By Jeffrey Baynes, MSN Shopping editor
I would stare at my clunky 32" TV every night and wonder why I had not taken the plunge yet. Yes, the TV was in fine working order, and I could still get my LOST fix every week just fine... but something was missing. I wanted more… and in this case, I did find that bigger is better. Are you ready to treat yourself to an HDTV?
There are a few things to take into consideration. How big do you want to go? I have a moderate sized apartment, and I found 42” to be perfect. Some argue that this is even too large for my space, but I think they are just jealous. It’s just the right size to watch a movie and not have to shift your head around too much in order to see everything. I don’t recommend going any larger than this unless you have a good sized living space. The plus side; although larger in screen size, I am actually saving space in my living room now that I have a flat-screen , as the 32” was much heavier and space consuming (remember when everyone had massive computer monitors that would take up all the space on a desk?).
What resolution should I look for?
If you aren't planning on buying a Blu-ray DVD player, or if you're buying a TV with a screen smaller than 40 inches, get a 720p/1080i set. The image won't match the crisp detail of a 1080p set, but the difference is less noticeable on a smaller TV screen. And since cable, satellite, and over-the-air HD video is currently broadcast at only 720p or 1080i (depending on your provider), the programming won't take full advantage of a 1080p set. If you are going to watch Blu-ray DVD movies, I recommend looking for 1080p resolution. A 1080p HDTV picture features 1,080 progressive lines of vertical resolution every frame to give you a better picture.
But be warned, in order to get the quality that everyone is bragging about, You must also purchase an HDMI cable. HDMI is a data superhighway for digital video and audio. This is one of the "hidden" costs that we aren't aware of when making the move towards a better TV experience. The cables range from $6.99 to $300.00--depending on speed. If a poor quality HDMI cable is used, there is a potential to have a loss of color quality, streaks or dropped pixels. With an HDMI cable bandwidth of greater than 4.95 Gbps, you'll know you're maximizing the performance of your 1080p HDTV and Blu-ray player. While it is true that most current cable TV programming does not offer HD quality, those who are movie buffs will notice a difference in viewing their favourite films.
What about sound quality?
Just as your MP3s sound better than your old cassettes, HDTV's digital audio signal sounds better than standard television's analog sound.
What about the refresh rates?
Refresh rates are measured in hertz (Hz) A high refresh rate translates into less on-screen blurring. An HDTV with a 120-Hz refresh rate should handle fast-moving action and is great for NASCAR races and fast moving video games.