Top 5 Things to Consider When Buying an HDTV

The challenge of buying an HDTV is compounded by so many different choices, numbers and acronyms, and we understand that buying a high-def TV can be both frustrating and confusing.

To make things easier, the following is a list of five things you should consider when buying a high-def television. Forget specs right now, because there are a number of things that are really important to think about:

#1: Set Your Budget

Sounds obvious — we know — but with prices, size and features ranging so drastically, a budget will determine what type of TV you can purchase. Many people ask if they should by plasma, LCD, rear projection or CRT high-def TVs. The answer, unfortunately, is not cut-and-dry.

Setting a budget is crucial to buying a high-def television because it will often determine which type of TV best suits your needs, the type of room you will be putting it in, and the bells and whistles you can afford.

We recommend you stick with a name-brand manufacturer and avoid discount prices on brand names you have never heard of. They are cheap for a reason.

Decide your budget and surf online to find out what type of television fits into that range. Do this before you go shopping because retailers will often try and up-sell you on features you might not need. Setting a realistic budget first will ensure you don’t spend that extra buck on something just because some salesperson on commission thinks it’s the best investment.

#2: Decide on a room

Sounds silly, but documenting the physical layout of your room can totally change the type of TV you will buy.

Measure the dimensions of your room; determine where your TV will be placed; measure the area around your TV for additional components like speakers, receivers, DVD players and video game consoles; note the light sources coming into the room (especially windows); and determine how far you will sit from the screen.

These factors are really important because room size can often determine the type of HD television you need to buy. If you live in a condo with little floor space, an flat screen LCD or plasma is the best option, whereas more room will permit an HDTV with a big footprint.

Also, the farther you sit from the TV, the bigger the screen you’ll want. The best movie- and TV-watching experience comes from a TV that fits — not dominates — your room. If you’re only eight feet away from the TV, don’t buy a 60-inch because it will “feel like a theatre.” If a TV is too large and you are too close, you could end up seeing grain and fuzziness. If you are 15 feet away from the TV, a 60-inch set might be more appropriate. When you’re in the store, view the TV from this distance to examine picture quality and viewing angles. HDTVs always look smaller in big box stores, and people often get them home before they realize the TV is way too big. Planning ahead will prevent this from happening.

One of the most critical aspects of buying an HDTV is lighting — if you have a lot of sunlight soaking the screen, the type of television you buy is important. In a typical family room that has a lot of natural light from windows, front projectors or traditional CRT-based HDTVs are usually not a good buy. In a dark basement, these sets are incredible and provide some of the best movie- and TV-watching experiences. If you’re looking at a plasma or LCD, ensure the screen doesn’t reflect light easily. You can even find TVs these days that have an anti-reflection coating to help stop the glare effect.

When you visit a store to purchase your TV, tell the salesperson about the layout of your room and the amount of natural light. If he or she doesn’t pay much attention to these factors, get a new salesperson.

#3: Understand the differences between various types of HDTVs

Here’s where most consumers get really frustrated: In the ol’ days, a TV purchase was easy because only size and price mattered. Today, there are four major types of high-definition TVs on the market. They are: direct view, rear projection, front projection and flat panel. To make things worse, these four types are broken down into subcategories based on what type of technology they use.

Direct view TVs use CRT (Cathode Ray tube) technology and are familiar to most people because we’ve used this technology for many decades. These TVs range in screen size.

Rear projection TVs (RPTV) are commonly referred to as “big screen TVs.” More recently, RPTVs started using digital rear projection that employs LCD, DLP or LCoS technology. Sizes range from 40 to 70 inches, and tend to be much cheaper than newer technologies because they take up a lot of floor space, and they are heavy as hell.

Front projectors are great for that movie theatre experience, and most employ LCD or DLP technology. The benefits are great, as projectors are usually small and can project an image on a wall that is more than 100 inches wide. The downside, however, is they can be very expensive and require expensive screens to get a great, high-quality picture.

Flat panel TVs are where it’s at: The newest type of TV, most people know these as being either LCDs or Plasma screens. Both are usually slim, with the possibility of being hung on a wall. The downside: price tags can sometimes be crazy.

LCDs are usually smaller than plasma screens, but produce a beautiful, clean, crisp and bright image. The downside is black levels aren’t always true black (they appear as more of a dark gray). Plasmas, on the other hand, are big and also produce a beautiful picture. The problem is that some can suffer from burn-in; if you watch news channels, or play video games that have a lot of static images, this set might not be the one for you because the image can physically be “burned-in” to the screen. This technology is getting better, but it still isn’t perfect.

LCDs and plasmas are both great TV technologies, but it’s recommended you read consumer reviews on the Internet before you go out and purchase either one because technologies differ between manufacturers. Once you go in to the store, compare them side-by-side to see which one has the brightest, best picture. Also, walk around, side-to-side, to examine the various viewing angles. Sometimes these TVs have limited viewing angles, so remember the layout of your room and the various angles from which you will be watching TV.

There is no solid answer as to which TV technology is better, as it depends on your taste, budget, viewing conditions and features. Here are a few things you should think about: Avoid large DirectView CRTs or CRT-based RPTVs unless cost is your make-or-break factor. They are usually much heavier and bulkier, and this technology will likely be replaced by LCD flat panels in the next three years.

DLP and LCD rear projection TVs are good for the low- to mid-range budget as they have great picture quality, reasonable price tags and they are smaller and lighter than CRT televisions. They also have better black levels than LCD rear projection TVs, but LCD has more accurate colour reproduction. Check the TVs out in-person to make a final decision.

If you can afford it, definitely consider going with a flat panel LCD or plasma, as both have overcome many of the problems from which earlier generations suffered. Plasmas are larger, have a faster response times and better contrast ratios than LCD, but LCDs are brighter and provide a more accurate picture. Again, stay away from cheap brands you have never heard of, and don’t buy “EDTV” because it isn’t true high-definition (it takes a standard signal and “up-converts” it to look better).

If you want an enormous screen, you probably need a front projector. Remember to get one that displays HDTV natively.

Finally, when it comes to understanding the difference between the technologies, don’t let the price tag fool you — expensive sets are not always better.

#4: Determine Connection Types

Always think about what you need to connect to your new HDTV before you buy it. If you have a DVD player, a video game console or even an old-school VCR, you need to ensure your TV will accept all the connectors. When you go to buy newer cables, watch for salespeople who try to up-sell you on the “best type of cable” that costs 10 times more than the next-level down. Mid-range cables and connectors will suffice to hook up your new HDTV.

#5: Compare models

With your budget, room setup and connection types in mind, determine what type of TV and size is best for you. Once you know that you will be buying a flat panel LCD, for example, you can determine that your budget and room size will permit a 42-inch TV. Now, go to the store and look at a range of TVs from various manufacturers that fit that category. You will usually find a 42-inch LCD flat panel TV made by at least half-a-dozen manufacturers.

Once you get a chance to see each TV in person, rank the TVs in order from your top choice down to your least favourite and record the model numbers. Log-on to the Internet and search those model numbers to read reviews. The Internet is home to thousands of reviews of TVs and it will best help you ensure your HDTV choice is the right one.

Conclusion:

As you can see, there is no quick or easy answer as to what type of HDTV is the best for you. We hope these five considerations help you in your quest to conquer the new world of high-definition television.