Interested in buying a plasma or LCD screen? The variety in stores is enormous and confusing and the consumers' needs don't always match the dealers' interests. In some of the cases they may promise you the moon regarding the product they want to sell you, but the gap between the promises and the actual performance can be wide.
Really, most dealers in stores and specializing chain stores are reliable and professional. In spite of this, following complaints that we've heard over the years, we've decided to warn you from different situations which you may come across while visiting the stores.
In this guide we'll introduce a series of dealers' claims and then the real answers. This article will have you walking out of the store with your ideal screen without being fooled.
"The king of Saudi Arabia ordered 1000 of these for his house!"
That may be, but the king of Saudi Arabia has different needs and probably also a private HDTV satellite in his palace. We have a different quality of broadcasts, not everything that suits him suits us as well. So there's no use for second-rate recommendations from people you don't know.
"The size is perfect for you."
Before coming to the store, you need to measure the distance of your sofa from the TV. In the store you should stand in front of the TV from this distance and make sure that the screen isn't too small or too big for you. If you've forgotten the measuring tape at home, there's a formula for calculating the ratio between the size and the optimal viewing point. Multiply the size of the diagonal of the screen by 2.54 (conversion of inches to cm), multiply the result by 3 and then divide it by 100. The result is the recommendation for the sitting point (for example: 3.2 meters for a 42 inch screen).
"Anything you'll put on will look great on this screen."
Not true. You should ask to watch the type of content you watch the most, in the store. If it's television broadcasts, you should watch a live broadcast from a decent source.
"Look at the a magnificent picture on this movie!"
Exemplary films complement all types of screens, which is why they don't reflect differences in quality. Bring a DVD or a video movie with you from home and ask to watch a scene from it.
"You can see this has the best picture in the shop."
Sometimes, in order to promote sales, one screen is tuned and calibrated better than the others at its side: don’t be embarrassed to take the remote control and play with clarity definitions, contrast and color, and balance between the settings in various values. You'll be surprised at the difference it makes.
"Even ten people can see the movie from any corner of the room!"
You should stand at the screen's sides and check the viewing angle from the sides: you should make sure that the picture isn't lightened or darkened too much.
"The picture is great in a dark or lightened room; you can even put it on the porch!"
Check for reflections on the screen. Examine the differences between plasma and LCD reflections, the differences between shinier gloss and duller matte finish screens.
"It has ports for absolutely everything, it's totally future-proof!"
Connectivity standards change at a fast pace. Currently, you should make sure that there is at least one HDMI port, two or three is preferable. You should also check for a SCART RGB port which enables the best connection to the converter. If you want to connect a computer you should look for a VGA port.
"Of course it's HD!"
Many screens are HD-ready, but only a television with a suitable resolution can display true HD (as of 1024x768 pixels or more). A screen without enough pixels cannot be upgraded to HD quality, no matter what component you add.
"These colors are due to the store's lighting. Take it home and connect it to any video source – you'll see a perfect picture!"
No problem here. In this case it's best to have the dealer sign a commitment for trial use. If the screen doesn't work well at home, it can be returned within a limited period of time, no questions asked.
"The warranty is gold!"
It's always best to check: are we talking about an official importer or parallel import, how many years is the warranty good for and what exactly does it cover (in case of leveled warranty).
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