What To Look For In An HDTV?

Article Source: Best HDTV Bargains. Copyright 2008
Date: March 11, 2010

Choosing a high definition television can be challenging, given the range of possible choices. Do you want an LCD or plasma screen? Rear projection (like the old analog televisions), or flat screen? And what is the minimum screen resolution that you can get away with without sacrificing noticeable image quality? This article will simplify the process of selecting the right HDTV for you by answering these questions WITHOUT getting too deeply into the technical aspects.

Which Size Screen To Choose?

The rule of thumb with modern high definition televisions is that the best viewing occurs at a distance of 1.5 to 3 times the size of your screen. So you can use this knowledge to select a suitable screen size for the room, and seating configurations, that you intend to use. Let's say that you'll be viewing the television from your couch most of the time and it is set back 8 feet (96 inches) from the place you intend to mount your new HDTV.

What are the minimum and maximum screen sizes that you should probably be thinking about?

Well, the smallest screen size is obtained by dividing the viewing distance by 3, so it's 32 inches. The largest screen size will be twice that, or 64 inches (which is really big).

These rules aren't cast in stone, but it's unlikey that you'd be satisfied with a screen that is any smaller than the minimum screen size that you come up with using this rough estimate.

Note that the maximum screen size you come up with using this method is pretty big. You might want to divide the viewing distance by 2 rather than 3/2 to come up with your maximum screen size, which in the example above would come out as (well, close to) 46 inches. It's a good idea to get out a tape measure and think about what the numbers mean that you come up with. Remember that the screen size refers to the diagonal length of your television screen.

Flat Screen or Rear Projection?

Having grown up with rear projection analog television sets (which have a cathode ray tube housing that extends 12 to 18 inches from the rear of the set) you probably associate high definition television with flat screens because this seems "more modern". Advances in electronic technology ARE forever shrinking down the dimensions of electronic devices, so why shouldn't our modern televisions be slim?

Well, they certainly can be. But there are instances in which rear projection technology still makes sense from both the manufacturer and consumer point of view. It has to do with image quality and price.

Obviously a flat screen television takes up a whole lot less room than an equivalent rear projection unit. But as the size of the screen increases, so does the weight. It gets harder and harder to mount an ever larger flat screen on the wall. So you'll very likely end up finding a supporting floor stand anyway, and that won't be narrow like the flat screen. So you won't necessarily be saving on space by going with a flat screen.

The other reason you might want to consider a rear projection unit is that they become more cost effective as the size of the screen increases, and for jumbo screens the price savings almost guarantee that you will want to go with rear projection.

So while flat screens may be cool, don't necessarily rule out rear projection. We don't live in the age of the Jetson's yet. Not every electronic device we can get our hands on is guaranteed to be compact.

You can find current flat screen offers on our site in the Flat Panel LCD and Flat Panel Plasma categories.

If you are going for a really big screen HDTV and think that rear projection is the way to go, then you can find offers in DLP Projection, LCD Projection, and LCos Projection categories.

Resolution - The difference between 720p, 1080i, and 1080p?

The reason you are thinking about buying an HDTV is that you want a much better picture than you can get from the old analog TV technology, right? So you really need to understand the difference between the available resolutions that you can choose from. The number of pixels indicated by the terms 720p or 1080i refer to the number of vertical lines in the screen.

For screen sizes smaller than about 40 inches, the difference in image quality between 720 and 1080 pixels is not readily apparent, and if the cost difference matters to you, you'll likely be just as happy with the lower quality 720 pixel resolution.

On the other hand, for larger screen sizes, it pays to be more discerning when deciding upon the resolution. Obviously more pixels is better, but you'll pay more for the increased resolution if you opt for 1080 over 720 pixels. But notice that the 1080 screen has almost fifty percent more lines than the 720, so it's a big step up in terms of resolution.

If you are going for a very large screen, like 46 inches or more, then you'll probably not be satisfied with the image quality afforded by 720 pixels. In this case, go all out and get the 1080 screen. You'll regret it otherwise. Maybe not immediately, but when you visit your neighbor's home a month or two later, and see what you are missing out on, you'll realize your mistake. If you see a resolution quoted as 1920x1080, the 1920 is referring to the number of horizontal lines in the screen.

Then there is that 'i' and 'p' specification in the quoted resolution. What is that about?

The 'i' stands for interlaced, which means the picture is rendered in two passes, whereas 'p' stands for progressive, and the picture is rendered all at once (which is better than interlacing when dealing with LCD screens which do not refresh as fast as plasma). Currently the highest resolution in HDTVs is 1080p. LCD screens tend to be cheaper than plasma screens of the same resolution, so you can generally get better picture quality for your dollar by opting for an LCD display.

Plasma or LCD?

For a long time, plasma technology was the first choice when selecting an HDTV with a large screen. But advances in LCD technology have narrowed the gap in picture quality, and there is really no outstanding reason to opt for a plasma display in any but the largest screen sizes, like 60+ inches.

The other advantage that LCD screens have over plasma is in their lower power consumption. You might end up paying 30 percent more in energy bills if you opt for a plasma screen over an LCD of the same size. Over time, this hidden cost to HDTV viewing can add up.

You can find current flat screen LCD and Plasma offers on our site in the Flat Panel LCD and Flat Panel Plasma categories.

LCD brands we recommend are Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Philips, and JVC. Plasma brands we recommend are Hitachi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Samsung, and Philips.