It's possible that owner of this set up is quite keen on games.

You can hook up a games console to practically any TV, there’s no reason why you can’t connect your Xbox of Playstation 3 to an old CRT set. Of course the games won’t look anywhere near as sharp and crisp as they’re meant to, but they’ll still be playable.

However, if you’re very keen on games and want to get the most out of your console then you’ll need a HDTV. There are plenty of low cost HDTVs currently on the market ranging from cheap plasma TVs to top of the range LED sets, so choosing a TV for gaming can be quite confusing, especially if you don’t know what it is about a TV that makes it especially suitable for gaming.

Well first off, plenty of HDMI ports is something to look for. Most modern games consoles use HDMI to connect to your TV and many TVs that are designed for gaming will have several HDMI ports in easily accessible locations, making it easy to connect and remove devices.

Viewing angle is another point of consideration. TV sets with a wide viewing angel are especially suitable for playing multiplayer games with large groups of people where not everyone will be able to sit directly in front of the screen.

1080p is a must for a TV if you’re planning on using it for playing the latest games. However, you won’t find this feature limited to TVs specifically desinged for games playing as most large televisions on the market will be equipped with 1080p for the sharpest possible resolution.

Of course, you must remember that although a TV may be marketed as a ‘Gaming TV’ that doesn’t mean that it can’t be used for regular viewing and watching movies, they’re designed to be used for everything, but are just especially suitable for playing games.

Won't be needing these now I've got Blu-Ray...Think again!

With HD-DVD out of the picture Blu-Ray has slowly started to creep into the marketplace and whilst it doesn’t seem like people will be abandoning DVDs anytime soon an increasing number of homes are adopting Blu-Ray as their format of choice.

The price of Blu-Ray discs, which was extremely high when they were first introduced, has dropped sharply, as has the price of the players, so the format is becoming more affordable. If you’re thinking of upgrading to Blu-Ray remember that you’ll need a HDTV. Thankfully there are plenty of HDTVs available for a great price and most electronics retailers will have a huge selection of cheap LCD TVs suitable for use with a Blu-Ray player.

However, market experts speculate that even when Blu-Ray does eventually become the dominant format for home video there will still be a significant market for DVD. The beauty of DVDs is that they can still be played on a Blu-Ray player, so when you upgrade there is no need to abandon your DVD collection. Also, DVDs are extremely cheap and are only likely to get cheaper as Blu-Ray becomes more common place.

Soon to obsolete? We hope so...

However, Toshiba are hoping to turn around the fortunes of 3DTV by eliminating the problems caused by the requirement for the 3D specs. Glasses free 3D TV is currently under development by Toshiba, but unfortunately the details of this project haven’t been revealed however, Toshiba have confirmed that they are investing a great deal of resources into the development of this product.

Toshiba aren’t the only firm working on this type of technology and Phillips have already revealed a TV set that makes use of lenticular technology to produce three dimensional images without glasses. This technology has also been used by Nintendo for their latest hand held console.

However, there is certainly room for improvement amd electronics manufacturers are likely to be investing even more time and money into getting this technology on the shelves, particularly as the main problem for consumers with the currently available 3D TV sets is the glasses. Unfortunately it seems for the meantime that people who want the 3D experience in their own home will be resigned to wearing the glasses, or simply waiting for the new technology to become available.

However, as we’ve said before you’re better off without 3D TV for the moment due to the expense and the extreme lack of content. But, with high quality cheap LED TVs that give a sharp, crisp image available from electronics retailers up and down the country you’re hardly likely to lament being without 3D TV.

1080p, this term means that a TV screen displays 1080 lines of vertical resolution, resulting in a sharper, clearer picture with more detail. However, there are questions being asked of whether having 1080p on a TV with a screen less than 46” in width actually makes much of a noticeable difference to picture quality.  It seems that people who are opting to purchase smaller TVs that include the 1080p feature may actually be paying over the odds as its unlikely that you’ll be able to notice any difference between that and a 720p screen.

However, although some might point the finger and accuse TV manufacturers of including 1080p on smaller sets in order to reap extra profit from consumers this isn’t actually the case. When it comes to watching TV then you’re unlikely to notice the difference between 720p and 1080p, especially on smaller TV screens. However, if you’re planning on using your TV as a computer monitor or to play games consoles then the difference is actually quite pronounced. So, 1080p screens may be necessary, it just depends on what you intend to use your TV for.

It is still worth knowing this to help you avoid paying over the odds next time you’re shopping for a new cheap LCD TV. If you’re looking for a model with a smaller screen and you don’t plan on playing any video games on it then 720p will do nicely. You won’t notice the difference and you’ll save yourself some cash.

The channel has been operating in the UK since 1995, but this is the first time that it has been freely available outside of subscription services. Whether or not you’re the god-fearing type the fact this channel is now available on Freesat shows  that an increasing number of varied channels are now being made freely available to viewers in the UK and that can only be a good thing.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that British viewers were restricted to the five free terrestrial channels unless they were subscribed to an expensive satellite or cable service. However, now there is a whole host of free channels that practically anyone can access. You don’t even need Freesat to access a range of TV channels free of charge as there a number standard digital Freeview channels too.

This is perfect for people who have recently bought, or who are planning on buying a new high specification TV as there’s no need to sign up for an expensive monthly subscription as you can easily access a range of varied channels free of charge. Nearly all new TVs are capable of receiving a digital signal, so there’s no need to spend more on a digibox if you’ve just bought a new cheap plasma TV. All you’ll need to do it is plug it in and sit back.

Is your TV properly fixed to the wall?

As a result of this increased instability more accidents involving falling TVs are occurring. These accidents pose a particular danger to young children who could easily be hurt seriously by the weight of an unbalanced television being knocked off its stand.

The obvious solution is of course to mount your TV on the wall and the majority of new TVs come equipped with brackets that all you to fix them securely to the wall. Even cheap LED TVs tend to be packaged with the brackets, and if they’re not included then they can be bought very cheaply.

However, it’s important to take care when mounting a TV to the wall as thoughtless placement of brackets could lead to an accident. Remember to bear in mind that flatscreen TVs are very heavy, so if brackets are screwed into plasterboard it’s only a matter of time before your TV falls off the wall. Of course this could lead to a very serious accident, particularly due to the weight of some particularly large TV sets, so ensure that brackets are securely screwed into brick. If you’re unsure about how to fix the brackets to your walls securely then there’s plenty of helpful advice freely available on the internet.

Don’t take risks when it comes to securing your TV. If a heavy TV set was to fall on you or your child then the consequences could be fatal.

Is 3DTV really harmful to your health?

One concern that has been raised that an excessive amount of time spent watching 3DTV could potentially alter the depth perception of viewers for sometime after viewing. There’s also been concerns brought about by fact that Samsung has published warnings in the instruction manuals for some of their 3DTV models that advises pregnant woman, the elderly and the sleep deprived from watching 3D content on the off chance it could bring about seizures.

However, these fears have been allayed by experts who have explained that there is in fact nothing to be worried about.  Professor Colin Clifford, an expert on visual perception has argued that watching 3D TV is no more harmful than watching regular 2D TV provided you don’t sit too close.

However, the professor did express concerns that watching an excessive amount of 3D content may not be good for young children, as it could affect their developing visual system, causing them problems with depth perception. However, with such a lack of 3D content currently available I’d say there isn’t much danger of that happening.

So, there’s no reason to stay away from 3D TV, perhaps apart from the price and the lack of content! However, that has been discussed in the past and as far as we’re concerned with such a huge range of low cost flat panel TVs on the market at the moment you’re better off sticking to the cheap LED TV until 3D becomes more affordable.

Some people speculate that electronic goods just aren’t made as well as they used to be. There certainly seems to be some truth in that as many people are still using hifi equipment they bought in the seventies and it’s often the case that other electrical items bought almost twenty years ago still function without a problem. Its unfortunate then that electronics manufacturers don’t seem to be interested in producing goods that have such longevity. Perhaps consumers wouldn’t be so keen to buy the latest gadgets in the one they already had lasted longer.

However, if you’ve thought about buying a new TV then should you worry about how long it’s going to last? Fortunately most new flat screen TVs are built to last quite a lot longer than two years, particularly those from well respected manufacturers. So, if you buy an LG LCD TV then it’s likely to last for around ten years, and it is usually the back light, rather than the TV itself that wears out over this time. The light source in flat screen TV can be replaced, it’s not an especially cheap component to replace, but it certainly bears buying a new TV.

So, if you buy a new flat screen TV then you shouldn’t worry too much about it breaking down in twelve months. Unfortunately we can’t say the same for you new iPod.

Buy your cheap TV before VAT increases to 20%!

However, one category of goods that will be significantly effected by the new rate of taxation are the non essential luxury goods such as large flat screen TVs. Retailers and manufacturers are concerned that the demand for TVs could drop quite significantly when the new VAT rate is put into place as a 2.5% increase in price on a product that could cost somewhere in the region of £600 or £700 already is actually quite a considerable step up in price. Combine this with the fact that almost every other product we buy will become more expensive too leaving us with less disposable income then it seems as though the concerns of electronics retailers are not entirely unfounded.

So, with so many low cost flat panel TVs on the market now might be the best time to buy one before the new VAT rate is put into place next January. There are plenty of TVs from major brands available at great prices so seize this opportunity to buy cheap Samsung TVs whilst the low prices remain low. You’ll end up shelling up plenty more cash come next year so why not treat yourself now, at least you’ll have something to watch in the evenings when you’re trying to save cash by staying in.

The latest Samsung model. A modest 82 inches.

The first thing you really need to think about before you go and  splash some cash on an unnecessarily huge TV is how large is the room you’re planning on putting it in. For example, a sixty inch TV just isn’t going to look right in a small living room, so think about the size of your living room! Is it going to look ridiculous with a giant TV stuffed in the corner.

Of course, with so many cheap LCD TVs currently on the market it’s getting easier to get hold of a very large TV for a bargain price. However, you do have to consider the practicalities, as boring as that sounds. Although you might have to opt for a 40” TV when you really wanted a 62” due to the size of your home that doesn’t mean you can’t spend your spare change on something to compensate for that lost diameter. Naturally a 40” TV is going to be cheaper than 60” plus one, so spend that left over money on a Blu-ray player or brand new games console. Maybe that might help you to forget about the gigantic TV you could have had if it wasn’t for your tiny living room.