Looking for a great deal on a television can soon turn from an exciting prospect into a complete nightmare, complete with confusing jargon, words and numbers which would only make sense to an out-and-out technology boffin.

So, before you part with your well-earned cash, take some time to think things through. By 2012 all TVs will have to receive a digital signal, so if the television you're looking at doesn't have an in-built digital tuner (these are called IDTVs), you'll need to connect it to a Freeview box, although this doesn't apply if you sign up to a cable or satellite package.

The first decision to make is the type of TV you require: flat panel TV, rear projection TV, portable TV or a standard CTR?

If you're looking for a newer television, you'll have a few issues to tackle: LCD or plasma? HD ready or full HD? Don't worry, all of this basically boils down to the size of the television's screen. If you're looking for a telly with an RRP of under £500, or a screen smaller than 37”, then you'll most likely be dealing with an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen. But, for screens larger than 37” inches, it might be worth considering going plasma: although they are typically heavier and more expensive than an LCD TV, they do have faster responses and a better picture quality. When you're looking for HD televisions (High Definition), you'll have to choose between HD ready or full HD. The difference between these two televisions is a lot of weird numbers and letters, which simply means that full HD gives a better quality image than HD ready, which you'll only notice if the screen is bigger than 32”.

Now all of the technical nonsense is explained, all you have to think about is whether you're getting good value for money. When perusing our simple, straight-forward listings, check out the condition of the television compared to its price, make sure that it comes with everything you'll need to make it work, and that the delivery or collection costs won't end up costing you more than the telly itself. Although this may seem like an awful lot to think about, you can avoid giving yourself a migraine by using our filters on the left-hand side of each page to narrow down your search, and contact the seller to make sure you know exactly what you're getting when browsing the televisions guide.