Shopping for a new HDTV can be confusing and intimidating, but if you break the process down into smaller parts, it starts to make sense. The main factors to consider are:
- budget range
- Screen size
- Design (Plasma, LCD, etc.)
- special uses
- Options
budget range
The first is the first. HDTV costs are most closely related to screen size, but also to screen type, picture quality, and brand name. You’ll have to read the reviews for the individual sets to get all the details, but here’s a general idea of what you’ll get in each price range:
Less than $500: HD-Ready (no tuner) LCD TVs 20 inches and smaller. 15-inch HDTV with built-in tuner. You can find some up to 27 inches from certain brands, like ViewSonic and Olevia.
$500 to $1000: 32-inch and smaller LCD, HDTV with built-in tuner, 50-inch and smaller DLP HDTV.
$1,000 to $2,000: 46-inch and smaller LCD, 50-inch and smaller plasma, and 65-inch and smaller DLP HDTVs.
$2,000 to $4,000: 52-inch and smaller LCD, 60-inch and smaller plasma, and 75-inch and smaller DLP HDTVs.
Another thing to keep in mind is the significant discounts you can find on last year’s models. HDTV technology is updated all the time, just like computer technology. If you can deal with not having the latest technology, you can find some amazing deals: 40 percent off, or more, on games just 18 months old.
Screen size
It’s important to get the right size HDTV for your viewing space. In the old days, the right size TV was the biggest you could afford, but today many people can afford a TV that’s so big it dominates the viewing room, and they’re forced to sit so close that imperfections on the screen, or individual pixels, are visible.
Another problem with sitting too close to a widescreen HDTV is that your eyes will dart from one side of the screen to the other, as if you were watching a tennis match from center court. These rapid eye movements can cause dizziness and headache.
First, look at the area where you will be watching TV and measure the distance from the TV screen to the center of your couch, bean bag, trunk, or whatever you sit on. This distance should be 2-4 times the diagonal measurement of the screen. So a 24-inch rig would be good for viewing from 4 to 8 feet, a 50-inch rig would be good for 8-16 foot range, and a 60-inch rig would work well from 10 to 20 feet away. feet.
display style
The most popular types of flat panel HDTVs these days are LCD, plasma, and DLP. Cathode ray televisions are still around and usually have an excellent picture, but the larger CRTs are extremely heavy and bulky. They are slowly losing ground to the flatter profile technology.
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 screen right now), cell phones, and many other devices. LCD screens work best when you want a medium or small TV, need a lighter TV, or watch TV in a well-lit room.
Plasma TVs have a glass screen (as opposed to LCD screen plastic) with an ionized gas sandwiched behind it that creates an image when excited by electrical charges. Plasmas have a slight advantage over LCDs in image quality, especially when viewed from an angle, but may have more reflections on the screen in bright light.
DLP stands for digital light processing. These computers 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.
special uses
What do you plan to do with your HDTV? Are you a gamer, a sports fan or a movie buff? Different types of outfits are ideal for slightly different things.
DLP TVs often have very bright screens, but can lose detail in very dark scenes. This makes them great for watching sports, news, and outdoor scenes, but not so great for movies with a lot of dark images. Plasma TVs have a great picture and still look great when viewed from a wide angle, with no dimming or color shift. However, a room with many windows can cause glare problems on the Plasma’s glass screen. LCD TVs are much brighter in bright light, making them ideal for daytime viewing in bright rooms. In a well-lit room, an LCD TV can look better than a good plasma TV. And LCD screens have better and sharper resolution in the medium sizes, making them ideal for use as an additional monitor for your computer.
Options
All HDTVs come with a slightly different package of features. A tuner is required to receive over-the-air broadcasts. Since they add expense, and many people only use their HDTVs to watch cable, satellite, DVD, video games, or computer input, they’re not always included. Look for a built-in ATSC tuner or buy an external tuner to get over-the-air broadcasts.
It’s nice to have good speakers built into the HDTV. But, if sound quality is really important to you, you’re better off with high-quality external speakers.
Connections are important. You’ll want at least 2 HDMI inputs to connect to a cable box, DVR, or DVD player. Other types of connections, such as the S-Video and component cable inputs, are useful if you want to use external components that use these cables. And if you intend to use your HDTV with your digital camera, you’ll need a USB or memory card input.
getting help
Using an online HDTV buyer’s guide can also help. Find one that balances enough attention to detail with a big picture.
