The prices on Big Screen TVs just continue to get cheaper and cheaper all the time, and we are not talking about cheap quality TVs either.  One of the best places to pick up a great deal on a very affordable big screen TV is Amazon.  None other presents a better example of the great deals to be had than this 55" LED LCD HDTV by LG.  I don't know if you have ever owned a 55 inch TV before, but that is a very big TV indeed.  The first Big Screen TV that I bought was a "Rear Projection LCD TV" by Sony, and it was 55 inches.  Everyone that came over and saw this television sitting in my living room were in awe of the size.  This was about the time that the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie came out with Johnny Depp.  We hooked up our home theater system and watched this fun movie with the sound turned way up.  We liked to call it our "Thunder Theater".  It was more fun than watching the movie in the theater, and all in the comfort of our living room.  
Prices Are Coming Down
The Sony 55 inch LCD HDTV that I bought years ago was pretty fun to watch indeed.  We ordered HDTV programming from Comcast and were simply amazed at the clarity of the picture.  It was like actually being there.  Back then, there wasn't even that much High Definition programming available, but we ordered it anyway.  About 1 year later I went back to the same Best Buy that I bought my very first 55" HDTV at, and was quickly educated on the rapidly changing nature of this technology.  They still had my model of big screen sitting on the showfloor, but right next to it was the next generation of 55 inch Sony HDTV, for about $600 less than what I originally paid the year before.  (I paid almost $3200) And to make matters worse, the picture quality was even more amazing than mine was.  I thought mine was good until I saw the new one next to it.  It's funny though, the prices and quality of HDTVs today, are leaps and bounds ahead of that time now.  You can't even compare my first Flat Panel to the TVs that manufacturers are making today.  They blow my first HDTV away, and are substantially less.

Prices Are Amazingly Cheap These Days For "Top Of The Line Quality" Flat Panel TVs

A perfect example of just how affordable these beautiful TVs have become is this 55 inch "Smart TV" by LG that sports the latest "LED LCD" technology, and all of the other "bells and whistles" that are available on TVs today.   This HDTV Flat Panel is just $1499 currently at Amazon, and is highly rated by previous customers that bought it.  (Currently 4 1/2 out of 5 stars) This television has substantially more features and better technology than the one I paid over $3,000 for.  This price was unheard of even just a few years ago.  A nice thing about buying your TV at Amazon is their "Low Price Guarantee" and the affordable extended service plans available, plus they are a very trusted name in e-commerce.  Also, if you purchase "Amazon Prime", you can get free movie rentals streamed to your HDTV as well as a ton of popular television shows like Glee, Bones, etc.  You will also qualify for free 2 day shipping on many popular items.  (Yes, I love Amazon)

LED LCD-The Latest Technology

LEDs are really changing the complete nature of HDTVs by allowing manufacturers to create simply amazing units that will blow your mind.  My "rear projection LCD" from Sony was illuminated by CCFLs at the time, which made my TV very light compared to the bulky CRT TVs that we grew up with, but it was still about 11" inches thick.  (CCFLs are fluorescent bulbs)  Although CCFLs made a giant leap in Flat Panel displays possible, they still have many drawbacks as opposed to a Plasma TV, or today's modern "LED LCDs".   What really makes these new TVs amazing in all aspects, is the fact that manufacturers are using LEDs to illuminate the LCD display, instead of CCFLs.  LEDs are bright and lightweight, super small, long lasting, very efficient, offer additional flexibility in manufacturing, and the list of "Pros" goes on and on.

"Thin Is In" With Flat Panel Displays

On a recent trip to Best Buy, I went to look specifically at how thin TVs are being made today.  What you notice very quickly is that all flat panels are thin, but the question is just how thin are we talking about.  I looked at all 3 types of flat panel monitors and HDTVs and the obvious fact is that LED LCD is by far the thinnest type of TV available.  Now I am not saying that LCD monitors and HDTVs are overly thick.  In fact they are about the same thickness as Plasma TVs, at about 2 to 3 inches thick.  But when you compare that to anything that is LED backlit or LED edgelit,  they are very thick.  Most LED TVs and monitors are coming in at about 1 inch thin, or less!  The leaders in this field of "super thin LED LCDs" appears to be Samsung, and possibly Sharp or LG.  (Certainly Samsung)  The vast majority of really nice looking models that I saw were Samsung, and I mean  nice looking from both an aesthetics point of view, and a superior picture quality point of view.  Samsung and LG are also introducing LED models that will be about 3/16ths of an inch thin. 

For the last 5 or 6 years the media (and therefore also the public) has focused either the huge television sets or the extremely small televisions that can be carried around in your pocket. On the tiny end of the scale you have the portable players with 2-4 inch screens that can pack enormous amounts of video into a piece of hardware the size of a wallet or even a credit card.

On the other end of the spectrum there are the large HDTVs where anything smaller than 42 inches isn’t even worth talking or writing about if you ask much of the popular media. You are sometimes left wondering if there's still anything in between these two extremes - while both of these types of technology are impressive nonetheless.

Finding a normal television with a 4:3 aspect ratio in a similar size between twenty to thirty inches is actually becoming more and more difficult. That is unless you are then compensation by going for digital televisions like LCD screens or plasma screens. The most significant difference between the TV's that are available today and those that were available ten years ago is the fact that modern standard definition television sets typically have digital tuners built in. The TV manufacturers are preparing for the change to digital television (planned for 2009) even though it's unclear whether or not it will actually happen on schedule.

There is a bigger question than whether or not standard TV sets are still available. There are many arguments against investing in a standard definition television right now and the most obvious argument against getting one is the fact that more and more TV shows are being produced in the HDTV format. Secondly many TV distributors are preparing to offer more HDTV channels over the next couple of years.

As the popularity and availability of HDTV programming increases, we are likely to see a great (and expanding) effect in the number of TV channels and TV shows that will change to High Definition Television. The more channels and programs that make the switch, the more people will watch the programs on these channels and the public will begin to ask questions why the rest of the channels haven't also made the switch to HDTV and will put pressure on them to do so.

This is not to say that standard definition TV will be nonexistent in the future. But it is more likely that the TV programs and shows that are produced in the High Def format will be “down converted” to standard definition format and be shown on standard definition television channels, at least for some years to come.

This is actually already happening to some extent as it was seen in the most recent Star Trek series which was shot in high definition. Because this was still a very popular show for people to watch on normal standard definition channels and while it originally aired in standard definition a lot of its fans probably didn't even realize that it had actually been shot in HD. This brings us to another of the many advantages of HDTV sets - Even if you are not watching HDTV on it, there's an increasing trend to broadcast normal television shows in the wide screen format that looks good on HDTV screens.

Prices of HDTV sets are falling rapidly and the experts anticipate that they continue to drop over the next years. Because of this there is a lot of interest in all of the types of TV technologies available right now.

If you are shopping around for a TV right now, you can choose among a large variety of flat screen technologies including Plasma screens and LCD screens. Each technology has its own advantages over the other.

Why choose Plasma?
Plasma screen TV's technology is based on exotic gases that can glow in different colors when different amounts of electric current are passed through them. For every pixel you seed in the Plasma screen there is a small pocket of gas that can be excited individually to glow at different wavelengths.

The result is an incredible range of colors that quickly reacts to changes of the images. Plasma screens are often easier to make in larger sizes than LCD screens and they are better at displaying fast action without blurring. However the do have a number of disadvantages. First of all the Plasma screens consume more than twice the amount of electricity that LCD screens do. Secondly Plasma screens aren't bright enough to function well in higher light levels and their brightness fades with time and use and third they also tend to produce and annoying buzzing sound if they are operating at altitudes in excess of six thousand feet.

Why choose LCD?
Differently than the Plasma screens, the LCD screens are based on a special type of crystals that react to electrical current by changing shape (not changing color like the gasses in a Plasma screen). In a normal LCD TV screen, the crystals are arranged in a grid pattern and they are supported by a transparent film transistor. A transparent film transistor applies the current to each individual crystal in the screen and, depending on the voltage that is applied to the individual crystal it will change its shape in various ways to block out light coming from a fluorescent lamp behind it.

The crystals will not only block out light completely to make black, but they will also block out different wavelengths of light to let through different colors. Every crystal represents one pixel on the screen. Compared to "Plasma screens" the LCD screens have the advantages of being extremely energy efficient and they render a great “crystal clear” picture in a variety of light levels, and lend themselves well to displaying output from computers.

The disadvantages of the LCD displays are that they are slightly blurring when displaying fast movement due to the time that the crystals need to change shape. Secondly the "LCD screens" are not that good at showing very deep shades of black due to the amount of energy that the crystals need to block out the light completely. Luckily both of these problems are almost unnoticeable as the technology has advanced.

To Conclude
There is not right or wrong choice when it comes to picking either a LCD or a Plasma screen. It all depends on the size your want, the contrast of colors you need and the things (watching movies or using as a computer screen) that you are planning using the new screen for. Always be sure to test the screens before you buy them. You might even be lucky to be able to borrow a screen for a test in your own living room to make sure that it is the right choice.

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A new television is high on everyone's wish list. Who wouldn't love a brand new fifty-inch flat screen TV hanging on their living room wall? The makers of televisions are taking advantage of ever-changing technology by creating scientific marvels that can produce clear pictures and lifelike colors in just a few inches of depth. But all of this technology means that buying a TV is harder than ever. These days, the battle between LCD and plasma is on, and choosing sides can be hard. Which one should you purchase?

Why buy a plasma TV?

Plasma TV's have a wide viewing angle. This means that the person sitting to the side of the television can enjoy the same picture quality as the person sitting in front of the television.  With an LCD, the picture quality diminishes if viewed from an angle. If you plan on mounting your TV high on a wall or above a fireplace, a plasma is your best bet, since the picture will remain clear when viewed from the ground. Plasma TV's are known for having high contrast and deep black levels. This is most evident in nighttime scenes in movies and shows; the colors appear lifelike and every detail shows, even in dark scenes. Plasma TV's are also less expensive than LCD's. When the price per inch is compared, plasma TV's are a budget's best friend.

Why buy an LCD?

If you are looking to reduce your monthly electricity bills, you will want to purchase an LCD TV. The savings are minimal - often just a few dollars a month - but will add up over the lifetime of the television. And since an LCD TV uses less electricity, it is the greener option. You might also want to purchase an LCD if someone in your family is an avid video gamer. Video games often feature static images, like the score box or the countdown timer, that do not move. With a plasma TV, these static images can burn into the screen; this burn-in is not a problem with an LCD. You also need to consider the level of light in the room. LCD's are well suited to bright rooms. The screen is less reflective than a plasma, and as such will not show the reflections of windows or lights. Also, LCD's have a brighter picture; under the harsh glow of daylight or lamplight, viewers will still see a clear and bright picture on the screen.

In a battle between plasma and LCD, there is no clear winner. You should buy whichever television best suits your needs. But before purchasing a TV, you need to remember some key rules. First, match the size of the television to the size of the room; contrary to popular belief, the television should not be larger than the room itself. Second, shop around. Prices for both plasma and LCD TV's are coming down by the day, so you might find a bargain if you do a little comparison shopping.  And third, if you are technically challenged, hire someone to install the electrical components for you. This way, you can sit back and enjoy your favorite show with all of your fingers intact.  For more info just visit http://www.LEDvsLCD.com