How to Buy a Television
From LoveToKnow Buy
TV buying has become fairly complicated which is why you need a good TV buyng guide. The simple days of purchasing a basic TV are long gone. High tech has taken over, along with fancy and sometimes bewildering options. Today's market offers everything from the familiar hefty square picture-tubes, to flat-panel LCD displays and plasma TVs thin and lightweight enough to be mounted on a wall.
TV screen shapes
Regular screen
- The familiar square shape has an aspect ratio of 4:3. This means that the viewing image measures 4 units wide for every 3 units high. Most network broadcast programming is formatted for 4:3 screens, but wide screen programming has started to appear.
Wide screen
- These shapes are like movie theater screen, with an aspect ratio of 16:9.. Most DVD movies and HD programs use a wide-screen format. Wide screen format is what movie directors claim they want you to view their movies in, in order to get the maximum enjoyment of lighting, action and scenery without jumping from side-to-side common with regular screen movie viewing.
Movie content has to be modified to fit the wide-screen format, which is why you may see solid black bars at the left and right or top and bottom positions of the image. Wide-screen sets come in different sizes than you may be accustomed to. For picture-tube sets, wide screens usually measure 26- 34 inches diagonally.
CRTs
CRTs provide good picture quality at reasonable prices and sizes from 13=36-inch sets. Standard-definition analog sets retail for $200-$350 for a 27-inch set and $250-$400 for 32-inch models.
HD-ready or High Definition-ready sets cost more and means that the sets are built to receive HD broadcasts which currently are limited to sports programs, nature shows and little network broadcasts. HD does provide better picture quality, but adds cost. 32-inch HD sets run between $600-$800, more for larger screen sizes.
Pros: No viewing angle limits Cons: Maximum screen size is 36 inches. Bulky and heavy, with larger sets weighing 100 pounds+.
High definition TVs
HD or High Definition sets provide the best viewing experience with excellent picture quality and clarity produced in a digital format. HD images have higher resolution providing much more detail than other formats 1080i x 720p or 1080 lines drawn on the screen in odd-even or interlaced patterns with 720 lines scanned in one sweep.
Pros: Few viewing angle limits Cons: Sets are large and heavy. HD programming currently limited.
Enhanced definition TVs
This type is somewhere between standard definition and HD. Enhanced definition uses digital signals at 480p resolution, about as good as a DVD, but less than high definition. Some ED sets are marketed as “HD ready,” meaning they can decode HD signals if connected to a digital tuner, but these signals must be converted to a lower resolution, so picture quality gains are reduced.
Pros: Good viewing angle limits Cons: Programming limited.
LCD TVs
This type of flat-panel screen are much lighter and thinner. The display uses a backlight and several thousand red, green, and blue pixels or light squares that open or close to let light pass through them. The images produced are of better quality. Antireflective screen materials minimize glare from bright light sources. Screen sizes range from 14-37 inches or larger. Prices run about $1,000 to $1,500 for a 26-inch, to $1,500-$2,000+ for larger units.
Pros: Lightweight and thin, wall-mountable. Capable of displaying very good, bright images. Cons: Display limitations inability to distinguish deep blacks or subtle shades of gray and black. Fast-moving images can blur. Limited viewing angles, especially in the vertical.
Plasma TVs
These have large, flat-panel screens with red, green, and blue pixels activated by "plasma" energy, creating very bright images. Screen sizes range from 42-60 inches. Prices match size. About $3,000 for a 42-inch HD-ready set, $3,500-$4,500 for 50-inches.
Pros: Lightweight and thin, wall-mountable. Can display high brightness, sharp contrast and crisp detail images. No limit on viewing angle. Cons: Some screen reflections when viewed in bright light. Screens dim over time. Power hungry sets generates a lot of heat. Screens can burn images. Some sets lack speakers or a tuner.
Test drives necessary
Decide how large a screen you want, then view it at an electronics retailers. Online shopping can be risky because screens, especially CRTs, are vulnerable to shipping mishaps. Test the viewing angles. Some screens require direct-on viewing while others are more forgiving. And remember that the display and lighting conditions in a store will differ radically from those in your home.
Where to buy a television
- Amazon.com: TV & HDTVs
- Circuit City: Televisions
- Best Buy
- Wal-Mart
- CompUSA
- Circuit City
- CostCo
- Sam’s Club
Learn More
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