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Which? LCD or Plasma TV |
The choice of LCD & plasma TVs can be overwhelming. Check out Which? reviews to cut through the jargon and select the TV that's right for you. The million dollar question, which flat-panel technology actually looks better on the screen? There are a couple of general observations to be made; many LCD TVs don't do blacks well, so darker pictures can look washed out and plasma TVs typically have wider viewing angles. Having said that, LCD TVs have the definite edge over plasmas in the rigorous Which? testing regime and find most favour with our exacting viewing panel. (c) Copyright Which? Ltd 2008, all rights reserved. |
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 | LCD and Plasma TVs: The beauty of LCD and plasma TVs is that they're much slimmer than conventional TV (about 20cm to 30cm deep compared with 50cm to 60cm deep for a 32-inch conventional set with a cathode ray tube). LCD and plasma TVs take up less space, have bigger screens, can be mounted on walls and look incredibly stylish. |
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 | Standard-definition television: Most of us watch standard-definition TV images. These are made up of 576 horizontal lines stacked up to form a picture. |
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 | High-definition television (HDTV): HDTV boasts roughly double the resolution of a standard-definition signal, making it more detailed and realistic. HDTV is available on Sky or Virgin for a monthly fee, or via Freesat for free. To watch you'll also need 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 thin on the ground. |
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 | 1080i and 1080p: There are two main types of HD picture - 1080i and 1080p. HDTV is broadcast in 1080i, but high-definition Blu-ray discs are recorded in 1080p. 1080p is marginally more detailed and realistic but the effect is really quite subtle. |
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| Title: LCD and plasma screen features |
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| Native/screen resolution: This is the number of pixels or lines displayed on the screen. Expressed as width x height, the highest screen resolution currently available is 1,920x1,080. |
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| Aspect ratio: The shape of the screen (width x height). Most LCD and plasma 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. |
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| Auto-format switching: It's a good idea to choose a widescreen LCD or plasma TV that automatically alters how different broadcasts are displayed - eg showing standard (4:3) broadcasts with black bands on either side so the images aren't stretched out of proportion. Most widescreen LCD and plasma TVs will do this. |
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| Picture-in-picture: Picture-in-picture displays a small image in the corner of the screen while you watch the main image. Some LCD and plasma TVs let you watch another broadcast channel in this way - so you can check the progress of a match, say. |
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| Electronic Programming Guide (EPG): Found on all IDTVs, this is an on-screen channel guide showing programming for the week ahead - a bit like having an electronic copy of the Radio Times at the touch of a button, on your LCD or plasma TV screen. The style and format of an EPG depends on the particular model of LCD or plasma TV but most show programmes at least seven days ahead, plus a 'Now and Next' option. |
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| So what's the best TV for you? By taking out a 30 day trial to www.which.co.uk you can discover all you need to know about LCD and Plasma TVs and find out our Best Buy recommendations. Which? is the leading independent consumer champion in the UK and has been testing products and services, as well as campaigning on behalf of the consumer, since 1957. It is committed to making individuals as powerful as the organisations they have to deal with in their daily lives. www.which.co.uk provides up to date, impartial, expert information on thousands of products and services to help people make the right choices, whatever they're buying. |
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| Acoustic Solutions, Atec, B&O, Daewoo, Goodmans, Hannspree, Hitachi, Humax, JVC, LG, Loewe, Logik, Marks&Spencer, Matsui, ONN, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Polaroid,Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Technika, Toshiba, Wharfedale |
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| £: 26-32 inch TVs starting at £292 |
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| ££: 32-40 inch TVs starting at £329 |
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| £££: 40-46 inch TVs starting at £449 |
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| ££££: 46-50 inch TVs starting at £743 |
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