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Liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs have a special flat panel that can block light, or allow it to pass. The panel is made up of segments with each block filled with liquid crystals. The colour and transparency of these blocks can be changed by increasing or reducing the electrical current. LCD TVs come to life when light (via fluorescent lamps) from behind the screen shines through a matrix of tiny, coloured liquid-crystal cells. Signals control each cell, letting varying amounts of colour through to build up the picture.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) TVs are simply an updated version of the previous LCD generation. They actually use the same LCD screen technology, but with one crucial difference – the handful of backlight lamps that traditionally illuminate LCD TVs are replaced by a larger number of tiny LEDs (light emitting diodes). These are arranged either around the edge of the screen, known as edge-lit TVs, or spread across the entire rear of the TV, known as back-lit or direct-lit TVs. Edge-lit TVs are the most common. Early versions had problems with inconsistent screen lighting and patchy colours, which is less of an issue for direct-lit TVs. But significant improvements mean edge-lit is now the favoured technology, as it allows the TVs to be slimmer. Some LED TVs use a technique called local dimming or micro dimming, which varies the backlight in different parts of the screen to give darker, richer blacks and brighter whites where required. This technology started out on direct-lit sets, but manufacturers have now found ways to incorporate similar technology into their edge-lit models. LED is the most popular format of television on the market now due to its cost, size and versatility, although it does not produce the highest quality image available.

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) TVs are a massive leap forward in screen technology and they are not to be confused with LED TVs. OLED uses ‘organic’ materials like carbon to create light when supplied directly by an electric current. Unlike LED/LCD screens, an OLED TV does not require a backlight to illuminate the set area. Without this restriction of an external light source, OLED screens can be super thin and crucially, flexible. As the individual areas can be lit up directly and not via an external backlight, the colours and contrasts are much better on OLED TVs. On the whole, an OLED TV is thinner, more flexible, and faster at processing images. It creates deeper colours and is crisper in contrast. It is, however, an expensive product. At the moment the technology is more prevalent on phones, smartwatches and wearable tech, where the screens are a smaller size and are therefore more cost efficient.

Plasma TVs use completely different technology and principles from LCD and LED TVs. A plasma display is made up of an array of tiny gas cells, sandwiched between two sheets of glass. Each cell acts like a mini fluorescent tube, emitting ultraviolet light, which then strikes red, green and blue spots on the screen. These spots glow to build up the picture. Home-cinema enthusiasts would claim that the best plasma TVs still produce darker blacks and more natural colours than the market-leading LED TVs, making them a better choice if the viewer wants spectacular picture quality. However, in recent years the difference between LED and plasma has not been so marked, while the poor energy efficiency of plasma TVs means they can be costly to run. In 2014 the big manufacturers stopped making plasma TVs in favour of LED and newer screen types, such as OLED.

Smart TV is essentially the common name for a whole series of technologies. It's something of a generic name for the individually named services from the likes of Samsung, Panasonic, Sony and LG. Smart TV, which needs an internet connection, is a technological convergence between computers and flatscreen television sets and set-top boxes. Besides the traditional functions of television sets and set-top boxes provided through traditional broadcasting media, these devices can also provide Internet TV, online interactive media, over-the-top content (OTT – audio, video and other media transmitted via the internet as a standalone product), as well as on-demand streaming media, and home networking access. In Smart TVs the operating system is preloaded or is available through the set-top box. The software applications or ‘apps’ can be preloaded into the device, or updated or installed on demand via an app store or app marketplace, in a similar manner to how the apps are integrated in modern smartphones. Smart TVs can often connect to other Smart devices such as phones and tablets, enabling the sharing of content from one device to another. Different TV brands have different apps available on their Smart TVs. Viewers can watch TV programmes from catch up services such as BBC iPlayer and All 4, as well as movie streaming options from services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. They can also access social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, YouTube for video sharing, plus a whole host of other lifestyle and news apps. Certain TVs also support Skype.

The resolution of a television is the number of pixels in each dimension that the TV can display natively. A pixel is essentially a lit-up square that produces a specific color. The more pixels you have on a TV, the more detailed the picture on the screen will appear. While the resolution is not the only aspect of picture quality, it is important, and most viewers will easily notice, and appreciate, the difference between a high-resolution TV and a low-resolution one. A high-resolution TV – or high definition (HD) as they are more commonly known – will look sharper, with a more detailed picture. High-definition TVs are available either as inexpensive HD Ready 720p sets that can broadcast HD TV (what you see if you watch BBC HD or other HD channels), or as Full HD 1080p models. These have more pixels and are able to show sharper images, especially if the viewer watches video from a Blu-ray disc. 4k, or Ultra HD, TVs give even sharper display resolutions. These have four times the number of pixels of a Full HD TV, and give a much superior picture. A buyer will see the names 4K, Ultra HD, UHD and even 4K Ultra HD being mentioned - but they all refer to the same thing. This is a TV with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, more than 8million pixels in total, which is four times the number in Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) mode. Watching 4K TV at its best, the viewer will see everything on screen in crystal-clear clarity and superb detail. There's a level of detail and depth that HD sets simply cannot achieve – at times, it almost feels three-dimensional. All the big brands, including Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Sony, now have large ranges of 4K TVs, from entry-level models priced around £500 to super-sized sets costing many thousands of pounds. In general 4K TVs are big-screen models of 40 inches or more. This is because the viewing experience is greatly enhanced on a 4K large screen, it is diminished when viewed on a small screen. The TV's resolution is one of the most important aspects that defines its picture quality, but it is also highly dependent on the quality of the content that is being viewed, as well as the position of the viewer. The amount of 4K content available to watch is growing. Broadcasters such as Sky, BT and Virgin all host 4K content, and it can also be found on the streaming services of Netflix, Amazon Video and YouTube. A good 4K picture is superb on its own, but High Dynamic Range (HDR) can make it even better. HDR, combined with improvements in TV display technology, will make colours appear more vibrant and detailed than ever seen before on a screen. HDR is available on a wide range of TVs, but there is currently even less HDR content to watch than regular 4K – the only options are a few online sources and 4K Blu-ray discs. This will change over the coming years, but right now the viewer won’t be missing out too much if they are considering buying a non-HDR TV. Curved Screens or Flat Screens Manufacturers can now make TVs with curving screens. The aim is to wrap the picture around the viewer, similar to the viewing experience in an IMAX cinema. However, a curved screen does not add much to the viewing experience – the effect is only really visible if the TV is viewed from absolutely straight on, and from reasonably close distance, and very few people view TV like this. Also, a curved screen can show distracting reflections, and, when compared to a flat screen, it can’t be mounted flush to a wall.

The size of a TV is often down to the viewer’s personal preference although the space available will also dictate choice. But if the viewer does not have any space limitations or preference against large screens, there is a simple way to decide the perfect size TV and that is based on how far the viewer shall sit from the screen. Ideally the distance between the viewer and the TV would be the primary consideration. A decent rule of thumb is the viewer should sit a distance that is 1.5 times the diagonal size (e.g. 32-inches) of the TV. Here’s a quick size guide to help.