Home Theater Design: Choosing the Right HDTV

Designing a home theater setup should take time. Choosing the right television, audio system, Blu-ray player among other things can turn a mediocre setup into a mind-blowing theater experience right in your own home. Shopping for the perfect HDTV doesn't necessarily require a college education, only just a few fundamental shopping tactics.

Where to Shop?

Online pricing is often times cheaper than a brick-and-mortar retail store but there are worthwhile payoffs for shopping locally. When buying a television locally determine which retailer is best for you. What benefits do specific retailers offer? What is their reputation? And what kind of selection do they have?

Most retailers offer price matching so the store with the cheapest price is rarely an issue. The best retailer is often the one who pays their employees a commission. Commission salesman are professionals and are the most knowledgeable because their paychecks are directly tied into their customers personal satisfaction. A returned TV is a commission lost.

Preparing Yourself

It's easy to jump online for the latest in electronics education, picking up a subscription to Consumer Reports, or taking advice from a neighbor or friend. Save yourself the trouble.

If you have chosen a reputable retailer with competent salespeople let them sell you a television. Ratings in many consumer buying guides don't include return rates and reliability. They also include pricing as a vital part in their ranking systems. Its best not to psyche yourself out with tech-specs and Carl the neighborhood electronics guru's bad advice. Go into the store with an "ear to hear".

Plasma or LCD?

Discerning myth from fact will help the salesman fit you into the right television type. It is a myth that plasma televisions have to be recharged, it is a fact that a plasma is more likely to burn in than LCD. Before walking into a store determine in your mind to not listen to your friends half-brothers advice. If you have chosen a good retailer with a smart salesperson, allow them to sell you a TV based off of your particular needs.

Plasma televisions generally have a better picture and response than LCD. Each pixel on a plasma generates its own light and color saturation independent of the overall picture. This allows for better contrast ratios, deeper colors and better depth of field for a more three dimensional effect. This is the perfect television type for those who want to watch sports, movies, and television. With newer plasma technology, video games can be played without fear of burn in.

LCD televisions are great but much more thought needs to be applied before purchasing one. If a plasma does not fit your needs any ol' LCD simply will not cut the mustard. 60hz LCD TVs generally have problems with motion so an LCD television with 120hz or more is required to get similar motion smoothness as a plasma. LCD TVs are perfect for those who wish to save on electricity or those who plan to integrate a home theater computer to their setup.

What's in a Name?

Brand name is everything. Prices in the consumer electronics industry have decreased significantly within the past few years. In 2007 a 52" Sony XBR4 retailed for around $4500, in 2009 the Sony 52" XBR9 sells for about $3000 and offers many picture improvements over the XBR4 including a better engine and a 240hz refresh rate. Buying a Samsung or a Sony television is usually only a few hundred dollars more than an off brands comparable model.

For example, a 47" Vizio with 120hz sells for around $1199.99. A Samsung 46" B630 with 120hz is about $1399.99. What you get for $200 extra dollars is a respectable brand name television, an incredibly better picture and 120hz refresh rate that wont make you seasick from watching it.

When choosing a brand of television remember that you aren't planning on buying another television next year. Choose a good brand name and the right features before price-tag-shopping. Plan ahead, technology changes quickly so make sure to get the current technologies to ensure longevity.

Protection Agreements

Bottom line...get one.

Lets talk turkey. Protection Agreements are a great way for companies to make money. If your television doesn't break within the coverage time then every penny counts as profit. The simple fact is that businesses are there to make money but lets look at what protection agreements mean to you.

The average cost of a protection agreement is around 20%-25% of the total cost of a television. An agreement for a $1300 television is around $250 for three to five years worth of coverage. A manufacturers warranty is usually for a year and covers only manufacturers defects, surges and cosmetic damages are not covered under warranty.

Manufacturers defects can usually be discovered upon plugging in the television and watching it for the first time, in which case you would simply bring the television to the store for an exchange. Chances are, if your television makes it past this point it will last for at least one year. After a year the parts in your television get older and they are exposed to heat for longer periods of time increasing the chances of malfunction greatly. Without a protection agreement you will need to call a TV repair man and pay for it.

Trip charges for a TV repair man average about $100 for them to knock on your door. Next, they will diagnose the television (some charge for this and some do not) in which case they will either a.) tell you its new tv time or b.) repair your television. The average cost of TV repairs are around $450 - $1000 dollars. If they are unable to fix it you are still stuck with the bill.

Save yourself a headache and buy one. Some companies, like Sears, even offer yearly maintenance and check-ups to prevent malfunctions before they happen.