Buying an LCD TV

All of the big TV manufacturers make LCD TVs, and liquid crystal display technology has quickly established itself as the most common type of HD TV, offering the widest range of screen sizes.

If you’re looking for a small, affordable HD TV, then an LCD screen is likely to be the best option. As plasma screens tend to come only in larger sizes, and while LED screens remain more expensive, LCD TVs tend to offer the best options for smaller and cheaper models.

LCD screens also tend to offer more energy-efficient performances than plasma displays. However, they still consume more energy than LED sets do.

In terms of picture quality, LCD technology continues to improve year on year. Traditionally, LCD TVs haven’t been able to match the deep blacks of plasma sets, but larger LCD screens tend to offer excellent HD pictures. Conversely, smaller LCD screens tend to produce excellent results for standard definition picture quality an important consideration given that most TV content these days is still non-HD.

Buying an LED TV

LED TVs have taken the market by storm, and since Sony and Samsung first debuted the technology all of the major TV manufacturers have launched their own LED sets.

To give an LED TV its full name is more of a mouthful: LED-lit LCD. LED TVs still employ standard LCD TV technology with one crucial difference the handful of traditional back light lamps that illuminate the screen have been replaced by hundreds of smaller LEDs.

The benefit of using the LEDs is that it allows the TV set to be significantly slimmer than most LCD or plasma sets. This allows for ultra-stylish slim screens that look great mounted on a wall.

The other benefit of LED screen technology is that it is significantly more energy-efficient than either LCD or plasma technology. LED sets tend to be much more forgiving on your electricity bills.

LED TVs tend to produce excellent colours and sharp detail, though like LCD sets, they tend to suffer from poor viewing angles. Often, if you’re not sat head-on to the TV, the picture quality will deteriorate, which is worth considering if you’re buying a TV for a wide living room.

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