Brand

There are a wide range of quality brands to choose from when buying a TV.  The best brand choice really depends on what type of TV you want to buy.  If you are looking for a Plasma TV then Panasonic and Pioneer make excellent TVs and if you are looking for a LCD TV, go with Sony or Samsung.  We give brand recommendations for each TV type in our description of the four different Television Types.   You can also see our television model rankings to see which television best meets your requirements.

Cost

Very few products have come down in price recently like Flat Panel TVs so you can now get a lot more TV for your money than you could have just 1 year ago.  What you are mainly paying for is screen size and for $1500 to $2000 you can get a great 40-50" Flat Panel TV.  For the same quality in a 65" set you will pay over $7000.  You can also pay extra for 1080p resolution but unless you are going to be watching a lot of Blu-ray DVDs or playing a lot of high resolution video games it is probably not worth it right now. 

Type

The type of the TV should really match with the needs that you have.  If you want to hang the TV on a wall then you will want a Flat Panel and if you want a 100" screen for your media room you will want a Front Projector.  You can find more information in our description of the four different Television Types.

Popularity

We recommend buying a popular brand and model because you will get much better price and value because of price competition.  You will also have an easier time with things like installation and service because many service tecnicians will be trained to work on the set.  You will also not have to worry about being the first to test out some new feature that might have been great in the research lab but not so great in your living room.

Newness

Some people like to have the latest and greatest technology and so you can check the release date of any model you are considering.  The technology has improved a lot in the last couple of years so we suggest that you buy a model that has been released during the last 12 months, but it doesn't have to have been released last month to be a great set for you.

High Definition

More and more programming is being boradcast in high definition and we now think it makes sense to buy a high definition set unless it is over your budget.  High definition generally means the TV has a pixel resolution of 1280X720 (720p,1080i, 1080p).  You probably do not need to invest in a 1080p set unless you watch a lot of Blu-Ray DVDs or play a lot of high resolution video games.

Size/Viewing Distance

You should measure the distance between the chair or sofa that you will be sitting in and the front of where the TV screen will be to decide how big a TV screen you need.  A wide-screen TV will look better from a closer distance than will a regular TV.  If you are going to sit 6 ft or less from the TV, a 20" screen size is about right. If you are going to sit 9 ft away, get a 30" screen. If you are 12 ft from the screen, get a 40" screen and if you are 14ft or more away, you can probably enjoy a 50" or larger television.

Light or Dark Room

You should consider whether the room will be light or dark when you are watching TV, if you are considering a media room with a very large screen.  In this case, you can consider a Front Projector TV like a movie theater but it will look best if viewed when the room is dark.

Design

Consumer electronics are becoming more and more stylish ever since the iPod became such a big hit.  Style is a matter of personal taste and also the TV style should fit in wit hthe overall style of the furniture and décor of the room in which it will be placed. 

Wide-screen

You should decide whether to get a wide-screen TV based on what type of progarmming you will be watching.  If you are going to be watching a lot of HD movies from television or from DVDs, then you should probably get a wide-screen TV. If you are going to be watching a lot of standard TV programming that is broadcast in 4:3 format you should get a standard TV.

Performance

The picture quality of the television is one of the main reasons you are buying the TV so you want to make sure you will be satisfied with this important factor.  There are many factors that go into the picture quality and part of it is subjective meaning it is different for different people.  The main things to look for are the resolution, brightness, contrast ratio, and black levels.  It is best if you have a chance to see the picture before you buy it, but all of the top TVs that we have listed have an excellent picture quality and will satisfy most needs.

Expert Reviews

The expert reviews for televisions are not as good as for digital cameras or cars, but Cnet does a pretty good job of reviewing some of the top models.

Consumer Reviews

There are plenty of consumer reviews for the top televisions on sites like shopping.com, shopping.yahoo.com, and amazon.com.  Some of the reviews are helpful and it is often helpful to read about any negative comments before you buy a TV.