Explaining HDTV Contrast Ratio and Viewing Angle

HDTV Contrast Ratio

As a general rule of thumb the higher the contrast ratio the better (colours will appear more vibrant due to whites appearing whiter and blacks appearing blacker). Therefore if two similar spec televisions can only be separated by contrast ratio it is better to go with the highest.

HDTV Viewing Angle

One of the most attractive aspects of HD TV television is the appearance of the television itself i.e. flat and slim. Having a perfectly flat television does however present the problem of how it is viewed at an angle. A LCD or plasma television (particularly an LCD one) will have a much poorer image when viewed at an angle compared to when viewed directly in front of the screen. The rule of thumb here is to consider very carefully where the television is to be placed with respect to the viewing positions and eliminate image degradation by choosing a television with the greatest viewing angle.