So you are ready to get rid of that boxy out of date television. Like most people today you are ready to replace that old television with a newer and sleeker flat screen TV, but before jumping up and running to the nearest electronics store, you may way to consider a few key points before picking out and shelling out the cash for your new flat screen. The first big item to think about is LCD or Plasma. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) televisions usually produce a brighter picture than plasma and aren't as prone to image burn, are a bit more energy efficient, and tend to be a better bet when wanting to use the television to connect to a computer than the plasma models. However, LDC televisions have less of a viewing angle, are prone to "trailing" images, cost more, and have a lower color quality than plasma.
The Plasma flat screen TV's are great with fast moving images, have amazing color accuracy and contrast ratio, and usually costs less than the LCD models, but They have issues with image burn if left idle on an image for too long, and can have problems with glare if being watched in a bright room.
The next thing to consider with your flat screen TV purchase is aspect ratio.
This describes the size relationship of screen width to height. Traditional sets have a 4:3 ratio, but the wide-screen models are 16:9. This is important because HDTV is a wide-screen format, DVDs and Blue Rays look better on wide-screen displays because the original aspect ratio they were filmed in is either 1.85:1 (close to 16:9) or 2.35:1 (wider than 16:9).Video inputs that are available on your flat screen tv are important, especially if you have a task you want to accomplish with the tv (such as gaming or using it with a media pc). Composite video input is the most common of all video ports. It has the lowest quality and connects with a coaxial cable. The S-Video port can offer a better quality than composite video. Most video devices except standard VCRs have S-Video outputs. They do however require a special cable for connection. Component video is the minimum for high-definition cable and satellite boxes. It requires three coaxial cables like the ones used for composite video. A VGA (Video Graphics Array) is a RGB connection that is used to connect to a computer. DVI (Digital Video Interface) can attach to devices with HDMI outputs by using an adapter. It is also be used for computer connections. DVI needs a special cable and multi-pin sockets. It is one of the highest quality video inputs. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is DVI with a digital audio control link. This is the most dominant connection interface today, because of the one wire set up. It is the standard connector for Blu-Ray players, HD satellite receivers, and HD cable boxes. If you decide which of these options is for you before leaving home, you can make a more informed purchase and have a more enjoyable experience at the store.
Buying a Flat Screen TV