Help when buying a Laptop, what to look out for!

As with most electrical products, knowing exactly what to buy can be very difficult especially with computers. Laptops, Netbook, Tablets, Ultra mobiles are all increasing in performance power, becoming faster and faster for an ever increasing demanding software. This means that technology can be out of date within no time after buying your brand new computer. This is not designed to go into minute detail on what every aspect of computers are, but rather explain just enough to get you started with some ideas of what to look out for. So here are a few tips on what you should be looking for when buying.

Before going over the most important aspects to look for in each computer there is one tip that if there's anything you should take away from reading in this blog it is this; Don't buy for just today, buy for the future! Too many times have I talked to customers that aim to buy a laptop with minimal specs because it will do what they need for now, they're also the first to complain that their laptop is too slow. An OK computer today might not be an OK computer in a couple of years. In fact there’s a chance it will be struggling by that time. If it means spending £50/$80 extra for a far superior computer, do it. Even if it means you only get another 12 to 18 months of good life out of the laptop it's going to be worth it before taking another plunge into buying another machine.

Processing power.
This is the most important part of your computer. It's the brains of your system, and the better this is the better the overall performance of your computer will be. The two most available processors are AMD and Intel. While Intel are usually faster, AMD are becoming more and more popular as a good priced product for what you get for your money. Intel's processors range from the Celeron, Pentium, i3, i5, i7. The AMD processors start from the AMD Sempron or Neo, AMD Turion, AMD Phenom (I apologise for the names, gees, why not call it 5, 10 and 20???) The graph below shows the difference between what applications can be run on each of the different processors. AMD Sempron is equivalent to Pentium, Turion to i3, Phenom to i5/i7.

Personally an Intel i3/i5 of AMD Turion should be enough for the average laptop or computer buyer.

RAM

Random access memory or memory works hand in hand with the processor, it allows programs to be stored here so the information can be processed quicker. Simply put, more RAM equals quicker processing, as long as the RAM amount is equally as good as the processor. There is no point of having a poor processor with lots of RAM. The amount of memory you should be looking for the average computer should be 3 or 4 GB. Anything less is again going to be outdated quickly. 

Hard Drive

The hard drive is the total amount of memory that is available for the computer. It will store all the programs, your work, films, music, everything. This was once the most important aspect of a computer, there was no point in having very little memory as you would have difficultly doing anything with the computer if you couldn't store many programs on it. However hard drive memory is now cheap, if your computer is running low on memory you can always buy a portable hard drive. As a tip I would personal put as much of your files on a portable hard drive, this can aid in keeping the computer running smoothly for as long as possible. I would be looking for at least 250 GB of hard drive in my computer, and if you do store a lot of files (documents, movies, music) then look for at least 500 GB.

Graphic Card

This can get complicated, there are many different cards on the market. However there are two different types of graphic card, dedicated and integrated. Integrated are normally part of the RAM, while dedicated are separate processors designed just for graphic. If you’re using your laptop for gaming or editing you will need a dedicated graphics card.

Wireless Card

The wireless card will determine the range your laptop or computer will be able to wirelessly connect to a router. These either come in g class, the most basic. n and n300. The n300 combines good range with the connections speeds into 300Mb/s. This would be ideal for a laptop as hopefully within the next few years broadband speeds will soar with the integration of the fibre optic cable throughout the country.

Other things to take into account.

Screen size

HDMI port - to connect to a TV.

Battery Life.

Hope these tips will help finding the right computer for you that little bit easier. Any more information please leave a comment for us to get back to you.

   

The NEW Samsung D8000, hot or not...

In the wake of the release of the new Samsung D8000 is about to be released onto the UK market.  And after the success of the C8000, what have they done this time round to seduce you into its beauty.  There is no doubt that yet again this will be one of the best looking TV's on the market, but has it improved? What have they added? What have the taken away? and is it going to be the best TV this year?

Well, I think its pretty safe to say that it is definitely better than its predecessor, with a full internet web browser, 5 millimeter screen surround, built in wireless, and new style 3D glasses, it will be challenging the likes of the Panasonic V30, Sony HX923 and the new LG nfinia range.  With all of these improvements surely its not all good?

The built in web browser, and WiFi are for me the best improvements on the D8000,  however I think Samsung may have missed a bit of a trick, the new sleek and stylish 3D glasses use Bluetooth rather than the glasses of the  predecessor using infra-red.  This in turn means that the two differing types of glasses are not compatible with the different generations of TV.  Last years glasses will not work with the D8000 and the new glasses will not work with the C8000. This risks angering people who unaware that buying cheaper glasses over the internet will not work with there new TV.

As previously mentioned the style of the D8000 is remarkable I will be extremely surprised if I speak to anyone that doesn't like the look of it, because to be fair they'd be wrong.  They have taken the perspex edging away, and gone for a more c7000-esq design with a rounded finish, still in silver, with an almost invisible frame at only 5 mm big.  If there is a better looking TV this year then I think I might marry it.

It is certainly going to be interesting this year, as the TV's on the market are not just going to be judged on picture quality anymore, as they are all now expected to give you an exceptional picture anyway.  For me this is going to be the most desired TV of 2011, it ticks all the boxes and more.  People that might already have a 3D Samsung will be furious that they can't use their existing glasses, but that won't stop everyone wanting one, and why not, it's going to be brilliant.

DLNA - The future of Technology!

DLNA - Digital Living Network Alliance. Within the next couple of years those words will be a house hold name in the same way that Bluetooth is known by all. DLNA is a piece of technology that will revolutionise the way we use technology. DLNA is a univeral wireless technology. Hasn't that already been done you ask, well yes, methods of wireless technology have been around for over ten years now, people have been able to send wirelessly information such as pictures to each other but larger files have always been difficult. This is where DLNA comes into its own. In the future you will be able to connect all your electrical appliances to one another, currently it DLNA certified products include, TV's Computers, Tablets, Camera's, DVD and Bluray players, Mobile phones, Photo frames, Set top boxes, Network Storage devices, Gaming consoles with many more different technological products expected to be fully wireless within the next 12 months. Currently there are 200 companies involved in DLNA with over 9000 different products available but this is expected to rise to the hundreds of millions by 2014. DLNA is and will be compatible by all companies so there so there is no worry that half your products won't be able to talk to each other.

If your products have this logo it is DLNA certified.
So what will I be able to do with this wireless Technology?
You have just come back from holiday and want to show the family your videos and photos. Within seconds you are transmitting all your photos and videos to the TV, once you are done you will be able to send all the information to a network storage device for safe keeping, while the rest of the family are viewing your photos and films you’re on your laptop sending your pictures to facebook. All of this is possible if the products are DLNA certified and not one cable is needed between any of the devices. It will also mean that only one recording device will be needed in the future, it's possible that 4 different TV's can watch 4 different films from one storage device all at the same time. One way or another DLNA will be part of your future with the products that you will buy.

For a list of all DLNA products click here, http://www.dlna.org/products/

So what do you think of DLNA and are you currently using this wireless service? Please leave your comments below.

Budget buy's under £300.

What can you expect to get for under 300 quid, in the current market?

Well if you're not bothered about buying online you could easily pick up a full HD 32" Samsung or LG.  But many people don't trust buying online as there can be plenty of potential hiccups, with the after sales service, if the TV developed a fault etc, which isn't ideal.  Although the plus side to buying online is its probably going to be cheaper than in stores.

Say you wanted to buy from your local electrical retailer, for £300 I would be surprised if you could get a "known" brand that is full HD, there may be the odd offer somewhere and if there is I say snap there hands off.  Realistically at the minute, if the pennies are tight and you want the best for your money, I would be looking at either the Panasonic X20 Sony ex301, the Samsung C450, or the LG 320  all 32" for me the front runner would be the Samsung C450, it gives a much brighter, crisper, clearer image than the rest, and the design too holds it just in front of its rivals.  The X20 Panasonic is a close second and would probably be most peoples first choice, but not mine.

If brand doesn't bother you, (which for me, it probably should), this Christmas there were a few 42" plasma's floating about for 299 quid which to be fair is an absolute steal, the quality isn't going to be anything near that of a leading brand plasma, but for your money you are certainly getting a lot of TV.

For me if you are on a strict budget, shop around, browse the web, see if there are any ex demo TV's available at a discount price and if you can get anything with a better spec than a Samsung 32" C450 you have done alright.

Let us know if you find any bargains anywhere, we would love to know whats about.

Tips for buying a TV (March to April)

A very quick blog, with a very simple message. If you are thinking about buying a new TV any time soon you had better hurry up. I must admit there are some very good TV's about to come out, New designs, better specs, extra features. All very good. However unless money is no option and lucky you if it isn't, the new models will be costing you alot more for roughly the same picture quality. It's all great trying to buy a TV which can do 4K2 (ultra high definition), but no formats can really support that quite yet. If it's color quality you want you can't beat top end LED's or Plasma's espcially the Panasonic V/ VT20. So save your money. TV's such as the Sony nx713, hx803, lx903, Samsung c6000, c750, c680, c6900, c7000 (plasma and led) c8000, LG Infinia range, Panasonic G20, GT20, V20 VT20. These are all great TV's that can be brought at very good prices at the moment as alot of the companies are getting rid of them to make way for all the new models which will be released within the next few weeks. Again hope this helps. Ever need any advice on any TV or other technological product leave a comment and i ll get back as soon as possible.

I pad 2, Technological Revolution or Money Making Gimmick!

We are getting ever closer to the release of the I pad 2, but is the world ready for it? It has been only 11 months since the orginal I pad made an impact on the world, with respect to the computer market and equally to that of the fashion market. Some people also believe that this gap between the 2 products is too early, this review will discuss both sides of the argument.

The Spec.
The majority of you reading this will already know what the difference is between the I Pad 2 and the I Pad. Simply it is quicker, slimmer, with better graphics and new features. But thats it. From what we know there is nothing that you will not be able to do on the new I pad that you couldn't with the original, except conference calling. So is this good enough?

Keeping up with the times.
With the success of the I pad, tablets have been the next big thing and have asserted a large market share of the commerial computer market. If 2010 was known as the year of the I pad, 2011 will be known as the year of the tablet. Apple had a 90% dominance of tablets in 2010, with Samsung being its only threat. But now Apple has to be wary of competition from Android. Android will be the operating system for companies making tablets this year. These companies include, Motorola, Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, HTC, and LG, to name a few. Although I believe none of these companies can rival Apple in terms of sales, Android itself may out do Apple just by strength in numbers. If it is Apple verus the world it is Apple verus Android. I personally believe it is android that has accelerated the I Pad 2 release.

Now or later?
With such a range of companies now closing in on Apple's "tablet" market, Apple have been led to a cross roads with two options. One, wait for the competition to release their tablets and make the I Pad 2 a more technological advanced piece of hardware, but risk losing their own market share. Or two; release the I pad 2 early and hope that customers will still buy, even though the competition will be significantly better in every technical aspect (graphics, features, processing power, etc). However with this option, the I pad 2 may struggle leading up to christmas. Apple decided to pick the latter of these two options and its not suprising as it has never really been the most technical of products. Before the release of the I touch, Archos already had a product out which was far more technically advanced than that of the I touch. But despite this Apple has excelled against the competition and this is again why Apple have opted for this early release. As much as Apple have good products, I believe it is Apple's fashion status that has pushed it into power. This fashion dominance, is Apples biggest strength but may one day start to become its biggest weakness.

Another Apple product!
Everyone who is anyone has Apple. If you don't have the new Apple i phone or mac, you are behind on what is cool. But with another product that keeps needing to be replaced to stay fashionable, it is becoming increasingly expensive to be an Apple fan. I'm not saying that this is unique to Apple in bringing out products that seems so close to the last release. Actually to be fair, Apple are one of the best, many companies involved in selling electrical technology will have several upgraded products throughout the year. However what is unique to apple is that their products are so advertised and sought out for their fashionable status that the world knows when a new Apple product is out, apple don't even need to advertise, everyone else does that for them. Magizines, News, your friends and family. But again this also acts as a reminder that you now own an old product that needs updating.

I personally believe this product is going to be the achiles heel for Apple. With the times we live in, with money tight, people will be more likely to spend their money on a new phone (i phone) or computer (mac) than a product that is in between. Both the i phone and mac are getting bigger and bigger and may even one day verge on the overall success of apple in terms of MP3/4 market. Portable music is Apple and no one can compete. I think the other companies know that the phone and computer markets are nearly impossible to compete with Apple. But the tablet market is still open to anyone, for now that is anyway.

So for you reading this I'm curious to know what you plan to do. For you that are Apple fans, are you planning to re buy? Can you justify paying alot of money for a product that when released with be already be behind compared to it's competitors.  Are you happy buying a better spec I Pad even though your orginal I pad is still fine. Do you make full use of your I pad or is it that it is the latest thing to buy? Please leave your comments and answer the poll. 

    

3D, should you believe the hype?

there are many questions hovering over the new 3D TV's, mainly involving "who's going to sit there wearing glasses, and watch telly?" erm, well people that wear glasses for a start...

but seriously, yeah I can see why some people wouldn't want to do it, its a fair point, and for those of you that are going to wait until they come out with out glasses, enjoy the wait.

For me if I was going to get one of the 3D TV's on the market at the minute I would only get one or two of them.  top of my list would be the Panasonic VT20.  A personal favourite, that blows the competition out the water in my opinion.  If i had to buy one 3D TV at the minute that would be the one! The GT20, a similar version to the V series, is also exceptional in 3D, this is mainly due to the PDP panels that Panasonic use.  There are plenty of TV's out there that are worth getting, now don't get me wrong, the Samsung 8000, and the Sony 803, are both brilliant, and lovely looking TV's that I would love to own.  But in 3D they seem to lack a little bit of wow factor, and although in every other aspect, I would take them hands down over the more expensive Panasonic.  But that's not why we're hear, we want the best 3D and that means looking further than nice design, or good features built into the TV.

I'm sure, and I've been told by a few people, that some of the 2011 range from a variety of brands have stepped it up a gear.  And I really hope they have, as the prices drop and 3D becomes more and more popular, the market is going to become much more competitive, as more and more content becomes available, demand is going to rise, but how many uneducated buyers are going to be unsatisfied with there purchase?  hopefully those of you who read the simple advice blogs won't fall for one of the weaker models, and be fully satisfied with your 3D TV.

all in all 3D is here and everyone is on board, its a revolutionary advancement, that might be a bit of a gimmick, but its certainly in some cases a very good gimmick, that can make or break a TV.  So why not get a 3D TV they're brilliant, and in most cases, if you want a high spec TV the chances are it's going to be 3D capable.  Go with the flow, embrace the advancement in technology and go for it.

SONY, PANASONIC, SAMSUNG, LG, TOSHIBA the list is endless but which is best???

when buying a TV there is a minefield of choice.  one of the first big decisions for any buyer is which brand to go for?

so which is best?  what are the pros and cons of each competitor? and probably most importantly which is best value for money?

PANASONIC

You could read every review under the sun and there is one brand that will top pretty much every poll, Panasonic.  everyone loves Panasonic in the TV world and so they should they are brilliant. as long as you're talking about plasma's and by plasma's I mean the high end ones.  for me if you want the best and money is no object then a good Panasonic plasma is the way to go.  but there are plenty of the Panasonic range that get a good run for their money, and i don't feel that in the case of good quality LED's and with the internet features of a lot of TV's now Panasonic have some work to do in the next range and looking at things thats exactly what they are doing.

SONY

Sony are another brilliant brand that has a massive following and again you pay a premium for this brand in general, however unlike Panasonic they have an ace up there sleeve in their most recent range of TV's.  Sony Bravia internet video an awesome feature that has the same menu as the PS3 dashboard, allowing access to BBC i player, you tube, Facebook and love film. however as described in the 3D TV blog there are reasons to avoid the higher end Sony TV's.

SAMSUNG


Samsung are the design leaders in the TV market, and without doubt their range is consistently the best looking, always sleek, clean, crisp in design.  if you want a lovely piece of furniture not just a high quality TV then there will surely be a Samsung that takes your fancy.  With a massive range of LCD, LED and plasma's from entry level models to the outstanding Samsung c9000, there is definitely something for everyone.  I don't speak to many people that aren't impressed with the colours, and vividness of Samsung TV's and why wouldn't they be, not the most reliable brand in the world, but value for money I definitely think they're up there with the best of them! there are definitely a few Samsung TV's that I would choose over some of its main rivals.  always marked down for sounds quality, which is fair as Samsung even admit they don't focus on their speaker quality as a key selling point, but they have a pretty solid argument, in that why focus on the speaker quality in the TV when you can always add surround sound, and external speakers to give you that better quality.  But your TV is all about the picture quality, and design.  and thats what you get with a Samsung, great picture quality and brilliant design.

LG


Another brand that gets very good reviews right across the board,  however there are definite downsides to LG, although they continually tick boxes and like Panasonic LG does have its fans as far as clear cut quality goes I think they're lacking something. now don't get me wrong value for money is fantastic with LG you certainly do get a lot for your money, I should know I've got one, and all in all its good it could be better but for what I paid for it and for what I expected its not bad.  but that for me seems to be the problem with LG they don't push my buttons.  they're picture quality doesn't strike me like that of a Samsung, they're plasma's aren't a patch on Panasonic, the features don't jump out and wow you like Sony and i just don't think they have anything other than price to determine why they are better than they're rivals.  Again don't get me wrong why not buy a TV that is much cheaper than another brand when on paper they're the same thing? all in all they're definitely a strong runner up in the market but for me they're always going to be a runner up to the bigger brands.

Toshiba, Sharp, Sanyo, and retailers own brands.


Toshiba are a really good TV brand, that like LG continually get good reviews but don't and never will have the brand dominance of Samsung, Sony or Panasonic.  The same with Sharp, the quattron range is brilliant, it really is, but are they the best TV's on the market? no definitely not.  I personally think with sharps quattron range they've fixed something that wasn't broke.  there are plenty of people that have bought into it and I can see why but for me there are without doubt better TV's on the market.   retailers own brand's well where to start for the money you pay and the quality you get, there is definitely somewhere that you could get a branded, much higher quality product for just a few extra quid, and you wouldn't regret spending it!


Bar the odd really good offer, you get what you pay for, but do your homework make sure get all the features you're looking for!

jargon busting TV's

looking at buying a new TV?

Don't really get all the jargon and specification of the TV's you're looking at?  lets see what we can do.

where to start.... this is just a basic guide to help you tell the difference between TV's, what drives the price up, why one might be better than the other etc.


whats LED, LCD, and plasma mean???


this is the easy bit,  LCD and LED TV's only vary in one way! the lighting used behind the screen.

in fact an LED TV is actually an LCD TV with LED backlighting. Light emitting diodes (LED's) run either throughout the back of the panel, or round the edges of the screen to focus light through pixels to give an extremely bright and vivid image on the screen.

LCD TV's have a liquid crystal display screen and cold cathode florescent lamps or CCFL tubes running behind the screen, from left to right, giving an even burst of light throughout the screen.
(for information on which is best read our should I buy this TV blog)

Plasma TV's often found at sizes 42" and above as they are much easier and cheaper to produce than its competitors at large sizes.  essentially a Plasma TV is two layers of glass separated by thousands of pixels, each filled with gas.

for more technical info on LCD, LED or plasma TV's check out the Should I buy this TV? blog.

720p, 1080i, 1080p which is best???

so all new TV's now are HD READY, this means that if it is HD READY that it has a screen resolution of 720p.  Don't worry though 720p is still high definition, it just means there is 720 horizontal lines going across the screen! 1080i is also a type of high definition, this is what sky HD is broadcast in,  a TV with 1080i means that the TV has 1080 lines going across the screen however with each frame it can only use half of those lines for example in one frame the image will be shown on lines 1,3,5,7 etc.  then on the next frame the image will be shown on lines 2,4,6,8 etc.  dead easy!  so, 1080p, this is the one everyone wants, if your TV is 1080p congratulations your TV is full HD.  this means that it can use all of its 1080 lines at once giving you the best possible picture.  Blu ray, and the PS3 ( which is also blu ray) both give a 1080p picture.

50 hz, 100hz, 200hz, 400hz, 600hz???

whats hz? hz or hertz is the rate at which the screen flicks between images.  all formats onto a TV are inputted at 50hz. meaning no matter how advanced your input device your TV will display it, winner!

this is the confusing part, stay focused!

if its inputted at 50hz why do I need it to be higher?

great question, 100hz on a TV essentially is attempting to eradicate any motion blur, what is happening is that each image shown on the screen is set to be followed by the next image, a 100hz TV however is inputting a generated frame into the sequence. so it should go original image-generated image-original image.

200hz is slightly different from 100hz, ( this is where it gets complicated) the sequence would look like this.

original image, blank screen, generated image, blank screen, original image.

the blank screens vary between manufacturers some use a blank white screen some use black.  Again this feature allows the pixels in the screen time to react to the next image making things seem smoother.

TV's with a higher refresh rate are generally better for sports and movies, or anything that has a lot of movement, you can often tell the difference between a 50hz TV and one with a higher refresh rate when there is rolling text along the screen. for example the news, or the end credits of a film or program.

TV's that are 600hz can only be plasma TV's the reason the refresh rate on a plasma is so high is that unlike an LCD or LED back light TV, the plasma screen is not having to rely on the reaction time between the back lighting and the display pixel.  each pixel in a plasma acts rather than reacts, meaning the response time is much faster and therefore the refresh rate can be higher.

(see should I buy this TV blog for info on LCD, LED and plasma.)


other features such as DLNA, internet TV,  the speakers used, the engines used etc will all have their own dedicated blogs.

in a nutshell the higher the numbers on the spec sheet of a TV the better!  but beware some brands and models are much better than others.

NEW 3D TV - what you need to know!

3D TV's are all the rage and the newest technology on the market.  but how do they work? how much do they cost? which one is best? and most importantly which one is right for me? all these questions and more can be answered.

First things first, any 3D TV that you may buy, is not 3D all the time, it is more like 3D ready or 3D capable, certain settings in the TV can be altered so that you can watch transmissions in 3D.

loads of people ask me "can't you just use the glasses that you pick up in the cinema for free, or in the pubs now?"  the simple answer is no, you can't, unless you went for a passive 3D TV like the LG  LD950. (I will explain what passive is later on)

Most (almost all) 3D TV's use active shutter technology, where the glasses essentially cover your left eye completely then switch to the right eye and repeat this in rapid succession.  this allows one eye to view the left image on the screen and the other eye to view the right image on the screen giving you a 3D effect.
(the only brand that don't follow this completely is Sony, but we will come to that bit later)

In the cinemas and with passive technology the glasses are much less advanced and simply have horizontal lines covering one eye and vertical lines covering the other.

Yeah ok sounds good, But what does all this mean?????

next time you're in the cinema watching a 3D film tilt your head and watch the film go out of focus, this happens because the lines on the glasses are now the wrong way around and the 3D effect is lost.  with active shutter glasses this doesn't happen,  you can also sit at a much wider angle with the active shutter glasses, meaning it is much better designed for your home, so you can lie down on the floor, with a beer, at a ridiculous angle to your telly and still watch avatar in 3D, thinking its awesome!

Right so active shutter sounds good, whats are the downsides???

If you go out looking for a new 3D TV, I can't stress enough how much you should give it a test drive!!
look out for cross talk, and flickering with the glasses. (whats cross talk?) cross talk is when the 3D glasses and the screen of the TV are still out of focus meaning you don't get the full 3D effect, this can be very noticeable on some 3D TV's, some LG TV's in my experience suffer from cross talk quite badly.

If you want the best quality 3D on your TV and lets be honest why wouldn't you, stay away from TV's that are only 100hz or 50hz and only HD ready 720p.(for jargon busting look out for our jargon busting blog)  although you might be fine with these TV's  on normal 2D TV and in HD, 3D will really bring out these weaknesses, and although some of these TV's might seem "a bargain" if it looks to good to be true it probably is and the 3D TV next to it that is double the price, is so for a reason.

so what did you say about Sony being different??

well yeah this is the confusing bit, Sony have adopted a slightly different approach to their 3D transmission, a lot of their TV's come with external sensors, rather than have it built into the set itself, this is their argument for 3D ready.  however this is just the start of it.  remember passive and active shutter 3D well Sony use active shutter and passive technology all at once.  their glasses flick between horizontal and vertical rather than on and off.  this give you all the positives and negatives of passive 3D and all the positives and negative of active shutter 3D.  does it still go out of focus if you tilt your head? YES does it mean the 3D runs smoother and you get less cross talk? YES ( on the 200hz models anyway) can you use the glasses in from the cinema or normal passive glasses? erm NO.  so not quite all the positives...

right I've babbled on long enough about this now.  hopefully you will have some more grasp over what you need to look out for, what the pros and cons are and which one you think is best.

In a nutshell, go for something 200hz or above, PLASMA is definitely best for 3D.  make sure your new TV is 1080p.  without a doubt i would recommend the active shutter glasses over passive.  and personally, and even though i love Sony TV's if 3D was what I was after I wouldn't even think about it, unless i had a cinema room (but i don't).

How to narrow down my choices of TV!

Selecting the TV that we choose is no simple task. We walk into the shop to see what looks like hundreds of TV's. We walk around looking, reading, but still have no idea what we are looking out for. Well this is where we can help. These first 5 questions will narrow down the hundred TV's to just a handful.

Question 1 - What size is it that I am looking for?

Is it for the bedroom or the living room? How far am I going to sit away from the TV? Am I looking for a bigger TV than the last TV? People ask if I sit a certain distance away from the TV is my choice made up? Yes and no, you wouldn't want to be sitting 6 feet away from a 60 inch TV, nor 20 feet away from a 20 inch TV, but with the massive increase in visual technology over the last few years, it is possible to be closer to the TV without lose of quality through poor pixilation. The key is high definition. The better the quality on the screen the closer you can sit. This is something that will be discussed more in the future. Once you can get an idea of what size the TV is this will narrow our choice down to the double digit range.

Question 2 - LED, LCD Plasma?

Dependent on your size that you aiming to buy this decision may already be made you for you. Plasma are normal for the larger range, 50" but there are 42 inch TV's available too. LCD's and LED's are available all sizes with the LED's usually a better quality than it's LCD counterpart, but are more expensive. The pro's and con's to each type are available below, and more information in depth will be available in the future.

Plasma -
Pro's - Great at motion, so ideal for sports movies and gaming. Can be a cheap option for a large size TV. Usually a warmer more natural colour choice, but again this is a personal opinion.

Con's - Dependent on what price you are looking at can be duller than LCD/LED TV's.  Can have retention or plasma burn problems. Difficult to transport, because of the glass inside TV's need to be transported upright. Can have trouble in brighter rooms.

LCD -
Pro's - Brighter than plasma, Use less power than plasma. Available in all sizes. No rentention or burn issues. Good in bright rooms. Affordable

Con's - Cheaper models can suffer from motion blur (If you go for a LCD, 100 htz is advised)

LED -
Pro's - Very thin, Very bright picture quality. Use's the least power out of all the TV's types. Good viewing angle.

Con's - Again can suffer from motion blur. The thinness of the TV can mean the TV is very delicate. Be careful with them. More expensive than LCD.

If you can narrow this selection down with size then we should be looking now at no more than 20 different TV's available.

Question 3 - What am I going to watch?
Do I plan to watch standard TV or look to watch high definition? DVD or bluray? Is it for gaming?
Your TV is only as good as what your gong to be watching on it. Buy a £4000/$6000 TV to just watch standard digital or analogue TV is pretty much pointless, the same goes for watching Blurays on a large, 50 htz LCD. One bit of advise I give people on a daily basis. Your viewing experience is only as good as your weakest link, that be the source (Sky, DVD, Blu Ray etc), the TV, or the connection between the two (Hdmi, Scart etc)

Simply put if you enjoy your TV and want the most out of it, your going to be paying more for the TV than someone who isnt.

Question 4 - 3D or not 3D!

This is at the moment one of the most important pieces of information that I can give. If you want a 3D TV then great you have again narrowed your TV to a select few. However if you are not looking at going for 3D or even hate 3D, don't discard a TV because it can do 3D! Alot of TV's available now and in the next few months will be 3D capable or 3D ready. Just because it can do this doesn't mean thats all these TV's do. 3D TV's for how they work are technically better than the most of non 3D TV's. Better panels (better colours), better htz and therefore a smoother image, as well as the fact they are packed full of features like internet TV, DLNA and other unique qualities. (to be discussed in future posts). So before you discard all 3D TV's first have a look at what it comes with.

An example of this is the Samsung C750 range. currently priced for the 40" at £699/$999 it is a far better TV than it's sister the C652. The £50/$100 difference will increase the htz from 100 htz to 200htz as well as increasing the picture quality through a better panel. The small dfference in prce makes for a massive differences in quality. Too many people though rule this TV out for the 3D label. My advise, don't!

Question 5 - Who!

Sony, Panasonic, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Sharp...... the list goes on and thats not includng the different makes that different retailers have. This is personal preference. If you have enjoyed a make of TV or other electrical devices why change. I know alot of people that will simply only buy from the same company. Thats fine. But if there is a company type of TV you want then this last question will help you to narrow the TV for you to hopefully less than 5. If your not sure or don't mind which TV make you go for then thats still not a problem, I personally have electrical products from all the companys as first stated.

Hopefully these 5 questions have helped in choosing the right TV for you, or at least narrowed your choice down. But if your still unsure message me with a comment to this post with the answer to these 5 questions and I can try to help narrow down your choice further. Again any questions you have feel free to ask and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.