LCD TV Buying Guide

The liquid crystal display television, LCD TV for short, first hit the consumer electronics market as a computer monitor. The theory is simple: each pixel of the LCD TV screen has a red, green and blue pixel cell, which glow when hit by an electrical charge. Altering the charge varies each pixel's color intensity; different intensities among cells in each pixel change the color.

Most LCDs are called flat panel televisions because they are thin and light enough to hang on the wall like a painting, using TV wall mounts. (Most people use "flat screen television" and "flat panel television" interchangeably, but technically, a "flat screen" is a CRT and a "flat panel" is an LCD or plasma. Read product descriptions carefully so you're sure you get the right style.)

The slim profile of an LCD also fits on a TV stand in almost any room in the home -- even small apartments or dorms. An LCD television is much smaller and lighter than a CRT with the same screen size, and many LCD's are wide-screen (16:9 aspect ratio instead of 4:3), while few CRTs are.

Until recently, large-screen LCD TVs were lower quality than plasma televisions. More pixels meant more chances for something to go wrong, and images looked a little faded. Recent manufacturing advances have overcome many of these obstacles and, though plasmas still have a market edge among over 40-inch screens, LCD TVs now look as good and are fast gaining market share.

LCD television buying tips

All televisions have a few things in common; before buying a new LCD TV, consider four points:

• Cost: Prices and options vary so much among differing types of LCD TVs that you should first decide how much you want to spend, then pick among the best TV sets in that range. Remember that a television is an investment in consumer electronics that can last many years if you treat it well. Spend what you must to buy the TV set that fits your needs and wants, and don't look back. That wide-screen LCD HDTV may set you back a bit, but it will be an investment you can enjoy every single day for a decade or more.
• Location: Sketch the room and show dimensions, furniture and windows. Ask yourself if there will be bright sunshine from windows onto the screen, how the room's traffic flow is and how much furniture will be in the room. Keep the sketch handy as you look over your options and you'll be able to find something better suited to your situation. If you really want to feel like you're in a theater or you throw Super Bowl parties, hang a big LCD television on the wall -- let the action dominate your whole field of view.

• Connection: Where are the power outlets and cable or satellite connections? If you will plug your new LCD TV into existing components, make sure you have the right connectors. If not, you will need to buy adapters. Good adapters are relatively inexpensive, but the best adapters are worth the extra few bucks.
• Options: Take the LCD TV that fits your budget and rank the features: Is screen size more important than resolution? Interlace or progressive scan? Are you just buying a TV to hook to the cable or satellite, or a component for a full-blown home theater? Do you need just a TV or a TV combo (TV-DVD)? Will you also need a TV stand, TV shelf or entertainment center?

For more great advice on buying televisions or other consumer electronics (plus many other great products) visit the Overstock.com buying guides page.

What's so great about LCD TV?

So many things: Even at lower resolutions -- 480 and 720 pixels -- the images are sharp and bright. LCD TVs perform better under varying light conditions than CRT TVs and are less affected by glare. For those with high-definition programming, LCD televisions are superior to plasma TVs, and many LCDs have HD tuners built-in.

Screen burn, which is a permanent, ghost-like image resulting from the same picture being on-screen too long, has been a problem for CRTs and plasma TVs. Screen burn is not possible on an LCD television. Also, scientists have debated for years the safety of electromagnetic emissions from televisions and monitors; LCD televisions do not emit electromagnetic emissions. LCDs are also more energy efficient than CRT TVs, which will save you money. Being slim and light compared to other models, LCD TVs save floor space -- they can be wall mounted, like a framed painting, or on a TV wall mount, which allows you to adjust the TV position for optimal viewing.

How does LCD compare to DLP or plasma?

Every technology has limits; since LCD televisions cannot turn pixel cells completely off, some blacks look dark gray. In early models, viewing angle was not as wide as other types, and larger wide-screen LCD televisions used to be proportionally more expensive than other types. However, every year brings better quality at a lower price. Fortunately, good bargains are always available (and, since you're reading this, you know where to find those bargains!).

Size and resolution

Big screens are fabulous, but for many consumers, it isn't a necessity. A 26-inch LCD TV is big enough for most rooms, a modest wide-screen HDTV that features 1280x720 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio will work just fine.

For the more serious movie or sports fan, you'll want to step up to a 32-inch LCD or larger. Owning one with 1920x1080 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio means you have a wide-screen HDTV to be envied. HD broadcasts are interlaced scan while some HD movies are progressive scan, but many people can't tell the difference. Progressive is the premium, so pay for it only if you really thinks it's better.

Video gamers don't need a flat panel TV over 26-inches, but some get one anyway -- just for fun. A 1280x720 resolution is good enough, but again, some don't settle for good enough and go 1920x1080. New HD games are coming out, so be sure your new LCD TV is an HDTV and can connect to your computer or game console.

For computer use, the LCD monitor is fast becoming the standard. Wide screen is a luxury, since most websites are still 4:3 aspect ratio, but if your computer is also your home theater, you might as well make it a wide screen, hi-def LCD monitor. Why miss out on great gaming or video images just because you use it mostly for surfing the web?

Other LCD TVs

LCD projection TVs work like a slide show by directing light through a silicone chip and then magnifying the image for projection. Also called rear-projection TVs, they are a cost-conscious compromise: a 42-inch LCD flat panel TV is thinner and lighter than a 42-inch LCD projection TV, but the projection television is less expensive. Standard CRT TVs are less expensive still, but much larger and heavier than comparably-sized LCDs.

LCD projector TVs are like movie projectors -- a home theater projector shoots a beam of light through a prism, then through three silicon panels to create the image. If you need an LCD TV for home and business use, an LCD projector is the way to go. You can carry an LCD projector between home and business and connect it to computer, Internet, intranet, cable or satellite system.

LCD TV terminology

Television vs. monitor: Televisions are stand-alone devices which receive and process audio-video signals and project them to screen and speakers. Monitors don't have speakers and can't process signals; they only project signals to screen. To use a monitor, it must be connected to a computer, cable box, satellite receiver or something else that processes the signal. Monitors are used mostly as computer displays; you can use them for home theater, but you'll have to buy extra components.

TFT: Transistors consist of several layers of material; in conventional transistors, the semiconductor layer is also the substrate (or support layer), such as a silicon wafer. A thin film transistor has its semiconductor layer (as well as other layers) on a separate substrate. When TFT are used in LCD TVs, this substrate is glass. Any good LCD uses TFT technology so, unless you're buying no-name cheap televisions, "LCD" and "TFT LCD" are the same thing.

DTV: Digital television signals will entirely replace analogue signals on February 17, 2009, though many stations have already begun. All televisions built after March 2007 can receive DTV. If you have a pre-March 2007 TV, you will need to buy a new TV set or an adapter that will translate digital signals into analog. (For more information, visit the FCC's digital television webpage: DTV.gov.)

HDTV: High definition television is the next generation -- HDTVs have 720i, 720p, 1080i or 1080p resolution plus digital audio.

Pixels: Individual points of color making up an TV's picture; pixel count determines an LCD TV's resolution, described as the number of pixels forming the picture (1920x1080) or as the number of horizontal lines of pixels (480, 720 or 1080).

Interlace scan: Abbreviated 480i, 720i or 1080i -- it's a TV set that lights half of its lines in each scan. Interlace LCD TVs show less blur in moving images by scanning twice as often, but actually only project about 30 complete frames per second.

Progressive scan: Abbreviated 480p, 720p or 1080p -- it's a TV set that lights every line in each scan. Progressive scan LCD TVs show greater detail by using every pixel all the time, creating up to 60 frames every second.

LCD TV care

Do: Turn off your LCD television; wipe the exterior with a lint-free cloth dampened with a little isopropyl alcohol (or, better yet, a 50-50 isopropyl-water mix); wipe dry and then turn on again. Get a can of air and blow the dust out of any openings. Also, use an air purifier if the room gets a lot of dust, pet dander, etc. Consider a dehumidifier if working in a humid climates. (Both are available in Overstock.com's home store!)

Do not: Expose consumer electronics to extreme temperatures or rapid temperature changes, use in a dirty environment, clean like conventional glass -- cleaners contain ammonia or chlorides, which can damage LCDs' polarizing layer; paper towels can scratch the surface. Also, don't drop, punch, kick or scream at -- it's not the TV's fault the referee is an irrational, mindless, thoughtless, reckless, feckless, nearsighted, unthinking, half-witted dolt! (To put it politely.)

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