LCD televisions are taking the lead in the high definition market. They are generally a bit cheaper than competing plasma screen or DLP technologies and have fewer issues.
LCD’s are not prone to burn in like the plasma nor do they have expensive replacement bulbs like the DLP’s.
LCD television reviews are a good way to become more familiar with the technology and underlying capabilities of each set. They should provide you with enough information to choose between two or more sets.
What you should find in LCD television reviews:
- Size- LCD televisions come in many sizes; you will find them as small as 22 inches and as large as 47 inches. This measurement is taken from bottom left corner to top right.
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio- High definition televisions are marked by their contrast ration and resolution. Anything more than 1,000:1 contrast ratio is considered HD or HD ready. This ratio pertains to the difference between the blackest black and the whitest white, the higher the contrast ratio the better the image in most cases.
- Resolution- When reading LCD television reviews you may find yourself staring at a bunch of numbers and letters that seem Greek to you. Things like 720p and 1080i will tell you what the resolution for the particular television is. Or it may look more like this, 1920 x 1080p, this is the best resolution that you can get at this point in high definition. The numbers correspond to the vertical and horizontal lines on the screen and the letters stand for interlaced or progressive scan respectively.
- Interlaced or Progressive? – These two terms refer to the manner in which the lines are painted on the screen. Interlaced is the older technology and was developed for CRT televisions. With interlacing divides the lines into odd and even numbers and then refreshes the alternatively. Progressive scan is pretty much the opposite in that it paints the lines on the screen sequentially instead of every other one.
- Ports- Another important factor that should be listed in any LCD television reviews is the number and type of input ports the set has. For instance new on the scene is the high definition multimedia interface or HDMI. This new way of connecting devices is currently used by blue ray players and certain game systems, but the technology is likely to increase. You will want a LCD television with a minimum of 2 HDMI ports if not more. Other ports include S-video, component and AV and those should be listed as well.
Bottom Line
When it comes to choosing an LCD television, LCD television reviews can be your best friend, if you know how to read them. These televisions can run from a few hundred dollars to thousands and the choice should be a well thought out and researched one.