. For example in some instances a screen is
'invented' and therefor patented to one manufacturer. But that screen
can (and usually is) actually produced by a factory not owned by any of
the main manufacturers and can then be sold, re branded (sometimes by
the original patent holder. It is true that both Samsung and Sony do
have there own screen manufacturing plants. But not all there screens
come from there own plants and, yes, you guessed it they sell there
screens from these plants to the other brand names as well.
With
regard to the other components that go with the screens to make the
whole TV. Processors, receivers, power supply etc. Yep they come from
all over. Trying to work out who made what and how good any given
component is, is simply not possible.
The
manufacturers
knowing that they don't have that much to distinguish themselves from
the rest of the pack have invented something to do just that! It is
this 'thing' that the manufacturers have invented that is the focus of
the vast majority of their marketing. I am referring to the multitude
of "image enhancement technologies" IET's. So what are they and which
is best?
You have probably heard of Samsung dNIE, Sony Bravia, Philips PixelPlus...
The list goes on. Simply they are all methods of changing the picture
that the TV is meant to display. The processor in the TV when the IET
is switched on alters some of the characteristics of the picture. It is
true there are odd occasions when this can have a positive effect but
generally speaking most people who have had there TV for a while switch
off IET's. To sum up IET's if George Lucas intended his HD production
of Revenge of The Syth to be different, he would have made it that way
himself. If you want to know more about IET's then read Image Enhancement
Technologys and Samsung
dNIE - Enhancement or Gimmick.
So
In summary do not let the make and its associated technology label be a
factor. Having said all this it is true that some of the own brands,
usually distinguishable by there significant price difference do select
from the cheapest components. So a good rule of thumb would be to stick
to a major brand but dont worry too much about which one.
What
Features Do I Need/Want
This
is what really matters. And choosing the right features will almost
completely determine which TV is best for YOU.
After reading this section you will hopefully only need to decide where
and how to buy.
Here is a feature list with
explanations of jargon so you can decide what you need and what you
dont need.
High-definition
television (HDTV)
HDTV is a new system that
transmits a
TV signal with roughly twice the standard picture resolution as normal
standard definition telly. Both Sky (satellite) and Telewest (cable)
operate HDTV channels. To watch you need a subscription to either one
of these services and an 'HD ready' TV. However, not everything on the
dedicated HD channels is actually recorded in HD. More programmes are
being recorded in HD all the time but content can be a bit thin on the
ground.
Contrast
Ratio
The higher the number the greater the
difference between the brightest and darkest pixels. The greater the
difference the greater the potential for higher image quality.
Pixel
Resolution
The number of pixels left to right
and
top to bottom. Generally speaking a higher number offers the potential
for a higher quality picture.
Brightness
cd/m2
Like contrast the greater the potential brightness the greater the
potential for a higher quality image.
Audio
power output (RMS)
The higher the figure the
louder the
output (usually) before distortion occurs.
HD
ready
'HD ready' is a labelling scheme introduced by the TV manufacturers'
organisation, the European Industry Association for Information Systems
(EICTA). The label means the TV has the minimum screen resolution (at
least 1280x720) and digital sockets (HDMI or DVI) to receive and
display an HD picture.
plasma
A plasma display is an array of tiny gas cells sandwiched between two
sheets of glass. Each cell acts like a mini fluorescent tube, emitting
ultraviolet light which then strikes red, green and blue spots on the
screen. These spots glow to build a picture.
Native/screen
resolution
This is the number of pixels or lines displayed on the screen.
Expressed as width x height.
Aspect
Ratio
The shape of the screen (width x height). The vast majority of TVs are
now wide-screen with an aspect ratio of 16:9. Older TVs and some
portables have an aspect ratio of 4:3. Digital TV is broadcast in a
widescreen format.
Auto-Format
Switching
It's a good idea to choose a widescreen TV that automatically alters
how different broadcasts are displayed – for example, showing
standard (4:3) broadcasts with black bands on either side so the images
aren't stretched out of proportion. Most widescreen TVs will do this.
Picture enhancement features
Be
wary of these digital effects,
designed to make pictures sharper and movement smoother. Our tests show
they sometimes degrade picture quality.
Text
and digital text
With a set-top box or integrated digital TV, you can access the digital
text services available on some digital channels. These look like
internet pages, and some let you watch an inset of the TV picture at
the same time.
Picture in picture
(PIP)
Picture-in-picture displays a small image in the corner of the screen
while you watch the main image. Some TVs let you watch another
broadcast channel in this way – so you can check the progress
of a match, say.
RF input
This is the socket for your aerial and allows the broadcast signal to
be received by your tuner.
Scart
with RGB
Scarts are the best way to connect equipment like DVD players and VCRs
to your TV. Most TVs now come with at least two Scart sockets. If you
need more, you can buy a Scart switching box for £10 or so to
expand your TV's capacity.
For the best picture, look for Scarts that support the high-standard
RGB signal. This splits the video signal into its red, blue and green
components to give an improved picture.
Video
and S-Video
If you're short of Scart inputs composite video and s-video can provide
an alternative. S-Video signals are split into colour and brightness
but are slightly inferior to Scart RGB.
Composite
video
Both let you plug other AV equipment, such as camcorders and games
consoles, directly into your TV.
HDMI
input
If you're interested in HD this is the high-capacity input for
high-definition video and audio signals. Two HDMI sockets mean you
could plug in both an HD set-top box and an HD DVD player.
DVI
input
This is the standard digital input used for high definition video.
Unlike HDMI it cannot carry audio signals.
VGA
input
VGA input to connect your PC
A VGA input lets you connect your PC - effectively turning your TV into
a PC monitor. Digital DVI sockets provide an alternative but in our
tests VGA looked better on the screen. DVI can over enhance the
picture, making it too sharp.
Component
video input
This is a high quality video input made up of three sockets coloured
red, green and blue. Also known as YPbPr, it splits the video signal
into three separate parts for an improved picture.
However, component connections are still not widely used on AV
equipment and unlike Scart sockets they do not carry the widescreen
switching signal.
Phono sockets
These red and white sockets allow you to connect your TV to a stereo
amplifier - useful if the built-in speakers aren't quite up to the job.
Surround sound
Some TVs come with an extra set of speakers you place away from the set
to create surround sound. Many other TVs have 'virtual' surround sound:
they mimic the effect using the two main speakers, but this is usually
disappointing.
Optical output
If you want to connect your TV
directly to a surround sound system there are two types of digital
connections - coaxial (wire) and optical (fibre optic). Make sure your
surround sound system input matches the input on your TV.
Where
To Buy?
Over the years my
views have changed with regard to the best place to buy your LCD or
Plasma TV.
Changes and improvements to the PayPal buyer
protection program have made Ebay an extremely viable option.
Ebay
has always been by far the cheapest for this type of purchase. The
price savings for Ebay retailers over those on the high street are
obvious but why they can beat other online retailers is not so obvious.
The
two major overheads for a conventional online retailer are web site
development and paying to get viewers onto their web sites. The first
of these costs is almost entirely reduced to zero for an Ebay retailer
because when you open an Ebay shop (which costs less than
£10) you are
able to design and stock your shop with just a few clicks. The second
with regard to getting visitors saves an Ebay 'shop keeper' a small
fortune. If you open a shop on Ebay and fill it with desireable
merchandise you will get many visitors! Period! If you open your own
web site you have to pay the likes of Google and Yahoo to send visitors
and you have to manage extremely complex and time consuming advertising
campaigns (which may or may not work).
So does this
mean that
Ebay sellers make more profit on there Plasma & LCD TVs? No!
Why?
Simply because Ebay is such a good place to open a shop, loads of
people do it. This means that Ebay sellers are under as much (if not
more) pressure to cut their margins to the bone to get sales. This
means for you and I the absolute best bargains are to be had on Ebay.
This is not true for all types of electronics but it is true for LCD
and Plasma TVs.
How
To Buy?
Choose
your TV first. Start by clicking on the selections below and reading
more detail. Then choose based on the simple advice we have given and
the features you want. If you are still not sure then pester the
sellers. Most are very efficient at getting back to their customers
quickly with answers. Once you have chosen have a look at our
guidelines (below the prices and pictures) to ensure you get good
service and purchase safely.
Check out this. The
lowest price 26" Samsung. Compare it to the stores. It is probably
unbeatable!
Here
is the best price Ebay have for a 26" LG LCD TV. It is probably the
best on the net!
Lowest
Price for a 42" Sony Plasma.
Lowest
Price for a 42" Samsung Plasma Television.
Check
out this. The lowest price for a 50" Samsung Plasma
And
a 50" Philips Plasma
And
now the big ones!!
Our
Ebay
Buying Tips
1)
Choose a seller with their own Ebay Shop. These are the most
professional and efficient sellers and the ones most likely to conform
to the rest of the guidelines. You can tell if a seller has their own
shop by looking at the top right of the sellers advert. It will say
"Meet The Seller" and a few lines below that will be a little red door
and the name of the sellers shop. You can click on it to visit their
shop. It is often worth doing this because they usually have products
that are not available from the main part of the Ebay site.
2)
Choose a seller with at least 98% positive feedback. This tells you
that the vast majority of their customers was pleased with the product
and transaction. 98% might seem quite high but there are a surprisingly
high number of sellers who have 98% or better. Pretty impressive if you
interviewed 100 high street TV purchasers what are the chances that
only 2 would grumble about something?
3)
Choose a
seller with at least a few hundred sales under there belt. Common sense
it is easy to get one transaction right. But to sell a few hundred TVs
and still have a good rating takes skill and genuine care for your
customers.
4) Choose a seller
who qualifies for PayPal
buyer protection. In the unlikely event that the TV vanishes between
the seller and you PayPal has already verified the credentials of the
seller and can take back your money from the seller for you.
5)
Use PayPal. Simple - safe - instant. And no I am not affiliated with
PayPal. Feel free to use whatever methods of payment the seller offers
but I suggest PayPal.
THE END
I
hope you will soon be the proud owner of the perfect TV for you.
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