Buying a TV these days sure isn’t what it used to be. In the old days, all you had to do was find out how big your next door neighbor’s TV was, then go to Sears and buy one a few inches bigger. Now, with HDTV technology exploding in every direction, you need a deeper understanding of the options available before you decide what to buy. However, it doesn’t have to be intimidating if you break the decision process down into a few steps.
First of all, let’s say you want the latest and greatest class TV, and that would be an HDTV (High Definition Television). The main factors to consider when choosing an HDTV are:
- budget range
- Screen size
- Display technology (Plasma, LCD or DLP)
- Image quality and resolution
- Known issues
budget range
HDTV prices are tied to all of the factors in the list above, but screen size and display technology tend to have the biggest influence. Here’s a rough idea of what to expect at the different price ranges (in US dollars):
Less than $500: LCD TVs 24 inches and smaller, HD-ready (no tuner). Some budget brands, like Vizio, ViewSonic, and Olevia, may offer TVs up to 32 inches for less than $500 during a special sale.
$500 to $1000: 42-inch and smaller LCD HDTVs from budget brands and mid-range brands like Sharp, JVC, and Toshiba. 42-inch and smaller Samsung 720p LCD screens. 37 and 40 inch plasmas, as long as they are last year’s model. Toshiba, Sharp, LG, and budget brands offer some 1080p HDTVs in this price range.
$1,000 to $1,500: 46-inch and smaller LCD screens, including select Sharp Aquos models and select Samsung 1080p HDTVs, if on sale. Plasmas 42 inches and smaller. 57-inch and smaller DLP HDTVs.
$1,500 to $2,500: 52-inch and smaller LCD screens, including previous generation Sony Bravias and most
State-of-the-art Samsung 1080p LCD. Plasma HDTV 50 inches and smaller. 73-inch DLP HDTV and smaller.
$2,500 plus: Everything else… the latest and greatest. 56-inch Sony Bravia LCD screens, huge Panasonic and Pioneer plasmas, and more.
Screen size
Choosing the right size HDTV is more important than it seems. Too small, and you won’t get the immersive TV experience you’ve been looking for; too big, and you will be disappointed by the imperfections that you can see in the picture.
Look at the area where you will be watching TV and estimate the average distance a viewer will sit from the screen. For the best experience, the viewing distance should be 2-4 times the diagonal measurement of the screen. For example, a 50-inch set looks best from 100 to 200 inches, or 8 to 16 feet, away.
display technology
The most common types of flat panel HDTVs are LCD, plasma, and DLP. They are all quite slim and reasonably priced. CRT and projection HDTVs also exist, but the size and cost put them off most people’s radar.
LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display, and it’s the same type of screen used in most new computer monitors (you’re probably looking at an LCD right now), cell phones, and many other devices. LCD screens work best when you want a medium or small TV, need a lighter weight TV, or watch TV in a well-lit room.
Plasma TVs have a glass screen (as opposed to the plastic LCD screen) with an ionized gas sandwiched behind it that creates an image when excited by electrical charges. Plasmas have a noticeable advantage over LCDs in image quality, especially when viewed at an angle, but they can have more glare on the screen in bright light.
DLP stands for digital light processing. These kits use small oscillating mirrors behind the screen to create an image. DLP TVs are technically rear projection TVs, but they’re usually pretty flat. They are cheaper than LCD and Plasma in the large sizes, but are often too heavy and thick to hang on a wall.
Image quality and resolution
If you’re comparing two HDTVs that have the same screen size and type, but very different price tags, the reason is probably picture quality and resolution. Low-end computers tend to have poor contrast ratio (the difference between the dimmest and brightest image they can display), poor black levels (are black scenes all black?), and inaccurate colors. Other problems with cheap sets can include motion blur, ghosting (just what it sounds like: faint echoes of images), and banding (horizontal or vertical lines that appear on the screen for no reason).
Resolution is the number of tiny dots the TV uses to create an image and has a direct effect on sharpness. It comes in two levels, 720p and 1080p. 1080p is the highest resolution, and is really only necessary if your HDTV is larger than 45 inches, or if you intend to use it as a computer monitor.
Known issues
Making a picture-perfect HDTV is an incredibly difficult thing to do. There are dozens of issues that can arise, like the banding and ghosting mentioned above, and it really takes a cream-of-the-crop set to reliably avoid them. Low-end HDTV makers make some high-end TVs, of course, but on newer models there’s usually a problem or two that haven’t been fully fixed. That’s the downside of being an early adopter. Fortunately, these problems are exposed on the Internet immediately, so potential buyers can wait until they are fixed. The best way to learn about these issues is to check relevant online HDTV reviews written by real HDTV owners and see if there is a generally negative or positive attitude about the equipment you are interested in.