HDTV Comparison Guide
By Edward McKellen
Buying an HDTV can be a tough choice with so many brands and models to choose from, which is why it is necessary to make HDTV comparisons. To help you decide what's best for you, follow this HDTV comparison guide.
HD Ready vs Full HD
One of the ways to make a good HDTV comparison is to know the difference between an HDTV that is Full HD and one that is merely HD Ready. A Full HD HDTV is one that has a built-in ATSC tuner, which means it is capable of receiving High Definition signals on its own and displaying them in full resolution on the screen. On the other hand, an HD Ready HDTV cannot display HD signals in their full resolution, which can lessen the picture quality. It also does not come with a tuner so it cannot receive HD signals unless you purchase one separately. HDTV tuners come in two main types - external or set-top-boxes and internal or tuner cards, which are both easy to find.
LCD vs Plasma
There are four types of HDTV, although it usually boils down to choosing between two - LCD and Plasma. LCD HDTVs are light and energy-efficient. Many LCD HDTVs are displaying deeper black levels, have wider viewing angles and faster response times, too - which were originally the weak points of LCD HDTVs. Plasma HDTVs, on the other hand, are excellent when it comes to displaying vivid blacks and saturated colors, as well as preventing motion blur, although they usually consume more energy, can suffer from screen burn-in and can reflect more light.
1080p vs 720p
Resolution is also an important factor when choosing an HDTV, the most common of which are 1080p and 720p. 1080p HDTVs have a native resolution of 1920x1080p, which is the best available. This means you will get superb images on your screen, but only if your source is also 1080p, though, which is currently limited to Blu-Ray discs and some video games. Therefore, 720p HDTVs are still a great choice.
16:9 vs 4:3
Watching a widescreen movie or High Definition TV show on a 4:3 HDTV means you will be seeing black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. On the other hand, watching a 4:3 show on a widescreen HDTV means you will see black bars at the sides, unless you stretch the image and distort it in the process. To decide between a 16:9 or 4:3 HDTV, then, you have to consider what you usually watch, though either way, expect to see some black bars once in a while.
Other Picture Quality Considerations
Aside from the resolution and the screen ratio, there are still other points of HDTV comparison when it comes to picture quality. These include the contrast ratio, which lets you know how deep the black levels are compared to the brightness of the white levels, as well as the number of frames per second the HDTV can process. The latter is usually expressed in Hz and is important in gauging how well an HDTV will perform when the action picks up.
30, 40 or 50 inches?
Screen size is an important factor in HDTV comparison, too, especially since it determines the viewing distance and the price. Even if you have a 32 or 34-inch HDTV, the difference in picture quality is still noticeable, although this is, of course, has a greater impact with larger HDTVs. Still, a 52 or 58-inch HDTV is not really necessary unless you have a large living room but feel free to buy one if you have a big budget.
Brand
Brand is also important, but not as important as the other points of HDTV comparison, especially no single brand is the hands-down best one of them all. Rather than comparing brands, compare specific models after considering other factors. This way, you can clearly see which one has the features you're looking for and therefore, deserves a place in your home.
Edward McKellen is an expert on home appliances and electronics. To learn more about shopping for HDTVs, read his comprehensive guide to HDTV or read the latest HDTV reviews at HdtvReviewLab.com.