Recent advances in television technology floods the market with more and more televisions every day. Deciding on which of those sets to buy is difficult. There are many cheap televisions available, but to get the television you want with the best price possible requires a little background knowledge to decipher what is best for you.

The most commonly advertised and attention grabbing attribute to a television is its size. There are many TV sizes available, ranging from tabletop LCD TV DVD players, to large freestanding sets. The main factor to take into consideration with TV size is the room it will be in and the distance that it will be watched from. Here are some general guidelines for TV sizes and the optimal distance from which to view it.

Screen Size Distance

26" 3.25 - 5.5 feet

32" 4.0 - 6.5 feet

37" 4.5 - 7.75 feet

40" 5.0 - 8.25 feet

42" 5.25 - 8.75 feet

46" 5.75 - 9.5 feet

50" 6.25 - 10.5 feet

52" 6.5 - 10.75 feet

55" 7.0 - 11.5 feet

58" 7.25 - 12 feet

65" 8.25 - 13.5 feet

70" 8.75 - 14.75 feet

A few things to consider are the differences between a Plasma TV and an LCD TV. A plasma TV shows dark details better, but is affected more by surrounding light and glare. On the other hand, an LCD TV may work better for those looking for a TV smaller than 42" or if being placed in a room with more daytime light. Also, LCD TVs tend to consume less energy, so they may be one of the cheap TVs is cost of ownership.

There are also a few other factors to consider in purchasing a TV. Many homes now have Blu-Ray capable players. If Blu-Ray or HDTV programming is one of the components that will be used with the TV, then a higher resolution screen, up to the highest resolution of 1080p, would be ideal. However, if most of the programming being viewed will be older formats such as DVD and VHS, then a lower resolution, found on many of the cheap TVs, is a viable option.

Refresh rates on TVs, specifically LCD TVs, refer to the speed at which the picture is redrawn on the screen. The higher the refresh rate, measured in Hz, the smoother looking movement on the TV will be. Plasma TVs function in a way that they do not have the movement change characteristics LCD TVs do. Action movies and video games will best be viewed on TVs with high refresh rates.

Each TV has different characteristics, and these features should be put in a priority to best help in making a purchasing decision. Price, size, refresh rates, room area and lighting, and programming resolution should all come into play when making an informed decision on the TV to buy.