I installed a new HDTV this year.

In this series I will guide you through the various aspects to consider when planning your own Home Theater installation. I began by researching the TV and the mounting system. Next, I considered the wiring solutions for my installation. Then, completed the work with the finishing touches that made this system custom and complete.

There will be three articles in total, each going into detail about the various options available for each solution with an emphasis on the choices I made based on my situation.

This is article is about researching the TV and mounting system.

The number of televisions choices are broad. DLP, LCD, Plasma, and CRT all of which describe the technology in use to bring the video signal to your monitor in order to see the image of your choosing.

DLP - Stands for digital light projection. This technology has been a great advancemnet for people who prefer the large screen experience with projectors. It has greatly reduced the size of the back of the TV from the old tube sets but wallmounting is not possible due to weight limitations. Therefore I decided to skip this section of the market. Trust me giving up on a 65 inch television for a 42 inch television was not easy.

LCD -Stands for Liquid Crystal Display. It is a low-power flat-panel display used in many laptop computers, calculators and digital watches. LCD is made up of a liquid crystal that is sandwiched between layers of glass or plastic and becomes opaque when electric current passes through it. The latest competition in technology has been between this technology and Plasma. The positives about LCD is that screen burn is less likely. The image can be view in a large side to side diamater. In other words you don't to in front of the screen, you can sit on the side of the room and see the same image as you can in the middle of the room. The down side is that black is not always a black as you want it to be and the speed of the processors can lead to "fuzzy" images with a lot of movement.

Plasma - This display is also called Gas Discharge Display. Like plasma this a flat-screen technology that uses tiny cells lined with phosphor that are full of inert ionized gas. Three cells make up one pixel (one cell has red phosphor, one green, one blue). The cells are sandwiched between x- and y-axis panels, and a cell is selected by charging the appropriate x and y electrodes. The charge causes the gas in the cell to emit ultraviolet light, which causes the phosphor to emit color. The amount of charge determines the intensity, and the combination of the different intensities of red, green and blue produce all the colors required. Obviously this is the coolest of all technologies. But it does have its drawbacks. The least of which is called burn in. Plasma TV's are said to have the best color contrasts. The negatives keep going though, with a slightly heavy construction, and the possibility of glare.

CRT - Stnds Stands for Cathode Ray Tube is a vacuum tube used as a display screen in a computer monitor or TV. This is the technology that has been standard for years. The problem with system is obviously the bulkiness of the set but also the resolution of the system. I upgrade from my 38" Sony CRT standard televsion. It was a huge beast of a TV that weighed more then 200 pounds!

The other major area of consideration is the resolution of the screen. Standard television resolution has been 480. The first evolution in High definition led to 720. Now the standard is 1080. Well what do all of these numbers mean?

For a complete understanding of this concept please check out this article.

MY CHOICE

After considering my room layout, I decided to purchase a1080p 60 mhz LCD TV. My living room is large with a fireplace as the focal point. I wanted to install this TV over the fireplace and the lack of weight allowed for a more secure placement. The fact that my living room has large windows also kept me from the Plasma TV due to the glare concerns.

My next project was to find an LCD TV that met my needs. After researching brands through CNET, it quickly became obvious to me that cheap LCD was well within my budget. I was happy to find a 42 inch TV at Sam'sClub.com. It was the best deal at the time I was searching. This television can only be ordered delivered. I was glad that neighbor works from home and that she was willing to sign for my package. You will also need to spend $40.00 dollars on a Sam's club membership but it was worth it for me.

The choice for wallmounting system was much easier for me.

I did oscilate between a fixed mount or the angled mount. But first let's consider the options.

Fixed mount - These systems allow for the least of amount of space between the Television and the wall. These system cost less and will look very low profile from side to side.

Angle Mount - These systems allow for a slight downward angled for the televisions. It is a definite benefit when the television is place higher on the wall. My firplace is pretty tall and the advantage of looking up slightly higher than eye level led to my decision to choose this mounting system.

There is a third system, I did not choose this system but it is definitely exciting to think about incorporating in to you design. The third system was an angle arm system. The great part about this system is that it allows for the television to swivel from one side of the room to the other. In the future I will consider using this system especially in the bedroom.