| Watching a big screen television gives a different | | | | displays. The brightness is uniform and the picture |
| experience. The large TV screen and high-quality 5.1 | | | | looks best in low-lit rooms. The life span of these TVs |
| channel sound system make the movie actions and | | | | is about 7 to 10 years. |
| the TV programs come alive. However, purchasing a | | | | Wide-Screen 16:9 vs. Standard 4:3 |
| big screen television depends on many factors, so | | | | The standard HDTV aspect ratio of widescreen is 16:9 |
| buying the right big screen TV for your room and your | | | | - it matches most DVD movies and HDTV programs. |
| pocket will need a number of facts to come right, like: | | | | However, there are some TV series and news |
| Budget Alternatives | | | | shows, which are still shot in the 4:3 aspect ratios so |
| Budget is a main consideration when buying a | | | | you have to decide whether you will prefer a digital HD |
| widescreen TV. If you cannot afford a widescreen | | | | 4:3 ser or a wide-screen HD program having black |
| TV, you can always bank on CRT sets. The CRT or | | | | bars at the top and bottom. In this case, always |
| Cathode Ray Tube set has always been the master | | | | remember that the regular TV 4:3 programs will have |
| TV set for most. It can still give you HDTV | | | | large black bars on each side if you choose a |
| performance with high quality picture, wide viewing | | | | wide-screen HD set. In case, you change to stretch |
| angle and long life. You can get all these for $ 2,000 or | | | | mode, the images will fill the wide screen but there will |
| even less. Of course, there are the negative sides as | | | | be image distortion. Look for the 4:3 HD set, which has |
| well - like bulky size and high electric consumption. | | | | raster compression mode. |
| Big-Screen Choices: Know the Virtues and Flaws | | | | One size does not fit all |
| A Rear Projector TV (RPTV) is a better and logical | | | | Before you set out to buy your dream TV, think about |
| option for you if you do not want a big HD screen TV | | | | where you will be placing it. The bigger the screen, the |
| without a front projector. This choice is more | | | | bigger you need your TV room to be. According to |
| economical as well. A 50-inch RPTV has HD picture | | | | most industry experts, you need enough space and |
| resolution and will cost much less than a 50-inch | | | | ample viewing distance for most favorable picture |
| plasma HD flat panel. In addition, there are many CRT | | | | quality. You will need a room, which will allow you to sit |
| rear-projection TV sets, which have 16:9 widescreen | | | | about 8 to 11 feet from the TV for best viewing. |