The first thing to decide when buying a new TV is what type of screen you want, LCD, Plasma, or perhaps one of the new breed of LED panels. Our handy guide will take you through the benefits and features of each, allowing you to choose the type that's right for you.

The right type for you

LCD

LCD TVs offer lots of benefits, from high quality full HD images to ultra-fast refresh rates that keep all the movements on screen smooth. They are also more economical to run than plasmas and there's little difference in picture quality between smaller and larger sizes. On larger screens though you will notice that blacks and dark colours can look a little washed out, especially if you watch in a darkened room, because of the fluorescent tube used to light the screen from behind, called backlighting.

Plasma

Plasmas are rather more power hungry than LCD screens, but one may make sense if you're looking for a large screen size. They offer the same great picture quality as LCD, as well as suffering less judder with fast-moving images. They also offer deeper blacks, with less fading of deep colours, since they don't use a single backlight to produce the image.

LED

LED TVs use a standard LCD display, but instead of placing a fluorescent light behind it there are hundreds of individual LEDs that illuminate the screen. In some cases, those LEDs can be dimmed, or switched off entirely in different areas of the screen (called localized dimming), letting the TV provide deep blacks while still lighting up other parts of the picture. Because LEDs are smaller than fluorescent tubes, LED TVs are thinner too.

Killer features

Edge-lit LED

Some LED TVs place their lights around the edge of the screen, instead of directly behind it. The advantage is that the TV can be incredibly slim, although it's unable to perform localised dimming at the same time, so you'll sacrifice some image quality in the name of style.

Know your stuff

Brightness and contrast

Typically, LCD screens are much brighter than plasma screens, and ideal for rooms with lots of light. Plasmas produce less light, so are more suited to viewing in dim or darkened rooms. Broadly speaking, an LED TV combines the best of both.

Motion resolution

When showing a static image most HD TVs will look as sharp as each other, but moving images are a different matter. The quality of a screen showing moving images is known as its motion resolution, and typically plasma screens perform much better than LCD. Smart image processing and higher refresh rates can combat jerkiness and juddering image in LCDs though, so look for a TV with a refresh rate of 200Hz or more.

Screen texture

Most LCD TVs have a matte finish, which is very resistant to glare from lights or windows. Most plasma screens have a glass front, which will reflect light more readily. For that reason, plasma screens are more suitable to dim conditions, while LCD screens are better all-round performers.

Other things to consider

Viewing angle

Plasma TVs typically have a wider viewing angle than LCD screens, which can look pale or blurry if you're viewing from the side. If you're placing a TV in the middle of a room, with seats all around it, you should check the viewing angle is suited to the room you're planning to place it in before getting it home.

Size

Generally, the larger a TV, the stronger the case for choosing a plasma screen. Because LCD TVs use a big backlight which is always switched on, their problems with murky blacks and low contrast become more obvious the larger they get.

Colour reproduction

Plasmas produce more cinematic colour, with flesh tones and dark colours represented more accurately. LCD TVs often use image processing in an attempt to produce more lifelike colour, but can fall short of the standard set by plasmas.