LCD Television: Research your needs

In order to end up with the LCD television best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.

Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of LCD televisions are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements.

Research the market: LCD Television essentials

The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the LCD television market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:

Screen Size: LCD TV screens come in various sizes, most commonly from 15 to 52 inches (38 to 132cm).

Picture Quality: Many different aspects combine together to determine picture quality, including pixel resolution, brightness, response time, viewing angles, contrast ratio, aspect ratio, grayscale balance, black level enhancer, and noise reduction.

Viewing Angle: Generally most LCD TVs have a good side-viewing angle, some as wide as 160 degrees. Models with viewing angles of less than 45 degrees are not ideal for larger rooms where the audience and seating is spread out.

Compatibility: Don't forget to consider all the other things you use with your TV, such as games consoles and VCR or DVD players. Connection options on LCD televisions include: Composite video, S-video, Component video, Audio in, Audio out, Digital audio output, Headphone output, VGA PC input, HDMI connections and USB / IEEE 1394 / Firewall inputs.

Cost: LCD TV prices rise according to the functions, size, features and benefits. A LCD model with a larger screen, better refresh rates and wide-screen capabilities will be more expensive than a standard model.

Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself

Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a LCD television. For example, will you use the LCD television only for watching television or do you want to hook it up to other equipments such as a DVD player or gaming console?

You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.

Have I used a LCD television before?
	If you have used a LCD television, work out what you did or didn't like about it. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient.

Where will my LCD TV go?
	Maybe you have a designated entertainment room, or you may be going to use your family room or living room. The size of the room will play an important role in your TV size selection. Remember LCD TVs can be freestanding, wall mounted or suspended from the ceiling.

What options will a LCD TV give you?
	You may simply watch TV on your set or use it for other things such as gaming, hook it up to a PC, or connect it to your VCR or DVD player.

How long do I think I'll have this LCD TV?
	You may want a TV that will last for a good few years, however with technology developing so quickly, you might prefer to upgrade regularly to keep up with the latest advancements.

Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.

Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of LCD televisions and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.

Video Links

Toshiba 32WL66 32' HD LCD - Reviewed
Unbeatable.co.uk reviews a Toshiba 32WL66 32' 720p HD LCD television, running through its appearance, features, and audio/video performance. (1m 43s)