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December 3, 2007

Flat-screen plasma and LCD TV buying guide

Get a bargain on the smoothest, sexiest HD TV

IDG staff

PAGE 4

If you're not planning to hang your TV on the wall, is a flat-panel the best way to go? And which are better: plasma or LCD flat-screen TVs? Here's what you need to know before you buy.

Flat-screen TV shopping tips

Flat-out ready to buy? Here are key points to consider before you make the big commitment.

Consider the alternatives: If you can live with a tabletop set that's 10 to 18 inches deep rather than 4 to 7, LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) and DLP (digital light-processing) rear-projection sets can deliver performance approaching or exceeding that of plasmas in similar screen sizes and at lower prices. You just don't hear about them as much because they're not as sexy.

Think HDMI: If at all possible, you should get a set with an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) input. This will ensure maximum compatibility with HDTV sources such as HD digital cable boxes, HD satellite receivers, and HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc players.

Compare displays using a variety of material: Just about any flat-panel display will handle HDTV and DVD signals well, but mediocre cable and satellite signals will give some of them fits. Don't make a buying decision based solely on pictures generated from pristine sources.

Look for good blacks: When you're comparison shopping, bring along a DVD of a movie containing some dimly lit night scenes. Use it to check for good black reproduction and ability to render detail in near-darkness.

Get to know the remote: A good remote can be your best friend, a bad remote your worst enemy. (Well, okay, we're exaggerating a little, but you get the idea.) Does it have backlighting or glow-in-the-dark buttons to help you see what you're doing when the lights are turned down? How easy is it to find commonly used buttons by feel?

Check the video settings: Now that you've got the remote, pull up the video-adjustment menu and look at the settings. If you thought the picture looked a little (or a lot) off on first viewing, try selecting the median settings for contrast, brightness, colour, tint and sharpness.

Those probably won't be optimum, but chances are they're closer than what you found originally. A good display can easily look worse than a lesser one if it's poorly adjusted. Repeat your tests using a variety of sources, including a dimly lit movie, if necessary.

Get the best prices on plasma and LCD flat-screen TVs with PC Advisor shopping

The big picture

LCD and plasma screens may look similar, but the underlying technologies are quite different, as are, consequently, their strengths and weaknesses. Click here for the big picture: our guide to the underlying technologies behind flat-screen TV.