Types of flat screen TVs

I see there's HDTV, Plasma and LCD. What are the differences among them?
Why are some larger screens cheaper than some smaller screens? For example, Best Buy/Circuit City etc, may have a 42" X brand for $750 and then I see a 37" Y brand for $850. Why is that?

HDTV isn't a type of flat screen TV, it's simply a technology within TVs, and they don't have to be flat either. HDTV stands for High Definition Television, so pretty much any TV with a 720p or higher resolution can be considered an HDTV.

There are two flat panel types of TVs, plasma and LCD. They're both very good technologies that provide very thin TVs. You can only find plasmas in the larger sizes, whereas you can find LCD TVs in all sizes. Historically, LCD TVs have been more expensive than plasmas, but have come down significantly in price since their introduction, and are about on par with plasma TVs now. There's really not much of a quality difference, though it has been argued that plasmas reproduce better blacks, but it really varies as there are many LCD TVs that also have great black reproduction.

As for the price difference, it could essentially boil down to the type of display (LCD vs. plasma), the features in the display, and the resolution. A smaller screen with a higher resolution costs more to make than a larger screen with a smaller resolution, which is why it costs more.

Thanks for the info Kash. I obviously have no knowledge of these newer digital TVs. I have a 13 year old 25" RCA crt tv that still works great, except that it'll require the digital converter box which I already have. So for the most part I only glance at the new TVs and go about my shopping.

We'll be renting a house at the start of September. My mother-in-law suggested we give our girls the RCA tv with the VCR hookup for their Sesame Street tapes and treat ourselves with a flat screen. Hey, that's a great idea. I figure with our next year's tax return we'll splurge on one. It's still early now, but I wanted to hear some opinions of what to buy.

I'm leaning towards the 37" or 42". Not too big and not too small. Plus the price range on those sizes are between $700-$1000. I noticed the Vizio brand compared to others is lower priced. Do they rate near the bottom? Can anyone give me some positives on this brand?

If you are planning to have a game console connected up like an Xbox 360 or a PS3, then look at LCDs.

rman said:

If you are planning to have a game console connected up like an Xbox 360 or a PS3, then look at LCDs.

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I have a PS2, but I hardly play video games anymore. Is LCD still recommended? It's possible we might buy a Wii for Christmas, though, if we can find one.

To be honest, I've used multiple consoles on both plasmas and LCDs and they both look great. Plasma technology has evolved to the point where its response time is just as good as an LCD's, so you don't get that "ghosting" or lag people would experience with earlier models.

Vizio makes cheap TV's. Contrast is lower, colors are less vibrant, etc....

Kash said:

To be honest, I've used multiple consoles on both plasmas and LCDs and they both look great. Plasma technology has evolved to the point where its response time is just as good as an LCD's, so you don't get that "ghosting" or lag people would experience with earlier models.

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Plasma's are also more prone to burning.