LCD and plasma TV reviews: FAQs
Buying a new LCD or plasma television
Does a higher screen resolution mean the TV has a better picture?
Screen resolution is the number of pixels or lines displayed on the television screen. Expressed as width x height, the highest screen resolution currently available is 1,920x1,080.
This is desirable for use with high-definition material, but it doesn't necessarily equate to the best pictures for watching normal TV broadcasts or DVDs.
A good LCD or plasma TV often relies far more on decent digital processing software.
12,000:1 is not ‘twice as good’ as 6,000:1
Is the contrast ratio of my TV important?
The contrast ratio is the difference between how dark and light the LCD or plasma TV display will go.
A high contrast ratio should mean deeper blacks and whiter whites, with a good range of subtle colour gradients in between.
However, it’s difficult to compare contrast ratio claims from one manufacturer to the next because of the variety of measuring methods used. And just like screen resolution, higher numbers do not necessarily mean better pictures.
Contrast ratio is not a linear value – so 12,000:1 is not ‘twice as good’ as 6,000:1.
Extended warranties can cost hundreds
Plasma TVs traditionally boast better contrast ratios than LCD TVs – but the gap between the two types has narrowed considerably thanks to developments in dynamic contrast ratio technology.
Is it worth getting an extended warranty for my LCD or plasma TV?
LCD and plasma TVs do break down and develop faults, but they’re still fairly reliable products, with some brands faring especially well in our annual reliability survey.
Given the low risk of your LCD or plasma TV breaking down, we wouldn’t recommend shelling out on retailer extended warranties, which can add hundreds of pounds to the cost of your LCD or plasma TV.
And it’s worth bearing in mind that if your new LCD or plasma TV does break down, you are covered by the standard one-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Check out the Which? guide to extended warranties for more.
I bought my TV online, but when it arrived the screen was smashed. The online retailer says to take it up with the courier company. Can it do this?
No – the law (Distance Selling Regulations) says the seller is responsible for the quality and condition of the goods up until you receive them. Tell the shop to send you a new LCD or plasma TV, or give your money back. It also has to pick up any damaged goods.
If the retailer refuses or doesn't respond, you could give it a final chance and warn that you intend to start court action if it doesn't replace the item or give you your money back.
See the Which? guide to online shopping problems for more information.
The Sale of Goods Act guarantees rights
My new TV has been delivered and it’s faulty. What are my rights?
If you buy something that’s faulty, doesn’t do what it is supposed to, or is not what you ordered, under the Sale of Goods Act you have rights to a refund, repair or replacement.
Contact the retailer you bought the item from and if it doesn’t help you, you can take legal action, for example through the small claims court, to force them to sort out the problem. Your first port of call is always the seller, not the manufacturer.
See the Which? guide to dealing with faulty goods for more information.
Do I get extra cover if I pay for my LCD or plasma TV by credit card?
Yes. Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the card company is ‘jointly and severally liable’. This means it is equally responsible, along with the retailer, for the goods, and you can contact the card company to sort out your problem.
This right is particularly useful if the retailer has gone bust or it doesn’t respond to your letters or phone calls.
Section 75 applies even if you buy goods for delivery to the UK from overseas by telephone, mail order or over the internet. Goods must cost between £100 and £30,000, and the law doesn’t apply to debit or charge cards.
See the Which? guide to your rights when paying by credit card for more.
For more information on your rights when making purchases, check out the Which? guides to your rights.
Broken LCD and plasma TVs can be tricky to fix
My TV isn’t under warranty, can I get it repaired?
Modern LCD and plasma TVs are not as straightforward to repair as old fashioned CRT (cathode ray tube) TVs.
If your LCD or plasma TV has simply gone dead or is stuck in standby it could be a power supply fault, and is probably fixable.
However, if the LCD or plasma TV has developed an obscure picture problem, it is more likely to be a digital processing glitch, which is a much bigger problem.
For an estimate charge of around £50, most reputable dealers will make an assessment of whether the LCD or plasma TV is fixable.
For major LCD and plasma TV brands, it’s worth checking the manufacturer’s website to see if common problems, fixes and even software updates have been listed.
Even if your LCD or plasma TV isn’t under warranty when it breaks down, you may be able to get it fixed free of charge under the Sale of Goods Act.
Does my home insurance cover my LCD or plasma TV?
If your LCD or plasma TV develops a fault, it’s highly unlikely to be covered by your home contents insurance policy.
However, if your LCD or plasma TV is damaged, it may be covered by an accidental damage policy. Norwich Union even states, ‘If your Wii controller flies out of your hand and damages the TV, you're covered’.
Are LCD and plasma TVs as reliable as conventional televisions?
LCD and plasma are too new for us to have information about their long-term reliability. Their durability is also a bit of an unknown quantity.
Retailers have an obligation to dispose of your old TV
What do I do with my old TV?
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (Weee) regulations mean retailers have to ensure that customers can return their Weee free of charge. This is on a one-for-one basis, provided the new equipment is of a similar type and has the same function as the old equipment.
Ask the retailer if it offers an in-store take back scheme or works with your local authority to collect old equipment. As an individual, you’re under no legal obligation to dispose of your old TV in this way.
Setting up and using your new LCD or plasma TV
Can I hang my LCD or plasma TV on the wall?
Most LCD and plasma TVs can be mounted on walls. However, the vast majority don't come supplied with the wall-mounting kits required.
These have to be bought separately and (depending on the size of your TV) can cost anything between £40 to £200.
For safety reasons it's a good idea to get this done professionally and also worth bearing in mind that in the event of any damage your warranty may be invalidated.
Most TVs and kits match the Vesa standard – a set of industry-wide measurements.
Do I need a set-top box to get digital TV on my LCD or plasma TV?
No. The vast majority of new TVs are integrated digital models (IDTVs) and feature a built-in digital tuner to receive digital TV signals.
Most are Freeview IDTVs (digital channels through your normal aerial), but Freesat (via satellite) IDTVs are now being launched.
Go to our digital switchover page to find out more about Freeview, Freesat and the different ways to receive digital TV.
The golden rule – be gentle when cleaning your TV
How should I clean the screen of my LCD or plasma TV?
The best method of cleaning an LCD or plasma TV is with a soft, slightly damp cloth. It’s difficult to justify the cost of expensive proprietary LCD or plasma TV screen cleaners, and household cleaning products should generally be avoided.
But the golden rule (especially for LCD TVs) is to apply very little pressure. Push too hard and the LCD screen is liable to crack.
Does the quality of my Scart cables matter?
Cable quality can influence sound and picture quality on LCD and plasma TVs.
Poor-quality Scart cables are more prone to interference from other devices and atmospherics. But you don’t have to pay the earth – a tenner should do, rather than opting for the cheapest at three or four quid.
A good rule of thumb – the thicker the cable the better. This usually means it boasts more ‘screening’ from interference. Also look for gold-plated connectors.
Occasionally plug and unplug the cables in your LCD or plasma TV. This helps to remove the build-up of oxides, which affect how well signals are transmitted.
Plasma TVs use more power than LCD TVs
Which uses more power – LCD or plasma TVs?
On average, plasma TVs use more than twice the power of 32-inch LCD TVs and 2.5 times as much as conventional 32-inch widescreen televisions.
Even when comparing like-for-like in terms of screen size, on average plasma TVs use around 50% more energy than similar-sized LCD TVs.
However, some manufacturers point out that the power use of a plasma TV is directly dependent on picture brightness, whereas an LCD TV picture requires a constant source of illumination.
The theory goes that a plasma TV should use less power over time. But in reality, plasma TVs require significantly more power to achieve the same brightness level as an LCD TV, putting something of a 42-inch widescreen hole in the theory.
Does the size of the television screen significantly influence power consumption?
The smaller the TV screen, the less power it uses. On average, a 26-inch LCD TV screen uses less than 90 watts when switched on and costs £20 a year to run. A 40-inch LCD TV uses twice the power and costs twice as much to run.
But combine plasma technology with huge TV screen sizes (50 inches), and we've seen sets that consume more than 400 watts, and would cost more than £100 a year to run.
What is audio description?
Audio description is an additional narration for visually-impaired people that describes significant visual information, such as body language and scenery.
The service is available on Sky, Freeview and Freesat.
Some of the best LCD and plasma TVs (mostly Panasonic and Sony) can decode audio description on Freeview.
A schedule of Freeview programmes with audio description on the DTG website.
Can I record audio description?
To record audio description, a DVD recorder is your best option – but be aware that the audio description track will be permanently recorded on to the disc.
We have yet to see a Freeview or Sky PVR that can decode and record audio description, but the Humax Foxsat HDR (a Freesat PVR) can do it.
Unlike DVD recorders it's possible to toggle the recorded audio description track on and off with this PVR.
High-definition TV
What is high-definition TV?
HD TV is much sharper and more detailed than regular TV, and boasts more realistic pictures. It's available either via Sky or Virgin subscription packages. Alternatively you can pick up a couple of HD channels on the BBC/ITV Freesat service without the monthly payments.
Whatever digital platform you choose, to watch high definition you'll also need a high-definition TV.
Look for the official HD-ready logo when buying an LCD or plasma TV – this guarantees the minimum screen resolution and digital sockets needed to watch HD broadcasts. For more on selecting an HD TV, see our guide to choosing a high-definition TV.
Are there different types of high-definition signal?
HD TV pictures come in two main formats – 1080i and 1080p. The four-digit number tells you how many horizontal lines make up the picture, and the letter shows how it's broadcast. The 'i' means the picture is 'interlaced' and sent to the TV in two sequences, one after another, and the TV meshes them together.
HD broadcasts are in 1080i but high-definition Blu-ray players use the 1080p format. A 1080p picture is sent in a single sequence making the picture sharper than 1080i – but the difference is very subtle.
Can I watch high-definition DVD on an HD-ready LCD or plasma TV?
Most new HD-ready TVs can now process a 1080p signal, so will work fine with Blu-ray players. Older HD-ready TVs and many cheaper TV sets may not process 1080p, but will simply switch to 1080i when used with high-definition DVD.
The best TVs will also display pictures, or frames, at the same rate they're recorded onto high-definition discs (24 frames per second). If the TV doesn't process at the same speed, the result can be juddery movements during fast-motion or camera-panning scenes.
The official logo
How do I know which LCD and plasma TVs are best suited to high-definition DVD?
Look for LCD and plasma TVs with the new HD-ready 1080p logo – this guarantees 1080p output, 24fps and a high screen resolution of 1920x1080. It increases the chances of getting the best possible high-definition Blu-ray DVD picture but is not an absolute guarantee.
Most new HD-ready TV sets will also process a 1080p signal at 24 frames per second – so will work fine with Blu-ray players. HD-ready sets lack the higher screen resolution of 'HD-ready 1080p' TV sets, but this is not as vital as it may seem.
Many older HD-ready TVs will not process at either 1080p or 24 frames per second, increasing the possibility of jerky movement on panning or motion scenes.
What about LCD and plasma TVs with labels like HDFull or 1080HD?
Labels such as Full HD or 1080HD are not part of an official standard, so meanings differ between manufacturers.
Some can process a 1080p signal, others have a high screen resolution of 1080 horizontal lines (1920x1080), some do both.
When are we likely to see HD on Freeview?
Plans are afoot to launch HD TV channels on terrestrial Freeview – many technical issues have been resolved and it should be available in the Granada region in late 2009.
The satellite equivalent of Freeview is called Freesat. For a one-off payment (for the set-top box and dish) you can receive free HD TV channels.
Can terrestrial IDTVs pick up Freesat or even terrestrial HD broadcasts?
No. IDTVs will need another decoder (or set-top box) to receive terrestrial or Freesat HD signals. Terrestrial digital will, in that respect, be no different to cable or satellite digital, which also require another decoder box.
Of course, the TV has to be HD-ready to display HD programmes.
Will my IDTV become obsolete if terrestrial HD TV is launched?
No. If terrestrial HD TV is launched, standard-definition content will still be broadcast in the same way. So your current IDTV or set-top box will be able to receive signals as normal. However, they won't be able to receive terrestrial HD signals.
We've found screen burn is no longer the issue it once was
Common TV problems
What is screen burn and does it affect new LCD and plasma TVs?
Screen burn is where a ghost image of a channel logo is left on the television screen once the set has been turned off or onto another channel. The problem doesn’t affect LCD TVs, but plasma TVs and old fashioned CRT TVs are susceptible.
However, broadcasters have toned down the brightness of their logos, and the latest plasma TVs boast screen-cleaning technologies to combat the problem.
In Which? tests, images burnt on to the plasma TV screen after a day, disappeared after normal TV viewing. After leaving a channel logo on-screen for a week, only one plasma TV (out of six tested) suffered any permanent screen-burn.
Is it true that new technology LCD and plasma TVs have a problem with the sound and pictures matching up?
The LCD and plasma TVs in the Which? tests haven't shown this problem. Internal speaker output is properly aligned with the pictures on the TV screen.
We’ve occasionally found some discrepancy when linking LCD and plasma TVs up to external loudspeakers in the laboratory, but this wouldn’t be apparent in everyday use.
For more advice, check our guide to buying TVs.