Size has an important role in making a decision on purchasing LCD TV set. To some people, bigger means better, while others consider the distance that they will be able to read the subtitles from, etc... What is the real criterion for LCD screen size that you need? To make the right decision, first you need to know the dimensions of the room that LCD will be in, and also the distance from its spot to your viewing spot. Thus, measure the distance from the sofa - in which you’ll be sitting comfortably and having a snack while watching a movie, sports, or some other favorite show (let’s call this a “viewing spot”) – to the spot where the LCD will be placed.

The advantage that imposes first is the resolution. Though plasma screens often have longer diagonal, their resolution, and therefore the image quality, is limited. A 42-inch plasma screen has 0.5 megapixel resolution, while 40-inch LCD models at present use 1 megapixel. 46-inch LCD screens go beyond 2 megapixels, the resolution adequate for HDTV (1920 x 1080). For LCD diagonals of 42” and more, you need to be at least 4 meters away from LCD. Sitting and watching from within 4 m, you’ll be denied image quality and will have worse experience while watching TV. If your favorite sofa is 3.5 – 4 m away from your LCD, then the ideal screen should be 36” to 42”. If the distance is 2.5 to 3.5 m, LCD screen diagonals 28” to 32” are recommended, and if you are sitting at distance less than that, maximal diagonal of the screen that should allow you to watch normally is 26”. After you choose the size of your LCD based on these parameters, for a good image display, you need to place it at the eye level. Of course, besides the size, the illumination at the LCD positioning spot plays an important role. Light and reflections, direct sunlight exposure and exposure to other light sources can also affect the LCD image display negatively. Finally, before you decide to spend your money on LCD TV purchase, it’s important to connect the LCD appropriately to other image source devices (DVD, satellite receiver, PlayStation 3...), using high quality cables, because if you use low quality cables you could lessen the image quality.

There are many HDTV guides, but there are only few of them that really make this process easier. The point is to learn how to obtain the best quality for as little money as possible.

Resolution
Practically, you need a native resolution of 720p. That means 1,280 x 720 pixels (Crypton sets have 1366x768). Most HDTV’s support 720p, but they may have smaller number of actual pixels. We don’t recommend native resolutions less than 720p. There is also a standard called 1080p with resolution of 1,920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD), but currently, it is rather expensive. However, if money is not a problem for you, you can buy it. And what about 1080i? Some people say it is as good as 720p. I disagree. As long as you have 720p native resolution – even if your set also supports 1080i - choose 720p.

Size and price
"The bigger the better" is the rule applied around here. However, it is very important to know the recommended viewing distance from the screen of certain dimensions, in order to enable the best possible image display. Recommended distances: LCD 42" and larger = 4 meters, LCD 36-42" 3.5 meters, 28"-32" – 3 meters, 28" and smaller - 2.5 meters.

Connectivity
HDMI is the best connection, because it’s digital. DVI is also good, because it offers the same quality as HDMI, but without audio transmission through the same cable. Composite is reliable enough. It is also recommendable that your LCD has a VGA input for connection with your PC.

Conclusion
720p native (or 1080p if you can afford it)
At least HDMI or DVI input with HDCP. VGA input recommendable.
Price: 600 EUR to 1000 EUR.


But do you really need an HDTV?
Of course not! But if you’re planning to buy a new TV set anyway, why not buy an HDTV? Otherwise, you can watch TV on your PC or laptop.

Crypton TV sets have screens produced by using LCD technology. LCD is short for Liquid Crystal Display and it marks the process of image creation that uses the ability of crystals to refract light at a certain angle. After the latest improvements, this technology became useful for larger screens and now it enables a wider viewing angle. These improvements put LCD TV sets into the same class with more expensive plasma TV sets, offering the experience of watching high quality image to a larger number of customers than ever before. Crypton LCD TV sets are multifunctional devices that may be used for watching TV program, enjoying DVD movies, playing video games, or even as an enhancement of a computer monitor. They are extremely durable – the tests confirm that their life-span is about 60.000 hours of continuous work, meaning that your new LCD TV set will function well even when you retire! With an image reproduction of over 16 million colors and a viewing angle of over 160 degrees, Crypton LCD TV set will fit in your living room perfectly!

Plasma screen is the other kind of flat panel TV screen used in the production of modern high performance TV sets. Unlike LCD, in which separate transistor electrode is used for every pixel, plasma screen uses the burning of phosphors as the light source for generating the image. Although plasma is more expensive and better known technology, LCD actually has more advantages, especially as a long-term investment. The advantage that imposes first is the resolution. Though plasma screens often have longer diagonal, their resolution, and therefore the image quality, is limited. A 42-inch plasma screen has 0.5 megapixel resolution, while 40-inch LCD models at present use 1 megapixel. 46-inch LCD screens go beyond 2 megapixels, the resolution adequate for HDTV (1920 x 1080). Plasma technology still has the advantage when it comes to color and brightness, because the light in LCD screen passes through multiple layers. Great effort’s put into solving this problem, and in the future LCD technology will eliminate it by using multiple fluorescent tubes. Nevertheless, ambient light, that has no influence at all to the quality of an LCD image, significantly reduces the display quality on plasma screen. Since reflections of ambient light can’t be turned off, contrast values are much lower, and black isn’t displayed properly. The most important advantages of LCD screen over plasma are its durability and life-span. Plasma screens are susceptible to “burn-in” effect – reducing of individual pixels’ availability to transmit the image. This effect is irreversible and it increases over time – a research shown that plasma screens lose their sharpness after only a few years of usage. On the other hand, LCD screens are immune to this effect and their image quality remains the same even after many years of usage.

Comb filter is a filter with a sequence of very deep falls or notches in its frequent response. The interval between notches along the frequency axis increases as a lowest frequent notch multiplier, making the sequence look like a symmetrically distributed graph on a linear frequency scale.

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. It is similar to DVI interface (but it uses smaller connectors), multi-pin HDMI interface transmits uncompressed digital video image with copy protection and multi-channel audio. With an adapter, HDMI may be compatible with most of the current DVI connections.