Before you brave the stores trying to find the right HDTV for your needs, perhaps it would be best to know what one is first. It means high definition television. On February 9, 2009, the FCC has ordered that all television signals will no longer be broadcast on the old analog system. They will instead be broadcast in the HDTV digital signal format.



What is high definition television? Loosely, HDTV means a higher quality picture and sound with a wider image than other television signals. Normal televisions have a 480i resolution. The higher the number for resolution the clearer the lines of the pictures are. Although HDTV's can play these lower resolution signals, they are better known for handling signals at 720p and 1080p.

Delving into the technical jargon for an HDTV would confuse most people. It is more important to stress the fact that the picture image and sound quality are so amazing that pictures almost appear realistic and the sound quality is very much improved over older television sets.

Cost is going to be one factor when considering an HDTV. Projection HDTVs have decent quality. The best of the best is the LCD or plasma television. The quality of the picture is second to none for these two HDTV versions.

Do you want a plasma TV? Then prepare to spend a lot of money. At one time large screens cost as much as $10,000. Although the price has come down significantly, they are still pricier than the projection and LCD HDTVs. They have another problem. Leaving them on too long can burn an image onto the screen, virtually ruining them. Plasma TVs operate on the same principle as fluorescent lights. Eventually, the plasma screen will burn out. Another problem is that lower quality resolution can produce images that are fat. If you buy a plasma TV, make sure you buy one with screen resolutions 1024 x 768 at the lowest.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. These are still very expensive at the price is coming down. You can get a 32 inch LCD TV for between $500 and $800. A 42 inch screen will cost between $1200 and $2000.

If you have a lower resolution HDTV, you need to sit closer than if you have a higher resolution model. As screen size goes up, you need to have more distance between yourself and the screen to view all the details. This will help you decide which HDTV is best for you.

Before you buy, here a few things you need to remember. Look at the TV from several different angles and distances to check for distortions. Make sure that the colors are crisp and clear and that all shades from white to black look good in comparison to other sets. How does the picture look when things are moving? Is there any distortion? These questions all need to be answered in the right way. Why else would you spend so much money on television? Choose which features are most important and make an informed HDTV purchasing decision.