How to Buy an LCD Television with Good Picture Quality

Purchase an LCD television that's sized right and has good picture quality.

When you're in the market to buy a flat-screen LCD television, most of your time and energy will be spent looking at the sharpness and responsiveness of the picture. But don't forget about other issues, such as the ease of operation and whether the speakers and volume are adequate for your needs. With so many models to choose from, you shouldn't have a problem finding an LCD TV that's right for your home.

Instructions

1. Examine the darkness of the screen. A darker screen provides better contrast and therefore a sharper picture. Take a good look at the screens in the store and ask the salesperson to shut off the television that is on display to really look at the screen.

2. Test for contrast ratio. This is a measure of how bright and dark a picture is at the same time. Basically it measures the sharpness of the image. Look for a higher contrast ratio for the best picture quality. Be aware, however, that there is no universal measure of contrast and so the ways that contrast is measured can vary among different brands.

3. Look for pixelation problems. That is when you can see the small colored squares that make up the picture image. When shopping for LCD TVs, make sure you are looking at models with high resolution to avoid pixelation.

4. Examine the color quality. If the subjects look unnatural and have reddish or lifeless tones, this cannot usually be fixed by adjusting the color scale and is an indicator of an LCD that has poor picture quality.

5. Check for light spots on the television. This could be backlight bleeding. An LCD is backlit from behind by several light sources. The LCD should block out the light that is not needed for the picture. When the light is not fully blacked out, however, it will "bleed" into the corner of the screen or even through the screen. You will see light spots and the screen will not look fully black. To avoid this, look for models that are not known for backlight bleeding.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch a movie that has dark scenes on your television. If you play it, you will be able to test the TV for a dark black screen, backlight bleeding, contrast ratios and pixelation. Do this at the store and when you get home to test the television.

• If you aren't satisfied with the television, return it.

References

• PC World - New Zealand; How to buy ... an LCD Television; Sept. 4, 2006