LCD & plasma TVs

You're in for some fun if you haven't shopped for a TV in a few years. Streaming Internet videos and 3D are adding excitement to TV viewing, and Wi-Fi and full Web browsers make it easy to expand your online horizons. Remote controls are evolving as well, giving you new ways to interact with your TV. And prices continue to fall, so you'll get more for your money.

There's much more to come. Over the next few months, new technologies—such as super-wide screens, a new type of TV designed to combine the best of LCD and plasma displays, and screens with ultra-high resolution—should start showing up. Here are more details on those developments, along with the latest news from our tests of more than 140 TVs.

The models we test are carefully selected to represent a microcosm of the market, so our Ratings will give you a good idea of what you'll see in stores. Bigger screens are an obvious trend. There are 10 TVs with 60-inch or larger screens in the Ratings, including a 70-inch Sharp LCD TV, and 30-plus models with 50- to 60-inch screens. Big as they are, many of those sets are super-slim—2 inches or less in depth.

The vast majority of the tested LCD and plasma models have 1080p resolution, and most LCD sets 42 inches and larger have 120Hz or higher refresh rates designed to reduce motion blur. Both features can enhance picture quality when they're implemented well.

Very good or excellent HD picture quality is almost a given, with 135 of the 142 tested TVs achieving that level. We found a number of sets from secondary brands that delivered commendable picture quality at relatively low prices. They might not have all the newest features, but they're worth considering if you want a basic TV.

The growing ranks of 3D-capable TVs made a strong showing. Most of the 3D-capable LCD and plasma TVs had excellent scores for regular 2D high-def picture quality, and most of the plasma TVs scored very well for 3D picture quality as well. The LCD sets were less consistent in their 3D performance, though the newest models were among the better performers.

Sound quality, sad to say, doesn't come close to matching picture quality. Only a dozen or so tested models had very good sound, and twice as many as that were judged fair or poor, especially in the 32-inch and smaller categories. Most models had good sound—which is to say, decent for a variety of routine programming but unable to provide the depth and impact you want for movie sound tracks and music. Substandard sound dragged down the overall score on many sets that otherwise were quite good and worth considering if you'll connect them to external speakers.

Models that did everything right rose to the top, with an impressive number scoring 75 or higher. Plasma TVs, especially 3D models, were well represented among the top scorers.

Connecting your TV to the Internet might be the single biggest thing you can do to expand your viewing possibilities. Many new TVs have Internet capability built in, including more than half of the 40-inch and larger models in our Ratings. But even if you buy a basic TV (or already own one) that lacks Internet connectivity, you can connect it to an Internet-enabled Blu-ray player, streaming media player, or game system; prices start at less than $100. (Many require an HDMI input on the TV, but others work with analog inputs.)

To access your broadband service, you can connect the TV (or set-top box) via Ethernet cable to your Internet modem or router, but that can be inconvenient if all the gear isn't in the same room. Many new TVs (as well as boxes) have built-in Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity to your network. Others let you add an optional wireless adapter that costs about $70 or $80.

Once you're able to access your broadband service, you'll find a wealth of online content. There are free videos from YouTube, and movies and TV episodes from subscription and pay-per-view services such as Amazon Instant Video, Blockbuster OnDemand, CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Vudu. Music fans can connect to online music sites and services, such as Napster/Rhapsody, Pandora, Slacker, and Spotify. Some offer limited service free of charge and enhanced service for a fee.

And watching isn't all you can do: Many Web-connected TVs let you update your Facebook page, send tweets via Twitter, follow eBay auctions, and share photos on Flickr and Picasa. With some Internet-capable TVs, you can place Skype video calls by connecting an optional webcam to your set. Seeing your far-flung friends and family on a big-screen TV rather than on a small laptop can make a huge difference.

Most Internet-capable TVs limit you to specific sites and content partners, but the growing number of "smart TVs" add full browsers that let you go anywhere on the Web. Google TV, which uses the Chrome browser, hasn't made much headway since its introduction more than a year ago, but recently added access to the Android apps market could spark interest. Sony has a few TVs that use the Google platform, and LG, Samsung, and Vizio recently announced Google-powered TVs. LG and Samsung also have TVs with proprietary browsers and app markets, and other brands could follow suit.

Tip: Even if your TV isn't Web-enabled, you can enjoy your digital photos, videos, and music on it. Just insert a thumb drive into the USB port, connect a camcorder to an HDMI input, or put a memory card into the TV's SD slot. A DLNA-certified TV that's connected to your wireless network can play music, videos, and images from compatible devices (such as a phone, computer, or MP3 player) that are also on your network. Even without DLNA capability, you can connect a laptop computer to your TV's HDMI or VGA input to play content.

There are good reasons to get a 3D TV even if you don't plan to use that feature now. Remember, these are HD sets that have an extra viewing mode for 3D, so you can watch regular programming as you normally do, without glasses. Many of the 3D TVs in our Ratings are among the highest-scoring sets we've ever tested, and they often have other features you might want, such as Internet access and Wi-Fi.

Prices have fallen sharply, so it won't cost you a fortune to buy a 3D TV. Among our recommended 3D-capable models, a 32-inch LCD sells for $450, a 42-inch plasma for $550, and several 50-inch plasmas for about $1,000.

Performance is improving, too. Plasma TVs have displayed fine 3D quality from the start, and several in the Ratings have excellent scores for 3D and HD. Some new LCDs were judged very good, an improvement over first-generation models, which had problems with ghosting (double images visible even when you're wearing 3D glasses). But we still see issues with some LCD models, including less than full 1080p resolution in 3D mode.

"Active shutter" 3D glasses used with all plasma and many LCD TVs have become lighter than early models, and some now use Bluetooth instead of less-reliable wireless connections to sync with the TV. Prices start at about $30. Some LCD sets use "passive" 3D technology, with lightweight, low-cost glasses like the ones you get in theaters. You often get four pairs with a TV; extras cost $10 to $30.

Currently, you'll probably be watching regular HD most of the time, but more 3D content is steadily rolling out. At least 100 or so 3D Blu-ray discs are available (which require a 3D-capable player) as is a growing selection of broadcast programming from cable, satellite, and telecommunications service providers.

Even if 3D viewing is not a high priority for you, consider buying a 3D set to future-proof your purchase for a time when you might be more interested in 3D content.

Tip: You can connect a 3D digital camera or camcorder to your TV and view photos and videos in 3D. It's eye-opening, almost like being there in person.   

TV makers have more developments in the works. Perhaps the most important is OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. This isn't a variation of the LED backlighting used in some LCD TVs. It's a new technology designed to combine the best attributes of LCD and plasma TVs: ultra-slim designs measuring a half-inch or less in depth, vibrant colors, wide viewing angles, great energy efficiency, and very deep blacks.

We tested a Sony OLED TV a few years ago, and its black levels were so dark that we needed new equipment to test it. But it had a tiny screen (11 inches) and a hefty $2,500 price. We'll see bigger OLED sets this year. LG and Samsung have announced 55-inch 3D OLED TVs, which are expected to cost $6,000 or more. Until prices fall, OLED won't be mainstream.

Ultra-definition (UD) TVs are also coming soon. Their displays have 4K (about 4000x2000) resolution, four times that of 1080p sets. LG will introduce an 84-inch UD set this year, and other makers—including Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and Toshiba—are developing 4K sets. Sharp reportedly has an 8K model as well.

There's no UD content except for digital cinema video, but the TV itself (and a few receivers and Blu-ray players) can upconvert 1080p to quasi-4K resolution, much like 480p video is upconverted to 1080p. 4K will usher in what many consider the ultimate 3D TV experience: glasses-free viewing, which is already possible on some phones and laptops, and expected from at least one TV brand this year.

Also in the works are 21:9 screens, which are wider than current 16:9 sets. A 21:9 television more closely mimics the 2.35:1 aspect ratio of many movies, so you won't see black bars above and below the image, as you do on a 16:9 TV. Vizio said it will have three 21:9 models this year, with 50-, 58-, and 71-inch screens.

Remote controls are evolving to keep pace with the increasingly sophisticated capabilities of TVs. On some 3D-capable models, the remote lets you switch into 3D mode with a single button push.

Other features make it easy to access the Internet, such as dedicated buttons for going online or launching specific services, such as Amazon, Netflix, or  Vudu. You might find a button for accessing online apps markets where you can download games, travel tools, exercise programs, and much more.

Even more advanced are dual-sided remotes that have a full QWERTY keyboard on one side and the usual buttons on the other, and remotes with a slide-out keyboard. A keyboard is useful for entering text to search the Web.

Gesture and voice controls
There are also entirely new ways to interact with your television. Some LG smart TVs include a second, gesture-based  "Magic Motion" remote control that you point at the screen to navigate menus and choose programs, much like you do with a Wii game controller. Some new Samsung TVs offer Smart Interaction technology, which lets you interact with the TV without a remote, by hand gestures, voice control, and face recognition. Other products also let you talk to the TV, including Microsoft's Xbox when it's used with its Kinect controller, and new Sony TVs with microphones in the remote. Now you'll have a reason to yell at the TV even if your team isn't losing.