Best 55 inch HDTV Flat Screen TV Reviews

Probably like me (that is until I researched it) you may not be sure what what the difference is between LCD and plasma. They're both flat screen tvs, yes. Some may be described on the sales material as "hdtv" others not. Basically they are two different technologies that are employed to produce the same effect. Plasma tvs work similar to-but loosely similar to a fluorescent light bulb. Their display consists of cells and in each cell there are two glass panels between which neon-xenon gas is injected and sealed in plasma form when it is manufactured. The gas is electrically charged at specific intervals when the Plasma set is in use. The charges then hits red, green, and blue phosphors, and thereby produce a television image. Each group of red, green, and blue phosphors is called a "pixel".

So although plasma TV technology eliminates the requirement in standard TVs for the rather cumbersome picture tube and electron beam scanning, because it still uses the burning of phosphors to generate an image, Plasma tvs can still have heat generation problems like the standard TVs. But Plasma TVs generally have more accurate colors, deeper blacks and very little motion lag when you have fast-moving images.

Manufacturers of Plasma TVs include Panasonic, Pioneer, Hitachi and Samsung.

LCD TVs on the other hand have a different technology to light up the pixels. Each pixel has three colors: red, green and blue. LCD televisions require a backlight. When the liquid crystals are energized, they block certain colors in the pixels from showing, or at least showing as much. This produces the desired color. The main difference with LCD televisions is the backlight is always on. LCD TVs generally have a slower refresh rate than plasma and are sometimes criticised for showing lingering images or "ghosts" with fast-moving images; but the technology is always improving and the refresh rates are very similar to plasma.

Some advantages of LCD TVs are that they have a Cooler running temperature, there is no burn-in of static images;you do not get problems using them at high altitudes like may be the case with plasma; and their is more image brightness than with Plasma TVs, so LCD TVs may be better for brightly-lit room viewing.

Manufacturers of LCD TVs include, from Korea, Samsung SDI and LG Philips, which make a lot of LCD panels up to the 55 inch size, and Samsung, LG, and Philips all retail them as finished TVs.

Vizio is a popular flat panel Plasma and LCD HDTV manufacturer and has got some of the best prices for the budget conscious. With great models like the Vixio XVT553SV you don't have to worry about scrimping on quality either.

So, to conclude, both plasma and LCD TVs can be a great buy for your home. Just work out what size you require or desire and think about things like the brightness in your room and room size, read a few HDTV flat panel l reviews like those referred to below, and you'll probbaly find yourself a bargain.

The Vizio XVT553SV 55%u2033 TruLED LED TV is a very good LED TV with a whole lot of features at a reasonable price. Some of the features include VIA-Vizio Internet Apps, Built-in WiFi 802.11n Dual Band, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.

Some people don't know whether to buy the Vizio or smaller models like the Sharp Sharp LC 60LE810UN (because it is similar in price), similar sized models like the he LG Infinia 55" 8500 and models like the he Sony HX909.. A few forum commentators have said the last one was too expensive, the LG Infinia was a bit too reflective, a bit steep price-wise and had possible banding issues and the Sharp was obviously smaller and had inferior specifications, not able to match the Vizio for things like the refresh rate, full led backlighting, contrast, Wi-fi etc). Conclusion-so these people all went for the Vizio.

CNET (see the link here) gave the Vizio XVT553SV a 4 out of 5 (i.e -excellent). The XVT553SV is the first ever Vizio LCD TV rated as excellent on CNET. CNET said that its great "picture quality and price make it the best value among high-end LED-based LCD TVs today." Read more on the Vizio XVT553SV HERE.

Samsung of course is an HDTV leader and has to be included in any list of "best Flat Screen TVs". The Samsung 55 inch LED TV opens up 3D for you, which the Vizio XVT553SV does not, but of course that may not be important to you. To ensure a great 3D experience and learn what extra nick-nacks you need, I would go straight to the Amazon 3D-TV page.

Some of the extra items you will need (also check out the Amazon ads after this module)are:
You will need a Source-While your display is ready for 3D playback, you still need a device to read 3D content (i.e., a movie or a show). This source can be a cable box with a subscription to a 3D channel, a 3D Blu-ray Disc player, or a PlayStation 3.
You will need Content-you will need to get some 3D content. This 3D content will come from the source mentioned above in the form of a 3D program, movie, or game. You will need to ensure 3D movies are in the Blu-ray 3D format, as this gives the best 3D experience.

You will also need as an accessory a LinkStick Wireless LAN Adapter to connect wirelessly to all the digital content. The LinkStick wireless LAN adaptor eliminates the hassle and clutter of all the wires

Some of the key features are:
# 55 inch screen size
# Full 1080p HD:great picture quality with full HD 1080p resolution.
# 240 Hz Clear Motion Rate: The 240 Hz technology delivers even fast moving action scenes with total clarity.
# 3D-ready: Samsung 3D technology makes you feel like you're part of the action. Sync up with our Samsung Blu-ray player to experience movies in 3D on your TV - you are also promised ability to receive TV broadcasts in 3D " soon".
# SAMSUNG SMART TV: With your Samsung UN55C8000 you have many options to connect to your favorite Social Media and other digital content. Customizable widgets give you access to BLOCKBUSTER, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Amazon Video On Demand and more - all on your HDTV.
# Skype on Samsung TV: You have the convenience of free, IP-based, picture-in-picture video calls via Skype while you slouch in your Lazeeboy: all viewable in lifesize on your Samsung HDTV.
# Pin-Point Dimming: Samsung's novel Precision Dimming Technology means that you get greatest range of dynamic contrast and vibrant color. You'll see whiter whites and deeper blacks, minus the "halo" effect, which occurs when light is diffused to such a degree that it distorts the image. Energy consumption is also reduced.

Read this Samsung 55 Inch Led TV Review Here

The Vizio M550NV is yet another great 55 inch hdtv option from Vizio.

Features
*Razor-thin profile at less than 2 inches (without stand)

*Full 1080P High Definition Resolution gives you over 2 million pixels, sharpenng the the clarity of your picture.

*1,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio giving you deeper blacks and brighter whites.

*120Hz refresh rate delivers 120 scenes per second, producing enhanced frame rate and giving sharper clarity to action scenes

* It has the V.I.A (Vizio Internet Apps) feature in common with the Vizio XVT553SV, so you can easily connect to the internet and stream your favorite televison programs, play music , connect to FlickR and Twitter or your favorite social media etc etc

So in a Vizio XVT553SV comparison with the Vizio M550NV, the M550NV has a slower refresh rate than the Vizio XVT553SV-but heck, for the price, so what? You get oodles of other great features.

Check out this Vizio M550NV Review now.