If you are shopping for a Plasma HDTV, you must consider the following features:
Decide whether you want plasma or LCD. Plasma TVs display deeper blacks and do better with details in dark scenes than LCD TVs, but they suffer from reflections in well-lit rooms. LCD TVs are brighter, but they typically have a narrower viewing angle. On a cost-per-inch basis, plasma TVs are cheaper, but LCD TVs often have higher resolution and are available in more screen sizes. Look for at least one HDMI input. Most new cable and satellite TV boxes, DVD players, and other digital signal sources use this port, which keeps the signal all-digital, avoiding degradation that can occur as the signal passes through other components (such as a cable box).
Match TV size to the size of your room. Because HDTVs have much higher resolution than conventional TVs, you can sit closer than you normally would. Shop around for prices. In our research, we often found large price differences from retailer to retailer, so it pays to look around. Note that the lowest prices sometimes come from unauthorized dealers, which, depending on the manufacturer, can cause problems if something goes wrong. |
