We talk about buying tips for purchasing your HDTV and we cover a topic originally did back in June of 2005, compression
HDTV Buying Tips
We receive emails every week by listeners that are ready to take the HDTV plunge. The typical question is what kind of TV should I buy? Well that question, although simple, can be answered a hundred different ways depending on your specific needs. Today, we want to give you things you should consider when buying your first HDTV.
First ask yourself where are you going to be using the TV. This is where size matters. In a small room a 60" RP TV can overwhelm you. Likewise in a large room a 30" LCD can leave you wanting more, much more. Next ask yourself what are you going to watch. With all the technologies out there some TV types are better suited for viewing a certain type of programming (Sports, Movies, News, Standard Definition, etc). How is the TV going to be connected? Do you have multiple devices that need to be connected to your TV via HDMI. Then a TV with multiple HDMI connections will be required. However, you can always buy a HDMI switch box for $150. So if a multiple HDMI TV graeter than $150 more than the single HDMI TV you may want to consider the cheaper model with a switch box. Finally, and probably most importantly, how much money do you want to spend?
Size - We have seen so many formulas for calculating optimal screen size. We won't bore you with the math. We'll just list midpoint here. These are just guidelines.
Screen Size in/cm Optimal Distance ft/m
40/101.6 8/2.5
42/106.7 9/2.7
50/127 10/3.2
61/154.9 13/3.9
What you watch -
Sports - Front or Rear Projection DLP or LCoS. Plasma does real well here too.
Movies - Front Projection or very large RP (any technology).
Gaming - LCD with fast response times (<=12ms) or Plasma. Remember plasma burn in is not an issue any more so gamers don't shy away from plasma.
A little of everything - we like LCoS and DLP for big screen in a big room, Plasma in a smaller room that does not have a lot of space.
Newer LCDs are giving Plasmas a run for their money. If you find a LCD with fast response times (<= 12ms) and InPlane Switching (IPS) you can swap out LCD everywhere we mentioned Plasma above. IPS gives LCDs much better effective viewing angles. If your room is set up so that most of the viewing is head on you can get away without the IPS too.
Connections - Today most TVs come with one HDMI and some with two. All TVs have component and SD inputs as well. The only real thing to consider here is how many digital inputs do you have. As we stated at the beginning of this feature you can always buy an HDMI switch box or simply use the component outputs of your source equipment.
Cost - This is the one that gets all of us. When you see a TV that costs $2500 that's not all you will pay. You need cables to connect your equipment together. Don't waste your money on high priced cables! Especially digital ones. The cheapest HDMI cable will produce a picture every bit as good as the $100 one. Analog cables are a little different. More expensive cables produce a technically better picture but most people won't see the difference even when it is pointed out to them by an expert.
We have always said that the picture is only part of the experience. This might be a good time to upgrade your audio equipment so leave some budget for sound! If you don't have an HDTV you will also need to get HDTV service, unless you only want to watch what you can get over the air for free. If you get this service from your cable or satellite company you can expect to pay an additional $10 a month for the service and possibley another $10 a month for equipment.
If you can't find a TV that matches your price, then wait! Two things will happen. You can save more money and the price will come down. Its better to buy the right TV for you than it is to buy something that fits your budget and does not have the right mix for your room and viewing habits!
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