1. What logos on the device should I look out for?

In any case, make sure that there is an HD Ready logo on the device, even better would be one Full-HD-Logo! This shows exactly as many pixels as HDTVprograms can deliver, although the picture quality is poor with a poorer input signal (e.g. PAL) is of course not razor-sharp either. Don't be fooled here, though, as some manufacturers and electronics retailers advertise their product with custom logos, which in some cases conform to HD standards, but in most cases do not.

HD-Ready guarantees that your future flat-screen TV has all the necessary connections (e.g. for the HDTV receiver or Blu-Rayplayer).

Click on the image to get an enlarged view of all HD logos including their meaning:

2. Does an HD television automatically guarantee HD reception?

Not necessarily, because only a few flat-screen TVs have an integrated HDTV receiver. For the majority of televisions sold, you must purchase and connect an extra HDTV receiver (Receiver or called a set-top box). Make sure that you don't get a discontinued model here, because the set-top box must support the MPEG-4 compression method. You also need a digital cable connection or a satellite system, analogue cable and antenna cannotSignal delivery. This is not expected to be broadcast in its entirety until 2010, so don't be surprised that your TV, which had a great picture in the specialist store an hour ago, shows everything blurred and flickering at home, that's because the TVChannelthat you have switched on does not send an HD signal, only a PAL signal. An HD signal will
e.g. B. sent by Premiere HD.

Films on a Blu-Ray disc (requirement: Blu-Ray player), films on DVD (if the player is connected via HDMI connected to the TV), digital cameras with a Resolution of over 2 megapixels, XBOX360, PlayStation 3, HDTV-capable camcorders, PCs (providing high-resolution images as source material).

Also look below under the point “Frequent errors”.

3. Glass front or ground glass?

I can't necessarily recommend a glass front on the television, because annoying reflections in the picture quickly occur here, for example from a window opposite or lamps that are switched on in the evening. However, the image can appear more brilliant through tinted glass panes. In general, however, flat screen televisions with a matt screen (as with tube televisions) are recommended.

4. Should I buy now or wait?

You can't always say that in general, but here it is: Buy now! Flat screen TVs are no longer getting much cheaper! However, as in Multimedia-Range common so be sure to get a bigger, higher definition TV for your budget in a year's time! However, beware of supposed bargains: Many manufacturers compare their prices with the manufacturer's recommended retail price (RRP). The MSRP is already set higher by the manufacturer so that retailers can advertise cheap deals and hope to sell more. That means: If you see a product in the shop with the mark "799, UVP: 1699" - it should not give the impression that you would get this product 900 euros cheaper. Many dealers also like to try to get rid of outdated devices.

5. Which size is right for me?

This depends on the distance between you and the HDTV, but should be around three times the screen diagonal. So you should sit three meters away from a one-meter screen (screen diagonal 100 cm). If you sit too close to the TV, the picture will appear blurry. Just try this out in the electronics store or at the dealer around the corner. Also, ask if an HD signal is being fed in at all (although a PAL signal on a Full HD set wouldn't exactly sell it).

The advantages of Full-HD and the differences between Full-HD and HD-Ready only become apparent from a screen diagonal of more than 47 inches and an optimal source, such as a TV. B. a Blu-Ray player, visible!

6.Plasma or LCD?

Plasma televisions show images with particularly high contrast values, where black is also really black. They are therefore ideal for home cinema and rooms that are not too bright. However, devices with this technology often have annoying fans built in - it's best to hear a sample in a shop.

We would rather not recommend plasma televisions that only offer PAL resolution with a diagonal of more than 40 inches – as they are often sold as bargains at discounters. This brings a giant picture into the living room, but you have to fight with block graphics. However, it is clearly recommended for devices up to 42 inches LCD. Plasma-Displays are not really economical to produce in these sizes. LCD televisions don't have to have fans - although some manufacturers still install them - and they also achieve the maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels at affordable prices.

The LCD TV manufacturers have now been able to significantly improve the contrast values ​​that were often mediocre in the past, and the response times of the liquid crystals are now in ranges where movements no longer have to be smeared. New technologies contribute to this: Samsung, for example, has recently used LEDs for the background lighting, which significantly increase the color range that can be displayed. Philips relies on special hot cathode tubes that switch on and off 75 times a second. This makes even moving images appear clearer.

Test the device under normal lighting conditions! Many LCD and plasma devices provide a different picture in your own four walls than in the overlit consumer electronics stores.

7. What energy consumption should I expect?

Of course, that depends primarily on your own TV behavior! In any case, pay attention to the power consumption of the device. On average, devices with a diagonal of one meter are 150 – 300 watts. That costs about three to seven cents per hour. Remember that they always switch off the devices completely and do not put them in standby mode.

8. Is each model suitable for wall mounting?

Not all flat screen TVs are suitable for wall mounting. Especially small and inexpensive LCD televisions very often have fixed feet.
Large LCD and plasma devices, on the other hand, usually have holes for wall brackets. Please keep in mind that such a device weighs between 20 and 90 kg and your wall should be able to support this weight. It is best to use cable ducts for your safety and optics.

9. Which connections must be available in any case?

What counts in today's multimedia world is: the more connections, the better! So make sure that your desired device comes with a Scart-Connection, several HDMI connections (recommended version 1.3 or 1.3b, which means higher bandwidths, a larger number

displayable colors and the possibility of reproducing new sound signals, such as DTS-HD Master possible) and one or more DVI-Inputs is equipped. Use DVI cable per Adapter, but you still need an appropriate audio cable, since DVI is not able to transport video and audio signals over one line like HDMI.

10. With what response time should the device work?

A short response time is not necessarily important for a clear picture, but it is by no means bad. Even televisions with a response time of four or five milliseconds can display fast movements without blurring. The best way to compare the response times of different devices is to watch a football game being shown.

11. How is the sound quality on average?

Unfortunately, in many devices only small Loudspeakers installed, with which you hear next to nothing. Therefore, pay special attention to the built-in ones Loudspeakers and listen to rehearsal. Leave that Ton running over your system anyway, is the built-in one Loudspeakers Of course not the top purchase criterion!

12. Which additional features are common and useful?

Some flat screen TVs have built-in memory card readers or USB inputs, too MP3 player or digital cameras to connect to the TV. For example, you save yourself the detour via the DVD-Player. If you want the images to be displayed perfectly, the USB input or memory card reader must be suitable for HD-JPEG.

An integrated DVB-T-Tuner Enables the reception of Austrian stations using a room or house antenna. Some devices even come with one DVB-T receiver (“Everywhere television”) and a digital satellite receiver (DVB-S) or a digital cable receiver (DVB-C) equipped “ You'd better do without it! A DVB-T input signal almost XNUMX% guarantees a miserable picture quality! Another, but very rare highlight is the built-in hard disk recorder, which offers the possibility of recording television programs like a video or DVD recorder and being able to call them up quickly at any time.

If your desired device includes many of these features, you save yourself the sometimes very expensive additional devices.

Common mistakes:

1. No jerky picture on HD televisions in connection with HD players!

Incorrect! In the old PAL standard, the rule was: 25 frames or 50 fields per second. However, feature films are recorded at 24 frames per second, which means that American films are played four percent faster on German television and are therefore also shorter. So something was cheated here.

But with the DVD successor, the Blu-Ray, everything is as it should be. Films with 24 frames per second are also presented in this way on the discs (hence the term "24p").

But now there is a problem for many flat screen TVs: Traditionally, they work with a refresh rate of 50 or 60 Hertz. However, these two values ​​​​are not evenly divisible by 24 " these are only refresh rates of 72 or 120 Hertz. If the television is not able to reproduce this, it has to be converted, which leads to stuttering. Speaking of which: If the television only offers 50 or 60 Hertz, there will be jerking! So TV AND player must support 24p.

2. A high resolution always promises good image quality!

Incorrect! If the input signal is bad, the TV needs the missing pixel to add. Depending on the resolution and screen diagonal of the television, the result of this process is usually very poor. A bad input signal is very often guaranteed with an analogue cable connection and above all with DVB-T reception!

However, if you receive your signal via satellite (DVB-S) or digital cable (DVB-C), the picture is much sharper and more detailed. ARD and ZDF in particular broadcast an excellent picture.

You can achieve the best picture by connecting the satellite or cable receiver directly to the television using an HDMI cable. The minimum requirement is a component cable - a scart cable will not deliver the desired quality!

3. Finally no more black bars!

Incorrect! Many feature films were not shot in the 16:9 widescreen format, but in the usual 2,35:1 cinema format. In such films, the image content z. B. not from 1280 x 720 pixels, but from 1280 x 544 pixels.
In addition, many channels still broadcast in 4:3 format, which means that you have black bars to the left and right of the picture!

4. HDTV is easy to record!

Not necessarily! Conventional DVD and hard disk recorders are just as unsuitable for recording HDTV as are satellite receivers with hard disks. But recently these devices are also HD-compatible! If you want to record PayTV stations like Premiere, you need an extra satellite receiver with a Premiere license, which you have to buy or rent when you sign the contract.

There is only one problem when trying to record: HDCP!
HDCP describes a digital Copy protection, which is intended to prevent the recording of film material. Broadcasters can decide for themselves whether or not to protect the footage they broadcast with HDCP. A large part of the film material is currently not protected!