According to some industry forecasts, sales of LCD TVs will increase by more than 60 percent from 2006 to 2007. If you're in the market for a new flat-panel, high definition LCD TV, you have probably discovered a slew of technical specifications and industry terminology that you don't completely understand. The following guide will help you make a smart purchase and get the most bang for your buck. But first...

...A Word on Plasma TVs
Once the preferred platform for large-panel displays, sales of plasmas have declined in recent years as LCD technology has steadily improved. Better screen resolution, contrast ratio and response time, combined with price reductions, has resulted in LCD TVs now leading the flat-panel industry. For example, recent analysis published in the "Quarterly PDP Module and TV Shipment and Forecast Report" from DisplaySearch (www.displaysearch.com) indicates that LCD TVs are rapidly gaining market share over plasmas in most sub-42 inch segments, a sign that consumer demand is transitioning from plasma to LCD TVs.

Bigger isn't Always Better
Anyone who has sat in the front row of a movie theater knows that a large screen in a tight space doesn't produce the best viewing experience. A TV should "fit" the room, allowing enough space between viewers and the display for optimum viewing. For a 42-inch TV, allow a minimum of 10 feet between the display and the viewer. Any display bigger than 50-inches looks best from about 15 feet away, while a 32-inch TV is ideal for a seven foot viewing distance.

HD Integration
Consumers should be mindful of the different high-definition (HD) capabilities of each set. "HD-ready" TVs require an external digital (ATSC) tuner to display HD broadcast signals. Such tuners, commonly referred to as a set top box (STB) or plain old "HD receiver," must be purchased separately or rented from a cable or satellite provider. (Note: "HD-ready" also means the TV is compatible with the high definition video output of new-generation videogame consoles like the PlayStation3 and Xbox 360, plus most media center PCs.) However, truly "HD-integrated" TVs (e.g. ViewSonic's N3251w) already have the digital tuner built-in to make HD programming -- i.e. local channels that broadcast their HD content over the air -- viewable without acquiring an STB.

Check Your Connections
An LCD TV's connection options will dictate its compatibility with next-generation DVD players, stereo equipment and gaming systems.

For video, most LCD TVs are currently equipped with DVI digital inputs, which work for now, but industry experts tout HDMI as the format with the most potential for future growth. For a long-term investment of 5-10 years, a TV with HDMI capabilities is a prudent choice.

Too, make sure the TV supports HDCP, a new security format that prevents unauthorized viewing and copying of digital programming, which will be necessary to view digital coded, specialty programming like pay-per-view movies and sporting events.

And remember that the image quality of any LCD TV is only as strong as the incoming signal it receives, so its best to connect all the components of your system with high quality cables, even though the price of such seemingly innocuous things can be high.

For audio, look for SPDIF and/or fiber optical connections to deliver a rich digital signal to surround-sound speakers (again with the expensive cabling, too).

Fine Tuning
Before settling on a purchase, ask a store employee for a tutorial on adjusting the various video and audio settings of the TV, including brightness, contrast and color saturation. Many demo models in stores aren't calibrated properly, which makes side-by-side comparisons inaccurate (or worse, they're intentionally calibrated poorly so as to make one model look better than the others). Tweaking the settings can be eye-opening and ensure a better home viewing experience.

The best deals for LCD TVs can often be found on the Internet, but it's wise to visit brick-and-mortar stores to examine any potential purchases before ordering from an online vendor.

Nuts & Bolts
Other important technical specifications to be aware of:

• Contrast ratio: Anything better than 1000:1 will prevent white images from appearing beige and black images from looking gray.


• Resolution: The total number of pixels on the screen (i.e., 1366 x 768). If the second number is less than 720, the TV is not HD-capable.


• Response time: A speedy response time keeps fast-moving images from blurring. If the pixels in the display take longer than 10 milliseconds to refresh, moving images may blur and become distracting when viewing movie action sequences or playing video games.

By focusing on these key components of LCD TVs, consumers can ensure their newly purchased displays will remain current in their living rooms for years to come.

Gene Ornstead is a senior manager of Television and Digital Media Products, ViewSonic. ViewSonic offers a variety of LCD TVs in a range of sizes and prices. For more information, or to locate an authorized ViewSonic dealer, visit www.viewsonic.com/lcdtv.