Television has just become smarter: Which one should you buy now?

The story of the transformation of television has started sounding a lot like that of the telephone. From a single-use product, it has now become an entertainment and information hub for which showing programmes or movies is only a secondary duty. Television now can take you online, show videos from YouTube, initiate video calls and play your entire media library, all in three dimension.

Affordable LCDs Though LCDs are slowly on the way out, the good ones are still not all that cheap. If you are looking for an affordable LCD you will have to make some compromises as far as size and resolution are concerned. A 22-inch Full HD LCD panel will be priced in the Rs 12,000-15,000 range. We suggest the Samsung LA22D450G1R, a no-frills LCD TV priced at Rs 15,900. At 32 inches, we found the Sony Bravia KLV-32NX520 a reasonable option at Rs 37,900. Along with being Full HD, it comes with picture modes and Dolby Sound. Push the screen sizes a bit more and you see the prices to head north. Though a slightly older model, we though the 42LK430 Jazz LCD TV from LG was still a good buy at Rs 46,500 for its audio capabilities.

This transformation has not been sudden. In the past couple of years there were indications that the idiot box was up to something smart. This year, smart became the buzzword for televisions. And this hasn't been the only change. Television screens have also changed. So much so that LCD and plasma screens are now looked down upon as technologies of the past. Anything less than LED is sneered at.



Amid all this, it is not exactly a win-win for customers. While they could have taken home a large-screen TV for under Rs 20,000 in the CRT era, a 32-inch LED with smart features will put them back by almost double that amount now. While it is rare to find CRTs on shop shelves now, the LCDs and plasmas- while cheaper-are not future proof, at least not the ones that salesmen badger you to buy. Many models announced this year have not yet made it to dealerships, who are still busy trying to sell the older machines.

Old faithful Well, there is nothing wrong with CRTs and you can still buy them-at least, in the smaller cities and suburbs. The old-fashioned TV has now become thinner and super cheap when compared with the LCD/LED brigade. A 21-inch could cost as little as Rs 4,500 with the top-end 29-inch models priced around Rs 17,000. If you are still not prepared to take the flat panel plunge, we suggest you look at the CS29A730 flat screen TV from Samsung at Rs 17,990.

It is not necessary to buy a 2012 TV set. But going by the way broadcast technology is progressing, it wouldn't be a great idea to buy a television that is not Full HD with at least a 32-inch acreage. Smart features are another thing, though. While they are great to have on your TV, it is still a bit early to find them truly effective.

Apps on TV, for instance, need at least a 1Mbps Internet connection to work in the way they should. The same is the case with 3D. We still don't have the content or telecasts to fully capitalise on this facility. Yes, you can upscale 2D content to 3D, but watching this for more than a few minutes could be a literal pain. The London Olympics is the biggest thrust that 3D broadcast has ever got, but we in India are just not running that race.

Meanwhile, there has been spurt of cutting-edge technology. Samsung's smart televisions can understand voice commands and movements in front of the screen. While both technologies need to be fine-tuned, they give a clear indication of things to come. As of now, however, you have to pay a premium for these capabilties in your unit-and these are technologies that you might not use fully for a few years more.

Xtra large But if you have the space and money for anything bigger, then go for a 65-inch or even a 72-inch flat screen. The KDL-65HX925 LED TV is the largest is the current Sony Bravia line-up and features a X-Reality PRO Engine, Intelligent Peak LED and Motionflow technology (Rs 3,59,900). Still not satisified? Well, then the LG 72LM9500 could be what you are looking for. A giant screen, dual core processor and the best 3D around, all for just Rs 7,00,000. Cinemascope For cinema junkies, the aspect ratio on television screens (16:9 or 4:3) can be a spoiler. So if you are one of those who likes to watch movies as they are meant to be, then the Philips Cinema 21:9 LCD TV could be a great option. With a diagonal screen size of 58 inches this FullHD TV really brings the cinema screen home. The TV plays most file formats and also gives you option of more aspect ration. The only flip side to this TV is that regular telecasts, meant for 4:3 aspect ratio, appear a bit skewed on this widescreen. The street price of the TV is around Rs 3,50,000. Plasma perfect There was once a big competition between plasma and LCD for the tag of being the next big thing in television technology. Over time, plasma has given way to LCD, which itself has yield space to LED. However, plasma is not yet going into obsolescencein fact, is benefitting from a hero effect in the 42-inchplus screen sizes. Spooked by the prices of LEDs, many buyers are settling for the cheaper plasma option in larger screen sizes. In the 42-inch segment, the Panasonic Viera TH-P42U30D FullHD TV seems a good buy at Rs 42,440. If you are looking for a larger screen and 3D, the 50-inch LG 50PA6500 is available at a best price of around Rs 65,000.

Courtesy: Gadgets and Gizmos