With their decreasing price points and rapidly advancing performance improvements, LCD flat panel televisions are quickly becoming the market standard, when looking into a new TV purchase. With prices coming down and performance going up, how do you know if you are getting the best value possible?

Our step by step LCD TV BUYERS GUIDE will help make you a savvier consumer, making sure you get the most TV bang for your buck!

We will guide you step by step through important aspects of choosing an LCD TV most suitable for your needs.

Budget

Before determining what features and specifications to look for, you should establish a clear budget for your LCD TV purchase. With over 500 models to choose from and prices that can range from $200 to over $10,000 , the best way to narrow your search is to have a clear notion of how much you want to invest. As will most things in life: the more you invest the better the quality and number of features.

Screen Size

The critical next step (after you have determined you budget!) is to determine what size LCD TV is right for the room. Yes, we said the room. The reason being is that for a optimal viewing experience, you need to maintain the appropriate distance between yourself and your television screen.

So what we are looking for here is a goldilocks scenario, not too big, not too small but just right for the room. That being said here is a reference guide to TV size to distance ratios:

• For 20 to 27-inch LCD TVs you should be able to watch comfortably from 2.5 to 5 feet away.
• For 32 to 37-inch LCD TVs, you should sit back 6 to 8 feet from the screen itself.
• For 42 to 46-inch LCD TVs, you'll need 10 to 14 feet between you and the screen.
• 50-inch+ LCD TVs look best when viewed from 12 to 16 feet away.

So there you have it, you may hanker for a 42 inch screen but only have 6 feet of room between your viewing area and the screen which would cause the screen to look somewhat pixilated from that distance. So choosing the screen size to match the area you have available is an important first consideration.

Maximum Resolution

Maximum resolution specifies the maximum number of pixels that the LCD TV can display, which is determined by the physical number of pixels present of the face of the display.

While getting the highest count is all well and good, you will pay a premium for higher counts. In any event, they key to remember here is that you want a maximum resolution of at least 1280 X 720. Anything less than that will not be worth it.

Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio is the degree of variation of the whitest and darkest parts of the image. For a crisp clear image you want as high a contrast ratio as possible.

For LCD TVs, look for a contrast ratio of at least 1,200:1 what this basically means is that the black level is 1,200 times darker than the white.

Motion Response Time

Motion Response Time: Does the manufacture list the motion response time for the LCD TV that you are looking into? If not you would be wise to look for another.

The motion response time is a measure, in milliseconds, of how quickly an LCD can display a change in the brightness of the screen image. A decent LCD TV should have of between 8 and 12 milliseconds. Anything over 12 milliseconds and ghosting or trailing images will likely result, especially when watching sports or action films.

Summary

With all of the above considerations in hand you should now be better equipped to make an more informed choice when choosing a LCD TV that best suits your needs.

Thank you for using our buyers guide. We hope you enjoy your shopping experience!