1. Do Your Research
Plasma: How It Works Tons of little glass bubbles filled with gas-like material emit light to create the picture.
Best For If you want a really big TV (more than 42 inches) and don’t want to take out a second mortgage, plasma is a more reasonable option than LCD.
Drawback Some plasmas suffer from burn-in (when an image that’s in the same place for too long lingers faintly on the screen). Also, a plasma screen is heavier than an LCD of the same size, which could be a concern if you’re mounting it on a wall.
LCD:
How It Works The screen is filled with lots of pixels, and a light source behind them creates a clear, sharp picture.
Best For An LCD is your best bet if you’re looking for a TV between 23 and 40 inches. And, if your room gets lots of light, you’ll have less glare than you'd get with a plasma. Addicted to Wii? LCDs are also more video game-friendly.
Drawback Plasmas have much better color contrasts than LCD screens, though LCDs are catching up in quality. If you’re shopping for a TV larger than 42 inches, LCDs can quickly become arm-and-a-leg expensive.
Projector:
How It Works It’s just like the projectors you remember from elementary school, but they're a lot faster and sharper.
Best For A projector is good for couples with open wall space. It can turn a white wall into a 100-inch high-def display, but invest in a screen to get the best picture.
Drawback They work best in a very dark room, like a basement home theater.
2. Seal the Deal
With so many models to choose from, narrow your options by deciding how big a screen you want (keep your expectations realistic with our couch-to-TV sizing chart and resist the temptation to buy the biggest set available), then pick a maximum price point and stick to it.
Before you buy, talk through the details:
- What’s the store and manufacturer’s warranties, and what’s covered?
- Do we need to buy extra wires (an HDMI cable probably won’t be provided)?
- If it’s being shipped, will the delivery crew set it up?
- How much time do we have to return it if we’re not happy? Will the store pick it up if it has to be returned?
3. Arrange Your Living Room
The two ways to display a flat screen are to place the TV stand on a piece of furniture or, if you want to take full advantage of the svelte technology, mount the TV on a wall.
If you want to DIY, don’t drill a single hole until you know the scope of the project -- experts agree that installing a flat panel isn't a job for a novice.
by Miles Stiverson
6/24/08
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