Televisions Basics

Buying a television should be a well thought-out decision. Having the ability to compare television prices and read customer reviews will help you to get the most for your money.

There are many brands, such as Sony, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, RCA, Sharp, JVC, Samsung, and Panasonic, which offer television sets to fit your needs. Answer the following 3 questions and you will be well on your way to watching your new tv.

It's important to consider the size of the room in which you'll put your new television. If you try to watch a large TV in a small room you may find it too overwhelming. Conversely, if you try to watch a small TV in a large room, you might find it very difficult to see the picture clearly. In both cases the overall experience may not be all that you hoped for.

Here's a simple formula to determine the size of the television that will best fit your space:

1. Measure the distance from where you'll be sitting to the TV screen in inches. Keep in mind the depth of the type of television set that you're considering - a flat panel TV is slimmer and doesn't require the depth that most traditional televisions do.
2. Divide that distance by three. The resulting number is, roughly, the size of the television you want. For example if you'll be sitting less than 60" from the tv screen, you should consider televisions that are under 20" (60/3 = 20). If you'll be sitting 96" from the tv screen, you should consider televisions around 32" (96/3=32).

A TV is measured diagonally based on its screen size, so a 32" television means that the screen is 32" when measured from the bottom left corner to the top right corner.

Most new TV sets come with the ability to add a DVD player, VHS player, or additional speaker systems to them so that probably won't limit your choices much. Your most important consideration will be what type of screen technology you like best. Here's what's on the market in ascending price order:

CRT TVs
This is the type of TV you grew up with. CRT technology has been around for years and is very reliable.

Rear Projection Televisions Rear projection TVs (sometimes referred to as "RPTVs") work slightly differently than film projectors in that they project the image onto the rear of the TV screen rather than on the front, like in a movie theater. They're totally contained in one unit, so you won't need to buy a separate projector and screen and you'll never have to worry about blocking the light from the projector. Rear projection televisions are very popular with big screen enthusiasts because they deliver a really big picture without breaking your bank.

There are several types of RPTVs available and, of course, they all have pros and cons. Here's what you can expect from each type of TV:

CRT Rear Projection TVs
Pros: CRTs produce the blackest blacks and the best brightness and range of colors of all of the RPTVs. They create the most cinema-like experience for your home. They're also the least expensive of all of the RPTVs
Cons: CRTs are heavy and big. They require more depth than most types of televisions and are susceptible to burn-in. Also, just like in a movie theater, the CRT rear projection image doesn't stand up well to ambient light, so you may be limited to only watching TV in a very dark room.

DLP Rear Projection TVs
Pros: DLP RPTVs are rapidly becoming a favorite amongst big-screen enthusiasts. They produce a big-screen image that's nearly as good as film with excellent color, contrast and brightness. They're light and slim and don't consume a lot of power.
Cons: DLP RPTV image resolution is limited by the amount of pixels on the TV's chip. If the TV only has a 1024x768 resolution chip and you're watching high definition television (HDTV), the image won't be as sharp and detailed as it would be on a CRT RPTV. Also, while this is rare, some DLP viewers see a brief flash of colors (often called a "rainbow effect") when they look rapidly from one side of the TV to the other.

LCD Rear Projection TVs
Pros: LCD RPTVs are much lighter and slimmer than CRTs. They produce high brightness and contrast and don't consume a lot of power.
Cons: LCDs can't produce colors as accurately or vividly as CRTs and DLPs. Because LCD RPTV technology projects pixels onto a big screen, the image can often look pixilated or blocky. This is referred to as "the screen door effect" because the image looks like you're viewing it through a screen door. If a pixel burns out it will display as a black or white dot on the screen and the only way to fix this is to replace the whole chip. Also, LCD RPTVs are limited by their pixel resolution like DLPs.

LCoS Rear Projection TVs
Pros: LCoS RPTVs produce a smooth image with no "screen door" or "rainbow" effects.
Cons: LCos RPTVs are difficult to manufacture so availability is limited and they tend to be more costly than most other RPTVs.

Flat Screen Televisions
The flat screen design enables the televisions to produce a more natural picture and eliminates most reflection problems from background or ambient light in a room. There are three types of flat screen TVs available:

Some more features to consider when you're choosing which type of TV you want:

HDTV
You may want your new TV to be an "HDTV" set or "HD-ready". "HD" stands for "high definition". HDTV is a new set of standards for television broadcasting. It's broadcast at higher resolution, which provides better image and sound clarity than traditional television. HDTV broadcasts are also in "widescreen" format (16:9 aspect ratio) vs. traditional television format (4:3 aspect ratio). To take full advantage of HD television broadcasts you'll need either an HDTV or an HD-ready TV set (plus a set-top receiver/decoder). Check with your local cable or satellite provider to find out what HDTV programming is available to you.

HDTV Sets
Pros: HDTVs are an all-in-one package, fully equipped and ready to receive and display high definition digital television. Just plug and play.
Cons: Because it's an all-in-one unit, you don't have the flexibility to shop for the best TV set and the best digital television receiver separately, which could save you money and give you more options. Also, the internal HDTV receiver in your TV set may not be compatible with your cable or satellite service's specific encoding process.

HD-ready TV Sets
Pros: There are many HD-ready TV options available. They're generally less expensive than HDTV sets. Also, HDTV is a fairly new technology, which means there's a chance that the receiver/decoder that you buy now may be obsolete in the future. Buying the TV separately means you won't have to replace it if you need to upgrade your receiver in the future.
Cons: You'll have to buy a separate receiver/decoder to enjoy HDTV broadcasts. Also, "Digital Ready" and "HDTV-ready" TVs don't necessarily mean the TV set will be able to display full HDTV resolutions. Be sure before you buy an "HD-ready" TV set that it can display full resolution HDTV.

Widescreen
You may also want to consider whether the TV set you're shopping for is a "widescreen" TV. A widescreen TV has a 16:9 aspect ratio (meaning it's 16 units wide by 9 units tall), vs. the 4:3 aspect ratio of traditional TV sets. Widescreen TVs are great for watching DVDs and HDTV, which have a 16:9 picture. Check with your cable or satellite provider, or check in your local TV Guide, to find out which television shows are being offered in widescreen (or "letterbox") format. The one problem with widescreen TVs is that programs with 4:3 ratios display with vertical grey or black bars on their sides and, over a long period of time, this can cause burn-in problems on TVs that are susceptible.