When you look at low cost HDTVs you have to wonder what the difference between them is. You may even wonder why some of them are so expensive, surely if you can get one for £400 then why bother with a more expensive TV. If you want to compare cheap LCD HDTVs you need to decide what you are willing to lose quality on and the features you do not wish to compromise.

The obvious thing is, the cheaper units are a lower price for a reason. You could argue that the screens themselves are the same, or at least very similar. However where money can really be saved is in the electronic circuits that run the TV.

If you were to listen carefully you will notice a difference in sound between a cheap unit and a more expensive one. If the electronics do not make full use of the screens capability then the picture will be of a lower quality.

Some people have very sensitive hearing, musicians for example, and they may not be happy with a lower quality sound unit or inferior speakers. If you use it just to watch Jeremy Kyle, who cares? If the picture is of a lower definition, due to lower quality circuit boards then how much do you care? You need to look at the refresh rate for the screen. What's that? I hear you ask. The refresh rate is how many times a second the screen image can change; the higher the rate the better the picture flows. If you are looking at HDTV then presumably you want the best picture you can get, but can you tell the difference between a cheap LCD HDTV and a more expensive one? Again you need to consider what you want from your cheap TV and look for the one with the specifications that are closest to what you really want, but maybe can't afford.

Sound is a place where TV manufacturers have been saving money for years, so you can have cheaper units, be it the loud speakers or the circuit board, or both. Consider whether you need good sound, if you have a cinema surround sound amplifier or surround sound DVD player you can use that sound system, so the TV speaker sound quality can be almost irrelevant. You want a good picture, or there is little point in going for HDTV, so you need a good refresh rate. You could also find that an economy in the electronics has reduced the colour spectrum the TV uses. You can, almost always watch the TV in the shop so compare them with the more expensive units and go for the one that looks best, to you. The quality of the case will be another place where economies could be made by manufacturers.

All in all when you compare cheap LCD HDTVs you have to get the one that suits you the best for the amount of cash you have to spend on it. Even with cheap HDTVs you will have choices, such as case colour and general specifications. The main difference will be that you will probably need to look at different makes to get what you want. The more expensive units come from manufacturers who provide an extensive range of specifications within their brand.