Are you thinking of buying an HDTV for Father’s Day?
Here is a quick guide to help you when you go to buy an HDTV this Father’s Day.
You can start looking by either starting with price, or starting by looking at the space you have available for your tv.
Starting by Price:
In the under $1000 price range you are going to be limited to new thin CRT technology (think slimmer versions of your old fashioned tv) or small LCD flat panels. The thin CRT’s will probably be around 16-20 inches deep. Half the size of their older bretheren while LCD panels may be as small as 6″ deep if you use their stands. Wall mounted they may be even thinner but wall mounting will probably cost you a $200 extra. CRT’s will get you slightly bigger tvs, while LCDs will probably limit you to 23″ or less, or some lesser known brands of LCD hdtvs in the warehouse stores in the 26″ range.
Under $2000 will give you a full range of LCDs to choose from as well as bigger thin CRTs. You can find name brands like Sharp, Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic offering large LCD’s of 32-40″ in the $2000 price range. You can also find some new thin CRT’s possibly as large as 50″ in the $2000 price range. Right at $2000 you may even find a few deals on 42″ plasma tvs.
If you’re willing to spend $2000-$3000 you’ll find the widest range of tvs available to you. You’ll have most plasmas from 42″-50″ available from all the major brands. You’ll find some smaller brands and clearance models as large as 56″. You’ll also find projection tvs as large as 62″ for right around $3000.
Keep in mind you can also find good HDTV projectors in the $1000 price range but you have to have a room with very little light and you’ll want to invest $500 or more on a good screen to display them on. Projectors are notoriously bad if you have bright light such as sunlight leaking in. You’ll want some very thick curtains and a dimmer switch for your room lighting. Many people put these in special home theater rooms or in their basements.
Starting by the space available.
The thinest tvs are Plasma and LCD panels. Plasma’s typically offer screen sizes of 40-60″ while they are only 4-6″ thick. LCD Panels offer screen sizes typically up to 40″ and also offer thicknesses of 4-6″. (there are bigger LCDs but they are more expensive than the equivalent Plamsa)
Thicker tvs are going to be cheaper tvs. You can get a larger tv for less money. You can get a 61″ rear projection tv for the same price as a 50″ plasma. However a projection tv is 18-20″ thick instead of a 4″ thick plasma.
One important thing to keep in mind is that large Plasma’s and LCD’s will still be heavy. Their thin size leads people to believe that they are lightweight. Plasma’s especially are very heavy because they are comprised of two giant panes of glass in between which you’ll find the plasma. A 50″ plasma tv will weigh over 100 lbs.
Remember that EDTV is NOT HDTV. EDTV is simply DVD quality tv. To get true HDTV you need a tv that supports 720p and 1080i.
Finally remember that HD Ready means that you still need an HDTV receiver such as your cable box or satellite receiver to get HD signals. You may save a little bit of money on an HD Ready tv if you plan to use it with your satellite or cable box.
So go out and get Dad a HDTV. You’ll love it!
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