Flat screen televisions are cool, and they get cheaper and more high tech every year. If you’re shopping for a new television, this article can help you decide between a plasma or an LCD, a rear projection or a tube. Then you’ll know what’s the best choice given your budget and the kind of television viewing experience you are looking for.
Plasma TVs
Plasma televisions produce pictures through gas particles wedged between two panes of glass. They can be mounted on the wall and have a wide viewing angle. The colors are very vivid, but they are prone to burn ins – when pictures leave a permanent and ghost like image (usually happens to older TVs).
Plasmas are not a good idea if they are the only TV that you will be using. They tend to consume a lot more electricity than LCDs. If you know that it will be on for most of the day, pick something else.
LCD TVs
LCD televisions are a flat panel with liquid crystal display technology—colored pixels open and close to craate the image. They don’t create the brightest picture and the images on non high definition channels can be poor if you sit too close. They are the best technology for gaming since there’s no ‘burn in’ problem. Experts also believe the technology will last longer than plasma.
Rear projection
This is more ideal if you DVDs a lot because the technology is great for watching movies. However they are bulky and are prone to repair.
Tubes
The cheapest in the bunch but they tend to take a lot of space and don’t offer high definition (except for a few that are HD compatible). They are soon becoming obsolete so don’t buy one if you’re looking for an upgrade. However, the pictures can be crisp.
Read tips on how to hook up your TV to your PC
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