what are the most important things to consider when I'm buying a big screen hd tv?

Answer 1

NATIVE RESOLUTION of the display.....First and foremost.
You want 1080 Native Resolution.

Next....a good KNOWN brand name of TV that has been sold for 20 years or more....not the wierdo names that have recently popped up into the marketplace in the last 5 years. (You can't get them repaired)

Lastly....your pocketbook....You don't need to buy a $2500 LCD TV set that requires more money to repair than a $900 Projection TV....and here's the funny thing...Projection TV is 1080 Native, and always has been.

Answer 2

important things to consider:
1. what room are you going to have the tv in?
Different types of tv's respond differently to ambient light (light coming from side angles; like kitchen windows). All rear projection tv's (DLP, LCD, LCOS) are very subject to viewing angles and side light. The picture dims out dramatically if you are not at the proper viewing angle, or if there is a lot of ambient light. Also, plasma tv's reflect a lot of glare from side light as well, but can still be viewed at very tight angles without much loss in brightness or clarity.

2. Do you plan to hang the tv on the wall or not?
If you do, there are only 2 real choices: either Plasma, or LCD flat panel. These are thin enough to mount on the wall, like a picture. If you don't plan to hang the tv, then you can also consider a projection tv.

3. Viewing distance from your eyes to the tv screen surface.
The larger the screen size, the greater the distance you must sit away from the tv. If you sit too close to a big screen tv, you will lose clarity, because you will be able to see the scan lines. A general rule of thumb, is viewing distance from tv should be approx. 2.5 times the diagonal screen measurement. eg. 50" tv X 2.5=125" or 10.4 feet.

4. Price.
plasma vs lcd flat: generally, tv's 40" or 42" or less, is cheaper with lcd flat panels, however, with 50" or larger tv's you'll get better value with plasma tv's. Projection tv's offer the best price points assuming the same sized tv if you have the right room and viewing angle. ( see #1).

Hope this info helps, and good luck on your purchase!

Answer 3

Buying a new TV these days is much more challenging than the days when CRT tubes ruled the living room. Here are some things you should consider:

1. Size - How big do you want your image to be? Most people think bigger is better but it really depends on you. If you really want the big screen experience then definitely go for a >50" TV or a front projector. However, if you're picky about image quality then a giant screen may not necessarily be the best thing for you. A larger screen will usually degrade the perceived quality of the image since pixel structure and scan lines will become more visible unless you are seated at a suitable distance (this effect is offset somewhat with higher res HD content but the principle still holds true). Take your environment and preferences into account when selecting screen size.

2. CRT, DLP, LCD, Plasma, Projection? Although there are HD capable CRT TVs still out there I am going to assume you want something more modern and sleek.
- REAR PROJECTION DLP TVs are a great value. They are much slimmer and lighter than CRTs and are capable of producing an excellent picture. The downside is that the viewing angle is usually limited to a degree, though this has improved greatly in recent years. The best spot to watch is from dead center. Also, the lamp will eventually burn out and a new one will need to be purchased which can potentially run you a couple hundred dollars. Cleaning the air filter regularly will help lengthen the life of the bulb.
- LCD TVs are extremely thin, sharp and energy efficient. Unfortunately they can be rather expensive as the price increases exponentially with screen size. LCDs also have a viewing angle limitation though usually nowhere near as bad as a rear projection TV. One distinct disadvantage is that black levels are typically less than stellar on LCDs due to a backlight that is constantly on and the inability of the LCD to completely block out that light with dark pixels.
- PLASMA TVs are not quite as thin as LCD TVs but they are usually thinner than rear projection units. Plasmas are great at reproducing bright, vibrant colours and black level performance is excellent. The downsides are that the image is usually not quite as sharp as a LCD, they run hot and consume lots of energy.
- FRONT PROJECTION is definitely the way to go if you want to truly simulate the big screen experience. I've had one, I know. The downside is that the image can easily be washed out if there is too much ambient light in the room (lamps, sunlight, etc), more so than other "conventional" tv sets. Placement of the projector also becomes an issue so the room features become more important. You will also need a screen, be it a wall or one purchased from a store. Lamps eventually burn out and can be very costly to replace, $250 - $450 is not uncommon.

3. Resolution - First understand that not all new TVs are truly High Definition, even the newer technologies like LCD, DLP, and Plasma. Each model will have it's own native resolution which is the important spec to look for. Be aware of the moniker "HD Ready". This only means that the display is capable of decoding and displaying a HD signal. Sets with lower native resolution will scale the image to fit the screen since it does not posess the required number of pixels to represent the full image (ie, you will NOT be looking at a hi def image). This might be ok with you if budget is a concern and, frankly, hi-def matters less and less with smaller screen sizes. That said, if you want a HDTV set you now have to decide how much HD you want! There are two main formats: 720i/p and 1080i/p (i = interlaced, p = progressive). Both will look great on any set but in an ideal world you want to match the display's native pixel count to the source signal you will be sending it so that there is no image scaling involved. That is, if you intend to primarily watch 720p material, a 1080p set may actually degrade the quality of the image, whereas a native 720p set will display each pixel with a 1:1 ratio for a crisp, sharp image. I would suggest reading more on this topic online since it is too complicated to get into here.

4. Monitor vs Tuner - Many TV sets nowadays are actually just monitors (like the one you're looking at right now) because they lack a tuner to pick up a signal via cable or over air. You will be required to connect a separate set-top box that will receive the signal, process it, and then send it to the display.
Other TVs come with a built-in tuner that you can connect to an antenna or cable.

5. SOUND - Not all TVs have built-in speakers. You may have to purchase a separate sound system (which is common these days) which can run you an extra few hundred to few thousand dollars, depending.

6. Budget - Don't go overboard with putting together a dream home theater if you are on a budget. It's way too easy to get carried away with these things, especially because we've been conditioned to believe that we absolutely NEED the best of the best all the time which is stupid because the "best" is always changing and near impossible to keep up with. If you can be happy with purchasing a lower res TV (that may still look great) until your budget allows you to upgrade later, I would suggest doing that. There is way too much hype over HD at the moment IMHO. Most people don't even understand how or why it will affect their viewing pleasure except that "more is better". Decide on what is most suitable for you but don't let marketing pressure get the best of you.

Cheers (sorry for the long post, I tried to keep it short!)

Answer 4

Well, first are you sure you need an HDTV because at this point most people don't. HDTVs require the newest DVD players, game systems and surround sound in order to even utilize any of their unique capabilities. But if this is what you want, you should look first at how much it costs and who makes it. If the HDTV is more than 30% less in price than others out there, it is probably crap. Furthermore, I hate to watch people who buy the brand, such as Sony, but if you have never heard of the company, its probably not going to be the best one out there. Sony doesn't make the best HDTVs at all, but paying that extra couple hundred dollars usually guarantees an okay TV. Additionally, you should check out what type of inputs/outputs it has. If it only has one HDMI input, this tv will not be very useful in supporting HD in a few years. Lastly, although definitely not least, what technology powers the TV? LCD TVs have been proven to be more reliable, cost effective, and even reveal a better picture than plasmas. You could also go with a cheaper, flat-CRT, but you must consider the amount of space and weight (easily over 100 lbs) they are/take up. Lastly, looking at projectors vs non-projectors, projectors take up less space, but many find them to be a hassle and replacing the light bulb costs nearly as much as the original TV.

Answer 5

liquid crystal demonstrate has been regularly occurring to take in solar so which you might have a view of the demonstrate screen with out the stressful mirrored image. the disadvantage is, on maximum LCDs there are angles which will blur, invert and perhaps even blue the demonstrate screen. at present, nevertheless, liquid crystal demonstrate manufacturers have developed a fashion of combating this from happening. it extremely is talked approximately as coated Fibres Inducing (LFI) which will unfolded (fibre optically) the image around the television, meaning which you will discover it with out inversion. Plasma Televisions will in no way have this subject, yet a topic they are able to have is reflecting solar. because of the fact the panel is glass, it is going to at some degree reason mirrored image. The upside is, that a Plamsa have furnish extra valuable HD outcomes than an liquid crystal demonstrate, because of the fact Plasma TVs have extra pixels. Plasma's in basic terms have a much less crisp image no count if it extremely isn't any longer subject to intense Definition. and positively, LCDs are vulnerable to demonstrate screen burning because of the fact the plastic on the panel is so on the factor of the liquid crystal demonstrate itself.

Answer 6

You may well want to check out another technology: DLP front projection which produces a movie-like experience of HD television, DVDs, videos and games. And according to Consumer Reports, "front projection has a superior image -- better than CRT's, LCDs or plasma."

Check out the reviews for a "92" DLP generated [front projection] TV image at amazon.com by submitting the search query: "Infocus SP4805." There are any number of customer submitted pictures of projected HDTV image(s) along with other high-quality regular DVD-movie images projected on bare white wall surfaces. And the price for a refurbished ScreenPlay 4805 is about $550 with lamps costing around $330 which will last around 4,000 hours. Also check out various reviews at Consumer Reports [November 2005 & December 2006] in which front projection is rated "superior" to plasma, lcd.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Make sure it's not too big and heavy or you will have a hard time moving it if you move and if it has to be worked on they will charge you an outrageous price just to move it. Thats not counting the cost of repair.

Answer 8

go to the library and see consumer reports, mar07