Looking to buy a TV with a built-in DVD, perhaps for a bedroom or the kitchen? Living in the UK? Confused by all the different features on offer? Stay with me for the next five minutes. I’m going to list some vital things to look out for when choosing. Simply read the list, then you can go ahead and buy with confidence!
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TV DVD Combi
- Digital Tuner – this is an essential component of any TV now that the UK is switching or has switched to digital TV transmissions. Some old models still on the market only have an analogue tuner, so be careful to check this just in case. The best option if you live in an area that does not yet have a good digital signal is a TV DVD Combi with dual analogue and digital tuners, so that you can tune into the analogue signal until you can go digital.
- Freeview – models with built-in freeview often cost no more than ones without these days. If the TV is for a bedroom or kitchen and you don’t want the inconvenience and untidiness of a separate freeview box, then this feature is for you. Dozens of extra channels – all free – who could resist?
- DVD Player – the built-in DVD player is a great space-saver especially if your TV is going in the bedroom or kitchen. Look for a player that can cope with different formats of DVD – such as DVD-R and DVD+R. A bonus is the ability to view still digital photos from a DVD, and to play MP3.
- Contrast ratio – this is not easy to evaluate as every manufacturer measures it differently, but as a rule, a higher ratio such as 1000:1 is worth looking for, and is an indication that black colours will be truly dark and white colours will be bright white. It also means that there is a bigger range for all of the colours in-between. Therefore, a higher contrast ratio such as 1000:1 usually means a better quality picture compared to lower ratios such as 500:1, but please remember that other factors such as response time contribute to the overall experience as well.
- Response time – this is the time it takes for a new image to be “drawn” on the screen. About 20 milliseconds (20ms) is a good benchmark, and eight milliseconds (8ms) is considered excellent, and will ensure that when you are watching fast-moving pictures, such as running athletes, there is no blurring of the picture.
- HD (High Definition) TV – Many people buy a TV DVD combi for the kitchen or a child’s bedroom, for example, which often means that there is not enough room for anything more than a 26 inch screen, often less. With a screen of this size, a true HDTV is not going to give any real advantage but will cost a great deal more. In practice, you are better off saving your money and getting an HD-ready TV rather than true HDTV. With HD-ready, you can still view high definition programs, and there’s little difference in quality on these smaller screens.
- Wide-screen – did you know that some LCD monitors are designed initially for use as computer monitors and then re-branded as TVs! What is the problem with that? Well, computer monitors usually have more height compared to width, so if you get one of these and the ratio is fixed at the computer setting, people’s heads will look stretched! You need to look for adjustable picture ratio so that you can set the correct wide-screen ratio of 16:9.
- EPG (Electronic Program Guide) – a user-unfriendly EPG can make your life a misery. It’s basically the on-screen programme list, and some of them are s-l-o-w to load and only show very limited information. Look for a fast, easy, seven-day EPG, and you will be enjoying your TV and not spending the next few years cursing it.
If you are short of time and just want to see an amazing TV with built-in DVD that meets ALL of the above criteria; is currently available at a great price – and has received rave reviews from people who bought it – I am currently recommending an excellent model from the reputed Toshiba stable. To get a very competitive price and check current availability, just click the link: TV DVD combi.
