By The AsiaOne Techbot

With different sizes, resolutions and functions, not all HDTVs are created equal. Do you need a "Full HD" TV or just a "HD Ready" one?

The answer is neither: both "HD Ready" and "Full HD" are general terms that might vary from country to country and are not sufficient enough in informing a potential buyer on the quality of the TV's image.

Read this complete guide to choosing the best TV for your needs and budget before you hit the stores shopping for one.

Point 1: Size - big is not always better

Point 2: LCD, LED or Plasma?

Point 3: What is the difference between "HD Ready" and "Full HD"?

Point 4: Internet-ready TVs, are they worth the extra dollar? 

Size - Big is not always better

Photos: Sony

How big is your room? If you have limited space in the room you're planning to place your new TV, a giant screen might not be the best for both your viewing pleasure and your eyes.

Large TVs in tiny rooms will dominate decor and instantly shrink the size of the entire space to a Lilliputian scale. The tricky part is, when viewing them in a spacious showroom like that of an electronics store or an IT fair, they don't look too big.

To make sure you don't end up with a too large (or too small) TV, make sure you take measurements of the area that you intend to place the TV, and the distance from where you intended to view it from.

Ideally, viewing distances should be something along the lines of this rough guide:

LCD, LED or Plasma?

There are three main technologies that you can choose from, with each one having it's own set of pros and cons.

Here's a simple breakdown:

LCD TVs

These are the most common HDTVs out there. The cheapest of the three, they are offer consumers of having a relatively thin, power-efficient and lightweight TV for a pretty good price.

LED-Backlit TVs

Also called LED-TVs, they offer consumers a better experience with brighter screens and often come thinner than their LCD cousins.

More expensive than LCD TVs, they might not be the best option in small spaces because of the significantly higher heat that the LCD diodes generate. Make sure you 'keep' them in a well-ventilated or cool space.

Plasma TVs

These TVs might look more expensive at the onset, but offer arguably the best picture quality and offer more value in the long run.

However, relatively inefficient power consumption might put consumers off, especially for those who spend lots of time in front of the goggle box.

Resolution - the difference between 720p and 1080i

Photo: Samsung

These numbers seem to be on the lips of every television salesman nowadays, so understanding what they mean would probably save you some time while discussing a potential purchase.

Numbers (720 or 1080) represent the number of pixels that your HDTV screen has. Since 720 or 1080 doesn't mean how many pixels your screen has in total but the number of 'lines' of pixels.

In a nutshell, the higher the number would mean more pixels and therefore an increase in the TV's ability to display more detailed images.

The letters "p" and "i" mean "progressive scan" and "interlacing" respectively. To make things simple, remember that progressive scan (p) is the better technology compared to interlacing (i), and results in a smoother picture.

If you're looking for an HDTV to play games in high-definition (such as those on the PS3) or to watch Blu-Ray movies, go for the highest available resolution at 1080p.

Should that TV set be one for Junior to replace that broken old CRT, getting one that is 1080i or even 720p would be pretty sufficient.

What is "HD Ready" and "Full HD"?

You might also come across terms like "HD Ready" and "Full HD" at stores. While figures like 1080p is an industrial standard measurement, terms like "HD Ready" are not.

A 1080i set can be considered "Full HD" in some countries, and all TVs which are able to display HD images (from the lower-end 720p to the best 1080p models) are all "HD Ready".

Before sinking in your hard-earned dollars into a new HDTV, make sure you get the actual industry standard HD resolution specifications from the retailer and check that against your needs.

Contrast Ratio

This term refers to how well an HDTV is able to display the colour black. There is no industry standard for contrast ratio measurements, but in general, plasma TVs have the best contrast ratio, followed by LED TVs and finally conventional LCDs.

Do you need an HD TV with Internet capabilities?

Photo: AsiaOne File

With the competition getting tough, manufacturers are adding more tech candy in the form of extra functions into their HDTVs.

One of the most common add-ons is the ability for screens to connect to the Internet. Some models are Wi-fi enabled and can even connect to popular photo and social networking sites and services like Facebook, Flickr and Twitter.

If you find yourself having to decide between paying more for an Internet-ready TV and getting one that doesn't have those functions for a little less, consider the amount of time you would spend on such services while fiddling with the remote.

Most of these online services can be accessed through the computer, and most DVD or media players can display digital photos and home videos on your screen without too much trouble.

Online services and Internet functions are still in a relatively early stage of development, so the general advice is to save a couple of hundred dollars and drop those for now.