When we go to a shopping center or a large electronics chain, we immediately notice the great variety of acronyms on the advertising signs, on the labels and on the packaging of any TV for sale. If some abbreviations have entered daily use (and therefore we already know briefly what they mean) others instead appeared "out of nowhere", or rather a few years ago, therefore they could put the user less experienced in technological progress in difficulty. In this guide we will try to collect the meaning of all the abbreviations and writings on the new televisions for sale, so that we can buy a new TV aware of its characteristics, without having to buy at random and above all with the certainty that anything we would like to do with the new device we could do without having to resort to TV Box or dongle like Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick.
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The abbreviations on the new televisions
- HDTV : this abbreviation (which means High Definition TeleVision ) indicates that the chosen TV is compatible with the signal in high definition. This abbreviation is fairly generic because it does not specify the real resolution with which the TV is equipped, therefore we always recommend checking the value relating to the resolution to verify that it is at 720p or 1080p.
- FullHD : this abbreviation identifies a precise resolution of high definition, that is 1920x1080 pixels (also abbreviated in 1080p).
We should always choose TVs with at least this resolution (now a de facto standard), avoiding if possible TVs with lower resolutions (except in cases where the diagonal of the chosen TV is very small, under 25 inches).
- 4K : with this acronym we begin to enter the future! 4K identifies TVs capable of handling the signal in very high definition, with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, or twice the size of FullHD. If we see this abbreviation on TV we can enjoy the contents broadcast with this quality (currently YouTube, Netflix broadcast many videos in 4K, as well as some events on Sky and Mediaset). We must pay attention to the channels we watch: the standard resolution channels could look very bad (grainy or pulled) on a 4K TV, make sure to always see channels with a resolution at least equal to FullHD (all channels over 500 on digital terrestrial for example).
- UHD : this abbreviation is in fact synonymous with 4K and is used commercially to identify the same resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels). The acronym means Ultra High Defition (Ultra High Definition), so if we find this acronym or 4K, in fact nothing changes in terms of quality.
- HDR : this is a technology designed to increase the quality of colors and contrast, thus generating much more beautiful images (with the same resolution). It is usually always combined with 4K UHD, because it allows you to make the most of this great resolution by generating images with truly vivid colors. To benefit from it, you need HDR content and at the moment only Netflix and Mediaset Infinity offer 4K HDR content in the catalog, excluding the new UltraHD Blu-ray (but in this case you also need a compatible Blu-Ray player).
- HEVC : this abbreviation, which means High Efficiency Video Coding, identifies a new video codec that will soon be used for the transmission of television signals, even if it is already widely used for online videos. HEVC is synonymous with H.265, even if therefore if you see this last acronym instead of HEVC we don't worry, they are the same thing.
It allows to obtain a good level of signal compression without losing too much in quality, showing itself compatible also with 4K resolutions. By decree law, support for this codec is mandatory from 2017, as it will be used for the new digital terrestrial.
- DVB-T2 : with this abbreviation we identify the new digital terrestrial, which will be introduced in Italy starting from 2022.
All TVs sold from 2017 onwards must have support for the new digital terrestrial signal, so as to be ready for the future change of digital terrestrial. If you are wondering how old TVs will do without this support, the answer is quite obvious: you will need a new decoder to make compatible all TVs that do not support DVB-T2. The new digital terrestrial will use the HEVC codec for signal transmission, so the two characteristics go hand in hand (make sure they are both there, otherwise they are selling you an old DVB-T2 TV a few years ago not compatible with the channels broadcast in the future ).
- Smart TV : this is probably the most famous acronym, the one that everyone is looking for when buying.
With this abbreviation we identify all the TVs that can connect to the Internet and take advantage of multimedia apps, excellent for accessing content on the network (video, audio, music etc.). Having a good park app means not having to use a dongle or TV Box to obtain the additional features that are so much requested by the public, therefore better to inquire in advance about the operating system adopted by the TV and the apps compatible with it (YouTube and Netflix must always be present, the others depend on the support offered by the manufacturer). Currently the most full-bodied app parks can be found on Samsung, LG and models equipped with Android operating system.
- Android TV : with this abbreviation you identify TVs that adopt a special version of Android adapted for use on a large screen. You will thus be able to install numerous apps as if you were on a smartphone, with a truly remarkable expansion capacity.
Let's just make sure that the TV is powerful enough: Android is a system that consumes a lot of resources, and seeing the normal home TV slow down is not an exciting experience.
- Chromecast Built-in : this abbreviation is uncommon, but begins to be used frequently on high-end TVs.
With this abbreviation you identify a TV with integrated support for Google Cast, so it is able to automatically receive Cast streams as if we had a built-in Chromecast. Really very convenient, also thanks to the enormous diffusion of the Google Cast protocol: just press the symbol on the app from your smartphone or tablet to transmit audio and video on the TV, leaving the portable device as a sort of remote control.
- VESA : TV lovers hung like paintings will know exactly what we are talking about! VESA, which stands for Video Electronics Standards Association, is the reference standard for the rear connections of the TV, so that it can be fixed to the wall supports: we will have the TV hung as if it were a painting. Various sizes are available, be sure to choose a TV compatible with the chosen VESA mount.
- DLNA : this abbreviation means Digital Living Network Alliance and identifies the technology of sharing multimedia content via local network, so you can see the files stored on PC (or any other compatible device) on TV without having to convert or send them to a player . Always present on every TV, make sure it is certified, so as to have maximum compatibility with multimedia servers such as Plex or Kodi.
- ARC : abbreviation that we can find only on high-end TVs, which stands for Audio Return Channel, identifies a special technology that allows audio to go back to the source using the same HDMI cable. With a single HDMI cable we can therefore send and receive sounds, ideal if we have to connect the TV to a latest generation home theater system.
- CI + : this abbreviation identifies the Common Interface used to connect the cards to decrypt the paid signals (Pay-TV). Currently only used by Mediaset Premium, if you have to see the pay channels of this broadcaster make sure you have a CI player and the slot behind the TV, so that you can see all the channels without problems.
- OLED : OLED means Organic Light-Emitting Diode and an evolution of the LED: The LED TV uses a liquid crystal screen with the backlight that creates the image, the OLED screens emit themselves light when crossed by the electric current. Even if there is only one article to write about this, just know that OLED TVs are better, even if they cost more.
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