HDTV Buying Guide

Buying a HDTV for the first time?  Not really sure what to look for when buying a HDTV?  I’ll give you some tips and tricks to shop around with.

I spent about 2 months shopping around, visiting Circuit City, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, HHGregg, as well as a plethora of websites (I ended up buying online).   I learned a lot and eventually had a 52″ Philips Plasma HDTV shipped to my door for $1,499 — best purchase I ever made.

Should you get an LCD or Plasma HDTV?
Cost wise, LCD and plasma are pretty much the same these days.  The main difference between LCD and Plasma HDTVs lies in the picture quality.  Technical jargon aside, plasma HDTVs have darker and more vibrant black levels — meaning movies that you watch with a lot of dark in them, The Matrix for example, would look a lot better on a plasma screen.  Alternatively, LCDs have a slighly better picture when it comes to movies with a lot of color — practically any children’s movie.

Plasma HDTV Advantages

• Overall, better picture quality vs. LCDs
• Albeit close, slightly cheaper than LCD
• Widest viewing angle available
• Deeper, more vibrant blacks
• Strong front glass (good for Wiis and kids)

LCD HDTV Advantages

• Higher brightness levels, better for rooms with a lot of lighting
• Larger available screen sizes
• Weighs less than plasma, easier to move
• Generally consumes less power than plasma

What about DLP rear-projection HDTVs?
DLP is good when you need a massive HDTV for a relatively cheap price.  You can pickup a 60″ DLP for around a couple ground, with neither LCDs or plasmas coming anywhere close to that.  The largest downsides on DLPs (and projection screens for that matter) are:

• Overhead lights don’t mix well.  If you want to watch television, you’ll need the room in almost complete darkness or the picture quality will be extremely poor.
• Very poor viewing angle.  Meaning, if you’re not directly in front of the DLP,  the picture quality will begin to deteroriate as you move sideways.  LCDs also have a problem with limited viewing angles, not so much with plasma diplays though.

If you’re buying an HDTV for a home movie theater, DLP is definitely a great option.  If the television will be a fixture in a room with other activities (game room, living room, etc), I’d suggest sticking with LCD or plasma.

720p vs 1080p
This is basically picture quality.  If you buy a smaller HDTV set under a few feet in dimensions, it’ll be hard to notice the difference between 720p and 1080p.  Any screen over 40-45 inches or so will want 1080p, but it all comes down to value.  Will a 52″ 1080p look better than a 52″ 720p?  Yes, but most likely, you won’t care enough to pay for the 1080p.

Check the contrast levels.
These represent how well a television can display deep, dark color levels.  As I mentioned before, LCDs are usually pretty weak in this category — but that doesn’t mean all plasmas are perfect.  Before you buy a television, insist on viewing something that is extremely dark on it.  You shouldn’t feel silly for bringing a movie from home and asking the Best Buy employee to put it in the DVD player for you.

Ports!
How many ports do you (or will you) need?  Not just component, but HDMI ports… HDMI cables provide the best picture for all the newest technology items like XBOX360, PS3, cable/satellite DVRs, etc.

Good luck with your search!