What seems like a simple proposition – go to your local electronics store, find a TV that looks snazzy, plop down $1,000 and walk out with a great new HDTV – is actually a much more involved process. If you make an error in judgment and end up getting the wrong TV, you are either stuck with watching a sub-par TV for next few years or forced to shell out additional time and money to buy another TV. If you are looking to buy a new HDTV and struggling with questions like…
- What are the features that I should look for in an HDTV?
- How much should I expect to pay for a new HDTV?
- Do I need to buy a new HDTV tuner or antenna as well?
- What type of TV – CRT, DLP, LCD, rear-projection – will work best for my family and me?
… then this article will help you find the right HDTV for you (or at least narrow down your selection). After reading through this article, my hope is that you will become an informed shopper that can confidently find an HDTV that best fits your needs. After all, how likely are you to find the right TV for you if your plan is to just visit the local Best Buy or Circuit City and listen to what the salesman has to say? I would expect that you are more likely to walk out of the store with an expensive TV, which may or may not be right for you.
Step 1: How big should my HDTV be?
The biggest factor in determining the size of TV to get is how much room you have in the spot where you’re going to put the TV. For example, if the TV is going to go in a family room, you will probably have enough room for a 27" – 36" TV. If the TV is going to go in a basement or rec room, you probably have enough room for a big screen (46" or larger).
How do I know how much room I have? There are two measurements you need to take – one that you need to know exactly and one that you just need to have an estimate on. First, you need to know the dimensions of the free space where the TV will actually sit. How much free space is there in terms of width, height and depth measurements? To have a clear guideline of how big of a TV can fit in your free space, you really need to get out a tape measurer and measure this to the closest inch. Write down the width, height and depth measurements and have them handy whenever you go shopping for your new HDTV.
Next, you need to measure the distance between where the TV will sit and the most commonly used viewing position. The most commonly used viewing position is almost always a couch – so take a ballpark measurement of the distance between your TV and your couch (you can round to the nearest foot or half-foot). This is important because you’ll want to get a TV that is large enough to immerse you in the movie or TV show you are watching, but not so large that you’re able to see the imperfections in the movie or TV show. A good guideline is the 1.5-to-2 rule:
- When viewing non-HD movies or shows, the distance should be about 2x the size of the TV. So, for example, a 36" TV should be placed at least 72" (at least 6 feet) from the main viewing position when watching regular cable or broadcast channels.
- When viewing HD movies or shows, the distance should be about 1.5x the size of the TV. So, for example, a 36" TV should be placed at least 54" (at least 4 ½ feet) from the main viewing position when watching HDTV channels.
Step 2: What features should I look for in my HDTV?
To keep this section as straightforward as possible, I will split the various features available on HDTV’s into 3 categories: one category which I consider to be “must-haves" that I strongly recommend are included in your new HDTV one which I consider to be “nice-to-haves" that may or may not provide some nice benefits to you, depending on what you plan to watch on your new HDTV and finally one category which I consider to be “fluff" that really isn’t useful and is just part of the marketing hype used to inflate the price of the TV.
1) Must-haves
- Widescreen
This refers to the aspect ratio of the screen and any new HDTV should have 16:9 “widescreen" ratio. In the past, TV’s have been built with a 4:3 aspect ratio and all movies and TV shows were broadcast in this format. With the rising popularity of DVD’s and HD content, which are broadcast in either16:9 or 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the default standard is moving away from 4:3 and toward widescreen content. If you want to enjoy HD shows and DVD’s to their fullest extent, widescreen is the way to go.
- HDTV-Ready
An HDTV must, at a minimum, be “HDTV Ready" or “HDTV compatible" to be capable of displaying a movie or TV show in high definition. If a TV is listed as “HDTV Ready", it means that the TV is capable of displaying HD content WITH A SEPARATE HDTV TUNER. In order to view HD content you will need to install a separate tuner, a set-top box or a cablecard from your cable or satellite provider.
- Plenty of video inputs
What good is your new TV if you can’t connect your DVD player, XBOX 360 and all of your other gadgets to it? I recommend that your new TV has at least one HDMI input, three component connections, one S-Video, one 15-pin VGA connection for your PC, three RCA (red, white, yellow) connections and one UHF / VHF coaxial cable connection. An extra HDMI and an extra coaxial cable connection are also nice to have for future needs, but I don’t consider them to be a must-have.
- Support for displaying both 720p and 1080i HD resolutions
HD content is displayed in either 720p or 1080i resolution, and any new TV that does not support both will fall short of it’s competitors in image quality. It would be foolish to purchase a new HDTV that does not support, at a minimum, both of these resolution formats.
- Minimum screen resolution
As a general rule, for two TV’s that are the same size, the one with the higher resolution will be clearer and have a more detailed display. Depending on the size of the TV, these are the minimum screen resolutions that the TV should have to insure outstanding image quality:
36" – 852x480
40" – 1024x720
42" – 1024x768
50" or larger – 1280x780
2) Nice-to-haves
- Integrated HD tuner
Also known as an integrated ATSC tuner, having one of these will make the setup of your new HDTV easier because you won’t have to worry about acquiring and setting up either an external HD tuner or getting a set-top box from your cable or satellite company. However, nearly every cable and satellite company offers HD packages that include an HD tuner as part of the set-top box package. A good idea is to call your cable or satellite company BEFORE you go shopping to find out what packages they can offer you and what additional monthly fees are associated with each package.
- Progressive scan
This will be an important feature for you if you plan to watch a lot of movies on your new HDTV. Progressive scanning and 3:2 pulldown are both used to smooth out and reduce jaggedness in images when watching DVD’s. You should understand, however, that this feature is only useful if you have a progressive scan DVD player.
- Picture-in-picture
Personally, I do not find PIP to be very useful. However, if you like to be able to watch another TV show or movie in a smaller window, while watching another TV show or movie in a larger window, this is a feature you should look for.
- Universal remote
These remotes allow you to program them to control all of your audio / video gear with only one remote. This is helpful if you have the time and patience to program the remote to control your other components (DVD player, VCR, set-top cable box, etc.)
- High quality sound
If you do not plan on using a separate home theater system, the quality of sound produced by the TV will be an important feature for you. Almost all new TV’s have MTS stereo and some type of simulated surround sound. The quality of speakers will vary from TV to TV, but I have found there to be only minor differences in the overall sound quality from various TV speakers.
- Support for 1080p
This is the highest resolution standard for HD content and only a handful of HDTV models are capable of displaying HD content in this format. It is a “latest and greatest" type of feature, and it offers the highest resolution along with progressive scanning to display the most detailed and accurate picture available today. Why, then, is it not a “must-have" feature? Primarily because there are VERY FEW sources of 1080p content today. None of the major broadcast networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox) broadcast in 1080p and none of the major cable networks do either. Currently, the standard for HD content is 720p or 1080i and you will pay a hefty premium for HDTV models capable of displaying the 1080p format.
- SD (Secure Digital), CF (Compact Flash) or other digital camera card slot
This is useful if you want to view your digital photos on your TV without having to directly connect your digital camera to your TV. This saves the hassle of another connector cord and makes it easy to show digital pictures to your friends and family.
3) Fluff
- Anything having to do with “artificial intelligence" or “smart colors" or “screen enhancements" or “effect enhancements"
This is just marketing hype that will not translate into any real benefit for you.
My recommendation, after reading through this list of features, is to consider all of the features that are available and come up with your own list of “must-haves", “nice-to-haves" and “fluff". By categorizing your most important features, it will help you to narrow down your selection of TV choices.
Step 3: How much should I expect to pay for my new HDTV?
All of this sounds great, but how much cash are we talking here? I’ve outlined the typical price range you must be willing to pay in order to take a new HDTV home with you:
27" LCD - $700 to $1,200
32" LCD - $900 to $1,500
36" LCD - $1,300 to $2,000
40" LCD - $2,000+
37" Plasma - $1,400 to $2,500
42" Plasma - $2,000 to $3,000
50" Plasma - $2,500 to $4,000
55" or bigger Plasma - $5,000+
27" direct view CRT - $200 to $300
32" direct view CRT - $300 to $500
36" direct view CRT - $400 to $1,500
40" direct view CRT - $1,500+
46" rear projection CRT - $800 to $1,000
50" rear projection CRT - $800 to $1,200
55" or bigger rear project CRT - $900 to $1,500
46" rear projection DLP - $1,300 to $1,800
50" rear projection DLP - $1,600 to $2,400
55" or bigger rear projection DLP - $1,800 to $3,000
46" rear projection LCD - $1,400 to $1,800
50" rear projection LCD - $1,800 to $2,500
55" or bigger rear projection LCD - $2,000 to $3,000
These price ranges were accurate at the time of writing this article. However, the price of electronics normally trends downward as newer models with fancier features are released. So I make no guarantee that these price ranges will be accurate at the time when you read this article. :-)
Step 4: Narrow down your selection
Now that you have a good understanding of the amount of room you have for your new TV, the features that are most important to you and the approximate amount of money you are expecting to spend, it’s time to narrow down your selection.
Ask yourself the following set of questions:
· How much weight am I able to lift (either by myself or with a friend / family member) into my car or truck, transport home and then lift into the spot where I want my TV?
Or
· How much am I willing to pay to have my TV shipped to my house and setup in the spot where I want my TV?
· Will I be watching a lot of movies on my TV?
Or
· Will I be watching primarily cable and network TV?
· Will I be hanging this TV on a wall?
Or
· Will I be placing the TV on the floor or on a stand?
Based on your answers to these questions, you should be able to narrow your selection down to an approximate size, display type and list of features that are important to you.
Step 5: Go shopping (both online and in the store)
I recommend you do two types of shopping before deciding on the TV that is right for you:
1) Online comparison shopping for price
You will be able to find the lowest price online by using a price comparison site, such as Pricerunner. Armed with the lowest price available online (be sure to include shipping in your pricing), you will be able to compare to the lowest price you are able to find in stores.
2) In store shopping for first hand experience
Nothing will tell you more about how well you like a TV than going to see and hear it in person. There is no better way to decide what you like the best than to experience it first hand. While you may have to deal with some salesman chatter in the process, I strongly recommend you view regular non-HD content, DVD’s and HD content on any TV you are interested in BEFORE you make your purchasing decision. If you are debating on which type of rear projection TV to buy, doing this first-hand viewing test will also help you make a decision between DLP vs. LCD vs. CRT. Many stores will allow you to play with the remote and adjust the TV settings as well, which is also a good idea if you want to get a clear idea of what it will be like to operate the TV.
Step 6: Research online
Once you have narrowed your search down to a few specific models, I recommend that you read online reviews to get a sense of what other people have experienced with the models that you are considering purchasing. As you are reading, take into account the source of what you are reading and weigh their opinions accordingly. Is this a consumer just voicing a complaint with the service they received, or did they actually have a problem with the TV? Is this a professional writer who is somehow affiliated with the TV manufacturer? Does this person really have a grasp of TV technology and understands the limitations of the TV they are using?
After reading through and considering all of this information, doing shopping online and in the store and then finally doing some research online, I am confident that you will be able to make an informed and educated choice on the right HDTV for you. There are a lot of great TV’s out there, but there are only a handful, at most, that will really fill all of your needs and make your HDTV experience the best that it can be. My hope is that this guide will help you find the best HDTV and that you’ll enjoy many hours of use with your new TV.
