LCD TV buying tips
By Aditya Mhatre at 12 August, 2008, 7:00 am
I was recently in the market for a big screen TV that led me to research things I should consider to make a wise choice. So here are the things that you should base your decision on.
Native Pixel Resolution
All LCD panels have a fixed number of pixels that it can be accommodate on its surface. If you are looking for a screen size larger that 23 inches, make sure it can offer a 1280×720 native pixel resolution. This is the minimum pixel count that you should look for. So basically higher the better.
Motion Response Time
Motion Response Time (MRT) is the ability of a screen to display fast moving objects. This has been a big weakness of LCD technology however it is no more a constraint. Ensure that MRT (measured in ms = millisecond) is either 12 ms or 8 ms especially if you watch a lot of sports, action films or video games. Beware of LCD TV that dont mention the MRT.
Contrast Ratio
I consider this to be an important aspect of an LCD. Contrast Ratio basically refers to ratio of the whitest part of an image to the darkest part. Currently, companies are waging contrast ratio wars quoting 50000:1 ratio. Don’t fall for it. An untrained eye, cannot really pick up the difference after 8000:1 hence I would recommend a minimum of 8000:1 ratio. LCD TVs that have a low ratio will display washed out images on screen.
Brightness
A brightness rating of 550 cd/m2 or higher is good. Don’t worry too much about the numbers here. Just pick whatever is better for your eye. Brightness should be a non-issue, if you select an LCD TV with low MRT and high contrast ratio.
Viewing Angel
This factor might come into consideration if you see yourself enjoying the LCD with a large group watching sports or movies. If you find that images begins to fade or are un-viewable after 45 degrees, then it is not a good choice. LCD TV these days go as wide as 160 degrees wide.
Tuner and connections
Most LCD TVs will have multiple audio-video input, S-Video connector, VGA connectors as well as built in HDTV tuners. Most people will mount their LCD TV on a wall or will be placed in a TV cabinet hence availability of connector on the side is a big bonus. The most recent high end LCD TVs also have a USB connector.
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