articles

By: Kayra Guthrie on Wed Mar 12, 2008

A steady and sharply growing market presents a confusing array of options for the first-time HDTV buyer. With so many manufacturers introducing both Plasma and LCD HDTVs, it's a bewildering time for potential customers: fears of future obsolescence can make for a tragic case of consumer paralysis, but as that old adage goes, an informed consumer is a happy consumer. A couple of brief guidelines will help you make an informed decision as to which HDTV is a good fit for you.

1. Where To Put It?
Placing the television should often be the deciding factor when making a purchase like this. You'll need to think about not only whether the set will be mounted on the wall or set on a stand (most HDTVs allow for both), how to route the cabling, what angles you'll be watching the television, and more importantly, what television can deliver you the broadest range of options, and the perfect fit.

2. Resolution
Hearing a baffling string of numbers and letters like 1080i, 1080p, 720p, and more can cause eye-rolling in even the most informed of consumers. But it's not all that difficult: these strings relate to the maximum resolution the TV can display. Current top end models display in 1080p - 1080 indicating that "1080" vertical lines of resolution are on the screen, and the "p" indicating the display is progressive scan, and non-interlaced. The "i" stands for interlaced (or non-progressive scan), indicating the TV will display the image at half the frame rate of 1080p, therefore with a noticeable slight flicker in comparison. Given all of these, give some thought about what your HDTV source requires and decide based on that. Most digital cable and satellite companies display in 1080i, while Blu-Ray and HD-DVD (the Beta-Max of our time) players display in 1080p.


3. Calculate The Amount of Necessary Inputs
All HDTVs currently on the market support multiple inputs given the rising amount of peripheral entertainment devices now available: the difference is a matter of degree. Therefore, it's essential to calculate how many of each kind of input you'll require for your system, and leave some room for expansion. RGB Component, HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), Cable, VGA (Video Graphics Array), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), S-Video are some of the few, more useful input options available today.

4. Display type (LCD, Plasma or DLP) and size
Space-planning is an oft over-looked concern by first-time buyers. Calculate the dimensions of the space the TV will be residing in, and make sure it can be comfortably accommodated. If the space is tighter or smaller, a gargantuan screen can actually make the viewing experience less enjoyable by over-powering the viewer - no matter how gigantic JAWS might appear. As well, each display type within the HDTV format has its own pros and cons. DLP (Digital Light Processing) is, as a rule, cheaper, but tend to have larger cases than their LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and Plasma counterparts, so consider if you have enough space between where you want the screen and the wall to make that feasible. Plasma was the first truly thin HDTV technology to come to mass market, and does have its own down-sides, including a lower lifespan and potential display burn-in. And finally, whereas LCD displays crisply in terms of picture quality, the refresh rate is slightly lower than Plasma, which may be off-putting to some consumers.

5. Shop Around!
Services like Findtarget are powerful tools in the hands of a consumer with which to comparison shop, based on avialable models, resolution, sizes and manufacturers, along with the prices. Dig around after you've settled on a couple of potential makes and models that suit you best given some of the criteria above, and you'll be able to make an informed decision on the set you'd like to buy. Enjoy!


Kayra Guthrie is a screen-writer and movie buff who divides her time between a comfortable loft in Manhattan and a not-so-comfortable bench at LAX.