Choosing the right flat screen TV may not be very easy what with all the available options in the market today. However to guide you and keep you on the right track to purchasing the best television for your home, this articles presents five things that you should consider when on the market for this type of TV.
1. The screen size – when it comes to a flat screen TV, the bigger, the better. But then, this may not be the case if you have a small room. A medium sized LCD television is ideal for bedroom viewing where you are 6 – 8 feet away while a bigger sized Plasma television that requires 10-16 feet viewing distance is ideal for the living room.
2. The image quality – one major consideration is the resolution of the flat screen TV or the quality of the picture it can provide. The resolution for standard definition televisions is 640×480 and 720×480 pixels which is ideal for watching cable television programs. When it comes to digital content though, there are four basic formats used which are 480p, 720p, 480i and 1080i. The ‘p’ means progressive which describes the way the screen draws images and the ‘i’ means interlace.
3. Connectivity of the flat screen TV – this is important especially if you are intending to plug in other electronic devices on your television. The basic things to look for are progressive component inputs for progressive-scan DVD player and an S-Video jack where you can also plug in your gaming console. Since televisions these days can also be plugged in to computers, look for an RGB connection.
4. Audio – if you need a flat screen TV to set up on your home entertainment system, the audio system may not be that important but then, if you need it as a stand-alone unit for watching, then make sure that the audio is of good quality. You may ask the salesperson to assist you with choosing the television with the best audio-enhancing technologies.
5. Other things to consider when getting a flat screen TV – all other things are actually just additional features. Some sets come with PIP or picture-in-picture features that let viewers watch a second channel on a smaller window and some have a memory stick reader that can let you view images taken from a digital camera directly.
Your budget may dictate the type of flat screen TV you’ll end up buying in the end. But even so, try to get a flat screen TV that balances quality and great price.
A flat screen TV lets you get the best possible picture a widescreen can offer without consuming much space and in addition, these types of televisions have a sleek design and provide the best resolution for HDTV programming.
You have a lot of options when it comes to flat screen TV shopping and the two most popular choices you will be faced with are Plasma and LCD TVs. Both can produce great quality images but it still pays to know about their individual advantages.
Plasma Flat Screen TV Strengths
• Plasma was the first technology used in flat panel televisions and from the start, they have offered great picture quality. Compared to the recently improved LCD technology, Plasma still generally displays more lifelike colors because they have the ability to produce real black.
• Plasma is generally more affordable than LCDs of the same flat screen TV size.
• In terms of viewing angle, Plasma can provide better off-axis viewing which allows viewers to sit further off-center and still see the picture without any distortion.
• Plasma televisions also have faster response time making them perfect for people who are avid fans of watching fast action movies and sports.
LCD Flat Screen TV Strengths
• Unlike Plasma, LCD technology is not susceptible to image burn-in or image retention. Recent Plasma TVs come with built-in features that prevent screen burn-in but you still need to consider this risk especially if you frequently play computer games where the screen may display the same image for a while.
• LCD televisions display brighter pictures than Plasma and are better used in brightly lit rooms because they come with anti-glare technology.
• LCD televisions also use up less energy than plasma televisions of the same flat screen TV size making it more cost effective and environmentally-friendly.
• LCD televisions currently have the highest available HD resolution of 1080p in more screen sizes however the gap between plasma and LCD is fast closing in so in a matter o years, this may not matter much.
A Plasma flat screen TV is a good choice if you watch a lot of fast action scenes, if you need to have the most lifelike colors and darkest blacks or want a greater viewing angle.
An LCD flat screen TV on the other hand is your choice if you watch TV in a brightly-lit setting, if you need to have the highest possible resolution, if you don’t want burn-ins and if you want to save on energy consumption.
