The
NEW HDTV Buyers Guide>>
Your
budget range
Pricing parameters
5
years ago, Plasma and LCD tv's were thousands more than
they are now. Now they are just as affordable as your current
standard defintion television. Here's a cheat sheet that
will help better align the set of your dreams with the reality
of your bank account.
What
you'll pay
What you'll get
LCD & Plasma
15"-26"
| Prices range from $299-$699
32"-37" | Prices range from $599-$1,299
40"-42" | Prices range from $899-$1,499
46"-52" | Prices range from $1,399-$2,999
55"-60" | Prices range from $1,999-4,999
65"-73" | Prices range from $2,999-$6,499
103" | Sony has one model at $68,000
Size
up your screen
After you have your budget squared away, you need to decide
how large of a screen you want. Usually, the largest screens
cost the most, but regardless, the TV should deliver the
right-size picture for where you'll sit relative to the
screen. Sitting closer to a smaller TV means you won't have
to spend as much on a big screen. But if you sit too close,
the picture will look poor.
42
Inch - Min 5FT | Max 10FT
47 Inch - Min 6FT | Max 12FT
50 Inch - Min 6FT | Max 13FT
60 Inch - Min 7FT | Max 15FT
65 Inch - Min 8FT | Max 16FT
That
being said, it's easier to move your couch back a foot than
purchase a new $3,000 TV.
Resolution
Now
we're talking. Let's get one thing out of the way. If you
buy a 22 inch TV, the resolution won't matter. If you buy
a 65" TV it will matter. Let's make it simple:
Bad: 480i (Standard Defintion CRT)
Good: 720p | 1080i (Early or Lower End Models)
Best: 1080p (Many newer models)
Now resolution is extremely interesting point. First of
all, whomever you get your HD digital cable from, they will
be pumping out a 1080i signal. So if the ONLY thing you
do is watch cable, then maybe you can save a few hundred
or thousand bucks and buy a 720p/1080i tv. However, if you
plan on purchasing, have purchased, or have even contemplated
purchasing a Blu-Ray player, you need a 1080p TV. Your HD
DVD player is the only thing you will be plugging in to
your brand new TV that will support that full 1080p format.
HOWEVER,
a 720p television will still look great with a 1080p signal
from a blu-ray player.
Widescreen (16:9) vs. 4:3
High-Definition
is captured, edited and processed in it's native 16:9 format.
We prefer to remove the bars and enjoy the pure quality
of a 16:9 HDtv.
Picture Quality
Besides the resolution (1080p), picture quality is person
to person. Wether you like a blacked out contrast ratio,
where blacks have no definition, but looks good, or where
the screen looks brighter, but you can then see the definition
in the blacks. When it comes to picture quality, watch your
favorite tv station or dvd on as many tvs as possible. The
fact is the top brands bring exceptional quality, and it
may just come down to options and of course, price.
Features
As many brands have increased their quality and the larger
brands having nowhere to go as far as resolution improvements,
the top brands have come out with some exceptional features.
Wether it's the 120hz frame refresh rate found in Toshiba
Regza and many other higher-end models, or the 24p TrueMotion
by Sony on there higher end Bravia
models. Features make your viewing pleasure even more
pleasurable. For
anyone that watches sports, action movies, or plays games,
we strongly suggest the 120hz feature, or 4ms response rate
found in Sharp Aquos
models, which decreases blur exponentially by doubling the
frame refresh rate. Another bonus for movie-watchers is
the sony 24p TrueMotion which improves motion picture viewing
by emulating the 24 frames/second which is the native format
of film. Many of the top brands such as
LG, Panasonic,
and JVC.
Have
fun, that's what your new TV is all about.
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