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LCD, LED, Plasma, Flat Panel Televisions

Use this link to find more information on LCD Televisions in our Learning Center

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens are made from lighter weight liquid crystal panels that use less power (approximately 200 watts), with no risk of burn-in. They run between 19” and 52”, and include a variety of additional features, including automatically adjustable backlighting that changes to match the ambient light in your viewing room.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) backlighting is the new buzzword in LCD televisions these days. Though technically they are still LCD TVs, the term LED TV is being used to describe these new models. Some LED TVs are using what is termed "local dimming" which is a panel of LED lights behind the screen that can be controlled individually or in banks to improve the contrast capabilities of the TV. Others are using LED edge lighting which is banks of LEDs around the edge of the screen, this allows for some amazingly thin LED TVs.

What should you consider before purchase?

LCD televisions are currently available in a variety of screen sizes and dimensions. With the advent of the HDTV format, manufacturers have gravitated towards the widescreen 16:9 ratio. A larger viewing area will often provide support for 1080p resolution that's quickly becoming more popular. LCD TV screen sizes are measured in inches along the diagonal of the screen.

Native resolution is the maximum resolution (detail level, in pixels) an LCD television can support. An LCD television typically provides the best viewing experience when working in its native resolution. Most LCD TVs 23" and up in screen size offer at least a 1280x720 (720p) native pixel resolution. Most larger screens, say those 40-inches and larger, now offer 1920x1080 (1080p) native pixel resolution, which is especially important if you have, or plan to purchase a Blu-ray Disc player. Larger displays, though, typically need a larger room, to avoid the appearance of "pixilation" of the image:

The right distance depends on the size of your TV:

• For 20 to 27-inch displays, you should be able to watch comfortably from 2.5 to 5 feet away.
• For 32 to 37-inch TVs, you should sit back 6 to 8 feet from the screen itself.
• For 42 to 46-inch TVs, you'll need 10 to 14 feet between you and the screen.
• 50-inch LCD displays look best when viewed from 12 to 16 feet away.

Aspect ratio is the width to height proportion of a display. Widescreen LCDs boast 16:9 or 16:10 ratios to better display movie formats. One of the things to remember, though, is that with the wider aspect ratio, you need a longer diagonal measurement to get the same screen height that you might be used to on your old TV.

The response time is the speed at which an LCD television's pixels change from one color to the next and back again. Response time is measured in ms (milliseconds). The quicker an LCD television's response time, the less ghosting or after images will appear when showing fast-paced games or movies. We recommend 8ms or better for high-performance gaming and multimedia applications.

Brightness (luminosity) is often measured in candelas or cd/m2. Most LCD televisions today can provide over 500 cd/m2, which is more than sufficient for normal use. Games and movies may benefit from somewhat higher brightness levels. A higher contrast ratio allows a monitor to provide a greater range of dark and light details.

Contrast Ratio is the variation between brightest and darkest parts of the image, and critical to your viewing enjoyment. If the LCD TV has a low contrast ratio, dark images will look muddy and gray, while light images will look washed out. A good contrast ratio to have in an LCD TV is 1,500:1 or higher. Do not be fooled by claims of much larger numbers for "Dynamic" contrast ratios – that is the difference between the blackest blacks and whitest whites, but not necessarily on-screen at the same time. Done properly, a dynamic contrast ratio can give you the appearance of higher contrast, but if not done correctly you can lose details in the shadow.

Tuners: Most LCD-TVs have built-in NTSC and ATSC tuners, with some feature dual-tuners for PIP functions. ATSC tuners have been required since June 12, 2009. Some LCD-TVs also have QAM tuners, which are needed to receive unscrambled HD-Cable programming without a cable box.

Connections: You should have at least one HDMI input, and preferably several, for connecting your HD sources, from Satellite or Cable Boxes, to Gaming Consoles to DVD or Blu-Ray disc players.