Here is an introduction to today’s TV technology that should help you to choose a television based on your family’s needs; whether you’re watching cable TV, rented movies, streaming movies, or playing the latest video game consoles.

Big Screen TV Feature Evaluation

As much as you might buy a car based on price, seating capacity, cargo space, and number of cup holders, the factors for comparing televisions can be equally simplified for broad comparisons.

1. Size: How big is it?
2. Resolution: How sharp is the picture?
3. Off-Angle Viewing: Do the people at the ends of the couch see a blurry picture?
4. Online Capabilities: Can I surf the web on my television?

Size

The size of a television is measured diagonally. The average consumer television ranges from twelve to sixty inches, with premium screens approaching 108 inches!

Beware of ‘Class’. Many televisions, especially at Walmart, are advertised as being 40-inch Class. This means the television screen may be as few as 37” in size, but is ‘about the same size as a forty inch!’

Visit DisplayWars.com to compare the size of your existing television to the size of one you may buy.

Resolution

The best resolution is 1080p, the worst is 480i. The rest of the numbers you will see are somewhere in between. A higher number is better than a lower number, and p is better than i. If you remember these rules, you won’t have to keep track of exactly what they mean.

If you have PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, your kids will insist that you get a TV capable of 1080p for maximum gaming experience.

Resolution in ascending order of quality: 480i, 480p, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p

Off-Angle Viewing

All three display technologies are best viewed from directly in front of the set. If you move to the left or right of the TV, the picture degrades the further you move.

Off-Angle Viewing varies by television, and is best judged by you.

Generally, Plasma has the best off-angle viewing, followed by LCD, and DLP.

Online Capabilities

Many TV’s sold in the last two years have an online offering, web-browsing or content delivery. These vary widely, and may not be a consideration if you have a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Wii.

Types of Displays

In today’s flat screen television market, the technology you select is as important as the feature set, because the technology lends its strengths and weaknesses to the final product. These are three major display technologies:

LCD

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is the most commonly known. It uses the same technology as your laptop computer or even your digital wristwatch. It is very stable and lasts a long time.

Plasma

Plasma is electrostatically charged gas used to create a picture. Plasma televisions are generally cheaper than their LCD counterparts, but run hotter, consume more electricity, have a finite lifetime, cannot be laid flat, and have a higher risk of burn-in.

DLP

DLP (Digital Light Projection) is high-tech form of rear-projection that allows thinner TV’s than traditional tube-type televisions, but are still two or three times thicker than an LCD or Plasma.

VIZIO VF551XVT 55" TRULED™
LCD FLAT PANEL HDTV

Vizio is a brand of quality mid-range LCD televisions. You should be satisified with almost any Vizio television. If you're looking for high-end quality without the high-end price, consider the 55" LED TV from Vizio (VF551XVT)

It lists for less than $2,000 and its performance is comparable to sets from Sony and Samsung that cost almost twice as much.

Watching Hi-Definition Television

Almost any TV you buy today will be ‘Hi-Definition’, which means it will have a very sharp picture – but only when connected to a high-definition source! If you buy an HDTV and hook it up to your regular cable, your picture will not be any better than it was with your old CDTV (Crappy Definition TV).

Although there are some free over-the-air high-definition stations, if you want to watch HD cable programming, you usually have to subscribe to the high-definition service; this is true for cable, Dish Network, or DirecTV.

Examples of high-definition sources: DVD, Blu-Ray Disc, Streaming Netflix, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Examples of standard definition sources: Standard Cable TV, VCR Tapes

Finally

You now possess the basic knowledge to start shopping for a big-screen television. Do not buy a TV without seeing it! The television viewing experience varies by individual, and you should see the TV in person to decide if it’s the right TV for you.

An LCD TV is a strong all-around choice, and there are several sub-classes from which to choose (CCFL, LED side-lit, LED backlit).

A plasma TV is cheaper to buy, and has good off-angle viewing, but there are many drawbacks to consider before buying a plasma set.