Buying a TV
Either you recently graduated from school or you finally got a job with a big enough salary to upgrade your TV-watching experience. In any case, let me be the first to say congratulations, and welcome to the world of high-definition. Unless for some unknown reason you rocked a large flat panel HDTV in college, this will be your first opportunity to really get down and dirty with a home entertainment system in your own place.
A quick note: If you are planning on purchasing an old-fashioned TV that takes up a quarter of your living room, you can stop reading now. Nothing against these sets if you are on a super tight budget and just want to watch Days of Our Lives while you’re unemployed, but at this point they are dinosaurs that, in spite of some differences, all fall into the general category of “not very good.” Just grab a few hundred dollars, hit the electronics store or flea market, and make sure it’s got a built-in VCR—if you’re gonna take it old-school, take it all the way old-school, player.
What Size TV Should I Get?
Ok, now we’ve separated the mice from the human men and women, let’s get down to business. In deciding what television is right for you, you must first ask yourself what size screen your room can legitimately accommodate. Don't know? No worries, it’s pretty simple: Measure the distance (in inches) from the proposed position of the flatty to your “seated eyeballs.” (“Flatty” is maven-speak for flat-screen TV—work it around a few times before hitting up the store.) Now, take that number and divide it by 2.5. So, if you are going to site 90" from your TV, the estimated TV size is 36”. With a 4:3 aspect ratio instead of a widescreen, you could manage something slightly larger.
OK, Now What Are My Options?
Now that you have an idea of how big your TV can be (you can always go smaller if you want), it’s easier to decide what model is right for you. If your estimated television sizing is less than 42" then your only option is to get an LCD. For LCDs under 42”, you can pay anywhere between $600 for a 32” Westinghouse to $1600 for a 40” Samsung. If your estimated sizing is more than 42", you have the choice between an LCD and a plasma (more about these two in a moment). And lastly, if you can go over 50", you can choose between plasma and rear projection sets (LCoS and DLP).
Let's venture a guess and say you're in the 42"-50" range. Congratulations, you hit the money zone! Here you will find the best TVs at the best prices. You can find high-quality 42” Panasonic plasma for less than $1,000 or a 46” Samsung 1080p LCD HDTV for less than $1,800.
LCD vs. Plasma: The Great Debate
Let me highlight a few of the major differences between plasmas and LCDs. Unless you go with a top of the line LCD, you will notice some “ghosting” effects (also known as image lag), which is when fast-moving objects leave a faint trail behind them. For plasmas, which have near instantaneous refresh rates regardless of the quality, there are no ghosting effects. If you watch a lot of sports and action movies or play video games, eliminating ghosting effects is critical.
Furthermore, cheap LCDs have a hard time achieving "true" blacks. In very dark scenes, the darkness often looks bluish-greenish on an LCD. This drawback of LCDs is particularly detrimental in movies. So, if you’re a big movie watcher, either shell out the dough for an expensive LCD or buy an inexpensive plasma; both will let you watch your movies with fantastic blacks.
At this point, you’re probably thinking cheap LCDs are pretty wack compared to plasmas, but don’t count them out yet. Two areas in which LCDs excel and plasmas don’t are brightness and glare reduction. While plasmas are catching up by offering brighter sets and glare-reducing glass, even the cheapest LCD allows you enjoy your Sunday football games in a brightly-lit room or sun-flooded room.
The Myth of Burn In
“But what about burn in?” I hear you say. Glad you asked, chief. “Burn in” is when a prolonged display of a static image on the TV screen—the ticker on a sports game, the HUD in a video game, or a paused image from a movie—causes a ghost-like image of the object to remain on the screen after it’s gone. Most experts agree that mid-level plasmas and above no longer suffer from burn in these days.
- Know the Lingo – Buying a TV can be intimidating if aren’t familiar with the “maven-speak” that salesmen use to dupe unsuspecting victims. Brush up on the major TV terms before launching a full-throttle flat-screen hunt.
- Make Some Measurements – Bigger is not necessarily better if you don’t have a space that accommodates the size. For a rule of thumb, measure (in inches) the distance between your couch and spot where you’ll put the TV, then divide by 2.5; this should be your upper limit for TV size.
- Assess Your Habits – Do you generally watch Gray’s Anatomy and Lipstick Jungle when you get home from work, or do you have Sunday football viewing sessions and marathon gaming sessions? The lighting of the room and the things you watch are key determinants in choosing the right TV.
- Pick a Price Range – As with most consumer goods, the conversation about what TV to buy is going to change as you step into different price brackets. You can find a solid TV at most price points (within reason), and determining one from the start will greatly expedite the process and help you avoid paying for something you don’t really need.
- Buy Last Year’s Model – When comparing the same model of TV over two years, there are generally few differences beyond a fancier polish and an extra input. So buy the older one, because it will be a lot cheaper and the quality will be the same.
