Non technical person seeks TV expert for advice

[admin_exported]

I am about to buy my first LCD TV to replace a Toshiba CRT. My search has been narrowed down to Sony Bravia or a Samsung and I will spend around £600.

My question is this: I am competely bamboozled by the jargon I see in reviews - HDMI, VGA etc - how can I make sure I get the best picture and sound? should I get one of the shops to install? or perhaps a TV services company from Yellow Pages?

I also want to know what leads I should buy as I believe there are many different types such as gold etc.

I know these may be standard questions but I had a poor response when I went into Comet/Currys etc as the staff lose interest when they realise I am on a fact-finding mission to begin with, or worse, they don't know themselves

 

[Clare Newsome]

Fear not, you've landed in a neutral, advice-friendly place!

First up - what size TV are you after (roughly - doesn't have to be a precise size. And remember, flatscreens generally take up less room than equivalent screen-size CRTs) .

Secondly, what do you intend to plug into it - now and possibly in the future (assuming you want your purchase to last a while)...