TVs

TV Buying Guide

High-definition TVs come in all shapes and sizes. You'll find everything from flat-panel LCD displays and plasma TVs that can be mounted on a wall to jumbo rear-projection sets, the familiar picture-tube TVs, and front projectors that can give you a cinema-like experience at home.
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Getting started

Buying a TV involves many choices, some of which may be brand new to you. This TV buying guide organizes the process into clear, logical steps that will help you make a smart decision.

Budget

Of course, your budget will affect all of your decisions. It's possible to find good TVs selling for a few hundred dollars, while others go for several thousand, and there are many sets that fall in between those extremes. Screen size, features, brands, and more affect the price. We can help you to get the most bang for your buck, no matter how much or how little you want to spend.

Screen type

If you're like most buyers, you've probably settled on a slim, flat-panel TV, but you might not know whether to buy an LCD or plasma set. Though they look very similar on the outside, they use different technologies and the pictures have different characteristics. While LCDs outsell plasmas by a wide margin, don't automatically assume LCDs are the way to go—plasma TVs have a lot to recommend them, especially in certain circumstances.

Screen size

This depends on your budget, the size of your room, where you'll be sitting, and the number of people who will be watching the TV simultaneously. Most consumers tend to go bigger when replacing their old TV, and there's a good reason to do so with high-def programming. A big screen makes HD content especially compelling, creating more of a theater experience. You can't compare screen size between your old and new TV; moving from a 27-inch old-format set to a 32-inch widescreen does not provide an appreciably bigger picture—content will be perceived as the same size, though wider. For the most part, we recommend at least a 37-inch screen for a primary TV you'll watch often, and we believe that most consumers would be happier with a 40- to 42-inch TV, budget and room size permitting. In larger rooms, a 46-inch-or-bigger set is often preferable. Screens of about 26 to 32 inches are good for casual viewing in bedrooms, and even smaller screen sizes suit kitchens. When deciding how a set will fit in your room, remember to factor in viewing distance. TV programming tends to look better and more natural if you sit at least 5 feet from a 40- to 47-inch set and 6 feet from a 50-inch-or- larger TV.

Screen resolution

Then there's the issue of resolution, meaning the number of pixels, or picture elements, a screen contains. Should you buy a 720p TV, or is it worth paying more for a 1080p "full HD" model? That depends on several factors, as we'll outline.

Other issues

Other considerations include features and brand. We'll lead you through those choices and more, helping you to make the best choice for your specific needs and preferences.

Once you're in a store or shopping online, you'll have to judge the picture quality and decide whether to buy an extended warranty, how much to spend on cables, how to get the best price, and more. Our shopping tips will make you a savvy consumer and help you to save money and avoid hassles. What you'll watch on your new TV is an issue that will affect your enjoyment of your set, so you might be thinking of upgrading your TV service or switching to a new provider. See what cable, satellite, and phone companies have to offer before making a decision.

 
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