| Feature |
Options |
Comments |
| Screen size |
Between 10 in and 30 in, measured diagonally
|
Size of screen is the main determining factor in price. In TVs
larger than 30 in, those with back-projected screens (using a system
similar to cinema screens) may have fewer problems than curved screens,
but may offer inferior picture quality |
| Broadcast standard |
PAL (phase alternation line)
• NTSC (National Television System Committee)
• SECAM (systeme electronique couleur avec memoire)
|
PAL is the UK standard; other standards apply in Europe, Asia,
and the Americas. Choosing a multi-standard TV is not important if
your VCR or DVD player converts to PAL from other standards. Multi-standard
TVs that support NTSC are useful if you want to connect up to the
latest, or more obscure, games consoles, which tend to be available
only from Japan or the USA (both NTSC territories). SECAM is the
French standard |
| Picture ratio |
4:3 (standard ratio)
16:9 (widescreen)
|
Width of screen in relation to height. Based on the ratio of the
human eye, widescreen is the format of cinema films. In picture quality,
widescreen and standard ratio TVs are the same. DVD technology enables
films to be seen on TV in their full cinema ratio. Normal TVs can
also show films in widescreen by imposing black bars at top and bottom
of screen. Widescreen TVs are considerably more expensive than standard
4:3 models |
| Audio formats |
NICAM
• Dolby Digital 5.1 (AC-3)
• Multichannel television sound (MTS)
• Digital theatre systems (DTS)
|
NICAM dominates terrestrial and satellite transmissions; Dolby
is more common on DVD and VHS movies. If you have a VCR or DVD player
that supports one of these audio enhancements and has separate audio
outputs, you will not need a TV with extra audio features. High-specification
TVs and those with larger screens often have improved sound support.
Although some imported TVs support MTS and DTS, these standards are
not widely used in UK terrestrial TV broadcasts, but are more common
on satellite and cable services |
| Inputs and outputs |
Scart socket set-top box connection
|
The Scart socket is the best connection method between any video
device and a TV. Some high-specification TVs contain a built-in
set-top box, or will allow for a direct connection to one. These
are rare in the UK
|
| Digital features |
• Picture-in-picture (PIP)
• On-screen programming (OSP)
|
PIP allows you to watch several channels on the screen simultaneously,
but you can only get one channel of sound. Most modern TVs allow
you to set up channels and alter picture quality using on-screen
messages. Beware large-screen TVs that do not offer OSP features;
they may be much older than they appear
|
| High-definition or increased horizontal lines |
625 lines
700 lines
1000 lines
|
High-definition TV has more lines of information on the screen,
potentially providing a better picture. UK TV broadcasts and DVDs
use 625 lines only; there is no guarantee that high-definition
TVs available at the time of writing will comply with whichever
standard is generally adopted within the next five years
|
| Flat-panel TV |
No options available |
Flat-panel TVs use computer laptop screen technology. Advantages
include less depth and weight and a slightly sharper picture than
large-screen TVs. Cost can be five to ten times that of normal TVs
of similar size; advances in use of light-emitting polymers may bring
costs down within five years |
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