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There really is so much choice out there so think very carefully before purchasing a new computer. Although there are bargains to be had in the likes of PC World, Comet and Currys etc you really need to know what you are talking about as help is limited.

If you are unsure, a better idea would be to go to an independent local supplier who will be able to advise you as to the best machine for your purposes without the need to over sell and even worse talk you into buying unnecessary insurance.

Your local supplier while maybe not always offering the same discounts should be able to provide far better aftercare and ongoing advice.

Don't ever pay for things like Anti virus software and spyware removal tools. There are plenty freely available online. Please feel free to contact me if you require advice in this area and I will be glad to help.

Don't be fooled by the amount of pixels a camera has, it doesn't make it a great camera. The fact is the more pixels you have the bigger the picture you get, that's all. Instead check who makes the lens or how good the focus control is.

Ignore the digital zoom features unless you really have to. Digital zoom gives a very poor quality image which will look terrible after you have printed your pictures out so don't buy on the strength the camera has a 12x digital zoom.

If you are planning manipulating your pictures with software such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro check to see if the camera is capable of taking shots in RAW or TIFF format as well as jpg as these formats do not apply any compression to your images.

Make sure the camera has a lithium type battery that can be charged by simply plugging it in to the mains or into a battery charger. If it is anything like our house the day you want to take a picture you can be sure the camera will have no battery power left and you will spend the next hour hunting the house for fresh ones.

Brands to consider: Canon, Panasonic, Pentax and Nikon

Unless you have an HD feed then a screen bigger than 37" will look quite pixilated on some programs, sports in particular, due to the nature of the LCD screen. Your average living room shouldn't need bigger anyway.

Make sure it has at least 2 HD inputs as more and more equipment is becoming available which requires an HD connection. Playstation 3, Sky HD box and off course the HD DVD players which are coming down in price all the time to name a few.

Check the sound, generally they are quite good but the manufacturers are assuming that if you spend a large amount on a big screen then you should really be making use of the digital audio out sockets to feed a home cinema surround system.

Stick to the brand names. Cheaper alternatives may seem like a bargain but the picture quality can vary dramatically and it probably wont last very long either.

Freeview should be already built in to any set you decide to buy.

Brands to consider: Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Philips and Humax

If you require a larger screen than a 37" then Plasma is definitely the best move. Plasma screens tend to have slightly better colour depth than LCD's and can be view from a greater angle but due to the cost involved and the fact you can't really see the difference except under scrutiny it is not worth bothering about on screens less than 40".

Plasma televisions are much heavier than LCD sets so if you plan to wall mount it then make sure you have joists to screw mounting kits into.

As the prices of plasma sets are dropping so rapidly don't get fooled by a cheap price tag. I have seen some brands on the market with incredible prices on them but when you compare with LCDs the colour and depth can be very poor. Expect to pay around £1000 for a good Plasma.

Freeview should be already built in to any set you decide to buy.

Brands to consider: Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Philips

Update - The founders of HD, Toshiba, have announced the abandonment of the HD playback format as a result of poor sales which means that Blu Ray (like VHS against Betamax video in the early 80's) are the survivors of the HD revolution. In short the Playstation 3 or a stand alone Blu Ray player is all that is required now.

Update - HD upscaling Freeview boxes are becoming more available and are definitely worth considering. Although they only upscale to 1080i and not full HD (1080p) the picture quality is excellent. They are currently retailing for around £60 upwards.

Just because a television is High Definition ready doesn't mean everything it displays will be in high definition. You will still need an high definition feed from either a decoder like Sky or a games consule.

At present there are various ways to enjoy High Definition television. The best at the moment is SKY HD as it not only provides a vibrant crisp picture but also has a recorder built in which will allow 2 simultaneous recordings from 2 different digital channels but there are other broadcasters working hard to compete in this market so stay tuned and I will update.

Currently without counting promotions you will pay £299 for a box and an extra £10 a month subscription. I should mention that only HD channels will display HD quality at 1080i and there are around 15 now including sports and movies.

Playstation 3 is also capable of playing Blu Ray discs which is another form of HD. These 2 formats replicate the VHS v Betamax saga in the early eighties. Whether one will become obsolete over time remains to be seen. The Playstation 3 retails at around the £399 mark but also doubles as a superb games console.

The Xbox 360 cannot play HD discs but there is a player which can be added on at the very reasonable price of around £134. Don't get confused over the formats though, HD is totally different from Blu ray and one wont play the others discs.

HD upscalers are definitely worth a mention. These units connect via the HDMI socket on your television and convert/upscale normal DVD's to near HD quality. Now I am not saying these things are perfect but trust me they make a fine job on any film newer than 20 years old and is an excellent way of viewing HD without the expense. You can expect to pay anything from £80 for an upscaler.

Samsung and Panasonic have some lovely products including a wireless surround sound home cinema system with 1080p upscaling capabilities.

I should mention that the quality of HD depends on the capability of your television. Full HD is 1080p resolution and many televisions can't accommodate this, 1080i being the norm at present. To be honest the difference is negligible and my own view is that by the time everything has settled down and been perfected we will all need new sets anyway so don't panic if you have just forked out a small fortune for a set that only displays 1080i.

Before you rush out and buy a DVD recorder from Tescos for £50 there are things you have to consider. If the equipment is going into a kids room or caravan then yes this might serve you just perfectly but there are other options available.

DVD Recorders are plentiful on the market but preferably you should get one with a build in Digital tuner as this will allow the recording of one digital program while watching another. This is not possible unless you have a SKY+ or HD box. This won't be a problem if you have both Sky and Freeview but not all households can get this at the moment.

Hard Disc Drive (HDD) recorders are also worth considering as these types of units do not require a disc because they record onto a hard disc as the name implies. The downside of this is that a hard drive like your PC is a mechanical moving part and can fail without warning. A better alternative may be a HDD/Disc recorder which would allow you to say record soaps, sports etc which you don't want to keep onto the hard drive but if there was a film or something worth keeping could record it onto disc.

The whole point about the new digital era is flexibility and ensuring you buy the correct equipment first time which will obviously save you time and money in the long run.