I've got a confession to make. I love television. And I love big screen TVs. Especially the new flat panel models. Before you know it, everyone will forgo their traditional CRT television sets and own a LCD flat screen TV. This idea really isn't as strange as it sounds. LCD flat screen TVs are becoming more and more popular, and with good reason.

But, you may be wondering, what exactly is a flat screen TV? Flat screen TVs have displays only a few inches thick. This makes them attractive and extremely convenient. You can now hang this kind of TV on the wall, or place the set in thin areas. A LCD flat screen TV can save a lot of room in your home and look stylish doing so. However, there are a few things one should know before he or she buys a LCD flat screen TV.

1. LCD vs. Plasma.

What About Plasma TV?

Plasma TVs heavily rely on the fluorescent light bulb. A plasma flat screen display consists of cells. Inside each cell are two glass panels separated by a narrow gap. These gaps are injected with neon-xenon gas and sealed in plasma form. The gas is electrically charged when the plasma TV set is in use. The gas strikes red, green, and blue phosphors. This is what creates the TV image.

Because plasma TVs use the burning of phosphors to produce an image, they can suffer from the same drawbacks of traditional TVs, such as high heat generation and screen burn-in. Also, plasma TVs tend to be very expensive.

2. Learn about LCD TVs.

What to Know About a LCD Flat Screen TV

A LCD flat screen TV consists of primarily two transparent, glass-like materials, which are polarized, and "glued" together. One of the plates is coated with a polymer that holds the individual liquid crystals. Electric current is then passed through individual crystals. This allow the crystals to pass or block light to create images. Unlike plasma TVs, an external light source is needed.

LCD flat screen TV screens range from 15-inch models that are primarily used as computer monitors or secondary TVs, to 40-inch wide screen TVs. (Although Sharp makes a magnificent 65-inch flat screen TV in its Aquos brand lineup.)

3. Become a True Expert. Know what you are talking about when you purchase your LCD TV. These pointers pale in comparison to the rest of the story. Learn all about LCD TVs today.

This article was posted on January 16, 2006