Buying a new TV these days can be a harrowing experience! Just 10 years ago, the choice was a simple one – you just needed to decide what size and what brand you wanted.

Now, with LCD and plasmas, HDTV, digital televisions and set-top boxes, gaming consoles and an intimidating array of sizes and shapes, buying a new television demands lots of homework before you actually splash the cash.

Internet forums can be a great place to get advice of televisions, but – as with in-store sales people – be careful that the advice isn't coming from someone with a vested interest in you buying a particular model (or spending more money).

Of course, the best way to select the right television for your needs is to test them out in real life. Spending time in a shop comparing colours and contrast (especially skin tones and night scenes) and playing with the controls and settings will give you a good understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of different models. Look at the screen from various angles, and try to replicate your home environment as best as possible.

Once you've narrowed it down to 2 or 3 models, jump online and search for the best deals. Remember that warranties and after-sales service might be required, so pay attention to the different offers out there.

What to look for in a new television

New model televisions come with a huge range of features. Deciding on the features you want, and the relative importance of each one, is a great way to narrow down your search for a new TV.

Sound:

• Do you want your television programs in stereo, or are you happy just with stereo from components like DVD players and video games?
• Are you happy with pre-set sound settings, or do you want graphic-equaliser-style control?
• Do you want a mute button?

Picture:

• Do you want an inbuilt digital tuner to take advantage of the new wave of free digital channels, or are you happy with a stand-alone set top box?
• Are you looking for picture-in-picture capabilities?
• Do you want to be able to save different picture settings (such as brightness, colour, contrast, ratio and more) for easy recall?
• Do you want to be able to watch programs encoded with America's NTSC TV format (Australia 'and most of the rest of the world' uses the PAL system)

Inputs and Outputs:

• How many components will you have connected to your television? Options include game consoles, DVD players, VCRs, set top boxes, Foxtel, home theatre sound systems, camcorders and more.
• Do your components connect using standard cables, S-video or other systems?

Other features:
Depending on your needs, you might also be interested in some of these features:

• Child locks
• On and Off timers
• Teletext and closed captioning
• Built in recorder

TVs - different sizes

Bigger isn't always better when it comes to selecting a screen size. While your budget and available wall space are certainly considerations, one often overlooked issue is the distance from the screen to your favourite chair (or beanbag).

Many experts recommend that televisions are best viewed at a distance roughly 5 times the diagonal screen measurement. So an 80cm TV would be best viewed from around 4 metres away.

High definition screens hold their picture quality at closer range, although – for comfort and reduced head movement and eye strain - we wouldn't recommend much less than 4 times the screen size as a comfortable viewing distance.

LCD versus Plasma televisions

While the old-style, bulky CRT (cathode ray tube) televisions are still available – and offer tried-and-true sound and picture performance that lasts for many years, the majority of TVs now purchased are flat LCD or plasma screens.

Much has been said and written about the differences between Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions and Plasma televisions. While the jury is still out on which is best, a few general observations may assist you in making a decision about which is right for you. Keep in mind that the severity off these differences vary widely from model to model:

• LCD televisions are generally cheaper than their plasma cousins.
• LCDs tend to be lighter, which makes them easier to move and to mount on a wall.
• Plasmas tend to lead the way with the largest screens.
• Some LCD screens can't be viewed at tight angles and diminish in quality the further to the side the viewer is located.
• Plasmas can become hot, and there might be low-level noise from the fan.
• LCDs can usually double as computer monitors.
• Watching sports might be frustrating as some motion blur can occur.

Best selling TVs

According to the Plasma TV Buying Guide website, Panasonic leads the way with top-selling plasma models, having 5 of the top 10 models*:

1. Panasonic TC-P50G10
2. Panasonic TC-P50S1
3. Samsung PN50B550
4. Pioneer PDP-5020FD
5. LG 50PS60
6. Panasonic TC-P50X1
7. Panasonic TC-P42X1
8. Samsung PN58B550
9. LG 50PS80
10. Panasonic TC-P46G10

On the LCD TV Buying Guide website, Sony and Samsung share the honours for best-selling LCD models*:

1. Sony KDL-40S5100
2. Samsung LN40B750
3. Samsung UN46B6000
4. Sharp LC-40E67U
5. Sony KDL-32S5100
6. Sony KDL-46Z5100
7. Samsung UN46B7000
8. Samsung UN55B6000
9. LG 42LH55
10. Sharp LC-52E77U

*Sales at August 2009