LED or Plasma? (Probably LED, Because Plasma's Dead)
Plasma TVs were the only flat-panel models available when they were first introduced more than a decade ago. But given the evolution of LCD and LED TVs in the past couple of years, most manufacturers have stopped making plasma sets entirely. That means your choices will mostly consist of LED-backlit LCD HDTVs, or LED TVs, with the exception of much, much rarer and much, much more expensive OLED displays.
First, a note on LCD: "LCD" and LED HDTVs have been separate for a while, despite both using LCD panels. LCD panels themselves aren't lit, so they need to be illuminated. LED HDTVs simply backlight the LCDs with LEDs, while "LCD" HDTVs use CCFL (cold cathode flourescent lamps) for backlighting. CCFL-backlit designs have fallen by the wayside now, and even budget and midrange HDTVs use LED backlighting. They're lighter and more energy efficient than CCFL-backlit HDTVs, so at this point there's no reason to settle for an LCD that doesn't use LEDs.
There are further differences in the various designs. LED HDTVs can be either edge-lit or backlit (though "backlighting" as a general term can refer to any method to illuminate an LCD panel). Edge-lit HDTVs light up their screens with arrays of LEDs along the edges of the panels, allowing the set to be thin and light. Backlit HDTVs use a large array of LEDs directly behind the panel, making the screen a little thicker, but allowing it to more evenly illuminate the panel and, for high-end screens, adjust individual LEDs to enhance black levels in scenes. Very good edge-lighting systems can produce excellent pictures, though, and HDTV manufacturers are making backlighting LED arrays smaller and thinner, so the distinction means less than it used to. Regardless of the technology, an LED HDTV's thinness and brightness will be roughly proportional to its price range.
OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays are a new technology for HDTVs. Each diode both produces color and illuminates the picture, like in plasma screens, but they can be much smaller and thinner than even LED-lit LCD panels, and can produce some of the best black levels possible. Unfortunately, that new technology means spending closer to $10,000 than $1,000 on a screen. Unless you want to put the effort into getting one of the few plasmas left, LED is the only affordable choice.
What Screen Size Should I Get?
A big HDTV that's too close can be just as uncomfortable to watch as a small HDTV that's too far, so don't assume that the biggest screen available is the best choice. There are a few different rules of thumb regarding HDTV screen size based on your distance from it. Generally, the distance of your couch to your HDTV should be between 1.2 and 1.6 times the diagonal measurement of your screen. So if your couch is six feet away from your screen, you can comfortably watch an HDTV between 42 and 60 inches. If your couch is five feet away, a 37- to 52-inch screen should work well.
Refresh Rate and Contrast Ratio
One of the biggest problems with narrowing your choices to a single HDTV is the sheer number of specs. To make your job a little easier, two of the biggies, refresh rate and contrast ratio, are safe to ignore.
Refresh (or response) rate, the speed at which your TV's panel refreshes its image, is expressed in hertz (60Hz, 120Hz, 240Hz, 480Hz, or 600Hz). The theory is that a faster refresh rate results in a smoother image. But in reality, there are several reasons this simply isn't true, and it's not worth paying more for a set with a faster response rate. In many cases, 60Hz will do just fine for films and 120Hz will be enough for video games and sports.
Apps and Services
Most HDTVs now offer Web apps and built-in Wi-Fi. These features let you connect your HDTV to the Internet and access online services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and YouTube. Many also integrate social network services like Facebook and Twitter, and many manufacturers offer entire downloadable app ecosystems with other programs and games you can use on your HDTV. Roku has made connected features possible on even very inexpensive HDTVs, and you can find a big-screen Roku TV (an HDTV with Roku's online services built into the menu system) from companies like Hisense, Insignia, Sharp, and TCL for a low price.
These apps are also available in most Blu-ray players, all major video game systems, and even on inexpensive media streaming hubs, so they're not vital. However, their presence indicates that some effort was put into designing the screen, and can give you a hint about whether your inexpensive HDTV will be a great deal or a disappointment.
Do I Need 3D?
3D still commands a heavy premium. 3D HDTVs can feature active 3D, which uses battery-powered shutter glasses, or passive 3D, which uses polarized filters. Passive used to be the more economical choice by far, but now that most active 3D HDTVs come with a few pairs of glasses—and new pairs are usually available for $20 instead of $50 to $100—the difference is mainly academic. Of course, if you don't plan to watch 3D movies, you can skip 3D entirely and avoid the premium placed on those screens.
Getting the Right Connections
Your ideal HDTV should provide enough video connections not only for now, but for the foreseeable future as well. The most important input is HDMI, which supports all major forms of digital video sources including Blu-ray players, game consoles, set-top boxes, cameras, camcorders, phones, tablets, and PCs through a single cable. Most HDTVs have three or four HDMI ports, but some might only have two. It's the best way to send 1080p video from your devices to your screen with one cable, and will be the main way you connect your main sources of entertainment to your HDTV. If you want a 4K screen, make sure at least one of the HDMI ports is HDMI 2.0. It's the latest standard that supports 4K video at 60 frames per second; older HDMI ports can only handle 4K up to 30 frames per second, at best.
Calibration
Once it's all hooked up, you should calibrate your HDTV's screen. Our HDTV calibration guide can walk you through the process. Some HDTVs have a built-in calibration wizard you can access in the menu, and even the Xbox One has a calibration guide. If you have a high-end HDTV and want the absolutel best picture possible, you can spend a few hundred dollars to have your screen professionally calibrated, but for most viewers, it's an unnecessary expense.
Adding a Sound System
HDTVs have built-in speakers that function well enough in the sense that you can understand dialogue, but beyond that they're typically pretty underwhelming. With few exceptions, you can improve your movie and gaming experience greatly by getting an add-on speaker system, like a soundbar or a dedicated multi-channel home theater system.
If space is at a premium or your budget is limited, a soundbar is your best bet. Soundbars are long, thin, self-contained speakers that sit under or over your HDTV. Small and simple to set up, they're less expensive than multi-speaker systems. Soundbars generally don't separate the channels enough to accurately place sound effects, but they've become quite good at producing a large sound field around you. Here are some of our favorite sound bars.
Need more specific HDTV shopping advice? See our HDTV Product Guide for the latest reviews.
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