August 26th, 2011
We’ve discussed How To Buy an HDTV previously, going over the differences between LED, LCD and Plasma, today we’ll talk about the many different features available with HDTVs today and which ones you should pay attention to.
HDTVs are the hub of your home entertainment center, bringing together receivers, DVD/Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, stereos and even computers. When buying a new TV you want to make sure you can actually bring all of those things together. Make you sure know how many HDMI, Component, Composite, Cable, USB or VGA ports you will need, and if you’re looking to add more in the future be sure to take that into account.
As mentioned above, your home entertainment system is probably home to many electronic components. Buying an energy efficient HDTV can ehlp lower your electric bill and ease the burden on the circuits in your living room. In May, 2010, Energy Star released Energy Star 4.0, which cracked down on Energy Star ratings for HDTVs. The Energy Star logo can help you to narrow down your choices, but be sure to keep in mind that larger screens are obviously going to require larger amounts of energy, plasma requires more energy than LCDs but LCDs require more energy than LEDs, and brighter pictures require more energy.
Menus and remotes can be frustratingly complicated, but also infuriatingly oversimplified. Make sure to browse through the menus on the TV and ask to look at the remote. Do you see the kind of options you like to have? Some people like to be able to just plug and go, the only options needed being volume changing and input switching. Others love to have more options to tweak, perfecting colors and adjusting picture. Make sure to find a TV that is closest to your preferences, one that doesn’t have so many option as to overwhelm you, but also doesn’t limit your choices.
The finish on your TV screen may not be something you pay much attention to, until you realize you can’t watch TV in the morning because of the early sun streaming through or that the dining room light has to be off to avoid a glare. Make sure to look closely at the TV screen on the showroom floor and take note of the glares and reflections, especially during scenes with a lot of darks. Also think about the lighting placement in your living room, as most higher end TVs come with a glossy screen it may be easier to rearrange lighting fixtures to avoid glares.
Internet ready TVs are very popular for obvious reasons, but a new internet ready television could cost you hundreds, even thousands of dollars more. You can save money by adding internet to your existing TV with the Logitech Review with Google TV from DISH Network for only $99! DISH Network customers with a Logitech Revueâ„¢ have the most advanced Google TV experience available. The integration includes robust search capabilities spanning Web and DVR content as well as DISH Network Video On Demand programming, something no other provider can offer!
With Google TV you can:
Enjoy Youtube™ and other web videos – all on your TV.
Search for a movie and find it, whether it’s on TV, the Web, your DVR or On Demand.
Watch a cooking show and look up recipes on your big screen.
Categories: DISH & TV news