We need a new telly, help me!

[IflumpthereforeIam]

We're looking at getting a new TV but it's been ages since we bought one so I have no idea what I really need.

Our current TV is about 6 years old and is a basic digital TV. We don't have Sky or a blu-ray player or anything up to date really!

I have no idea what kind of spec we need/would use - should we get a 3D TV? An internet TV?

I also have no real idea of how much we should be looking to spend! Any help gratefully received.

I think you should approach it from the other way around. What's your budget?

How big is your current TV and do you want the same or bigger?

In general I'd suggest you get a TV with Freeview HD built in. 3D is very gimmicky at the moment and useless if you've no blu ray player/Sky. Even then I'd argue it's still practically useless as most 3D films are crap anyway and do you really want to watch TV with stupid plastic glasses on at home?

I also find the newer LED TV's a lot brighter and better quality image-wise but each to their own really. You have to look at the TV and decide if the image is good enough given your budget.

Hope that helps

Thanks niceguy, that's really helpful.

I also think 3D is a bit pointless at the moment. What do you reckon to internet tv?

I bought a Samsung internet tv two months ago after I got sick of the old CRT that took up a ridiculous amount of space and made a horrible buzzy noise that was impossible to un-hear once you noticed it was there. It's wonderful. I love the LED picture quality, and the internet capability is great - watching iPlayer and youtube videos on 32" HD, from the comfort of the sofa is much nicer than on the computer upstairs!

I would also go for the built in Freeview HD tuner. Most of them will have normal freeview built in but you might as well get one with Freeview HD, it'll cost about as much extra as a HD box would and you don't have to faff around with extra cables and equipment. There are not that many HD channels on Freeview yet but once I got my new TV I figured the HD tuner was worth it for Frozen Planet in glorious full HD alone.

I didn't bother with 3D. It was way out of my budget and as niceguy says, without the blueray/sky as good as pointless at this point. My dad bought a fancier version of my TV that does have it back in July and he's used it exactly once, mostly to see how it worked.

Do go and look at the model you're interested in, or at least a model from the same product line, 'in the flesh' as it were. I'd been trying to make my mind up between a very similar model to the Samsung I eventually bought and a Panasonic by comparing prices and specs online. I decided on the Panasonic, then that day found myself in Tesco and realised they had them both on display - and I much preferred the picture quality of the Samsung. I didn't buy it there though, it was much cheaper on Amazon.

Another vote for Internet tv, you'll probably need it to work with your wifi though, so add on £40 also it's an emerging technology so ours still doesn't have ch4's on demand stuff.

It doesn't have to be on wifi, it'll have an ethernet port. Mine's close enough to the router that I just ran a cable along the skirting board and didn't buy the wifi adapter. Worth taking into account though, yes, if that's not practical for you.

No C4 on demand here either. I live in hope Samsung will add it sooner or later....

Thanks all. I'll now be able to start having a more informed look round!