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With TV’s dropping in price to all time lows it’s the perfect time to pick up a new HD big screen. I purchased mine a year ago and it was worth every penny. I read all the reviews and tech specs on every TV I could find. But when it all came down to it, the decision to pick an LCD or Plasma comes down to a couple simple steps.

1.How bright is your room and do you watch TV during the day. LCD’s are naturally brighter so they are easier to see in daylight. Although if you’re not doing most of your TV watching in the day then a Plasma will do you fine.

2.Is color or sharpness more important to you. LCD’s are the sharpest TV out there, but if you prefer deeper colors then you’ll have to get a Plasma as their deeper contrast ratio’s allow shades an LCD can’t handle.

3.Which TV looks best to you. This may sound silly but so many people focus too much on the reviews and never compare the TV’s they are looking at in person. The trick is to go into a local specialty shop and see the TV’s when they are actually showing HD TV. Big box retailers often have their cable feed split between too many TV’s so you won’t get a representative picture.

4.Do burnt out pixels bug you. LCD’s have pixels that will burn out over time. If you stop by a retailer get a little closer and you’ll see the dark dots of despair. Some people don’t notice them but a few of us do and it seems to attract your eye. Plasma’s are built differently and are either alive or dead like the good ‘ol tube TV’s.

5.Do you watch a lot of sports. Although LCD’s have improved remarkably over the past few years they still have slower response times than their Plasma counterparts and some people can see a “trailing” when athletes are moving quickly. Again stop by and get the sales guys to put on some HD sports for you. If you can’t see it great. If you can keep looking.

With these simple steps you’ll be sure to pick a TV that’s right for you. And remember to buy a quality TV. I recommend not buying an extended warranty plan for Plasma TV’s and spending the extra money on a better manufacturer. They have a “bathtub curve” fail rate where most will fail within the manufacturer warranty at the beginning or will die at the end. Few electronics fail in the middle years and this is why retailers push the lucrative warranties.

If you pick up an LCD then buy the plan as it will allow you to replace the screen when there are fewer burnt out pixels than with the manufacturer’s base plan.

My favorite picks were the Sony Bravia LCD’S and after much deliberation I picked up a Panasonic Viera. The Pioneer Elite is a better Plasma but you can’t beat the price quality ratio on the Panasonic line. Happy hunting.