Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
Guide to Buying a Flat Screen TV
If you’re ready to invest in one of the fabulous new flat screen televisions that everyone is talking about these days, there are some things you should know.
There are several different types of flat screen technology, and it’s important you understand the pros and cons before you spend thousands of dollars on a TV.
Most people buy electronics as a long term investment, hoping their TV will last them for many years to come. By understanding the basics of flat screens you are much more likely to make a wise decision.
Plasma versus LCD
The two major types of options when it comes to buying a flat screen TV is plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display).
Plasma televisions are more expensive than LCD televisions, but the vast difference in price seems to be getting smaller.
However, if you’re looking for a massive flat screen TV, plasma is often your only option. The larger the LCD, the more money you’re going to spend.
If you’re looking for a smaller flat screen TV, the quality between plasma and LCD is pretty similar. However, the larger the screen, the more obvious the difference.
LCD televisions are unable to display true black and the color often comes up looking black. This means a lower quality picture the larger it gets. Luckily, technological advancements means that this is becoming less noticeable.
Dimming is a problem with both plasma and LCD, but LCD has the advantage here. Plasma TVs last an average of 20,000 viewing hours before dimming, whereas LCD is closer to 50,000. Keep in mind that different brand names have different specs.
Burn-in is a problem that many plasma TVs suffer from. This means that if a picture is shown on the screen for long enough it burns into the screen and remains there.
This can be very frustrating for someone who has spent thousands of dollars on their dream TV. Be sure to check with different manufactures though, advancements are being made.
Before you make your decision, be sure to check online reviews on each specific model that you’re interested in. Make sure you do your research and you’ll end up with a TV you can be proud of.
Top 3 Tips For Buying An LCD TV
I want a larger screen and so do you. There is absolutely no reason for this wanting except for the feeling of power that a large screen gives you.
I have no idea why it is, but we all seem to want a larger screen for our TVs these days. The question is,
how to get a good deal on an LCD TV without paying a fortune. Let’s give you our top 3 tips on buying an LCD TV.
1)Don’t buy a used one if you don’t have to. The funny thing about these TVs is that their prices drop significantly every month and that if you just wait a little longer,
the price you’ll pay for a new TV is probably not going to be too far off from the price that you are going to pay for a used one. A little patience might actually save you some dollars here.
2)Compare features, not just prices. One of our favorite places to go to compare prices on LCD Tvs is ConsumerReports.org.
Consumer Reports was rating different items way before the internet even become popular. Remember buying your first real car? I do.
And I went straight to Consumer Reports to find out that the Honda Accord was the car to buy (and still is according to CR).
Shopping for a high end LCD Tv shouldn’t be any different than shopping for a new car. All the resources are at your disposal,
so give it a try. I’m sure you can find some gems of information at CR regarding your LCD Tv purchase.
3)HD is coming, don’t miss out. High definition television has allegedly been “right around the corner” for years.
Well, that time may finally have arrived. Some LCD Tvs come HD ready and some do not. Make sure your new LCD TV
supports HD so that when it is finally popularized, you can watch the programs utilizing this latest technology.
And by the way, why would someone want to buy an LCD TV over a “Plasma”. And what is a plasma? Are they different than LCDs?
Basically yes. The big difference is that they use different technologies to deliver a picture. Both have pros and cons. However, both deliver a large screen experience to the user.
