TV jargon buster Jargon explained J – Z

samsung ue19es4000

LED TV are available in many different sizes - this is the 19-inch Samsung UE19ES4000

LCD TV
A type of flat panel where light shines on to liquid crystal cells on screen that let varying amounts of colour through to create a picture.
LED TV
LED TVs are basically LCD sets with one crucial difference – the handful of backlight lamps that illuminate the screen have been replaced by many smaller and more energy-efficient LEDs (light emitting diodes).

LED TV Best Buys - buy the best LED TV for you.

Light sensor
If selected, an ambient light sensor will automatically adjust the brightness of the TV's backlight, according to how dark or light the room is. In dark conditions, the most efficient sensors can dramatically reduce a television's power consumption – slashing energy use by more than 50%.
Multiplex
A group of digital TV channels grouped together for broadcast. A multiplex can also carry radio and interactive TV content.
Native resolution
The number of pixels or lines displayed on the screen (width x height). The highest screen resolution commonly available is 1920x1080. This is desirable for HD TV but doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the best picture for standard TV broadcasts or DVDs.
OLED TVs
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) TV is made up of a layer of organic semiconductor material. sandwiched between two electrodes. Unlike regular LCD or LED TVs, OLED displays have no backlight, meaning they're even thinner and can display deeper black levels than rival technologies. 
Optical digital output
If you use surround sound, be careful. There are two types of digital connections - coaxial (wire) and optical (fibre optic). Make sure your surround-sound system input matches the output on either your DVD player, TV or set-top box. Both connections can also carry stereo signals.
Phono sockets
Dedicated red and white sockets to allow you to connect your TV to a stereo amplifier for better sound.
Picture enhancement features
Be wary of these digital effects, designed to make pictures sharper and movement smoother. Our tests show they sometimes degrade picture quality.
Picture-in-picture (PiP)
Picture-in-picture displays a small image of another channel or DVD in the corner of the screen while you watch the main image or use on-screen menus.
Plasma TV
Type of flat-panel TV where tiny gas cells emit ultraviolet light that strikes red, green and blue spots on screen to make a picture.
PVR remote

PVRs make recording TV easy

PVR
A programmable video recorder is a digital television hard-disk recorder. You programme it using an on-screen display of TV listings, which makes it much easier to use than a VCR or DVD recorder.

PVR Best Buys - choose a great, easy-to-use PVR.

Resume
The resume function means the DVD player will start the disc where you stopped it (instead of at the beginning each time). Models with multi-disc resume remember where to start playing the disc even after you’ve removed it and reinserted it.
RF Input
Connects to your aerial and allows the broadcast signal to be received by your tuner.
RGB
This is a high-standard analogue video signal that splits the red, green and blue components to give the best picture. The best Scart sockets carry an RGB signal.
S-video input
If you're short of Scart inputs, S-video can provide an alternative. S-video signals are split into colour and brightness but are slightly inferior to Scart RGB.
Scart
A socket to connect standard-definition equipment such as DVD players and video cassette recorders to your TV.
Smart TV
A TV that can be connected to the internet via ethernet or wi-fi. Once connected, you can access further entertainment such as catch-up TV, and sometimes a web browser.
Surround sound
Most TVs, a few set-top boxes and all DVD players and recorders can be connected to a home-cinema system with amplifier and speakers so you can achieve a surround sound experience. You connect using a digital coaxial or digital optical output. Many Sky, Virgin Media and HD programmes offer surround sound.
UHF modulator
Useful if your TV is very old and doesn't have a Scart input. You'll need a set-top box with a UHF modulator, which connects to the TV's aerial socket.
USB ports and memory card slots
A few TVs, primarily from Panasonic, are equipped with a memory card slot that let you plug the card from your digital camera directly into the TV. More common are USB ports for connecting USB memory sticks for media playback. USB ports on some TVs can be used to connect an external hard disk for use as a basic PVR.
VGA
A VGA input lets you connect your PC to the TV – effectively turning your TV into a PC monitor. HDMI sockets can provide a better-quality alternative, if your PC has a digital output.
Video on demand (VOD)
VOD services let you to either 'stream' TV, allowing viewing in real time, or 'download' before viewing starts.
Video input
If you're short of video inputs, composite video can provide an alternative. Composite video (usually a yellow socket) is the lowest-quality video connection. It’s usually used to plug AV equipment, such as camcorders and games consoles, directly into your TV if no other inputs are available.

More on this...

Which? works for you