| If you're looking for an LCD TV comparison, you're | | | | brightest TV they see. If there are 10 TVs lined up, |
| probably already in love with the idea of hanging a flat | | | | they'll gravitate toward the brightest one. In many |
| screen TV on your wall. It's really amazing how | | | | cases the brightest TV is not the one with the best |
| technology has progressed to the point where you | | | | picture, especially if it has been adjusted to look |
| can hang a big screen TV on your wall, then sit back | | | | artificially bright. |
| and enjoy a fantastic HDTV picture of your favorite | | | | Most LCD TVs, especially 1080p sets, have more than |
| TV shows or sporting events. | | | | enough brightness for any viewing situation, save |
| Even more amazing is that as pictures have improved | | | | putting the set in direct sunlight, but no brightness or |
| by leaps and bounds, the TVs have gotten thinner, and | | | | contrast adjustment will save you there. The point is |
| prices have plummeted. You know that any TV you | | | | that looking at a TV in the showroom will often not |
| choose is bound to net you a superb picture and slim | | | | provide you with an accurate representation of the |
| form factor. | | | | set's available picture quality. |
| That being said, you know all the LCD TVs out there | | | | When shopping for an LCD TV, a 120Hz refresh rate |
| can't be the same, can they? Surely there must be | | | | is one feature that has gone a long way toward |
| some differences, right? Well, yes there are. There are | | | | eliminating the motion artifact problems that used to be |
| a few things that some TVs do better than others and | | | | so prevalent in LCD televisions. It is common on most |
| when making an LCD TV comparison, you should | | | | manufacturer's better LCD sets now and is known by |
| know how to find the differences. Although LCD TV | | | | many trade names. |
| prices have declined substantially in recent years, you | | | | Sharp has no trade name for their sets with the 120Hz |
| want to be sure you're getting the most TV for your | | | | feature, calling it just "120Hz frame rate conversion", |
| money, and the best one for your particular application. | | | | Toshiba uses the moniker "ClearFrame(TM)", Mitsubishi |
| One of the first things to think about is the physical | | | | prefers "Smooth 120Hz(TM)", and Sony's marketing |
| size of the set. If it wasn't so common it would be | | | | department came up with "Motionflow(TM) 120Hz". It all |
| funny, but people will often make or buy a cabinet, then | | | | means basically the same thing. Your LCD with this |
| try to find a TV to fit in the space allocated. Many | | | | technology will look much better on fast moving |
| times they're thwarted form going up to the next | | | | images, like sports and scrolling text, than TVs without |
| larger sized TV because one of the cabinet | | | | it. |
| dimensions is an inch or so too small. | | | | If you're looking at one of the newest TVs, make sure |
| Take the time to choose your TV first, if you have the | | | | they have plenty of inputs for connecting your BluRay |
| opportunity. This will also prevent you from designing or | | | | player, cable box or satellite receiver, computer, or |
| buying a cabinet for a particular TV, only to find it's | | | | digital camcorder. In many instances, you will connect |
| been discontinued when it comes time to buy the TV. | | | | everything up to your surround sound receiver, then |
| The next thing is to look at some of the new LCD | | | | run a single cable to your TV. |
| TVs with thin bezels. For example, this can allow you | | | | For those not using a surround receiver, having plenty |
| to fit a 40" TV where only a 37" set would fit before. | | | | of inputs becomes vitally important. Make sure you |
| Something to be aware of is that sometimes these | | | | have art least 3 HDMI inputs so you can get the best |
| extra thin bezel LCD TVs are deeper than their normal | | | | possible picture from HD digital video sources. A |
| beveled cousins. If you're putting your new TV in a | | | | couple of component video inputs for older sources |
| cabinet, this may not be a concern to you, but the | | | | such as DVD players is a good idea as well. |
| extra 2" - 3" may make a big difference if you're | | | | Most new TVs have a digital tuner built in so you can |
| hanging the set on a wall. | | | | connect an HDTV antenna and pick up signals |
| If the TV will fit where you'd like to put it, a check on | | | | broadcast over the air. Some TVs have what's called |
| picture quality is in order. After all your buying a new | | | | a QUAM tuner. This will allow you to get unencrypted |
| TV to watch it, and there are some ways you can | | | | digital cable programming. In many cases the cable |
| compare the picture quality to determine which set has | | | | company will broadcast local channels in full HDTV |
| a better picture. | | | | resolution "in the clear". That means they are not |
| One problem with just looking at a set on the | | | | encrypted and you can watch them with no cable box, |
| showroom floor is that rarely are all the TVs correctly | | | | just the QUAM tuner built into your TV. |
| adjusted for the best picture. Often they're shipped | | | | This will give some things to look for when comparing |
| and set up in what the industry terms "torch mode". | | | | new LCD TVs. Whatever TV you decide to buy, you |
| This is slang for having the settings adjusted to take | | | | will get many years of enjoyment from your new set. |
| advantage of most customer's preference for the | | | | |