Flat screen TV is becoming more and more affordable these days. And more and more consumers are switching to it, mainly because it occupies less space, look better, or just because of the hype. But when a typical buyer walks in to the store, he often gets overwhelmed with so many models to choose from and get even more confused when the salesman makes his pitch and starts throwing all those jargons and acronyms. So what are really the factors you should look for when buying flat screen TV? Here are the most important and basic points:

1. Screen size - When it comes to flat screens, size do count. The bigger, the better. Obviously, this would depend on your budget (bigger screen size means more bucks of course), as well as the size of the room where you are planning to place the television. A good mid-sized LCDs are between 30 to 37 inches and you would need to sit back 7-8 feet away for viewing. Bigger sizes means you have to sit even further in order to have an ideal view.

All flat screens support the 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen) which is the one used by movies. The 4:3 aspect ratio is the normal format used by analog TVs.

2. Image quality - The next thing to consider is the screen resolution, or in the simplest definition, the number of lines and pixels being displayed. Standard-definition TVs have a resolution of 640x480 or 720x480 pixels. Digital image is delivered as 480i or 480p (used by DVD formats), and 720p or 1080i (used by Blu-ray and HD-DVD). The p stands for progressive and the i is for interlace. This describes the method as to how the images are being drawn on the screen. Progressive scans give a more smoother display.

Aside from the resolution, you also need to take into consideration the contrast ratio. LCDs usually have from 600:1 to more than 1000:1, while plasmas ranges between 1000:1 to 4000:1 or better. Remember that the higher the contrast ratio, the better the image quality.

3. Physical appearance - Of course the physical appearance and design of the television needs to be considered. As in all other things, beauty is in the eye of beholder, so this is entirely up to you to evaluate. You should, at least, check if the input jacks are easily accesible, if the wirings can be are arranged or hidden from view, and most importantly if the set can be easily mounted.

4. Connectivity - Check to make sure that the TV set supports the most common, if not the latest, type of connectivities. At the very least, you should check if all your current devices can be supported. For example S-Video is needed for most game consoles as well as cable TV. If you have a progressive-scan DVD player, then look for a progressive or broadband component. Computers will most likely need an RGB or USB connection. For receiving HDTV signals, you would need Firewire, DVI-D with HDCP, or HDMI (these are the acronyms your salesman is probably throwing out at you now). So make sure you understand all of these in order to make a good product evaluation.

5. Audio - This may not be too important, but for those who are planning to set up a home theater. then it needs to be considered. Look for MTS (multi-channel television sound) stereo reception. Do a search in the internet and be familiar with the logos of SRS, Dolby Pro Logic, Cyclone Sub-Bss System, Spatializer and other technologies dealing with audio ehancement.

6. Other features - The five factors above are really the main things you need to consider. All others are just added bonus. Features such as PIP (picture-in-picture), photo viewer, volume leveller, parental control are some of things you may need to look at.

Learn more about this author, Ric S.
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