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The latest TVs on the market feature amazing picture quality, and can come thin enough to hang on the wall, or large enough to rival the big screen at your neighborhood sports bar. eBay's Television Buying Guide will help you choose the perfect TV, big or small, high-definition or standard, and tell you how to find it.
| How to Display Your TV |
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First decide if you want your TV to sit on the floor or hang on the wall like a painting or mirror.
- Wall: If you want to hang a flat-panel LCD or plasma TV, measure the wall with the best TV-viewing position. Make sure you have evenly-spaced studs; you don't want to try to hang something as heavy as a TV in plaster alone. If you have enough space, buy a wall mount. You can hang your TV yourself or have a carpenter or installation expert do it for you.
- Floor: If you want a flat-panel, but don't have enough available wall space, buy an LCD or plasma TV and a flat-panel stand. Of course, CRT tube and rear-projection televisions also stand freely and often cost less with little compromise in picture quality
| Screen Size |
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Televisions come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. In order to find a television that'll fit your room, measure the length, width, and depth of the area where you plan to put your new TV. Sellers include TV dimensions in item listings and the characteristics of your space often determine screen size and which type of television you buy. If measuring a home entertainment unit, leave empty space on each side so that you won't have to wedge the TV into your furniture when you get it home.
Just because a television can fit in a space, it doesn't mean you need to buy a television that fills the entire area. For example, you will feel like you're sitting in the front row at the movies if your couch only sits a couple feet away from a 70" screen. Suggested viewing distances for widescreen TVs include:
| Distance from TV |
Screen Size |
| 5 - 7 feet |
37" |
| 8 - 9 feet |
42" or 43" |
| 10 - 11 feet |
44" to 50" |
| 11 - 13 feet |
50" to 60" |
| 13 - 14 feet |
50" to 60" |
| 15 + feet |
70" + |
Certain types of TVs work better in some rooms rather than others.
When buying a TV with a 38" or larger screen, choose between plasma and rear-projection DLP.
Weight Considerations
When shopping, check item listings for the weight and shipping costs. Heavier TVs typically cost more to ship and you may save money opting for a flat-panel LCD or plasma over a traditional tube TV that weighs substantially more.
| High-Definition |
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Experience the movies and sporting events in more detail than ever before. High-definition television (HDTV) delivers amazingly clear picture quality, often with 5.1 surround sound, directly into your living room.You won't feel like you're just watching a program. You'll feel like you're walking the streets of Rome, catching some rays at the beach, or even sitting on the sidelines at the game. To get HDTV content:
- Buy a HDTV: Make sure you new TV supports 1080i and 720p HDTV signals.Enhanced-definition TVs (EDTV) only offer near high-definition quality at 480p.
- Buy Proper Cables: You'll need component video cables or DVI cables to receive a HDTV picture and fiber optic or coaxial digital audio cables for audio.
- Get Programming: More and more television stations offer HDTV programming every day. TVs with built-in HDTV or an external tuner, along with an antenna, can receive HDTV broadcast content over the air. If you order an HDTV package from your cable or satellite service, request an HD receiver for your HDTV, HD-ready, or HD-capable TV.
Improve DVD Picture Quality
Widescreen 16:9 DVD movies aren't high-definition. Although they look great on a widescreen, you'll need a progressive scan DVD player and component video cables to achieve near high definition 480p video. Buy fiber optic or coaxial digital audio cables to take advantage of Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound through your home theater setup.
Program Quality
Resolution describes the quality of the programming your TV can display. Higher numbers offer better quality.
- 480p: Near high-definition progressive scan 852x480 resolution signal used by progressive-scan DVD players and Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV).
- 720p: HDTV programming comes in 720p or 1080i. A 720p progressive scan signal has 1280x720 resolution.
- 1080i: HDTV programming comes in 720p or 1080i. A 1080I interlaced scan signal has 1920x1080 resolution.
You'll pay a premium if you want your HDTV to show every detail of a 1080i image. Plasma, LCD, LCoS, and DLP TVs have a fixed number of pixels. This native resolution tells you how much detail you'll see, with higher-resolution displays showing more detail.
HDTV vs. HDTV-Ready
"High-definition television (HDTV)" indicates that a TV can receive a high-definition television signal, even if it needs additional hardware. It can describe a HDTV-ready, HDTV-compatible, or integrated HDTV television.
- DTV: Digital television describes the digital broadcast television standard for HDTV and standard-definition television. A DTV can display progressive-scan DVDs and can usually display HDTV programming.
- HDTV-Ready: Television capable of receiving a high-definition television signal with the help of a receiver/tuner. Sometimes called HDTV compatible.
- HDTV-Compatible: Television capable of receiving a high-definition television signal with the help of a receiver/tuner. Sometimes called HDTV-ready.
- HDTV Monitor: Monitors display a signal fed into them and do not include a built-in tuner for programming. Many plasma and rear-projection televisions fall into this category.
- Integrated HDTV: High-definition television that has a built-in HDTV (somtimes called digital or ATSC) tuner. Connect an antenna to your integrated HDTV to receive high-definition broadcasts over the air. You'll still need to order an HDTV package and receiver from your cable or satellite service to receive HDTV programming from them.
Remember, a built-in HDTV tuner will only help you get broadcast programming over the air. If you order an HDTV package from your cable or satellite service, request an HD receiver for your HDTV, HD-ready, or HD-capable TV. If you have a DCR HDTV, request a CableCard from your cable provider. This access card helps digital cable ready (DCR) HDTVs tune digital cable channels without an external cable box. You will not be able to access some cable features, such as video-on-demand, with a DCR. Some sets cannot access the electronic program guide and you will need to phone in pay per view orders.
HDTV Alternatives
Some televisions don't produce full-quality high-definition programming.
- Analog: Traditional analog TVs can display standard television programs broadcast over the air, on cable, or on satellite, including digital cable and digital satellite signals.
- EDTV: Enhanced definition television sets produce near high-definition (480p) resolution progressive scan signals. They can receive HDTV signals, but cannot produce the same quality image as a true HDTV. Plasma TVs sometimes fall into this category.
- SDTV: Standard definition television support 480i (interlaced scan signal with 852x480 resolution) and 480p (progressive scan signal with 852x480 resolution) digital television signals.
| Flat-Panel |
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 Hang a thin flat-panel on your wall or display it on an artistic stand and let your TV become the center of attention in any room.
Look Into LCD
Flat-Panel LCD TVs use the same liquid crystal display technology found in LCD computer monitors to create sharp, bright images in all lighting conditions. They work by shining light through pixel cells, with each cell containing a red, green, and blue component, but do not have the ability to turn off specific pixels. As a result, some LCDs have trouble achieving a pure black, which can affect contrast levels.
LCDs above 40" tend to be far more expensive than similarly sized flat-panel plasma and rear-projection TVs. All-in-all they make a great choice for people looking for a relatively small flat-panel, especially if you want something between 15" and 21" for a small room. Dell, Sony, Philips, Samsung, and Sharp make popular models.
Perfect Plasma
Plasma TVs look so sleek you'll have guests drooling over your new TV in no time. Companies such as Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Toshiba, and Sony make widescreens starting at 36" (with sizes up to more than 70") that offer amazing color accuracy and saturation, and provide a good view from almost anywhere in a room.
Plasma TVs create an image by applying an electric charge to gas-filled cells which react with a burst of ultraviolet light. The process leaves your screen vulnerable to burn-in. So, if you like to watch the same TV station for eight hours straight every day, you may get the station's logo burned into the corner of your screen.
Many plasma TVs do not have speakers, which means you'll need to buy the right cables to pump sound through your home theater system or speakers.
| Rear-Projection |
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 Do you want to buy a big-screen? Rear-projection TV screens top 70", most support HDTV content, and cost less than a plasma TV with the same screen size. Although they weigh about as much as plasmas, rear-projection TVs use different technology to produce a picture, creating television magic using lenses and mirrors to magnify an image and project it onto the back of a translucent screen. They often stick out from your wall and some stand tall on a cabinet that houses their light source, lenses, mirrors, and other electronics.
Rear-Projection DLP
When deciding on a big-screen, most people choose between flat-panel plasma TVs and less-expensive rear-projection DLP TVs from companies such as Samsung, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, and RCA. They come in sizes 42" and larger and use Digital Light Projection technology to create detailed images with subtle color variations and deep blacks for contrast. Position your couch so that you can watch your screen dead-on to get the best brightness and contrast.
Rear-Projection LCD
Thin and light rear-projection LCD TVs from companies like Sony, Hitachi, and Panasonic offer good image quality and weigh less than rear-projection CRTs. However, they don't reproduce black as well as DLPs and often produce a darker picture.
Rear Projection CRT
Your buddy who's had a widescreen TV for 10 years probably has a rear-projection CRT. It use three separate cathode ray tubes to create red, green, and blue and the TV combines the three beams before magnifying and projecting the image. You'll find a lot of popular brands such as Pioneer, Philips, Panasonic, JVC, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Sony, and RCA on eBay. Like any CRT TV, you need to close your curtains to see the brightest images and prevent the sun from washing out your picture. They weigh more than LCD and DLP rear-projection TVs and are typically 12" to 15" deeper.
| Traditional Tube |
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 With all the buzz over plasma, LCD, and DLP, a lot of people forget that manufacturers such as Philips, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Zenith still make the traditional cathode ray tube (CRT or "tube") TVs you've come to know and love over the years. Some even come HDTV-ready and feature rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen displays instead of an old-school 4:3 (almost square) screens.
The word "flat" pops up in a lot of item listings on eBay. Don't confuse flat screen with flat panel. Traditional tube televisions can come with a standard curved screen or a flat screen that provides a larger viewing area.
Tube TVs have a lower base price than flat-panels, but they will always be heavier and deeper. As screen size increases, weight increases, and so do shipping costs.
| How to Find TVs on eBay |
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 Now that you know what to look for, head over to eBay's Consumer Electronics portal, click Televisions, and start shopping!
- Use the Televisions Finder: Find the Television Finder on the left side of the page and use the drop-down menus to quickly narrow down item listings by TV type, display technology, screen size, and brand.
- Keywords: Let eBay find items for you by entering the keywords you want to find into the Television Finder's Keywords search box or general search box.
- Let Sellers Help: A good item listing should include information about a television's screen size, dimensions, weight, display technology, HDTV capability, and brand. Listings should also include a clear picture. If you want to know about information not included in a listing, email the seller your question by clicking "Ask seller a question" under the seller's profile.
If you can't seem to find exactly what you want, try shopping at an eBay Store, tell the eBay community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on MyeBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.
| Buy With Confidence |
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Take a couple of seconds to review the item you want to buy and research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.
Know Your Purchase
- Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.
- Is the item you want still under warranty? If so, what are the terms? If you want more warranty information from a seller, ask by clicking the seller's "Ask seller a question" link under a seller's profile.
Know Your Seller
- What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? Do they have a lot of Feedback for big-ticket items such as TVs? How long have they been selling these big-ticket items?
- What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
- Does the seller have a return policy? Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?
Buyer Protection
- PayPal Buyer Protection: In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, PayPal is there for you. Learn about PayPal Buyer Protection and how your purchases can be covered up to $1,000.
- eBay Security & Resolution Center: If a problem arises in your transaction, eBay can help you solve it quickly and efficiently. Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn more about eBay's resolution tools.
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
