The most popular HDTVs today are LCD TVs, which are far outselling Plasma TVs. LCD TVs use less electricity and are lighter than Plasma TVs. Plasma TVs have some advantages, such as high contrast ratios, viewing angles, and are suitable for fast moving action. Over the years, the LCD TVs refresh rate has narrowed the gap with Plasma TVs, and contrast ratios have vastly improved. LCD TVs are brighter and better suited to well lit rooms. A new type of LCD TV is sometimes called an LED TV.
LCD Backlights - There are three types of backlights for LCD TVs. The backlight is located in the back of the TV and illuminates the screen. The backlight can effect the colors, contrast, and brightness of your TV.
[1] Fluorescent Backlight - The most common backlight is a fluorescent backlit screen (using the same technology as the fluorescent light bulbs in most kitchens). These are in most LCD TVs. These backlights can give outstanding images and contrast in top rated sets. Some manufacturers of high end sets have fluorescent backlights that can give you enhanced colors compared to regular ones.
[2] Edge Lit LED Backlight - LED backlights use LED lights (light emitting diodes) which use the same type of technology as the keychain LED lights, only more advanced and powerful. Edge lit lights the back of the set similarly to how fluorescent bulbs do (illuminating the entire backlight at all times). More expensive than fluorescent. You gain more contrast, colors, and energy savings up to 40% over conventional backlights.
[3] Local Dimming LED Backlight - This is the latest backlight technology. Local Dimming puts LED lights directly behind your LCD screen, where they can dim or turn off for the best contrast available. These are more expensive than edge lit, but can offer greater contrast and better picture. Both types of LED TVs are very thin (as thin as 1.2 inches) and suitable for mounting on a wall. As prices come down, LED will become the dominant backlight for HDTVs.
AntiBlur Technology - The other major LCD technology is called antiblur technology. The technology is called 120Hz and 240Hz. Most HDTVs sold up to this point have been 60Hz models. Hz stands for Hertz (which refers to cycles per second). By speeding up the Hertz rate, These TVs can insert more frames into the picture, which can reduce blur that can occur on LCD TVs. This is great for action movies and sports. This can also improve the viewing of motion picture films that were filmed at 24 frames per second by reducing judder (TVs display at a higher framerate than film).
Another type of technology for LCD is 1080p. The term 1080p signifies the full resolution possible today in high definition (2 million pixels at 1920x1080 resolution). Most sets sold up to this point were 720p which is half the resolution of 1080p (1 million pixels). Most small sets use this resolution since it would be hard to tell the difference on such a small set. Today, most sets sold are 1080p sets which are also the full resolution of Blu-ray discs.
The most popular brand of LCD TV is Samsung. This is followed by Sony, LG, and Sharp. We have found that picking a brand name TV instead of a no-name or second tier brand may be the best bet. Name brand TVs have better warranties, generally have better image processors (which helps to upconvert standard definition programs), and better contrast and quality control.
Whatever TV you choose, read the consumer reviews of these sets and determine what size would be suitable for your needs.
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