Consumer checklist

When choosing a large flat screen TV it’s important that you don’t just automatically pick the one with the best specifications, that sounds the best ‘on paper’. You should also assess as accurately as possible exactly what you want from a TV and make that a key part of your purchasing process. Consider such elements as where you’ll be watching a TV and what you’ll be watching on it. After all, your TV is meant to suit your lifestyle, not vice versa.

With this in mind we have created a 9-point checklist to help you find the best flat screen technology for you.

Q. Do I watch a lot of sport?

We recommend that you choose a plasma screen, as a plasma TV has a better response rate than an LCD. This means that plasma can keep up with a fast moving object like a football better than LCD, so that the ball’s motion will look crisper and more detailed, hence more natural.

Q. Do I watch a lot of films?

Then you should choose a plasma screen, as they have the ability to produce truer blacks and a wider colour gamut than LCD screens. With a plasma TV you’ll be able to enjoy a greater sense of depth and detail during a film’s darker scenes, providing you with a viewing experience like that in a cinema right in the comfort of your own home.

Q. What size screen do I want?

Independent tests show that overall plasma TVs provide the optimum viewing performance for screens roughly 37 inches or higher.

Q. Do I watch a lot of High Definition TV and/or DVDs?

Then you should choose a plasma screen, as their extra colour and black level subtleties help emphasise the extra picture information contained in high definition sources.

Q. If I want my TV to produce very realistic images, which do I choose?

You should choose a plasma TV. By comparison, LCD screens tend to produce unrealistic, cartoon-like colours and contrasts that can look too bright and make dark areas look murky and grey.

Q. I have a family and/or have friends over to watch films and sporting events – which TV type best suits viewing by more than two persons?

If this is a consideration for you:
Then you should choose a plasma screen as their wider viewing angles means their pictures retain contrast and colour much better if viewed from the side unlike an LCD TV where picture quality can drop off at as little as 45 degree angles. With a plasma TV, your family and friends will all be able to enjoy the blockbuster film or the big match – no matter where they are sitting.

Q. Do I watch a lot of natural history programming?

If the answer is yes:
Since plasma technology can reproduce a wider range of the colours seen in the real world than any other large screen technology, natural history programmes will look more as ‘nature intended’.

Q. Do I want my screen to be ecologically friendly?

If the answer is yes:
Then you shouldn’t be put off purchasing a plasma TV by any rumours you may have heard! The reality is – as independent laboratory tests have proven – that plasma screens overall use nearly the same energy as LCD technology. In fact, because plasma power consumption changes depending on how bright the picture is, if you watch predominantly dark programmes and films, your plasma TV could actually use significantly less energy than an LCD!

Q. How highly do I value quality of manufacture?

If the answer is ‘quality matters very much to me’:
Most plasma TVs are manufactured end-to-end. Compare this with LCDs, which tend to be put together using various third-party components and then ‘re-badged’ with brand names, rather than being completely developed in-house by those brands. Generally speaking, when you purchase a plasma TV, most likely you are purchasing a product developed and produce by the actual name on that TV!