Home Theater TV - Projection, LCD Or Plasma... What's Your Preference?

What's your preference of HDTV? From a home theater point-of-view this is an important element but the truth is, when choosing your home theater TV, it really is your decision.

Yes, you'll get a ton of advice and information and that's great but you really want a unit which you're going to be happy with, not someone else.

Home theater is a personal thing, from the type of TV to the sound system to the seating arrangements. Everyone has their own peculiarities and the first rule of setting up your showpiece is..."Don't build it to someone else's satisfaction!"

As far as home theater TV is concerned, there are many issues which come into play such as size, picture and the ability to have it wall mounted. What's your preference?

Projection TVs

If you are into size and a budget then projection televisions are great. You get plenty of "bang for your buck" with a projection unit including the best screen size for your outlay. You also have the option of DLP and LCD technology with today's units.

The only drawback of course is if you prefer the wall mounted look.

LCD TVs

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LCDs are more expensive than their rear projection cousins and are much smaller in size. They are lauded for their brightness and contrast levels and the problem of burn in isn't really an issue.

Another factor in their favor is their low power consumption. This is important if you are an avid television watcher and for home theater TV purposes, then this is a plus.

Plasma TVs

Plasmas are very slim these days making them ideal to be wall mounted. They are still regarded as having the best color delivery as well as high contrast ratio for greater detail.

They also provide the widest viewing angles which is great for home theater if seating placement becomes an issue. On the downside, their life expectancy is shorter but this is not really an issue in our book.

Their life expectancy is somewhere between 20-30,000 hours. This equates to 15-20 years with a set used 4-6 hours a day.

With today's rapidly increasing technology, a set bought today is going to be pretty ancient by the time it's due to burn out and in all likelihood, a new home theater TV will have already replaced it.