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Jargon buster

Buying a TV can be confusing with so many new technological terms to familiarise yourself with. To make life a bit easier we have compiled a list of the most commonly used terms.

 

Digital TV Programmes broadcast in digital form rather than
analogue signal. The UK's TV broadcasts will switch to digital-only between 2008 and 2012.
EPG Electronic Programme Guide. An on-screen guide that provides details of current and future programmes.
Freesat A digital TV service which works through a satellite dish allowing you to receive over 140 TV channels.
Freeview The UK's free digital TV service, needing only a Freeview set top box or Freeview-equipped TV/recorder to receive up to 50 channels.
HDMI A standard for cables and connectors that makes sure the higher-quality video and audio are transmitted reliably between your TV and recorder.
High Definition / HD ready A standard giving a clearer picture, made up of 720 or 1080 lines rather than the 625 found in standard definition.
LED Light emitting diode. Uses the same technology as LCD with a thin layer of liquid crystal to control the light and create the picture. The difference is that the backlight is delivered from a series of LEDs rather than fluorescent tubes used in conventional LCD.
LCD Liquid Crystal Display. An energy-efficient display technology originally developed for laptop computers, but now excellent for TVs.
Plasma A display technology that involves lighting up millions of small dots or 'pixels'. Allows excellent colour reproduction and contrast, with fast, blur-free motion.
Resolution HD ready or Full HD 1080p. All of our TVs are HD ready, with many more supporting Full HD, giving you the ultimate HD experience when connected to a Blu-ray player or 1080p Games Console
SCART A type of connection and cabling used to carry video and audio signals, normally located on the back of TVs and videos.
Tuner Shows which type of tuner is built into the TV. Freeview, Freeview HD or freesat HD.
USB Shows if a USB port is available. Can be used to quickly connect external devices such as digital cameras, media players and computers. This allows easy access to music, pictures and video from these devices straight to the TV.

 

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