Choosing a New High Definition Television

It can be difficult to know what to look for when choosing a new television. There are so many different types and models of television on the market that sometimes it’s hard to know where to start! To make life easier for you, here is the process I went through before choosing my set.

Type of Television

The first decision that you’ll need to make when choosing and buying a new TV is about the type of television you want. There are many different types of television on the market today ranging from Rear Projection and DLP through to new flat panel LCD and plasmas.  I will give you the quick run down of what I learned on my quest.

Rear Projection LCD

A rear-projection LCD television basically works by passing a powerful light source through a transparent LCD chip made up of individual pixels (which displays the moving video image) and projecting that image through a magnifying lens, to a mirror, which then reflects that image, onto a screen. 

The Good: They are easier on the pocket book than a flat panel; they produce a great picture and are ideal for gaming. 

The Bad: They are between 1 and 2 feet deep (you can’t mount them on a wall) and you have to be on the viewing plane to get the perfect picture (if you are too far to the right / left or you stand up the picture looses quality) The bulb needs to be replaced every 3-6 years

DLP

 At the heart of every DLP projection system is an optical semiconductor known as the Digital Micromirror Device, or DMD chip. The DMD chip is probably the world's most sophisticated light switch. It contains a rectangular array of up to 1.3 million hinge-mounted microscopic mirrors; each of these micromirrors measures less than one-fifth the width of a human hair, and corresponds to one pixel in a projected image. When a DMD chip is coordinated with a digital video or graphic signal, a light source, and a projection lens, its mirrors can reflect an all-digital image onto a screen or other surface. The DMD and the sophisticated electronics that surround it are what we call Digital Light Processing technology.

The Good: They are easier on the pocket book than a flat panel, they produce a great picture and are ideal for gaming.

The Bad: They are between 1 and 2 feet deep (you can’t mount them on a wall) and you have to be on the viewing plane to get the perfect picture (if you are too far to the right / left or you stand up the picture looses quality) The bulb needs to be replaced every 3-6 years

Flat Panel LCD

LCD panels are made of two layers of a glass-like material, which are polarized, and are "glued" together. One of the layers is coated with a special polymer that holds the individual liquid crystals. Electric current is then passed through individual crystals, which allow the crystals to pass or block light to create images.

The Good: In my opinion the best picture money can buy.  The picture looks perfect no matter where you stand. Great for gaming.  Can be mounted on the wall.

The Bad: Considerable cost.  After the Liquid Crystals die (10-15 years) they cannot be repaired

Plasma

A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel display now commonly used for large TV displays (typically above 37”) Many tiny cells located between two panels of glass hold an inert mixture of noble gasses (neon and xenon).  The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light.

The Good: Good picture.  Picture looks good from all viewing angles and can be mounted on the wall.

The Bad: Considerable cost.  After the cells die (10-15 years) they cannot be repaired.  NOT RECOMMENDED FOR GAMING

Size and Positioning

You’ll also need to decide where you are going to put your new television and make sure that the model of TV that you are considering will fit (and also that you’ll be able to maneuver it through any corridors or doorways to get to the room that you want to put it in!)  Also the TV’s look way different in the store than in your house.  For example my 50” looked small in the store next to the 60” and 70” set, but it was almost too big for my living room.  So measure accordingly and you should probably plan to buy a stand (additional $200-$400)

Screen Resolution

When you look at a product description for a television, the screen resolution will be shown as, for example, 1024 x 768. This refers to the number of pixels that make up the picture. The first number refers to the number of pixels displayed horizontally on the screen and the second number refers to the number displayed vertically.

This is important as there is new media available: Bluray and HD DVD.  To experience a Bluray or HD DVD in its full potential you need a TV that is capable of 1080P resolution.  1080P will be the future standard or high definition, but as of now the only media capable of full 1080P are Bluray, HD DVD and select video games on the PS3 and X Box 360 Elite consoles.   Since I already purchased a PS3 (with built in Bluray player) the choice was easy for me.  All the other high definition channels are currently broadcasted in 720. 

Conclusion

My recommendation is to go to Best Buy or Circuit City and take a look at all the sets in action to see which on is preferable.  I found that the Sony and Samsung had the best pictures.  Then decide what size, price and resolution is right for you.  Then search the net for the best price and have Circuit City of Best Buy match it.  I always recommend buying from a one of these stores because of there 4 and 5 year warranties.  The high definition sets are getting better but it’s still a new technology.  Protect your investment; a couple hundred in a warranty is better a few thousand in a new TV. 

My last piece of advice is; don’t go cheap on the cables.  After spending a considerable amount on TV, stand and warranty there is no reason to try and save a buck on cables.  The mark up on cables is huge so use eBay.  I use 900 and 1000 series Monster cables for HDMI and component video. I have been extremely satisfied and paid a fraction of the retail price by using eBay.