When you do decide to buy a flat TV there are some things you need to know about. Do not just go raring off and buy the first thing the salesperson is shows you. Look over the features first and then compare the features before anything else.

Plasma, LCD and LED

First of all, plasma are fast becoming an obsolete TV because LCD and LED technology as well as the presentation of the shows has changed considerable and has improved in great proportions. Plasma cannot, for instance, show properly the HD shows you want to watch, it is also not a good medium to watch #D movies.

LCD and LED are in the forefront of technology. LCD is liquid crystal display which offers the viewers a thin and flat electronic display. These do not emit light directly. The earlier version had a problem with the dark lights but has since been corrected.

LED is light emitting diode. This is a lighting device and has nothing to do with the screen showing the images; it is in the back lighting that it is effective. LED is also thinner and can make for the construction of thinner flat TVs.

When it comes to major differences, LCD and LED use the same screen; they only differentiate on the type of light used. LCD uses fluorescents while LED is LED but the screens are exactly the same. In fact, there are now some models where the picture display between the LCD and the LED cannot be differentiated at all.

But no difference or not, LED is double the price of LCD.

Fortunately for a lot of us, because LED is the newest technology, those of us who could not afford the LCD in the past now can. Better still, a lot of the sale include free home theatre sets or DVD players.

When you buy a flat TV do not just look at one then go to the other. You need to distance yourself. There are actually some stores which place different brands and models together showing the same movie clips. This way you can see the picture quality and compare. Choose the one which has the clearest and crispest colors and images.

On a last note, do not buy a flat TV which does not have a USB port where you can insert a flash drive with a movie stored in it. There are some flat TVs which are expensive and yet watching movies stored in the USB is not a feature included in the package.