How To Do Just About Everything
By xdragoox
Buy a Big Screen TV for Your Super Bowl Party
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So you are hosting the ultimate Super Bowl party this year? Well that tiny 13" television you have just will not do! You will have to upgrade to a TV big enough for everyone to see clearly ... even with their beer goggles on. Buying a big screen is not as daunting as you might think. Just follow these simple steps.
A lot has changed since the first Super Bowl. The first game was in black & white and the sound was AM broadcast quality. Now we are at Super Bowl XLI and not only do we get color picture, we get HDTV and amazing sound clarity. If you buy the right television, it is literally like staring at the game through a window. Technically, to be considered a "big screen" the viewing area has to be at least 32", measuring diagonally from corner to corner. Currently, there are a few competing technologies and the one you get will boil down to two factors: 
The oldest and most reliable of the current technologies is the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) television. This is the lowest costing option but sizing is limited to about 40 inches. For the larger models, you can pay $650 to $1,200. High-Def versions will run $1,000 to $2,500. The downside is that these are big and bulky and they have a smaller maximum size.
The second option is LCD, which is the same technology as a laptop computer screen. Sizes range from 14 inches up to 56 inches and they are flat panel so you will save lots of floor space. These are more expensive than CRT's, but not quite as much as Plasma TV's. Drawbacks include unknown long-term reliability, high price, the contrast isn't as good as with other technologies, and the sets will gradually lose brightness over time. The viewing field is also considerably narrower than Plasma, so people off to the side of the TV might not see well.
Next, we have plasma flat screens which are the most expensive flat panel option, but offers the highest definition picture. Plasma provides razor-sharp definition, the best colors and they can do pure black. They also have the widest viewing angle. Even people sitting off to the side of a plasma will get a clear image. The only down side is the price, with prices start around $3,000 and go up to as much as $25,000. Another more rare concern is with burned-in images if similar pictures if graphics stay on the screen for a prolonged period of time. So plasma's and LCD's are not recommended for video games left unattended or 24/7 use.
Another option includes rear-projection sets, which are the sets you see in sports bars. They're not as thin as flat panels, but LCD and DLP versions are much thinner than conventional sets. They offer the size of plasma and nearly the clarity.
Finally, we have front projection sets which use projectors, whether CRT, LCD or DLP, to throw a picture on the wall just as big as you want it. And while the price has come down, the quality has gone up. But it's still not the most practical option for everyday use, so these sets are more the purview of the home theater aficionado.
Features that you want to really focus on are HDTV, which is High Definition television and wide screen format, which allows you to view the entire image in 16:9 aspect ratio. Most DVD's are offered in letter-box or widescreen format, the former cuts off the edge of the picture. HDTV is important because the United States Federal Government has passed legislation that requires all television broadcast to be offered in HD within the next couple years. The date will most likely be pushed back due to friction from Broadcasters, but it is still a good investment to buy an HDTV.
eHow Member: xdragoox
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Comments
JoeyC said
on 1/26/2007 Man, this guy knows what's up with TV. Go read a book, man!