Liquid crystal display TVs, or LCD TVs, along with plasma TVs, are dominating the market - and for good reason. The picture is great, the flat-panel size allows for several space-saving mounting configurations and they just look so darn cool. Furthermore, LCD displays do not suffer the old picture-tube TV shortcomings, like glare or a washed out picture under bright lights. Eye strain is a thing of the past because LCD screens don't flicker like traditional tube TVs. LCD "subpixels" create a smooth, even, color-saturated image across the entire surface of the screen. In other words, you can finally sit as close to the screen as you want without hearing your mom's disembodied voice in your head telling you that you'll go blind. (However, your home theater advisor has other reasons for you not to sit too close. See below for details).
When you shop for an LCD TV, you are by association shopping for a High Definition TV (HDTV). For more insight into the quickly expanding world of HDTVs, see our buyer's guide on the subject.
Key Features
Computer monitor. Yes, your LCD TV can also serve as an excellent computer monitor, but only if the TV has the all-important RGB input, which some brands do not.
Built-in HD tuner. Some LCDs come with built-in ATSC and/or QAM tuners, enabling them to receive over-air and cable/satellite HD broadcasts, eliminating one black box sitting in your entertainment center.
Sound. Apart from standard speakers, some LCD TVs will offer "simulated surround sound", which is an admirable, but ultimately deficient approximation of true surround sound. Any TV that boasts five watts or more per channel is going to be plenty loud enough for the average living room. However, if you have an external audio/speaker system, the TV's sound specs are going to be moot.
Picture-in-picture. PIP is not ubiquitous with LCD TVs, so if this feature is important to you, you'd better keep an eye on features as you shop. PIP typically allows for window resizing, placement adjustments and "picture-outside-picture" where the screen is simply divided in half. Keep in mind that for true, live PIP (watching two TV channels at once), your TV either needs an internal HDTV receiver, or you need a cable box with two-tuner PIP. Otherwise you're limited to PIP with live TV and one other component (e.g., DVD).
Inputs. In our current component frenzy, you need all the inputs you can get. You'll want many, if not all, of the following: composite video (DVD, games, cable/satellite boxes), S-video (VCRs, DVD, games, cable/satellite), interlaced, progressive and broadband components (DVD, HDTV), RGB (computers, some HDTV, video processors), Fire Wire (HDTV, D-VHS VCRs), DVI-D with HDCP and HDMI (HDTV receivers, DVD players).
How to Choose
At some stage during your TV shopping quest, you're likely to hear some form of the (soon to be) age-old debate between the benefits of LCD TVs versus plasma TVs. In the most basic terms, inch for inch, LCDs have a better native picture resolution while suffering no image burn-in, making them superior for use as TV/computer monitor combos. However, LCDs provide a less sharp home-theater image quality due to a slightly inferior contrast ratio (the blackest blacks and the whitest whites) and poorer performance in fast-moving video playback when compared to plasma. The only exception is in brightly lit rooms, where LCD's anti-glare elements provide a superior picture. LCDs have a slightly narrower viewing angle range than plasmas, but the gap is closing fast. Both LCD and plasma enjoy roughly the same longevity (about 60,000 hours of viewing time), assuming you buy from a respected manufacturer. Environmentalist TV junkies might be interested to know that LCDs consume about one-third less power than plasmas.
Finally, strangely enough, altitude factors in - greatly so at 6,500 feet and higher. Due to the nature of plasma technology, you'll want an LCD TV if you live at high altitudes (or are shopping for a TV for your private jet).
If this is your first time shopping for an LCD TV, you're going to see some ubiquitous, yet unfamiliar alphanumeric tags, namely 1080p, 1080i and 720p. These are resolution designators. For the record, 1080p means "1,080 progressively scanned lines of resolution", 1080i means "1,080 interlaced lines of resolution" and 720p means "720 progressively-scanned lines of resolution".
From a consumer standpoint, 1080i and 720p produce essentially the same picture quality (which is outstanding, by the way). If you like to compare strict numbers, 1080p is theoretically 360 lines more vivid than 720p, making it beyond outstanding. However, there are some pretty big caveats that go with 1080p TVs. Technically speaking, the advantages of having a 1080p TV can only be reaped when viewing Blu-ray DVDs (but not HD DVDs) and the top-shelf video gaming systems. Standard High-Definition satellite and cable service broadcasts at 720p, and there are no plans to change this, so having a 1080p for cable/satellite TV viewing is pointless. This is also true when viewing standard DVDs and non-HD signals (e.g., a computer). Finally, there's been some expert - if not strictly scientific -- viewing tests done between 1080p and 720p TVs on Blu-ray DVDs, in which 1080p should hypothetically stand out. The prevailing opinion is that most viewers can't see the picture quality difference between 1080p and 720p under non-ideal conditions. Certainly under precise conditions, like a professional video editing suite, one might cherish those extra 360 lines, but in an everyday, side-by-side test, it's a toss-up. If you're not using your TV under professional or home theater-standard conditions, consider sticking with 720p resolution and use the money you'll save to buy yourself (half of) a Blu-ray player.
Strangely, bigger is not always better when talking screen size. Sit too closely to a large LCD TV and the picture will probably look "sandy" or pixilated. Equally, sit too far from a smaller screen and all the resolution advantages of having a LCD TV are lost in the gapping void. Rough screen-size viewing distance ideals are as follows:
20 to 27-inch displays = 2.5 to 5 feet of viewing distance
32 to 37-inch displays = 6 to 8 feet of viewing distance
42 to 46-inch displays = 10 to 14 feet of viewing distance
50-inch displays = 12 to 16 feet of viewing distance
Though they are fast becoming obsolete, it's still possible to purchase an LCD TV with the classic 4:3 aspect ratio, which is the standard screen proportion used by most broadcast TV shows. If physical space allows, you should seriously consider buying a TV with a 16:9 (wide-screen) aspect ratio, which allows for normal viewing of broadcast shows while simultaneously providing optimum viewing of DVDs and HDTV shows, which, incidentally, will be the broadcast standard in the not-too-distant future.
