Everyone knows they want a nice big flat screen TV for the living room of their condo, but many are stumped when they show up at the electronics store and find out that there are multiple options when it comes to the design of the flat screen TV. Should they choose a plasma model? An LCD screen? What about a projection TV? What's the difference between the types? This article should give you the information you need to make an informed decision when it comes to buying a flat screen TV.

Before you even go to the electronics store, it's important to think about what matters most to you in a TV. Are you going for size alone? Does how much it cost make the biggest difference in what models you will consider? And what about the electricity factor - do you want the most efficient type of TV it's possible to get? These are all questions you should ask yourself before you get into the store and start listening to sales pitches. Here's how the three types of screens stack up against each other.

LCD

With an LCD or Liquid Crystal Display, uses different filters to alter the base white light source into different colors. LCDs are the cheapest, lightest, and popular design of TV out there. Their matte screens also mean they will reflect less of the windows and lamps in your house but the images can blur when things are moving quickly. If you're looking for energy efficiency, this is also your best option.


Plasma

Plasma TVs work by using electrodes to excite stored inert gases that will display in different colors depending on how much electricity is applied. Insiders agree that they have the best picture quality because of their increased contrast ratio, so you will often see them bought by real estate companies when they want to impress their clients with crystal clear, vivid home listings on screen. Plasma's also have a faster refresh rate than LCD and a wider viewing angle. The downside is that there's the possibility of an image becoming burned into the screen and they use more power than LCDs.

Projection

Projection TVs work similar to a self contained movie theater, with a projector resting inside the TV and beaming the magnified image onto the back of your TV screen. This allows for the largest size of TV, which makes them ideal for home theaters.