How to Buy a Flat-Screen TV

Flat-Screen TV Shopping Tips

• Introduction
• The Big Picture
• The Specs Explained
• Flat-Screen TV Shopping Tips

Flat-out ready to buy? Here are key points to consider before you make the big commitment.

Consider the alternatives: If you can live with a tabletop set that's 16 to 18 inches deep rather than 4 to 7, LCD and DLP (digital light-processing) rear-projection sets can deliver performance approaching or exceeding that of plasmas in similar screen sizes and at substantially lower prices. You just don't hear about them as much because they're not as sexy.

To learn about other big-screen TV options, check out "How to Buy a Rear-Projection TV."

Think DVI: If at all possible, you should get a set with an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) or HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)-compliant DVI input. This will ensure full compatibility with HDTV tuners and future HD-DVD players.

Compare displays using a variety of material: Just about any flat-panel display will handle HDTV and DVD signals well, but mediocre cable and satellite signals will give some of them fits. Don't make a buying decision based solely on pictures generated from pristine sources.

Look for good blacks: When you're comparison shopping, bring along a DVD of a movie containing some dimly lit night scenes. Use it to check for good black reproduction and ability to render detail in near-darkness.

Get to know the remote: A good remote can be your best friend, a bad remote your worst enemy. (Well, okay, we're exaggerating a little, but you get the idea.) Does it have backlighting or glow-in-the-dark buttons to help you see what you're doing when the lights are turned down? How easy is it to find commonly used buttons by feel?

Check the video settings: Now that you've got the remote, pull up the video-adjustment menu and look at the settings. If you thought the picture looked a little (or a lot) off on first viewing, try selecting the median settings for contrast, brightness, color, tint, and sharpness. Those probably won't be optimum, but chances are they're closer than what you found originally. A good display can easily look worse than a lesser one if it's poorly adjusted. Repeat your tests using a variety of sources, including a dimly lit movie, if necessary.