Best Flat Screen TV provides information on the kinds of flat screen TVs and what to look for as well as information on the best flat screen TV accessories. Flat Screen TVs have evolved into saving space, looking very futuristic, and best of all give you a “big screen” feel while watching TV.
TV Screen Resolution and Refresh Rates Are The FIRST Things To Look For
TV screen resolution quality can be measured by the number of pixels it displays – more pixels equals a better picture quality. Originally resolution was given by the number of pixels wide (number of columns) by the number of pixels high (the number of rows). For example: 1,920 pixels wide by 1,080 pixels high. Now, most manufactures will just provide the number of pixels high, which in this example would be 1,080.
Sometimes you’ll see a letter “p” or “i” following the pixel resolution number, like this “1,080p”. The “p” stands for progressive scan. That means every time the TV redraws the action onscreen every pixel in the image is refreshed. The “i” stands for interlaced. Interlaced is when the image is drawn twice. Your best choice is to go with “p” – Progressive. The interlaced may become prone to flickering.
Now in regards to refresh rates, you want the fastest that you can afford. A TV’s refresh rate is the number of times per second the TV redraws the image onscreen. Refresh rates of 120Hz should be able to give clear action of a basketball game or football game without any blurring. The higher the refresh rate the more expensive.
(A note of caution: going after a high refresh rate of 240Hz may feel like your watching a high-production show shot with a home camcorder–you may see every tiny little budge the camera makes. Best Flat Screen TV’s advice is to bring along DVD of your favorite TV show and see if dealer will let you sample the viewing)
Some of the best flat screen TVs are very affordable with exceptional screen quality. There are two kinds of flat screen TVs that you need to choose between, LCD and Plasma. LCD are available in all sizes. Plasma TVs are only available from 42 inch to larger sizes. Remember the size of the TV is measured diagonal, so 42 inch TV is 42 inches diagonal.
So the first thing you need to know is your viewing environment and which technology fits that environment best.
Both plasma and LCD are both wide-screen. This means that the screens have a 16:9 ratio of screen width to screen height. Most modern movies have the same screen ratio.
Plasma Flat Screen TVs
Plasma TVs have HDTV resolution. The most high-end models will have 1080 pixels. The advantage of getting a high resolution plasma is that it will support Blu-ray Disc Video. Online streaming services are increasingly offering 1080p with there services because they want you to experience the best quality in viewing.
You may have read or heard about plasma TVs being subject to “burn-in”. Burn-in is when an image stays in one place on the screen for a very long time; for example, this could be a video game, or some kind of meter or scoreboard. Most modern plasma TVs will not have that problem because they use a technology called pixel-shifting, where the image is moved in very small increments that you won’t even notice.
(A note: If you are still concerned about burn-in you can turn down the contrast, brightness, color and sharpness when you set up your TV. Most TVs come out of the box with these controls set way too high.)
Plasmas will run hotter than LCDs which could create a potentially noisy cooling fan.
LCD Flat Screen TVs
LCD flat screen TVs range from 15-inch to 65-inch with speakers and TV tuners. LCDs will be a little thicker than the plasmas. They also have a slightly narrower viewing angle. Plasmas are easily viewed from any angle. LCDs are better for brightly lit rooms.
One really nice thing about LCDs is that they can be set up anywhere in your house. If for some reason you wanted to move the TV to another room, a large LCD monitor would be a whole lot easier to move than a plasma.
Something you should now about flat screen TV video inputs.
You may find a variety of video inputs on your flat screen TV. Here’s a break down of some of these video inputs.
Composite Video is the lowest quality but has the widest compatibility. Just about every device will have this kind of video output.
S-Video is a step-up in quality over composite video.
Component video is the minimum standard for high-def cable and satellite as well as Blu-ray Disc players.
Video Graphics Array (VGA) are your typical RGB analog connectors used mostly with computers.
Digital Video Interface (DVI) is a very high-quality input. This can be used for computer connection.
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the highest quality video input. HDMI is the major connection interface for HDTVs on the market today. This type of connection is provided with almost anything that plays, transmits any digital signal. So when you shop for a flat screen TV look for a TV that has, at a minimum, three to four HDMI inputs. You’ll be glad you did, especially when in the future you start adding on multiple devices to your flat screen TV.