Since the introduction of LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma screen display technologies, the TV screen has come a long way since it was invented way back in 1927. Today, LCD screens are the dominant format because they have an edge over contemporary plasma screens on many counts.

If you are looking at buying a 42 inch LCD TV, here are some considerations that will help you make your decision:

Be aware of the size of the room in which you intend to place your HDTV. To enjoy the best viewing experience the distance you watch the TV from is very important. If your room is too small then the distance may be too c;ose, which will cause eye strain. At the same time if your room size is very big then you may need a larger screen TV (eg 50-65 inch) to accommodate the longer distance. Ideal TV watching distance is for a 42 inch television is 10-12 ft.

Make sure the resolution of your TV of choice is full high definition (1080 vertical pixels). This will ensure maximum picture clarity.

Look for a contrast ratio (ratio of whiteness to darkness) of 1500 and above. A low contrast ratio can cause muddy and unclear images.

Check out the width of the viewing angle. This should ideally be between 70 to 180 degrees so that you can watch TV from different angles without any display noise or washing out of the colour.

If you are a sports fan then buy the lcd tv with a low motion response time, which determines the screen's ability to display fast moving objects. To display fast action on TV with minimal blurring a TV needs a motion response time of no more than 8-10 milliseconds.

It is a wise think about the place in your house where you intend to put your television. If you plan on using a table mount, keep the measure in the mind when choosing your television set. The television set should fit entirely in the mount with some space left on each side for ventilation and connection accessories.

The TV shpould have more than one HDMI inputs. These inputs can be used to connect your television set to high definition signal sources such as a satellite box, Blu-ray disc player or HD cable. HDMI inputs ensure the full HD signal is transferred to the TV screen.