When it comes to buying your next TV, a number of factors could contribute to your decision. While many tend to buy the largest they can afford, many other features are more important than HDTV size. Before choosing a flat screen TV, you need to know the different screen types, resolution, contrast ratio and other features that today's flat screens can offer.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Choose the TV type
Step 1. Understand the difference between TV types
The three most common types of flat screens are Plasma, LED and LCD [1]. These technologies are explained below:
- "Plasma" TV. The image is created by means of an electrical charge which is applied to a group of very small plasma cells.
- "LCD" TV. They are composed of a liquid crystal compressed between two glass panels backlit by a fluorescent lamp. The image is created by applying an electrical charge to the crystal.
- "LED" TV. Similar to "LCD", except that instead of using a fluorescent lamp, they use hundreds of LEDs distributed evenly along the entire surface of the panel (Full Led) or along the frame of the screen (Edge LED).
Step 2. Compare the contrast ratios
The contrast ratio describes the TV's ability to display bright and dark images at the same time. The higher the contrast, the better the quality of the reproduced image. While this isn't fundamentally important, it can nevertheless be a determining factor in making your decision. In general, plasma televisions have the best contrast. Immediately in second place we find Full LED TVs. Hence, slightly lower quality contrasts with Edge LED or LCD TVs.
- Most LCD screens start at a contrast ratio of around 600: 1, while for plasma screens, it starts at 1,000: 1. Both can go up to 10,000: 1. However, since no standard exists until now, manufacturers tend to inflate the actual value of their TV models. Consult product reviews for further evaluation.
- In addition to the higher contrast values, look for good image qualities characterized by black color. While the brightness can be adjusted to your liking, many LCD screens struggle to recreate deep blacks, which can result in an image that looks washed out.
Step 3. Evaluate how well each type of TV can handle the speed of image movement
If you are a slow paced sports fan, a plasma TV might be the ideal solution, as this type of screen is the one that achieves a smoother display. Although, however, in the last five years both LCDs and LEDs have managed to improve enormously to relatively good quality.
Note that plasma TVs run the risk of being damaged by static images, such as a network logo or game control panel. Indeed, there is a serious danger of these kinds of images being permanently imprinted on a plasma screen
Step 4. Consumption
LCDs usually only require a single fluorescent panel, while a plasma screen needs each individual pixel to be illuminated individually. In general, in a year, the power consumption of a plasma screen will be about 50% higher than an LCD screen. LED screens are the ones that consume less, up to 40% less than LCDs [2].
Step 5. The Life Cycle
Plasma screens are the ones that have a shorter life cycle. In fact, they have a HALF life cycle of 60,000 hours (ie, in 33 years, used for 5 hours a day, the brightness will be reduced to 50% compared to that of a new TV) [3]. LED televisions generally have a half life cycle of around 100,000 hours. LCDs are a cross between plasma and LED.
Step 6. The Price
Generally, LCD screens are the most affordable option (perhaps the only option for small screens). Plasma TVs are often proposed for larger solutions and are slightly more expensive than their LCD counterpart. Finally, the LED ones. Being the newest technology, they are still very expensive and not yet widely distributed.
Method 2 of 3: Choose the Screen Resolution
Step 1. Most flat screens offer resolution options of 720p or 1080p, while the traditional resolution for CRT TVs and cable broadcasts is 480i or 480p
- 720p is the resolution for screens with 1280 lines x 720 pixels, regardless of the size of the TV. High definition cable and satellite channels, and some DVD players, use this resolution.
- 1080p is the resolution for screens with 1920 lines x 1080 pixels, and is mostly used for Blue-Ray, although Blue-Ray Players can still play 720p content for TVs that don't have a 1080p input.
Method 3 of 3: Compare Additional Features
Step 1. Think about where the TV will be placed
Screen size alone, notwithstanding that being an important factor, shouldn't be the top priority when choosing a flat screen TV. Use your room to determine the screen size you will choose - the ideal viewing distance should be approximately twice the screen size.
Step 2. Think about what you want to link to
The video inputs determine what kind of peripheral devices you can connect to your television.
- Composite Video is the minimum connection standard, which uses one yellow RCA pin (video) and two other RCAs, white and red, for stereo audio.
- S-Video allows you to send the analog component of the video signal through a multipin socket. The audio signal is not included in this type of connection.
- HDMI is the standard for viewing high definition images, required to connect a Blu-Ray, Satellite HD, or TV and DVD players capable of reconverting the high definition signal to meet the screen specifications.
- Some of the new models also offer USB and other connections so that you can connect a computer, digital cameras or other digital devices.
- The dongle for internet access on your TV screen may be bulky for the back of your TV, so if that's what you want, keep that in mind.
Step 3. Consider the Refresh Rate
This parameter describes how quickly an image is updated. It is measured in Hertz and the standard is 60 Hz. While many viewers don't notice the difference, a high Refresh value can be hugely appreciated by those who use a flat screen TV for more advanced video games.
Advice
- Built-in tuners can provide an added benefit for those who invest in convenience. Please make sure the tuner is supported by the Cable Content Provider before purchasing.
- A slightly less flat option for your next TV is Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology. DLP screens tend to be twice as thick as Plasma or LCD, but they cost a lot less and are still much flatter than a traditional CRT TV.
- Some TVs offer a variety of built-in content, including images of various kinds that can be displayed on the screen, or perhaps some sort of internal hard drive where you can load your content so you can enjoy it on your new TV.
