These days a lot of homes are buying the new HDTV that have sprung up over the past two or three years. Most TVs now available in shops are HD ones so it isn’t hard to find them, there are a few details though that you may get bewildered by.

This article will cover the key factors that constitute a top of the line HDTV, not all of us can afford the top of the line models but knowing what specification to aim for when buying a new TV can help make your choice a bit easier.

100hz refresh rate – Many flat screen Plasma or LCD Televisions suffer from poor performance with motion blur, fast moving action like tennis and football can become quite blurry but many TV sets have a much higher refresh rate of 100hz or more, sometimes this is described as a “sports mode” or “movie mode”, LED TVs do not have this problem.

LED backlit Screens – For a while you have had two choices either Plasma or LCD for your next television, both are almost identical with many purists claiming Plasma wins in performance above 42”, however the newer LED backlit LCD TVs have quicker refresh rates, wider range of colors and uses less energy to power.

Built-in Digital Tuners – Many people will probably already have Sky HD or Virgin Media HD for their HD content but if there’s ever a fault or outage with these services you may end up left with no TV service, having a freeview tuner built in to your TV means that you at least have a backup just in case, some TVs have built in FreeSat tuners for HD channels.

High Contrast Ratios – The backlight on some TVs can be so strong that sometimes when watching dark scenes in movies or games the blacks can get washed out. This washing out can limit the range of colors your TV can produce, meaning it won’t be very immersive. You ideally want a TV that has a large white to black ratio; some TV sets can go up to 15,000:1 having the best color range available.

178° viewing angle – With old TVs you used to have to be sat directly opposite the TV to get the best image, anywhere to the side and the picture’s vibrancy fades. Newer HDTV though can have a much wider viewing angle meaning anyone in the room gets the same picture no matter where they sit. It is also worthwhile looking at matte screens as opposed to glossy as glossy screens can reflect light and be distracting.

If you want to get one of the top of the line HDTV, check out Panasonic LCD TVs and Samsung LCD TVs available online as they can be much cheaper than you’d think.

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