LCD Flat Screen TV-Spice up your Super Bowl with a new LCD

The Super Bowl is always one of the biggest television events in not only the United States, but the entire world. People all over the world, both football fans and non-football fans alike, see Super Sunday as a perfect excuse to throw a party with friends and family. The perfect Super Bowl party consists of friends, family, food and football and what better way to make a great impression on your guests then with a new LCD flat screen tv.

Whether it is the entertaining, multimillion dollar commercials, the halftime extravaganza or actually believe it or not the football game itself, everyone has their own reasons for paying special attention to the Super Bowl.

Since your tv will be the life of the party make sure that you don’t disappoint your guests. When looking for a new flat screen HDTV, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

• Screen size – Make sure you know how large of a screen you need. Rarely if ever does a customer bring home a tv and his guests say, "That is really a nice tv, but it would be nicer if the screen was smaller." Make sure you plan on getting a screen large enough so that everyone can see it from anywhere in the room. Those few extra inches will also be appreciated throughout the year as well when you bring home the latest blockbuster movie for your new home theater. Screen sizes of 46 and 50+ inches are common and much more affordable then just a year ago at this time.

• Cost – How much are you willing to spend? Costs have dropped substantially over the past few years. A new LCD will cost anywhere from just under $1000 to several thousand dollars depending on the size, quality and features on your tv. Remember that you will have this tv for years and you and your family will get many hours of enjoyment out of it so plan your budget accordingly.

• 720p/1080i/1080p – You will see these three terms quite frequently when comparing tvs. They refer to the lines of resolution – either 720 or 1080, with 1080 obviously being a higher resolution. The i stands for interlaced meaning your tv will display only half the lines of resolution at any one time, while p stands for progressive meaning the lines will all be shown at the same time for a smooth, crisp picture. There has been much debate about which is better 720p or 1080i. Some preferred 720p for sports in order to maintain a smooth picture. Today’s new LCD flat screen tvs make that debate obsolete as many of them are 1080p, which is the best of both worlds.

• Aspect ratio – Your old tv, more then likely had a 4"3 aspect ratio meaning it was nearly square, where today’s HDTVs have a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio. This allows you to see more of the field at any given time.

• Smooth motion – Early LCD’s were plagued with motion blur, which was particularly apparent during sporting events. There has been much improvement over the years. Some things to consider when looking for super smooth, lifelike action is fast response times and refresh rates. Some new tvs have 120Hz refresh rates that virtually eliminate motion blur. Your guests will feel like they are witnessing the game live with one of these tvs.

• Vibrant color and contrast – Another thing to consider is the ability to reproduce vibrant colors that are so important in festive events such as the Super Bowl. Some tvs have added LCD backlighting to help create contrast ratios that were unheard of up until recently.

The Super Bowl is a great time to make the most of your new tv purchase and a great time to enter the world of HDTV. There are a number of different companies that make LCDs. Some of the more popular ones are Samsung and Sharp. A new LCD flat screen tv is an investment that your friends and family will be more then happy you made. So sit back, enjoy the game, whether it be the commercials, the halftime show or the football game itself.

For a review of some of the LCD HDTV leaders check out the Samsung HD TV review and the Sharp Aquos HD TV review at http://familyhometheaterguide.com, a site dedicated to sharing home theater information with an emphasis on being family friendly.