Over the past decade, the typical household television has been moving away from the large and outdated cathode ray tube (CRT) design and toward the sleek, flat-screen high definition (HDTV) design. Compared to CRTs, HDTVs take up less space and offer better picture quality, resulting in a more spacious room and a better viewing experience. You may not know how to buy a high definition TV if you're new to this technology, but if you follow a few guidelines and learn which specifications are important, you'll be able to purchase the proper HDTV that meets all of your needs.
1Choose the right television size, not the biggest possible size. Having a huge television that fills the entire wall can be a great way to impress your friends and family members, but it will have a negative impact on your long-term viewing experience. As a general rule of thumb, when purchasing for your bedroom, 32 inches (81.3 cm) is a good size, and when purchasing for your living room, anything under 40 inches (101.6 cm) will likely be too small.
- More specifically, the size of your television should be proportional to your intended viewing distance. In general, the size of your television should be approximately half the viewing distance. For example, if you intend to watch your TV from 7 feet (84 inches) away, then you should aim for a 42 inch (106.7 cm) television.
- The size of an HDTV will be one of the primary indicators of its price range. HDTV sizes range anywhere from 32 inches (81.3 cm) to 60 inches (152.4 cm) and the price difference between those 2 ends is around 300 percent. For example, if a 32 inch (81.3 cm) television costs $400, then a 60 inch (152.4 cm) television with the same features would cost around $1,200. When purchasing an HDTV, be sure to buy one that fits within your acceptable budget range.
2Choose between LCD or plasma screen. In general, plasma screens deliver a much higher quality picture than LCD screens. However, LCD screens tend to take up less space, consume less power, and are noticeably cheaper than their plasma screen counterparts.
- There is a third screen type called LED. LED screens use a a little less power than LCD screens, but they offer no additional benefits. Very few people can tell the difference in quality between an LCD and an LED screen. LED screens are also more expensive than LCD screens.
3Choose between 1080p or 720p. On paper, 1080p is simply better than 720p because it denotes a higher quality picture. However, if you sit further than 6 feet (1.8 m) away from your television, you won't be able to discern the difference between 1080p and 720p. Furthermore, the higher-quality 1080p is unnoticeable on screen sizes that are too small.
- If your television is smaller than 40 inches (101.6 cm) or if you're going to be viewing from over 6 feet (1.8 m) away, then forget the 1080p. If you have a large television and you intend to watch it close up, then you may benefit from the 1080p resolution.
4Make sure you have enough input slots for all of your home media. Most home media technology--DVD players, Blu-ray players, video game consoles, etc.--is now moving towards HDMI standardization. Older media devices will likely utilize the component-video input, which consists of a set of 3 input plugs: white, red, and yellow. Before purchasing a television, be sure you know which devices you intend to plug in so you can purchase a television that can accommodate those inputs.
5Ignore the contrast ratio specification. Contrast ratio refers to the difference between a screen's brightest white and darkest black. On paper, a higher contrast ratio is always better than a lower contrast ratio. Unfortunately, contrast ratio measurements are not standardized at all, so comparing the contrast ratios between 2 televisions will rarely result in a meaningful conclusion.
6Ignore the refresh rate specification. Refresh rate refers to the frequency of screen image updates, so 60 Hz would mean 60 screen updates per second. On paper, a higher refresh rate will produce a much crisper picture. However, due to limitations in the human eye, most people will not be able to tell the difference between a 60 Hz and a 240 Hz screen. As long as your television is refreshing at 60 Hz, you have nothing to worry about.
- If you intend to connect your HDTV to a computer, you will either need a VGA output (for older computers) or an HDMI output (for more recent computers). Consult your computer's manual to see which outputs it can take. If your computer can handle both VGA and HDMI, opt for the higher quality HDMI output.
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