Even though our tablets and phones now do incredible things, everyone wants to be able to have the luxury of kicking back and relaxing in front of a TV.  It is important that you have an HDTV that will give you the exact experience that you are looking for.

People tend to get new TVs every 7 to 8 years.  This means that not only is it critical to get one that will be nice to look at, it should also be one that has technology that won’t be obsolete next year.

If you happen to be on the lookout for the ideal HDTV this holiday season, here are some essential things that you should know about before deciding which one to buy.

Know the Technology

• LCD – Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs offer viewers an HD performance that is high quality.  They are also very affordable.  This type of TV will give you colors that are bright and they perform well in brightly lit rooms.  This type of TV is not quite as thin as the LED TVs but they are still pretty slim.  Most TVs of this type are backlit by cold cathode fluorescent lamps or CCFL.

• LED – LED TVs (Light Emitting Diode) are currently the most popular type on the market.  Overall, an LED TV delivers a picture quality that is excellent.  This type of TV is a great option for any type of lighting condition and they are even great in rooms that are brightly lit.  Most LED TVs will have a profile that is thin, which means that they are easy to place in whatever viewing space you prefer.   The LED TV is actually a part of the LCD family of TVs with the major difference being that this one has LEDs that provide back or edge lighting that is advanced.

• Plasma – Plasma Display Panels give you a picture quality that is superb and features dep blacks and colors that are absolutely vibrant.  This type of TV is great at giving you fast moving action with only minimal blurring.  This is the TV you want if it will be in a low light or dark room and it gives you viewing angles hat are wider when compared to LCD and LED TVs.

Size Matters

When it comes to the size of TVs, you need to take into consideration the size of the room that it will be in as well as the distance viewers will be from it and the kind of viewing experience that is preferred.

• 65 to 90 Inch – These are the TVs that you want for a media room or if you are in search of a more immersive experienced when you are watching sports or movies.

• 50 to 64 Inch – These are large models that will have an amazing visual impact regardless of the room that you place it in.

• 33 to 49 Inch – This size is versatile and will work exceedingly well in bedrooms or even an average sized living room.

• 32 Inches and Smaller – This is the ideal size for a kitchen, bedroom, dorm room and any viewing area that has a limited amount of space.

Terminology

• Resolution – Most of the HDTVs that are on the market now have a 1080p resolution.

• Refresh Rates – This is a spec that TV manufacturers put on the TVs they make but it is quite irrelevant to consumers.  Basically, it is the speed that the TV panel refreshes the image at and this speed is expressed in Hz.  If the TV will be used mainly for watching movies then 60 Hz will be great.  For sports, 120 Hz may be preferred.

Budget and Features

For those of you who have never run apps on your TV, you might want to start.  Each of the major manufacturers of HDTVs have features and apps that come pre-installed.  Many of these pre-installed apps are worse than useless though but you should keep in mind that not only can you download more apps, apps are also able to be updated.  Keep in mind though that to get apps or update existing ones, the HDTV must either have WiFi or an Ethernet port.

Smart TVs allow for you to be able to watch online streaming services like Netflix right on the TV as opposed to needing a separate device.

• 3D – As of this writing, the 3D TV is well established in the market.  However, as far as features go, it is still thought of as one that is premium.  HDTVs that have the 3D features can utilize active 3D with the shutter glasses that are battery powered, or they may use passive 3D with the polarized filters.  When it comes to budget, passive 3D is more cost effective.  Nowadays, the active ones come with a couple of pairs of the glasses and you can get new glasses for about $20.  If you don’t plan to be watching a lot of 3D movies then this feature is not necessary.

• Internet – Most of the HDTVs that are currently on the market give you the option of connecting the TV to the Wi – Fi in your home.  This allows for online services such as YouTube, Vudu, Hulu Plus and Netflix to be accessed.  Many of them also have access to social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook.

• Apps – WWE Network is an example of an app that is downloadable to the HDTV.  The thing is, with this app in particular, some TVs will come with it already installed while others will not be compatible with it.  For the TVs not compatible with this type of app, you will need to connect your tablet or computer to the TV as an input source and then you can watch it on the big screen.

These are all good things to keep in mind when you are shopping for an HDTV this holiday season.  However, pick one that you will enjoy watching…that is the best tip of all.  Make sure to sign up to our exclusive email alert and visit our dedicated page for the best Cyber Monday TV Deals for 2015.