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LCD Televisions Buying Guide
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Televisions come in a wide variety of sizes and feature the thinnest, lightest designs. They are also immune to the image burn-in that plagues plasmas and have bright, glare-free screens to go with their energy efficiency. If you want to know more about high definition in general or other types of HDTVs, such as Plasma TVs, head on over to the guide to HDTVs.
LCD features
Well done! You had a tough choice to make between plasma and LCD, and you've settled on the latter. Now you're ready to dive into the world of LCDs and what differentiates them from one another.
- Black levels: LCDs don't produce as deep the shade of black as plasmas, but you can still find LCDs that have large contrast ratios and produce stunning depth of black and colour.
- Clarity: LCD screens don't have the same glare issues that plasmas do, so make sure to choose a TV with a very bright and clear screen and don't worry too much about getting unwanted reflections.
- Connections: The HDTV Buying Guide already taught you all you need to know about TV connections. Let's put that knowledge to good use. Think about what devices you want to use with your TV. If you're using it as an HD television display, you'll probably want to free up an HDMI
, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360, PC inputs and extra HDMI ports sometimes appear on the front or side of a television rather than the back, which can be perfect for devices that you don't want to leave attached to your TV all the time. Finally, make sure you have the necessary cables, or you won't be able to sync your electronics with your TV. - Energy Efficiency: LCDs are excellent at saving power and saving you money. If you're especially environmentally conscious or want to keep your energy costs to a minimum, look for LCDs with high energy efficiency ratings. You can also purchase LED-backlit LCD displays, which are brighter and use even less electricity.
- Game Mode: LCDs are great for gaming, and many have a gaming mode that improves refresh rate and tweaks colours to optimise your gaming experience.
- Picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture: Picture-in-picture (PIP) and picture-by-picture (PBP) are functions that let you watch two channels or input sources at the same time. If your TV provider offers this function and your telly does as well, you can view one channel full screen and another in a smaller box (PIP) or watch two channels side by side (PBP).
- Speakers: An underrated aspect of TVs, a good set of speakers can make all the difference in your entertainment experience. Also consider purchasing a home theatre system to make your sound really shine.
- Thin and thinner: LCDs are the thinnest TVs on the market. While they're all quite thin, around 10cm or less, there are some new models that, for the right price, are unbelievably so: the slimmest telly in the world
- Viewing Angle: LCD images can sometimes be faded or distorted if viewing from too wide an angle, but many LCDs are now produced to minimise this problem, making them viewable at nearly any angle without any loss in picture quality.
Quick Picks
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An inexpensive but solid performer, the 81cm Panasonic VIERA TX-32LXD80A features an SD card reader is a great basic option for those looking for a smaller TV or on a tight budget. 720p. |
The Samsung UA40B7100 is a slender, easy-to-mount, feature-filled 102cm set. It has great black levels for an LCD thanks to its LED backlighting. 1080p. |
The 107cm LG Scarlet 42LG61YD offers outstanding picture quality in a 45mm-thin package. It also has 100 Hz refresh rate support and a special compatibility mode for movies. 1080p. |
The slick-looking 117cm Toshiba 46XV500A has great image quality and 100 Hz support. It performs well with both high definition and standard definition sources. 1080p. |
The high-end Sony Bravia KDL-46Z450 features smooth 200 Hz compatibility, stellar black level performance, crisp picture quality, and bright images, as well as Ethernet and USB ports to stream your music, photos, and videos. 1080p. |
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