What is a good checklist for buying a HDTV?
Answer:
1. HDMI
2. 720p or 1080p (I really reccomend 1080p, especiallly if you play games or watch HD movies). Don't get 1080i.
3. Contrast ratio. Look for a STATIC contrast ratio of 1000:1 or up and a dynamic contrast ratio of 6000:1.
4. Price (you can get screwed if you don't know what you want)
5. Response rate, this prevents blurring. (Lower is better, really reccomend 6ms or faster, 8ms is the worst you should go.)
First, I'd make up my mind with what price range I'm going for and how big of a TV. If the TV needs to be a larger size, bigger than around 32 or 37, I'd stick with Plasma. If you need a smaller set, I'd probably stick with LCD or CRT.
Your CRT won't be slim like the LCD or the Plasma, but if you are on a tight budget it will give you a good bang for the buck. I prefer 720p over 1080i only because I watch a lot of sports. There isn't so much stuff out for 1080p so if you see a crazy price difference between the two I'd stick with the 720p.
Contrast ratio is cool but it can be misleading. Some companies measure it from white to black (which is what it should be) while others go from grey to grey. Honestly, I'd look for the highest you can find but if you see one that looks better with a slightly less ratio, I'd stick with the better looking picture.
Some other nice stuff is the amount of jacks you have. Component, Composite, HDMI, VGA... they all come in handy. The more the merrier.
In order of importance:
1. Contrast ratio;
2. Color saturation;
3. color accuracy;
4. Resolution ("sharpness").
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