Jargon Buster

Looking for a new washing machine or TV can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare; there are so many technical terms to take in. And lets face it, only the geeks amongst us really know what all the jargon words mean. To make shopping for your next appliance as easy as possible, we've come up with this jargon buster. So before you head to our product pages, arm yourself with the knowledge below:

TV, DVD and Audio Jargon

• LCD - LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. This is a type of visual display that uses light cast by liquid crystals to produce colours on a screen
• LED TV - Describes the technology used to backlight the screen for sharper pictures. LED screens are usually thinner and are brighter than standard LCD screens
• 3D TV - Designed to reproduce the effect of three-dimensioanl images used in some Blu-ray films and TV broadcasts
• HD ready - HD ready TVs can accept, process and display High Definition broadcast but will not display them as full HD
• Freeview HD - With HD you can watch the UK's favourite TV with up to 5 times clearer picture quality than standard definition
• SMART TV - New generation of TVs which connect to the internet to access a layer of enhanced features such as downloading video content, (movies, TV shows and on-demand services) as well as other services (weather, news, travel, ect..)
  
• Full HD - The capability to accept 1080p signal and display it with native resolution of at least 1920 x 1080 pixels, as well as the capability to upscale lower resolution material to 1080p
• 1080p Upscalling - Gives you near HD quality pictures from your standard DVDs when connected to a hi-definition (HD)TV
• Response Time - This tells you how long it will take the pixels to change as the picture changes. The shorter the response time the better; a slow response time will result in the blurring or smearing of a picture during fast moving scenes.
• Dynamic contrast - The dynamic contrast or contrast ration affects the picture quality. The higher the number, the better the picture will be.
• HDMI - HDMI stands for High Definition Multi-media Interface. This modern standard transfers an uncompressed digital video and audio signal from a source to a TV
• USB - USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. It is a method of transporting data and files from one piece of electrical equipment to another. A USB host allows you to play music direct from your MP3 player.

Kitchen and Laundry Jargon

• RPM - Spin Speeds - the higher the speed the greater amount of water removed from clothes, reducing drying times
• KG - The weight capacity the applicance can hold
• Energy Efficiency - If you select an appliance with a good energy rating then it will be more efficient and will save not only money but also the environment as it will use less power and thus reduce the pollution that derives from creating the pwer in the first place
• Energy A+ - This is a measurement of energy efficiency. An energy A rating is kinder to the environment than an energy C or D rating.
• Condenser Dryer - Freedom to position the dryer anywhere in a room-moisture is collected in a water tank within the dryer
• Vented Tumble Dryer - Need to position the dryer and create an aperture through a wall or window to allow moisture to escape
• Sensor Drying - Senses the level of dryness required for the load and automatically stops once level is achieved
• Interactive LCD - This feature displays the cycle chosen, the temperature and time remaining on the front display screen.
• Digital Display - This feature displays the time remaining on the front display screen.
• Watts - A watt is a measurement of power used for Microwaves. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the Microwave.
• Fan Assisted - Fan assistance is a type of heat used in microwaves and Electric Cookers. It circulates heat equally to cook food evenly.
• FSD Compliant - A Flame Suppression Device or FSD is compulsory for Gas Cookers placed in multiple occupancy dwellings such as flats and maisonettes.
• Sealed Hob - This finish makes the electric hob easy to clean.
• Duel Fuel - Offers you the best of both worlds; the even heat distribution of a fan assisted electric oven with the control of a gas hob.
• Flame Failure Safety Device - This is a safety feature that shuts off the gas supply automatically if the flame goes out.
• Rapidlite Zone Ceramic Hob - This type of hob warms up quickly.
• Integrated Grill - An integrated grill is a grill combined with the main oven as apposed to a separate grill.
• Thermostatically Controlled - This is a device for regulating the temperature of an appliance. The thermostat can maintain a desired temperature set by the user.
• Gross cu ft Capacity - This tells you the space available in a fridge and freezer in cubic feet.
• Auto-defrost - The evaporator in freezers with auto-defrost automatically defrosts to ensure that the appliance is frost free

Computing and Consoles Jargon

• GB Hard Disk or Hard Drive - Giga-bytes are units of Hard Drive memory capacity. It is where all programs and files are stored. The larger the capacity, the more documents, images, audio and video files can be stored.

• RAM - This stands for Random Access Memory which is a form of computer data storage within the computer itself.

• LAN - This stands for Local Area Network and is a network that connects Computers within an area such as the home or an office. A LAN allows you to share resources such as files, printers and games with other printers.

• Skype - Skype is an online application that allows computer users to talk and instant message each other wherever they are in the world for free.

• Webcam - A webcam comes built into a laptop and as an add on to a PC. The webcam allows users to see each other over the internet, providing each user has a webcam.

• LED Screen - Computers and laptops that have screens made up of Light Emitting Diodes conduct light to offer an ultra bright, clear picture on screen.

• LCD Integrated Display - LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. This is a type of visual display that uses light cast by liquid crystals to produce colours on a screen

• Blue-ray - This is an optical disk storage device like a DVD. It is different from a DVD in that it offers High Definition picture.

• Built-in Wi-Fi - This allows you to connect to the internet and other devices without wires or cables. It is also know as wireless.

• HDMI host - This host allows you to connect to other devices such as DVD and video players via a HDMI cable. This transmits crystal clear digital audio and video output, allowing you to listen and watch through your PC or Laptop.

Phone Jargon

• TFT screen - TFT stands for Thin Film Transistor which is a type of flat-panel display screen. It provides the best resolution available and therefore the clearest picture possible.

• MP3 Player - Phones with MP3 players installed allow you to download and listen to music on your mobile.

• MB Memory - A megabyte is a large unit of memory. The more megabytes of memory a devise has, the more files can be stored.

• Micro SD Expansion - An expansion SC card is a form of removable memory storage. It allows you to store large amounts of data, such as music and photos, on your phone without using the phone's memory. Data on the SD card can be transported and downloaded onto computers with SD compatibility.

• Bluetooth Enabled - Bluetooth is a means of connecting phones to computers, printers and many other devises that also have bluetooth and sharing data and files. If an appliance is bluetooth enabled, it is able to connect using bluetooth technology.
  

• Wi-Fi Enabled - Phones that are wi-fi enabled can access wireless local area networks to pick up the local internet connection from any location.
  

Photography Jargon

• LCD Screen - LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. This is a type of visual display that uses light cast by liquid crystals to produce colours on a screen

• AMOLED High Resolution Screen - AMOLED stands for Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode. These screens use less power, offer a high contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and product more defined colours.

• 1080p Video Recording - This type of recording uses the highest resolution available to give greater clarity, better brightness and sharpness.

• Megapixel - A pixel is a unit of colour what combines with other pixels to make up an image. A megapixel is 1 million pixels so the measurement of megapixels is a measure of screen resolution or image clarity. The more megapixels, the clearer the image.

• Optical Zoom - An optical zoom uses the camera lens to enlarge or magnify an image. Optical zoom allows you to take high resolution pictures, higher resolution than possible with digital zoom.

• Digital Zoom - Digital zoom crops an image and therefore magnifies as a result. To make the cropped area bigger, pixels are added to the image, this may take the sharpness away from the image.

• Double-range Zoom - This function makes it possible to zoom in really close to small details even from a distance. The double zoom can get twice as close to details than regular zoom functions.

• Wide Angle Shooting - Cameras with wide angle shooting have a lens that is able to take a wider field of view than regular or normal lenses.

• MP3 Playback - This is a feature available on technologies such as digital photo frames and allows you to play MP3 files such as films and music.

• Internal Memory - Internal memory is the amount of room available to store files on a device. It is measured in Megabytes or mb and the more megabytes, the more memory the device has.

• SD Supported - SD stands for Secure Digital. This is a form of external memory that can be placed inside a camera or Laptop and data can be uploaded, downloaded and transported using the SD card.

• Internal Flash - This is the flash generated by the camera. It usually sits on the top of the camera and flashes as the photo is being taken to give the photo maximum light.

• GPS for Location Tagging - This allows you to locate where the photo was taken and allows you to organise and manage photos by location.

• Smart Auto - This clever technology assess the type of video or image being taken eg photo in a dark environment or action video and adapts the camera settings accordingly.

Small Electrical Jargon

• HEPA Filtration - This is somtimes called 'hospital class' filtration. This is a filter type that is recommended for some allergy sufferers, particularly for allergies triggered by particles found in the home.

• Edge to Edge Cleaning - Vacuums with edge to edge cleaning are built to you into every knook and cranny, they clean right up to the edge of carpets and skirting.

• KW - A kilowatt is a unit of power. 1 kilowatt is equal to 1000 watts

• Thermostatically Controlled - This is a device for regulating the temperature of an appliance. The thermostat can maintain a desired temperature set by the user.

Mobility Jargon

• Amp Output - This is the amount of battery power per charge.

• MpH - Miles per Hour indicates the speed at which the Mobility Scooter can travel. The mobility scooters sold at Buy As You View have a maximum screed of 4 Miles per Hour.

Refrigeration

• Stored Water Dispenser - Intergrated dispenser for instant access to chilled water

• Frost Free - No need to manually defrost. Prevents ice build-up. Air circulation enables food to freeze faster keeping its natural flavours

Upholstery

• Fibre Filled Cushions - Thin strands of polyester which are crimped to make it springy and comfortable

• High Density Foam - High Density foam is a high density quality seating grade, which is suitable for many uses including quality sofa and upholstery seat cushions

• Leather Match - Is man-made material but gives the appearance of being leather

• Faux - Suede or Leather, man-made material that looks and feels like real leather or suede

Beds

• Slatted Base - A long thin, narrow strip of wood or metal, used as a support base for a mattress

• Ottoman - Lift up storage under a bed

• Divan Bed - A bed consisting of a base and mattress but no footboard ofr headboard

• Tufted Mattress - Is one that has stitching that makes little pillows in squares on the top of the mattress

• Sprung Mattress - Using a simple metal sprung system within the mattress for support

• Memory Foam Mattress - A memory foam mattress if certified space technology, foam is treated to regain its original form. Heat sensitive memory foam conforms to your bodies contours providing superior support and comfort