LCD stands for "liquid crystal display", which is a technology that builds up an image through the use of pixels. LCD displays are renowned for their low electrical usage, low heat production, and picture clarity and sharpness.

The technology does have it's drawbacks, such as blurring at non-native resolutions, lower contrast ratios than plasma screens, which means LCD's cannot produce blacks as deeply. Furthermore, LCD's cannot display as many colours as plasma screens, and have a longer response time, which produces a ghosting effect.

Dead pixels are a common occurrence with LCD displays. That said, high end LCD televisions are rectifying these issues, and as time passes you can expect them to be nonexistent.

LCD: Key Features

1. A good response time. This is a drawback with LCD displays. To avoid trailing images, find a screen with the fastest response time possible. You will notice a screen with a slow response time, when fast moving sequences occur, this is the moment trailing / ghosting will be most prominent.

2. A viewing angle of up to 178 degrees. In the past LCD's have been prone to poor viewing angels compared to CRT TVs.

3. A low energy consumption level. LCD TVs, by their nature, use a lower amount of electricity compared to CRT TVs. Look for an automatic energy saving feature, which will adjust the brightness level, so as to reduce the energy consumption.

4. A resolution of 1080p, this means your TV has up to 1080 progressive lines of pixels, generally the more lines and pixels a TV supports, the better the picture detail will be. As of 2010, 1080p is the best HD formats available. 720p and 1080i are inferior.

5. A native resolution of 1920x1080, most LCD televisions only have one resolution settings, named 'native', which they operate optimally at.

6. A contrast ratio of 5000:1 or above, the larger the ratio, the greater the difference between the lightest white and the darkest black.

7. Digital video noise reduction, this feature improves the image quality, because it lowers the amount of static produced on screen.

8. Support for a connection to a personal computer, wherein, you can play your favourite PC games on a huge screen. Something which was not possible before.

9. Plenty of inputs, like Scart, S-Video, Component video, AV, HDMI and DVI.

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* Digital Noise Reduction - If the signal you receive is weak, and you require a boaster to receive a analogue signal, then this feature can help reduce static and ghosting. Or the remote producing an infrared signal.

* Digital comb filter - Ensures sharp picture detail by contrasting the different colours.

* PAL / NTSC progressive scan - Maximises the quality of the digital pictures, making sure the clarity is at a premium.

* Frame Refresh Rate - The speed at which an image frame is refreshed, the higher the better. Refreshing an image frame reduces motion and line jitters and judders, which are prevalent on fast moving action sequences. In the past a refresh rate of 50-60Hz was deemed excellent, nowadays (2010), a refresh rate of 120-200Hz is desirable.

* Contrast Ratio - The difference in light intensity between white and black. As of 2010, a good ratio for a new television is 150000:1.

* Light sensor - Only available on medium to high end models, a light sensor detects the brightness of the viewing room, and alters the screen brightness accordingly.

* 24p technology - The standard frame rate for Hollywood studios to film in is 24 frames a second. While most broadcasters and DVDs convert their content to 50 frames per second, Bluray discs support 24 frames per second. Likewise some LCD's TVs support 24p, which enables viewers to watch movies as they were originally recorded.

* HDMI - A digital connection technology which carries high definition sound and video.