by Victoria Jeffrey

Created on: April 01, 2009   Last Updated: April 05, 2009

There are so many HDTVs on the market today that it's easy to become overwhelmed at the thought of purchasing one. It is also easy to make a poorly thought out decision based on the "wow" factor when you see so many of them displayed in the store. What's important is to sit down and think about your viewing habits and that of your family's viewing habits; what you want to spend and what you want out of your new HDTV. Then do a little research - it doesn't take much - to figure out which TV is going to fit your needs. You don't need to worry about every technical specification unless you are an audio/videophile or a professional, but there are a few key factors that the regular person like yourself will want to consider when buying an HDTV, especially if it's your first one.

Let's get a few things out of the way first: in order to get true HD programming don't just think that because you're buying an HDTV that you will automatically get HD programming. For that, you will need to purchase HD programming either from a cable provider or a satellite TV provider. Otherwise, the regular network programming you see on your HDTV will look like standard definition programming. Next, don't be fooled by high priced cables. The vast majority of people out there can't tell the difference in quality when using expensive cables as opposed to cheaper ones. Inexpensive cables will do just fine in transmitting a quality signal. Unless you actually want to throw your money away on unnecessary audio/video cables.

When you walk into the store and you see all of those beautiful HDTVs on display take some time to really look ar each television and how it handles the picture. Also keep in mind that because they are on display in the stores where the lights are very bright the TVs will be calibrated for that brightness. Some of the colors the displays will show you may even look garish because of this. When you purchase one you will have to recalibrate it to fit your viewing needs. Each television will have a slightly different look to the quality of the picture. Some may seem sharper than others, others brighter, still others may display more color saturation. Like mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are a few important factors that you should pay attention to when deciding on a purchase: Contrast ratio, screen size, digital connectivity and resolution. When it comes to sound, most newer HDTVs can be hooked up to a good sound system, even an analogue receiver and sound

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