Kiwis love their TVs (almost as much they love their rugby). But when you are buying a new flat screen model, there can be a lot to learn: Plasma television, LCD or slim LED TVs. New features like 3D, smart internet TVs and Skype capability. And then there is the supporting appliances including DVD and Blu-Ray players, Media players and set-top boxes to solve the going digital issue.   If you are feeling overwhelmed by the jargon then this is where our expert 100% knowledge comes in handy!

Television

Where will you put your TV – display or mount? When you choose a large-screen TV, you also need to think about where you’ll put it at home. Will you save space by mounting it on the wall, or make a feature of your entertainment area? Your 100% store has a great range of cabinets and TV stands to choose from; to make your entertainment system both stylish and practical. Or if you’re going for the wall-mounted option, we have a range of quality brackets available.

3D TV is here – what’s the buzz? A growing number of movies - and sports events - are now being recorded in 3D. So it’ll only be a matter of time before NZ broadcasters are offering 3D transmissions. If you want to enjoy the full cinema 3D experience at home for movies and sports, then you should think about a 3D option when choosing your next TV. You’ll need three pieces of technology to get the 3D experience: 1) a 3D player 2) a 3D TV and 3) the 3D media (e.g a DVD or broadcast). At the moment in NZ, the only way to get a 3D image on your set is via a Blu-Ray 3D player. A 3D-capable Blu-Ray player costs around $600-$900. For a 3D television, you’ll need to budget for an extra $500 – $1500 more than for a standard equivalent TV. The price will depend on the quality of the 3D technology. Because 3D is still relatively new technology, you may need to order in advance. But you won’t need to wait to see 3D TV in action. Pop into your 100% store today for a demo – you’ll be amazed at the view!

Jargon-busting: what’s High Definition (or HD) High Definition or HD TV is now almost standard on all our TVs. HD relates to the tiny pixels that make up the image. The more pixels there are, the clearer the image. High Definition is either 1366x768 lines of resolution, or 1024x768. Full HD is 1920x1090 lines of resolution – meaning a smoother clearer picture. (And if you want to get the most of your Full HD television, you should also invest in a Full HD Blu-Ray player).

Heard about IDTV or Freeview? Many of our TVs at 100% feature IDTV functionality (that stands for Integrated Digital Television). With IDTV built-in, you’ll be able to receive New Zealand’s Freeview Channels, and you don’t need to purchase an additional receiver. Check out the Freeview website. There are different types of Freeview Channels available: Freeview HD Terrestrial: See all your favourite programmes In High Definition, with crystal clear quality pictures and sounds. You’ll need a standard UHF TV aerial. Freeview Satellite: Available to all Kiwi homes, but you’ll need a Satellite dish to receive this crystal clear digital quality picture. MyFreeviewHD: Freeview HD has same benefits as HD Terrestrial, but you can also pause, record and replay live TV.

More jargon-busting: what’s HDMI? Many models talk about HDMI. It’s quite simple really. HDMI allows for a single cable, rather than multiple cables to be used to send all the digital audio and video info between your devices.

TV choices – which model is for you? We stock the three leading variants of flat screen TVs: LCD’s, Plasmas and LED. All have their advantages, but here are their differences you need to consider: LCD – Overall LCDs provide a great viewing experience. Images are sharp, and there are a wide range of screen sizes available. PLASMA – This is usually the model chosen by those wanting top home-theatre image quality. Creates better quality ‘blacks’ than LCD, and has a wider viewing angle, so you can sit down and watch from different places in a room. LED/LCD – The black and colours produced by LED are almost Plasma-like. Other advantages include power-savings from its energy efficiency and a super-slim design.

How far away should you sit from your TV? Sit too far away and you lose some of the impact – sit too close and you’ll be flicking your eyes from side to side! To get the right TV for your room, tell us the size of your room (i.e how close you’ll sit facing the wall with the TV screen), and we can recommend the right screen size.

What’s the benefit of 100Hz? You’ll probably see 100Hz listed as a feature on your LCD/LED television. With 100Hz, the picture is refreshed at double the speed. This reduces the appearance of flickering during fast-moving sequences – an important feature for sports fans. Some models also now feature 200Hz!

Would you use Internet TV? If the TV you are looking at has Internet TV capabilities you will be able to view YouTube videos, web photo albums, maps and social networking sites all from the comfort of your couch. The big TV brands, including Sony, Panasonic and LG, have internet capable models although the content varies by brand so ask us in store about which has the content you want. Internet-TV-capable Blu-Ray players also make accessing some internet content possible.