By Paul Gallen

An HD TV can greatly improve your home viewing experience, but it can also be a burden. Here are a few hints and tips to allow you to get the most out of your TV.

If you find that you just do not have the right amount of available sockets for all of your boxes for your HD TVs you may want to look into purchasing an intelligent switch box. Mutiple Scart leads connect the box which in turn connects through one Scart socket to the TV and automatically adjusts to whichever piece of attached equipment is in use.

Another available option is to ‘daisy chain‘ Scart cables through other pieces of equipment. Oftentimes this option means auto-picture-switching features can be lost. Take for example the fact that most Scart connections will automatically shift how different broadcasters are shown. Displaying standard (4:3) broadcasts with black stripes on each side so the picture is not stretched out of original proportion. Stretching the picture out horizontally gets rid of the black stripes, but also has the potential to distort some of the image. Also, you may want to opt for a set that knows when a programme is in widescreen format and automatically alters the display.

Modern high-definition HDMI sockets can usually be used as alternatives if you find that you need more Scart sockets. Several normal DVD players, recorders have an HDMI output which can be used for connecting to an HD-ready plasma or LCD TV. When doing this keep in mind that no matter what the manufacturer may claim, improvement in picture quality is quite unusual.

The quality of video signal and types can vary between Scart leads. The best is RGB and the somewhat lesser S-video and video signals aren’t uncommon either. Make sure that you choose the same type of video signal in the set up menu when connecting a television and another device like a DVD player.

When setting up your TV or TV DVD combi you should adjust the settings for the best picture. What you see at home can vary drastically from the settings of the manufacturer, Samsung TVs for example. Find one dark scene and one bright scene and adjust the brightness and the contrast until you can barely make out the details in darker scenes and the brighter scenes are not washed out. When looking at close-ups of faces you’ll want to adjust the colour until skin tones look natural. “Neutral” is usually an ideal setting. The image and sound quality of “real-time” TV broadcasts may differ from that of digital TV recorders, so be sure to keep that in mind when making any adjustments to your HD TV.

About the Author

Paul can help you with all your TV and gadget needs, including all you need to know about digital TV recorders or TV DVD combi and Samsung TVs and Panasonic TVs.

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By Paul Gallen

KIND OF TVs

There are four main kinds of TVs on the market. The first is the traditional CRT (cathode ray tube) rear projection TV. These TVs are heavy and cumbersome and the picture quality is not great. However, if you are in the market for a bargain, you may be able to find a cheap TV if you settle on this type.

The second kind of TV is plasma. The picture quality of plasma TVs is top notch. They come in many different sizes and with different HD picture qualities (720p or 1080p). Plasma TVs are best for occasional viewing of movies and TV, especially in low lighting. This kind of TV can really give a cinematic experience. On the other hand, plasma TVs are not great for video games or any extended use. (They should not be left on for long periods of time.)

The third type is LCD (liquid crystal display). These also come in a wide variety of sizes and picture qualities. If you are in the market for a smaller TV, say around 20″, you will be looking for LCD TVs as there are few plasmas of this size. They are great for any kind of viewing, including video games and extended play. With this flexibility comes the sacrifice of the plasma TV’s extraordinary viewing experience. LCD TV DVD viewing may suffer here, but many people may not notice the difference anyway.

The final type is the rear project LCD/DLP (digital light processing). These TVs are larger in width and weight than other TVs, and usually only come in sizes larger than 38 inches. These TVs are basically in between CRT and flat-screen LCD TVs in their bulkiness; they cannot be hung on a wall. They are like regular LCD TVs in that they can be used constantly and in their picture quality.

MEASURING YOUR HOME Once you’ve decided what type of TV you want, you need to figure out where it will go in your house. Will you hang it on a wall or put it on a stand? How far away will people be sitting from your TV? You will need to sort out and record these details, with any appropriate measurements of viewing distance, before you go to the store.

QUALITY OF PICTURE What kind of viewing will you be doing on your TV? If you will be viewing HD TV or Blu-ray movies, you will want to maximize the quality of the picture. There are two main classes of HD picture quality: 720p and 1080p. If you want to truly get the most out of your HD, you will need to get a 1080p TV. If you don’t particularly care, or if you need a smaller TV, you may be able to get some great TV deals on a 720p.

SHOP AROUND Decide on a few brands that you like. Shop at different stores (and online) to find the best TV deals you can. Cheap televisions go on sale all the time, so sometimes timing is everything when buying a new TV.

About the Author

Paul can help you with all your TV and gadget needs, including where to find the best cheap TV, cheap televisions and TV deals and how to get the best out of your LCD TV DVD.

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