Tip of the week: How to shop for a TV

Plasma vs. LCD. Plasma still beats LCD for picture quality, unless you watch TV in a sunlight-filled room. Beware cheap LCDs, though, because the picture can vanish if you’re viewing from too extreme an angle. Don’t concern yourself with 3-D capability except to remember this: “The worst 3-D TV is among the best 2-D TVs.”

Choose a refresh rate. This is the number of times per second that the screen refreshes, and it matters. Sixty hertz is standard, 120 is nice to have, and 240 is “probably overkill.” Ignore seemingly related terms like TruMotion or SPS (scenes per second).

Spend where it counts. “You can get a good 42- to 50-inch TV for $700. You can get a great TV for $1,200 to $1,500.” Don’t waste money on Ultra HD, which no one broadcasts in, or on smart features you could add with a $100 Roku 3.

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Source: Esquire