If you're ready to say good-bye to your cathode ray tube (CRT) television then you need to arm yourself with the proper information needed to make a knowledgeable decision about buy a flat screen TV. You will need to decide between LCD or plasma flat screen TV. They may look similar, but their technologies are different. Follow these tips to help you select the best television for your needs.
Instructions
1. Decide if you want an plasma television. They tend to be larger beginning with a screen size of 42 inches, and they use phosphors to generate light. Plasma TVs are great for clear action sequences, but they can be prone to burn in if a still image is left on-screen for too long (like during long video game sequences). Newer plasma TVs have tools to prevent burn-in.
2. Know the basics of the technologies to make your decision for a LCD. These television typically begin around 15 inches and don't have as vivid contrasts between colors as a plasma television does. LCDs are slightly thicker than plasmas, but don't have a noisy cooling fan. Also, LCDs don't have burn in issues, but the picture can pixelate during fast action sequences in sports or movies.
3. Figure out the size flat screen TV you would like. You may do some room design and furniture rearranging. Size will be determined by the amount of space you have available.
4. Take along a DVD movie with some dimly lit scenes with you when you're shopping to help you buy a flat-screen TV that will meet your needs if you're planning on watching lot of movies. Your DVD of choice will let you compare black reproduction, which is important for dark scenes and picture clarity.
5. Decide the resolution you'd like. Resolutions for flat screen TVs are typically in four formats: 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i. Also, search for televisions with optimal compatibility with future high-definition DVD players and HDTV turners. Select a flat screen TV with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) or High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI).
6. Make sure there are enough video outputs to meet your needs and that they're also the right type for what you would like to use them for. Examples of video outputs include s-video, component-video and digital visual interface (DVI).
Tags: flat screen, your needs, action sequences, meet your, meet your needs
