When choosing a 42 inch TV, a consumer has several online resources to comparison shop. What is the best 42 inch TV for one consumer might not be the top choice for another.
Before a shopper even starts to consider whether he or she wants a Samsung, or perhaps a Panasonic, for example, he should make sure that 42 inch is the best size flat screen TV for the room. While bigger are generally better, most residential living rooms do not need anything larger than a 42 inch TV. The best gauge of size is the distance viewers will be sitting from the screen. If the distance exceeds five feet, a 42 inch screen is required.
Prior to looking into the various brands, a consumer should understand the difference between LCD and plasma, and which is best for their friends and family that will be watching it most often. A general rule of thumb is that sports enthusiasts prefer plasma TVs. Let us look at the reason behind that and the variations from one type to another.
Without going into the technical complexities of each, there are four important features to consider, when talking about LCD and plasma. These are contrast, viewing angle, lifespan and price.
Contrast refers to the screen’s ability to show all shade variations. One example of this would be the ability to still see everything on the screen even if it is a dark / night scene. If contrast ratio is crucial to a TV shopper, they should choose a plasma over an LCD 42 inch TV.
When it comes to viewing angle the more people watching the TV the greater the viewing angle must be to accommodate all the viewers. Plasma is the best choice for large groups, especially if they are spread throughout the width of the room. An LCD TV would be fine in a home that generally accommodates one or tw
o viewers. Plasma TV screens do not last quite as long as LCD TVs however, and they usually are more costly.
For comparison purposes, let us look at various brands of LCD 42 inch TV. A PS42C430 Samsung 42 inch TV with a minimalist design retails for over $800 at one online marketplace. An LG 42 inch TV, model 42LD450, is available for well under $600, including free shipping, at the same merchant site. Here you can also find a similar Panasonic 42 inch TV TC-P42S2 for about $700. All of these have the same 1080p (HDTV) resolution.
In summation, finding the best 42 inch TV depends on what the viewers like to watch, how many will be watching, and what their wallets will allow.
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What size screen are you going to buy, a 42 inch TV, 50, 65, the biggest you can afford? This is a subject you should give a little more thought to before you spend your hard earned cash on a new HD Ready TV or a full HD TV.
How far away will you be sitting from the television. With HD widescreen televisions you can sit a lot closer than with SD 4:3 Televisions. This is because with HD TVs you don’t notice the loss of quality when you view from a closer distance. So if your upgrading from an older low resolution set your might want to think about re-arranging your room to suit to suit the television you buy. The recommended viewing distance for widescreen HD televisions is between approx 1.5 to 2.5 times the size of the screen. If you buy a 42 inch Full HD TV, that works out at about 1.6m to 2.7m viewing distance. Also your viewing angle should not exceed about 40 degrees (plasmas televisions can be a slightly better than LCD TVs when it comes this). Also your line of sight should be as close to the centre of the screen as possible.
What is your budget – Obviously the bigger the television the more expensive it will be added to this plasmas tend to be more expensive than Full HD LCD TVs.
How big is the room your HD television is going to be in, will it look of proportion? A 42 inch TV could overwhelm a smaller room and be uncomfortable to view.
What resolution is the television 720p, 1080i, 1080p and what will you be watching. If your favourite channels are not broadcast in HD then buying a 42 inch FullHD TV for a small bedroom might not be the best way of spending your money. A 42 inch television when viewed from too close might cause the viewer a ‘pixelation’ problem especially when the broadcast is not in HD.
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