9 Points to Consider When Buying a Flat Screen TV

If you're in the market for a flat screen TV, you need to consider other factors besides the size of the TV. These include the screen type, resolution, contrast ratio and other features available in today's flat screens. This is a comprehensive guide that outlines the features you should look for when buying a flat screen TV. So, here goes...

1) Understand the different types of TVs: The three most common types of flat screen TVs are Plasma, LED, and LCD. Plasma TVs create a picture by sending an electrical charge that is applied to a small sheet of tiny plasma cells. LCD TVs are composed of liquid crystal compressed between two glass plates and backed by a fluorescent lamp. When you apply an electrical charge to the crystal, an image is created. LED TVs are LCD panels, but instead of using the fluorescent (CCFL) backlight lamp, they use an LED backlight.

2) Compare the contrast ratios: Contrast ratio describes your TV's ability to display bright and dark images at the same time. The higher the contrast ratio, the better your picture quality. If your TV has a poor contrast ratio, youll lose detail in extremely bright and extremely dark scenes. Usually, plasma TVs have the best contrast ratios, while backlit LED television come a close second.

3) Consider how well the TV handles fast motion: You should consider how well each TV type handles fast motion. If you watch a lot of fast-paced sports, a plasma TV may be your best bet as they show the smoothest motion. However, LCD and LED TVs have improved greatly in this field during the last five years, and both are quite good at showing motion.

4) Think about power: LCD televisions usually only require a single fluorescent backlight, whereas plasma TVs require each sub-pixel to be lit individually. It will cost about 50 percent more to run a plasma TV for a year than an LCD television. LED screens use the least amount of power and use about 40 percent less energy than an LCD TV.

5) Consider the TV's lifespan: The plasma screen TV has the shortest half-life of about 60,000 hours. LED television have a half-life of over 100,000 hours, which is the highest of the three. LCD TVs fall somewhere between the two.

6) Select a screen resolution: Most flat screen TVs offer 720p or 1080p resolution options, while the traditional resolution for tube TVs and for cable TV broadcast is 480i or 480p. 1080p is the resolution for screens that have rows of 1920x1080 pixels on the screen and is  mainly used for Blu-ray, although Blu-ray players can also deliver content in 720p for TVs that do not have an 1080p input.

7) Think about what you want to hook up to your TV: You should think about what you want to hook up to your TV. Video inputs determine what type of peripheral devices you can hook up to your TV. These video inputs could be for composite video, S-Video, HDMI, USB and other inputs for viewing images on your computer, digital camera, or other digital devices. The dongle for internet access on your actual TV screen can take up a fair bit of room at the back of the TV, so if this is something you want, you should keep this in mind.

8) Consider the refresh rates: The refresh rate describes how often the screen image is updated. Refresh rates are measured in hertz, with 60 Hz as the standard. While most viewers do not notice the difference, a high refresh rate is most appealing to individuals who use their flat screen TVs for advanced video gaming.

9) Think about where your TV will go: Screen size alone, while being an important factor, should not be the main priority when you pick a flat screen TV. Use your room size to dictate the size of screen you choose. The ideal viewing distance from the screen should be about twice the screen size.

These are the 9 points to keep in mind when in the market for a flat panel display. Follow these factors and you won't go very wrong in your quest for the perfect flat screen TV. Here's to crystal-clear images, great-looking movies, and superb sound all in one sleek package!