If your one of the millions of folks throwing a Super Bowl party and are ready for a new big screen TV this guide will choosing the right one for the big game.
Screen Size
When it comes to viewing the big game our rule is the bigger the better. Considering the average screen to viewer distance is 9-feet we recommend a minimum screen size of 55-inches with no maximum. HDTV screens are available up to 90-inches. The rest of the details are after the break.
Room Lighting
The kickoff time of Super Bowl XLVII is next Sunday at 6:30 pm ET. For those in the eastern and central time zones this is after sundown, so sunlight should have no effect on viewing at those locations. West coasters could need a very bright picture if they have no window treatment a window opposite the TV. We always recommend window shades or curtains to prevent any screen reflections.
Viewing angles
If you are going to have more than three people (what kind of party would it be with less), you’ll want a big screen with a wide viewing angle that gives viewers the same great picture no matter where they sit or stand. Plasma blows away LED LCD and LCD in this department.
Motion Blur
All plasma HDTVs have excellent motion resolution. LED LCDs require a higher refresh rate to limit motion blur. Our list includes 120 Hz and higher refresh rate models. LED LCD use a circuit called motion estimation/motion compensation, which produces artifacts on film based content. For more read our article here.
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Recommendations
All our top recommendations are for plasma TVs. We found the 2012 Panasonic VT50
The Samsung PN8000 and PN7000 plasma series have near the performance of the Panasonics with a number of models at lower cost. The PN60E8000 60-inch 
At the lower price ranges Panasonic offers a 55-inch TC-P55ST50
Samsung’s economy series full 1080p HD plasmas are the PNE550 series the 60-inch 
LED LCD
The best LED LCDs are the ones with rear backlights and local dimming. They have the best contrast ratios for LCD technology, but are priced far higher than our recommended plasmas. The only series available today with local dimming are the Sharp Elite 60″ Pro-60x5fd
If you insist on LED LCD and don’t want the very pricey local dimming models, we say go big. Sharp offers screens up to 90-inches
For those that want bigger and cheaper, in lieu of the best picture, Vizio now offers its E601i-A3 60-inch
A word of caution regarding VIzio. According to our investigation and numerous consumer complaints to HD Guru and other websites, Vizio has some of the worst warranty policies in the industry. If a Vizio TV has a major problem, its warranty does not require Vizio repair the TV, but instead consumers often must accept a refurbished (as in used, repaired and tested) replacement TV.
In addition, Vizio often tells consumers their sets are “unrepairable” which they define as the parts/labor charges exceeds TV replacement cost once it goes past the one-year warranty. If you decide on buying one of these sets, we highly recommend the purchase of an extended warranty from Square Trade. You can buy up to a 5-Year TV Protection Plan
All listed HDTVs (except the Sharp Elite) are sold by Amazon direct and include free shipping.
HDTVs sold by Amazon direct offer a 14 day low price guarantee and 30 Day returns with free return freight on TVs. They stand behind their sales. Note: prices are correct as of posting and may change at any time, please verify with our links; Most states do not collect sales tax on Amazon orders with the exceptions of CA, TX, KS, KY, NY, ND, PA & WA. You always must pay sales tax (in states that collect it) when buying at a brick and mortar store. Should you buy an HDTV from on-line or from a retail store? Learn all the pros and cons in our article here.
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