Which TV Should I Buy?

I have to remark that you have it exactly backwards regarding Plasma and LCD TV's regarding burn-in. Plasma is notorious for this, LCD is not. Plasma is generally more expensive. Also, might be worth mentioning that Plasma has some subtle issues at higher altitudes.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I've read that the newer motion-adaptive anti burn-in technology as well as new gas formulations have virtually eliminated this problem.

LCD TV's are certainly light as compared to CRT TV's but when you get into 30" plus, you still have some significant weight. Easy enough to hang on the wall, but make sure theres 2 of you to do it. It used to be that Plasma's were better for motion display but thats no longer true. So I would no longer say Plasmas had a better picture than LCD. Typically, LCD's are sharper. So its more a preference thing.

Your use of "Projection TV" may mislead some people. Usually this refers to rear projection TV's. Those big monster consoles - cheaper than Plasma but deeper so theres room to project the image. What you show is a Projector which does project TV, but its not a "TV" in the usual sense. LCD, rear projection and projectors all may use similar technology so have similar specs. The key difference is some projector technologies use DLP rather than LCD, a little better.

Finally, a projector based home theatre will give you the lowest cost home theatre (and most theatre like) for large screen with the added advantage of it being the least visible when not in use. Most projectors come with screen size x distance charts for figuring out the screen size you need. They do have one additional cost - the occasional replacement of the bulb.

Myself, I have a wall-mounted LCD for routine stuff and drop the screen for the projector for movies.

For those of us with older TV's: Remember in Feb. 2009 all analog TV transmitters will be turned off. For those of us with TV's that receive Over The Air (OTA) TV signals, with an antenna, your TV will NOT work, after this date. Be aware that the spare set in the kitchen, your camper or wherever will be worthless in less than two years. There are Set Top Boxes (like a converter) to allow you to use your old set, you will pay for each of them. There may be some vouchers available but I think there are some strict limits on who can them. What about an elderly neighbor, who has a 20 year old set and rabbit ears? Who is going to tell them? Who will hook up the converter for them?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, this is true. People with older TVs who rely on antennas will need a DTV Broadcast Converter. The gov't will provide $40 vouchers (two per household) to assist consumers in obtaining the converters.

Because of the upscaling of the image in order to fit the resolution of the screen, there is a time lag between when the signal is generated, and when the image appears on the screen on HDTVs. This lag varies between manufacturers (older Samsung DLP's are among the worst), and the larger amount of upscaling required:
eg - a 480i signal to a 1080p TV requires a lot of computing time, a 720p to 720p signal requires none.

What does this mean? These days the lag is small enough for DVDs to not be noticeable anymore, but there used to be lip sync issues (audio-visual lag). However, for video games it is still an issue. You hit the jump button, reacting to what you see on screen, but in reality what you were avoiding already hit you! There is very little manufacturers are doing about this (unfortunately), and no good way to determine this lag than physically go and test the TV you are interested in. The most complete discussion on the issue: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=558125

Dear Bob, Hey what about Vizio 37" HDTV? I'm not Techie, but I like the picture and the price. I don't see anything on your site. What do you think? P.S. You're doing really good work for us that want to learn or update. Love your site!

EDITOR'S NOTE: I did some reading and people who own this model seem to love it.

Hi Bob, One thing I see missing here is any mention of power consumption on the different options. Large LCD and Plasma tvs really chew power. I have a 72" Rear projection TV. Hi Res. bright picture (clear on a sunny day) but only 205w power consumption. Yes it is deeper @ 500mm but this is not a problem in a large room. I looked at a 60" plasma 600w. LCD is slightly less. CRT is about the same as plasma if you look at screen area v power. LCD projectors vary but usually need a dimmed room for viewing.

It's certainly easy enough to say "here's some Tv sets that are good. And, by the way, you'll have to cough up at least $1500 to get a good one (oh, you have two TVs? Double that, then.) Oh, yes, since you just can't plug them in, you'll need to get the company you buy it from to install it. Ka-ching! On a fixed income? Tough luck. Go into debt. Wonderful.

gREAT INFO. i WAS LOOKiNG FoR A rIGHt cABLE TO cOnnEcT MY LAPTop TO mY tv, aND You ArE THe ONly ONE whO Can GiVE ME a deFINIte gooD aNSWER. good jOB dUDE

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks. Put a little WD-40 on the CaPs LoCK key, would ya?

I am thinking of buying a new tv and had heard about some new ones I can afford, but also that they cannot be repaired. Has anyone else heard anything about this and what brands would they be?

EDITOR'S NOTE: A television that cannot be repaired? That's news to me. For any large purchase, you might want to check online consumer rating sources like Epinions, or Consumer Reports.

Hi Bob, thanks always for great content. I have a Plasma and LCD. The LCD has a white type backround color. So the picture is easier to see in a room with a lot of light/sunlight. The plasma has a black background, so the darker the room the clearer the picture. I love both. The Plasma is larger so it's my favorite. I also heard that LCD have double the shelf life. 60,000 vs. 30,000 hours? I'll send our friend some WD-40? Thanks again.