How To Select A Really Good LCD TV

Picking the right LCD TV for you depends on several factors – price and size being the two most important. LCD televisions can be tricky to figure out, but once you get used to some of the terminology as you shop you’ll become more familiar with the different brands and size ranges. Choosing a size for your home first and foremost has to do with space – how much space do you have available and how big a screen do you want?

The first thing you should do is take some measurements of the area where the TV will be located. These numbers will help you determine the size of screen that’s right for you. Consider what seating and furniture setup will work best for viewers of the LCD television. If you like where your furniture is now, leave it as is and think about screen size according to the current configuration. If you want to make changes, now is the best time to do so – before you select and bring home the TV.

Measure the distance from the viewing and seating area to the place you want to put the LCD television. 35-inch or smaller LCD TVs should be placed 10 feet away, while anything larger needs a longer viewing distance. For instance, a 60-inch television requires a distance of 15-20 feet.

The angle of viewing is also an important consideration. Certain models provide better viewing angles than others. What exactly is an LCD TV viewing angle? Simply, it’s the angle the television can be viewed from the side before the quality of the picture starts to degrade.

When looking at televisions in the store, focus on the television under consideration, and inspect for picture quality. Does it produce the quality of picture you desire? Is the screen size what you’re looking for? The best size of LCD screen is easier to determine if you stop comparing to the other models in the store and concentrate on the models you want to buy.

It’s best to purchase an LCD with an anti-glare coating if light reflection from outside is something you have to worry about, although a lot of light can still cause some glare, no matter what model you choose. Keep this in mind when setting up the room in your house that is going to contain the television.

When selecting an LCD TV the question of HDTV also comes up. If enjoying HDTV entertainment is important to you, than you have to purchase an LCD with HDTV capabilities. Prices differ depending on the brand and size, so do some research before you make a final decision.

Sharp and Samsung are two of the main competitors in LCD TVs. Whether you buy a Sharp or a Samsung doesn’t really matter – as long as you find a television that fits your specifications, you should be able to find something that works well for you. Cheap LCDs can be found at discount stores, although generally purchasing this kind of electronic is not a cheap endeavor. That said, you can find some deals if you wait patiently for sales, or look for refurbished models.

Sony Bravia KDL-37W5500 Review

Buying a new TV will give anyone a great feeling. A TV is something that you will use on a daily basis, and there are not many out there that can say that they do not watch at least an hour of TV on a daily basis. For most people watching TV is the main way to calm down and relax after a hard day at work. This is why buying a TV like the Sony Bravia KDL-37W5500 HDTV is so important.

If you need another reason to buy a TV like this, then it should be said that you will not be able to watch TV if you do not buy an HDTV like the Sony Bravia KDL-37W5500 HDTV. This is because all of the TV networks and Broadcasters will be switching their standard definition signals to HD (high Definition) signals very soon. Most of them have already done so, but the signal will be strictly HD from 2011 onwards.

This means, if you want to keep you old TV, that you will need to buy a set top box that will convert the HD signal into standard def signal so that you can view the HD picture on your normal TV. Now, you should know that your picture will not be HD because the image will be downscaled for normal viewing.

Now, there is no reason for you to buy an HDTV like the Sony Bravia KDL-37W5500 HDTV, because who knows what this set top box that you will be needing will cost when the time comes for people to use it. Are you willing to spend money one something that will be breaking down a signal that is far superior. The box may cost more than the price of an HDTV.

Now, before you go out to buy your HDTV, you want to make sure that you are getting a good deal on the set you will be getting. When you make a purchase like this you want to be sure that you know everything you can. This means that you will have to do a bit of research. Using the internet for this is a great idea.

Signing up to forums is a great way to gather information. This will give you an idea of what other people are saying about the product. The great thing about forums is that you do not just need to read what people are saying, you can join in and post a few questions of your own. This means that you can get your questions answered too.

The other great way to find out about a specific brand of TV such as the Sony Bravia KDL-37W5500 that you are looking to buy, is to find consumer reviews. You will have to be very careful here though, because a lot of the reviews out there are written by paid writers.

Also, be sure to find out if that TV is full HD, HD ready or HD compatible. If you are looking for a tip to start with – stay away from the HD compatible sets, and either go for full HD or HD ready like the Sony Bravia KDL-37W5500.

The Sony Bravia KDL-52Z5100 Vs the KDL-52XBR9

The Sony Bravia KDL-52Z5100 and the Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR9 are two of Sony’s top models for 2009, which is why you might want to consider taking home one of them to be the new centerpiece of your living room. Both models seem identical, though, so which one is the better model?

To answer this question, let’s start with comparing their designs. At first glance, the two may appear alike but take a closer look and you will find some small yet noticeable differences. To be specific, while both have stylish, thin frames, the frame of the KDL-52XBR9 is the same width on all sides, while the frame of the KDL-52Z5100 is slightly thicker at the bottom, where you will see a glimpse of its dual speakers. On the other hand, the (four) speakers of the KDL-52XBR9 are invisible, making it look more attractive.

There is also a difference in the lighting used by both models, although this is not discernible to most. While both use fluorescent lighting and not the LED lighting that many look for in LCD HDTVs, the KDL-52XBR9 uses WCG-CCFL as opposed to the plain CCFL used by the KDL-52Z5100, which means it has a slightly wider color gamut. The KDL-52XBR9 is equipped with the Sony’s Live Color Creation technology, too, which produces deeper red and green shades and more accurate and vibrant colors overall, resulting in images that burst to life on your screen.

Apart from these and the fact that the KDL-52XBR9 has a dynamic contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 compared to the 100,000:1 ratio of the KDL-52Z5100, the picture quality offered by the KDL-52Z5100 and the KDL-52XBR9 are basically the same. In fact, everything else is. They both produce excellent images, though not necessarily awesome, and are equipped with the Sony Motionflow 240Hz technology to prevent blurring during fast-action sequences.

Both also share the same interactive features, namely Yahoo widgets to keep you posted on the latest weather, news and stock market updates, built-in video streaming capability, which means you can watch your favorite online videos from Amazon on Demand or YouTube and other providers without having to buy the Bravia Internet Video Link, and enhanced DLNA compliance, allowing you to stream picture, music and video files stored on the other computers in your network.

Even in terms of energy consumption, both the Sony Bravia KDL-52Z5100 and the KDL-52XBR9 are at par, exceeding Energy Star 3.0 standards with an option to cut down energy consumption by limiting the peak brightness of the screen with just two steps, a room-lighting sensor to adjust screen brightness, a mode that lets you turn off the screen when listening to music and a mode that automatically turns of the TV when not in use.

The connectivity suite of each model is impressive, too, with three HDMI inputs on the side panel for easy access, along with the USB port and VGA input, and another one at the rear, with the component video connections and most of the audio connections for both analog and digital devices.

So which one should you get? If you want to have a more stylish HDTV with deeper blacks and slightly better picture quality, the KDL-52XBR9 is the obvious choice, but keep in mind that the Sony Bravia KDL-52Z5100 is just as good in most aspects and yet not as expensive.