The resolution of a television is the best indicator of picture quality. As of 2009, most LCD televisions are HD Ready, which means, they support high definition content. HD Ready televisions fall within three broad formats, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. These numbers represent the lines of resolution. The higher the number, the more pixels, and the higher the resolution.

The letter 'p' stands for progressive scan, and the letter 'i' for interlaced. This is the process which builds up an image, it's generally thought that progressive scan is the superior process. Progressive scan builds an image in one pass, whereas interlaced takes two passes to build an image. The two pass process produces a line jitter.

However, resolution is not the only factor to consider. The display standard also plays its part, such as VGA, XGA and W-XGA. Even so, the acid test is to view the picture for yourself, or find solid advise from publications like What? magazine. A few retailers, such as Comet, provide picture, sound and connectivity grading. What informed consumers look for, is how a television handles the following scenes.

1. Skin tones
2. Dark to light scenes
3. Fast motion

You should check whether a television is using a passive or active matrix. An active matrix is more expensive, and preferable. A passive matrix sends an electrical current across two conductors, whereas an active matrix has access to a transistor for every pixel intersection. What this means, in reality, is that an active matrix has an improved response time, which means less ghosting and blurring during fast moving sequences.

The image refresh rate is another important feature. Measured in Hz, CRT TVs offered 50Hz, 60Hz or 100Hz frequency. The higher the Hz, the faster a television can refresh an image. What should be clear, is that, you should always search for the highest refresh rate. Otherwise, any ghosting effect will become more apparent when a television has to quickly change from dark to light scenes.

Finally, it's important to be sat or stood at the correct distance from a television. Viewing distances do vary from screen to screen, but some average figures are provided below. As the numbers show, the larger the screen, the more room you will need to view the picture at an optimum distance.

Screen size 20 - 28 inches - Viewing distance 3 - 5 feet

Screen size 32 - 36 inches - Viewing distance 6 - 9 feet

Screen size 42 - 46 inches - Viewing distance 10 - 12 feet

Screen size 50 - 60 inches - Viewing distance 12 - 16 feet