If you’ve held off on getting HDTV because you haven’t been willing to spend on a new television, you should know that now is the perfect time to replace your old, reliable TV.
Prices have been dropping and are now lower than ever.
Before you head out to the stores, know exactly what you're looking for... or just simply read up so that you know what questions to ask.
Don't go home with something you don't want. We know there's usually a return policy for HDTV sets so you will get your money back.
But all the time you wasted? Consider that gone forever.
Some things to keep in mind:
Keep your HDTV between the resolutions of 720p and 1080p (also called full HD).
1080p has the potential to display finer details because it has more pixels, or the dots that make up the images. Most smaller TVs and even some of the 50 plus-inch ones still have 720p, so if you’re not that picky you might wanna check those out. If you’re gunning for size and price isn’t that much of an issue, make sure you get your big new TV is already on 1080p so you make the most of the big screen.
Is anti-blur worth it?
You may have seen ads that make a big issue out of anti-blurring technologies. A typical TV has a frame rate of 60Hz, and that should be enough if you’re a casual viewer. Doubling that with 120Hz or quadrupling it with 240Hz technology may help reduce the blur, but you should ask yourself if it’s actually worth the extra $200 you’ll have to shell out.
Small screen does not always equal cheaper.
You shouldn’t automatically assume that you save more by going with a smaller screen size. Look closely; you may be paying for a smaller screen with extra features you’ll never use when you could be getting a bigger screen with your budget.
Scrimp on the cable.
When you’re shopping for that HDMI cable that lets you enjoy high definition on your newly-bought TV, you shouldn’t spend more than $20 for a decent 3 to 6-foot cable. If your local retailer doesn’t stock up on them, you might be able to save up to $30 by looking online.
Just because TV prices continue to fall doesn’t mean you should go out and buy the first set you see.
Do your research--it'll save you time and money!