contrast ratio

[chris1]

ok so the day after thanksgiving i will fight the crowds,and pick up a 42' or 44' lcd flat screen to hang above my fireplace. that being said, i know the higher the contrast ratio,the better colors in the picture. i think from what ive seen that 1-10000 is the best(circuit city anyway).i see alot in my price range that say 1-5000 or 1-7000 or 1-8000.question- will i see that big of a difference,is it worth the few hundred more.id like to stay under 1400. thanks-chris

[elapsed]

To be quite honest, many (most?) manufacturers extend the truth significantly in the contrast ratio that they claim. This statistic would not be one of my top determining factors in purchasing an LCD flat panel HDTV. Instead I would be looking at a number of other factors:

1. Manufacturer and where the components were built and assembled
2. 1080p Resolution
3. Backlighting (new 5-wavelength backlighting if possible, enhances colour reproduction)
4. 120Hz frame rate, available on newer sets
5. Response time
6. Features such as number of HDMI inputs, PC input, ATSC tuner
7. and finally.. brightness, contrast ratio, viewing angle

[chris1]

thanks elapsed. i see tvs with a usb port, and pc connectivity. how does your computer hook up thru "pc connectivity" if theres no usb? thanks

[elapsed]

The USB connectivity is likely for a USB hard drive, so that you can display photo's. You'll have to check the specs to be certain.

Many HDTV's offer PC connectivity via either 15-pin D-Sub (analog) or DVI-I (digital). This is the same cable you would typically use to connect your PC monitor to your PC video card.