Things To Know When Buying Your First LCD TV On A Budget

These days consumers really have a great choice about TVs. Now that the ?digital TV' switchover is done, you can focus on important things like picture quality, energy consumption and even aesthetics. This article will discuss the pros and cons of both when you buy lcd TV or cheap plasma TVs.

Since the technology is now widely available to companies and manufacturers from all over the world, cheap plasma TVs are now a reality and you do not have to have second thoughts just because the name written on the product is unknown to you. Just a few years ago there was no such thing as a cheap plasma TV. It was not unusual for a 60" diagonal plasma TV to sell for $20, 000. Today an even better 60" plasma display can be purchased for less than $2, 000.

You don't have to buy lcd TV simply because plasma TVs are too expensive, either. Now most companies offer cheap plasma TVs at the same price or even less than when you buy lcd TVs.

For example, Panasonic has a terrific 42-inch plasma TV that sells for less than $1, 000. NEC makes an outstanding 60-inch plasma display for less than $2, 000. Even the famous Pioneer Kuro plasma TV (still available but no longer being manufactured) can be purchased for less than $3000.

The next and most important factor that you need to consider since cheap plasma TVs became available is image quality. Let's face it: all high definition pictures look great regardless of whether you buy lcd TV or cheap plasma TVs. Most sets have 1080p resolution, but a few bargains can be had with displays that have 720p or 768p resolution. Don't be discouraged by the lower number: both are HD sets. In fact, the human eye can not see any difference in the picture at distances greater than four feet!

But there more important technical differences that you should pay attention to to have a great experience.

Most experts think that that the image quality of plasma TVs is simply better than if you buy lcd TV. It is true that there plasmas have a slight edge in picture quality, but that edge has steadily eroded over time. If you buy lcd TV today, you will see tremendous improvements in color and black levels (contrast) compared LCD TVs from five years ago. LCD TVs have simply advanced faster than plasma TVs.

First, for people who buy lcd TV, there are benefits vs. cheap plasma TVs in terms of energy consumption and reliability. The average lcd TV sold today consumers about 50% less power than cheap plasma TVs. And LCD TVs have fewer parts and a more durable imaging technology (solid state transistors) vs. gas-filled , glass encapsulated phosphor technology used in cheap plasma TVs.

However, LCD TVs have slightly higher black levels (lower contrast) than even cheap plasma TVs and, despite real improvements with 120Hz and 240 Hz screen refresh technologies, LCD TVs still have some pixel blur. Pixel blur occurs when LCD pixels do not switch on and off fast enough. The resulting picture is somewhat blurry, especially for fast moving action scenes or sports.

Size does matter when you buy lcd TV or cheap plasma TVs but in either case bigger does not always mean better. A rule of thumb is your couch or sofa should be about twice the distance from your TV as its screen size. If you have a small room and you sit about six feet from your TV, you really don't need more than a 42-inch diagonal screen to have a great viewing experience. Only when you are eight feet away from the display will you appreciate (or need) a 60-inch diagonal screen.

So, the bottom line is that, for most people, the quality difference between cheap plasma TVs and LCD TVs is very small. Plasma has a slight edge for video purists, but LCD is great for energy consumption and reliability. The most important differences come down to warranty, manufacturer reputation and the service/support from the retailer. When you decide to buy lcd TV, be sure to check out the on-line reputation scores of the dealer to be sure you have a trouble-free buying experience. Good luck!