Four Steps to Buying an HD Flat Screen TV

If you're ready to trade in that old cathode ray tube tv and buy an HD flat screen tv, then you've got a few things to learn about. Because of the new technologies companies are offering, there's more to know about buying a tv than there were ten years ago. Not to worry, though! Follow the steps in this article and your purchase of your next HD flat screen tv is going to be trouble free!

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The first thing you need to do is to figure out what resolution tv you want. There are basically three resolutions, 480, 720, and 1080. These numbers refer to the number of lines scanned by the tv when it makes its image. The higher the number, the better the resolution. 720 and 1080 are considered to be high definition. 480 is standard.

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The next thing you need to figure out is what you're going to be doing with your HD flat screen tv. I know you're going to be "watching" it, but exactly what are you going to be watching? Are you planning on using it only for cable and DVD's? Or do you want to play video style games on it. What other hook-ups do you need?

Third, you need to decide if you want a plasma or an lcd tv. Both have their pluses and minuses. The advantages of lcd tv's are that they are lighter, so they're easier to mount on the wall. The screen doesn't reflect light, so you can use them in a strongly lit room. They use less power than plasma tv's. Also, their images are brighter. Disadvantages include problems with pixel charge, which could make the image ghost. Also you can have stuck pixels. (Make sure you thoroughly inspect the tv when it's delivered.)

Plasma tv's have faster response time, higher brightness levels. Also, they have higher contrast levels. The picture on a plasma tv looks more cinematic. Disadvantages are static pictures can cause burn-in on the screen. Also, this type of HD flat screen tv requires extra support when mounted. They're much heavier than lcd tv's.

With all of this in mind, you can pick out the manufacturer you want to buy from. Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, and Panasonic are the main manufacturers right now. They're very competitive with each other, which is why prices have come down a lot over the past year or two. Samsung might offer the best selection, but all four of these companies make a good product.

Four Steps to Buying an HD Flat Screen TV
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