What to Look for when Purchasing a New LCD TV

It seems to me that when we decide to purchase anything, we tend to flock towards the name brands. Yes, they can offer us quality, and the many features that we want and deserve from our money, but this comes at a premium, as the costs are usually greater than in looking for a TV sold under another less common brand. The store we decide to purchase our TV from can also influence and play a major role in the price we will ultimately pay.

Plasma's and LCD flat screens have jumped up from nowhere in the PAST COUPLE OF YEARS as bigger, better and more economical is the norm and standard now, more than ever. Plasma's are nice TV's if you want a bigger screen for the money combined with deep dark contrasts and black levels as well as a wider viewing angle. However, if you goal and desire is to use less electricity, have a bright room that the TV will be watched in and use video games and a PC monitor hook up, an LCD TV is for you. Other than these slight differences, both style of Television set are ideal for watching sports and action movies, wall mounting, longevity of the set due to technological advances.

The best brands out there are Toshiba, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, JVC and Sharp, with some of the lower priced brands such as Westinghouse, Vizio, Olevia, Philips and LG being some stiff competition for the more expensive TV brands. Again, when you combine the price of the TV along with the retail venue that you purchase the TV at, these will play out on the price you will ultimately pay.

Now, what to look for when deciding on the right TV for you to enjoy for years to come? Certain key elements will wager into the equation of the right TV: These include picture quality, size of screen, ease of use, HD-capable outputs, overall score, sound quality, viewing angle and HD(1080i signal).

Picture quality has alot to do with clarity and color. Number of pixels, sharpness, contrast and color accuracy have alot to do with the total overall picture quality. Samsung and Sony(Bravia) technically have the best picture quality and contrast ratios. An example of these being the Samsung 32" LCD TV has a contrast ratio of 7000:1 while the Sony Bravia of the equivalent size is 6000:1. Compared to some of the less expensive models the contrast ratio is 1000:1 at best so the brightness and darks in the picture are not as vibrant and extreme.

Size of the screen is self explanatory and should be taken into consideration based on the size of the room and feet away from you the TV will be viewed at. A television with a 32" screen size is best for viewing areas up to 6' away.

Ease of use has two components to this category...with regards to the remote control and the on screen menus. Being able to operate the television without spending all day trying to figure out how to work the remote and set the TV up accordingly is very important.

HD-capable outputs afford us the ability to hook up other pieces of equipment in the best possible scenario(HDMI) in either 720p, 1080p or 1080i. Connecting HD, Blue Ray DVD players and technologically advanced receivers to your TV can be best obtained through the use of an HDMI output connection and cable.

Sound quality is based on the sound speakers installed and built in to the particular television. Toshiba(Regza), Samsung, Sony(Bravia) and Panasonic are statistically the best in the category. Now adays it seems as if the majority of people have some sort of stereo surround speaker system connected to their TV so the reliance on speaker quality with the TV is circumstantial and not as critical. I know myself included, my Bose Acoustimass speaker system is outstanding combined with my Samsung TV.

Viewing angles are based on the horizontal and vertical viewing angles within the room that you will be watching the television. At various seating arrangements, color and clarity will become obscure and not as enjoyable as if you were seated right in front of the set.

Overall scores are the collaboration of picture quality, sound quality and ease of use together. The higher the score the better these three ratings are as is the case with the television.

The good, moderate priced, value TV's would be Olivia, Viz, Westinghouse, Philip's, RCA and LG. Though these TV's are cheaper in price and a step below the best, they do offer a good television with features that may or may not fit into what you are ultimately looking for. For all the latest features and top of the line products with respect to picture quality, speaker sound and overall score, although with a higher price tag, Sony, Masonic, Toshiba and Sam sung and Sharp(Aquas).

One you have researched what features are important to you in your television, you can better select the best television for you within a given price range for the particular room it will be viewed in.