TV technology has advanced a  long way in the last 10 years with massive improvements in picture quality. In the early years of flat panel TVs the picture quality was definitely lacking. So even though the TVs were thin and you could hang them on a wall their pictures left a fair bit to be desired.

Now things are different. Even the cheaper no name brand TVs look ok, and the best brands show a picture that is spectacular. So what separates the better flat screen TVs from the lesser also rans?

Resolution
One of the most important statistics stated in reviews and by your local salesperson is the screen resolution. All flat panel TV displays are made up of tiny, colored dots called pixels. The TV’s resolution is the number of pixels it uses to make the picture. HDTVs come in two basic resolutions; 1080p and 720p. With everything else being equal, more pixels equals a better picture.

However, many other things are also important besides resolution when looking at picture quality. These things include the contrast ratio, black level, gray scale reproduction, color rendition and video artifacts.

Contrast Ratio
This is the difference between the darkest black and brightest white the TV display can reproduce. A larger number is better, but manufacturers seem to have ways to fiddle this number to benefit themselves.

Black Level
This is a measure of how little light the set lets through when parts of the screen are meant to be totally dark. With flat panel TVs, no area of the screen can be completely turned off to give a completely black display. The black level is a measure of how well the TV can contain the screens luminance. Lower is better for a better picture. Not many TV manufacturers publish minimum luminance  specifications for their TVs.

Gray Scale Reproduction
Gray scale reproduction is the ability of the TV to reproduce neutral shades of gray at all levels of brightness. Some TVs trend toward blue, green or red instead of being a true neutral gray. Some will also favor one shade in the lighter areas of the picture, and another in the darker areas. This does not apply to only black and white TV programs as all the colors on your TV screen rely on a properly rendered gray scale to be accurate.

Color Rendition
This is a measure of how well the TV renders colors. A set with good color rendition will produce full and accurate colors. A TV with poor color rendition will display either weak or oversaturated colors.

Video Artifacts
TVs with poor video processing will show what are called video artifacts. Examples are moire patterns and jagged lines. Moire patterns are a rainbow appearance in the black and white areas of the picture.

Inputs
Another thing to consider when buying a HDTV is whether the set has all the inputs you’ll need to connect all your peripheral components. For example, does the set have enough HDMI inputs for connecting digital video devices such as a BluRay player, digital video recorder or cable box?

Many flat panel TVs now include a network connection, one or more USB ports and card slots. For example, owners can now plug in USB drives and memory cards to show slideshows of family photos. The increasing availability of movie download services and terminals will make Ethernet ports and networking connectivity more important in the future.

So while there are numerous models of popular flat screen formats, such as a 42 inch LCD TV, hopefully this article has given you some guidance in how to evaluate the quality of the different brands of 42″ television that are available on the market.