What to ask for in-store when buying a new LCD TV

It can often be quite a daunting prospect walking into store to buy a new TV. However without a TV you will be forced to play board games or worse talk to the family so it’s probably worth knowing what to ask for when you are in store. The last thing you want to do is end up walking out of the shop with the wrong TV.

Here are some basic tips when shopping for a TV -

• The vast majority of all TVs sold in the UK are both digital and HD Ready. What does that mean? Well a digital tuner allows you access to Freeview Channels so you can watch not just the usual five channels but also have access to a whole host of channels such as E4, BBC3 and 4, BBC News 24, TMF, Dave, More4, ITV 3 and most importantly for me Sky Sports News (channel 83 if you’re interested). A digital tuner will also give you access to a host of radio stations, so basically it’s a digital TV and a digital radio.
• A digital tuner will mean the TV will work after the analogue switchover. Always look for the digital tick logo! 
• Even our smallest TV, the 19AV615DB, is HD Ready so what does this mean?  Basically if you feed the TV an HD connection it will display in high definition. At present you can watch high definition content from sources like Freesat HD, Sky HD or you can also download HD content from websites including BBC iPlayer and view via your laptop. All our REGZA LCD TVs have multiple HDMI connections –  what you need to enjoy HD content.
• If you are a fan of games consoles it’s probably worth asking for a TV with a dedicated ‘Game Mode’ – game mode on the REGZA range is a setting which maximises the gaming experience by affectively reducing the processing requirements for normal TV viewing and also giving you the full view of the TV.
• Are you a fan of sport and action movies? If you are then it’s certainly worth looking at a 100Hz model or higher like the REGZA XV Series. If you have ever watched Aaron Lennon fly past a full back or watched Usain Bolt smash a world record on a lesser TV you may wonder who is chasing him. Slow 50Hz panels cannot cope with this kind of speed and it creates a ghosting shadow which can be very off putting. 100Hz really comes into its element when watching live sport.
• Do you want a Full HD or HD Ready TV? Bear in mind the content you will be watching and whether it is worth upgrading to Full HD.
• Be demanding when you are in-store and take the TV for a proper test drive. Ask to see the TV working when connected to a DVD player - something that you can at least bench mark against. Some stores have high definition signals, but this can be misleading as high definition content doesn’t replicate typical viewing experiences (yet). Also many stores simply split one signal between multiple TVs. This effectively dilutes the quality and the TV furthest away from the source normally looks the worst. It’s also worth asking to hear the volume turned up on the TV.
• Obviously screen size and price play a key role in any decision, but the key is to not be guided by the salesman into buying something that is either way beyond your needs or falls short of your expectations. In terms of size a 42” TV fits nicely in the back of a VW Golf.