Here are key points to consider before you take the flat screen TV plunge. Decide how large of a screen you want. Usually, the largest screens cost the most, but regardless, the television should deliver the right-size picture for where you will sit relative to the screen. Sitting closer to a smaller TV like a 30-inch LCD TV means you will not have to spend as much on a flat screen. However, if you sit too close, the picture will look poor and it will not be an enjoyable experience. If you buy a big screen and you want to install on your wall, shop online for the best deals on flat screen TV wall mounts.
Today the majority of televisions sold in the U.S. are HD ready. Therefore, we recommend that you avoid buying any non-HD ready TV. HDTVs have come down in price recently making them very affordable. In fact, many places online offer cheap flat panel TVs at excellent prices.
By law, almost all televisions sold after March 1, 2007, must include a built-in tuner (called HDTV, digital, or ATSC tuners) that can receive high-definition programs over the air by simply connecting an antenna. If your HDTV doesn’t have a digital tuner, you’ll also need to connect an external tuner (or cable or satellite box) to watch high-definition programming.
The picture quality is the main reason why high-definition programming look so good. The standard-definition programming most of us watch today has at most 480 visible lines of detail, whereas HD programming has as many as 1,080. HDTV looks sharper and clearer than regular TV, especially on big-screen TVs. The most common resolutions are 1080p, 1080i, and 720p. We recommend you choose a flat panel that can support 1080p.
DVD and Blu-ray movies aren’t the only non-television content that can be viewed on your flat screen. You should think about gaming. The beautiful graphics of the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and the Wii, can take full advantage of a high-resolution flat screen TV. If you are a serious gamer or even a casual gamer then this is something that you definitely consider.
The final question to ask yourself is do you need an extended warranty. We recommend that most buyers should skip the extended warranty. It has been proven that they are not worth it in the long turn.
Visit Cheap Flat Panel TV to get more in-depth information about flat screen TVs and accessories.
