Dads & GradsNot that you really need an excuse, but graduation and Father's Day are calls for celebration that encourage the showing of appreciation with a thoughtful gift. If the lucky recipient is stuck watching TV on a turn-of-the-century tube, a liquid crystal display (LCD) HDTV could be the ultimate upgrade.

When compared with that other thin and flat display technology (a.k.a. plasma) LCD TVs offer two distinct advantages—high resolution and a bright picture. LCD TVs offer more pixels per given screen size than plasma displays, and the more pixels (packed tightly together) a TV provides the closer to the screen a person can sit before noticing the individual dots that make up the picture. LCD HDTVs with at least 720p resolution (1,280-by-720 pixels progressive) are available in screen sizes starting at just over 20 inches. Comparatively, the smallest plasma TVs that offer 720p resolution start at 50 inches—larger pixels that are spaced further apart increase the optimal viewing distance. An LCD's relatively high resolution produces an impressively detailed picture that is ideal for viewing digital images or for picking out minute features in a scene from a favorite movie.

The ideal viewing environment for watching TV is a very dark room. Once acclimated to a dimly lit environment, the eye's perception of image contrast increases dramatically enhancing a person's ability to see dark details that would otherwise appear indistinct from a black background or the bars of a letterboxed movie. Short of installing black-out curtains or moving a TV into a windowless room, the ambient light permeating the average viewing environment is often uncontrollable. To counter a "dark challenged" viewing situation, it helps to use a display device that produces a very bright picture, and LCD TVs are the brightest flat-panel displays available today. Modern LCD TVs produce up to three times the light output (luminance) of a plasma television. Factor in an LCD's anti-reflective screen surface, and you have an ideal TV for a well-lit room. A good LCD TV will also provide a backlight control for dimming the picture to eye-comfortable levels when the lights are low.

Any display that carries the "HDTV" label is equipped with digital tuner that can receive over-the-air broadcast television. With over 1,500 stations currently broadcasting digital TV in over 200 markets across the United States, a TV that can receive these digital signals has access to a variety of standard and high-definition programming that is free for the taking. The quality and quantity of over-the-air digital reception is dependent upon where you are located, but few things please me more than when I'm able to attach a simple, inexpensive antenna to a new HDTV and receive high-definition broadcasts of sporting events and primetime programming – the local PBS station is pretty good too. If good DTV reception in your area requires an outdoor antenna, AntennaWeb is a good resource for helping you select the right antenna and finding the location of your nearest broadcast towers.

As with any HDTV, having the right video inputs and enough of them will insure the best picture quality with a variety of sources. The two most common video inputs that are associated with high-definition video are component video and HDMI. Component video is a common connection available on many progressive scan DVD players and video game consoles. Unless the source device offers a digital video output such as HDMI or DVI, a component video connection is the way to go. Nowadays, most LCD HDTVs provide at least two component video inputs, and there is really no reason to use anything less than this capable analog video connection.

LCD TV manufacturers are starting to equip their sets with two or more digital video inputs as well—typically HDMI and DVI inputs. Whenever possible, use an LCD's digital video input for improved image quality (fewer analog-to-digital conversions along the signal path). If the LCD you are considering has only one digital video input, be sure to use it with the most often watched source be it digital cable, satellite, or DVD.

There are a myriad of LCD HDTV brands and sizes to choose from. Here are a few of the more recent models to enter the PC Magazine HDTV Lab.

From so-so to pretty good

Sceptre X37SV-NagaSceptre X37SV-Naga ($1,499 list)
On paper, this 37-inch LCD TV offers an impressive set of features and true 1080p resolution at a great price. Unfortunately, it wasn't as impressive when it came to viewing standard definition video (including DVD movies). The VGA connection provides a detailed picture with PC sources, and a decent upscaling DVD player would help overcome its rather ineffective video processor.

Sony Bravia KDL-V40XBR1 Sony BRAVIA KDL-V40XBR1 ($3,499.99 list)

ViewSonic N3760w ViewSonic N3760w ($1,999 list)
This 37-inch LCD HDTV is simple to setup and use. Its Pixelworks DNX video processor performed better than the cheap processors used in most TVs at cleaning up grainy DVD movies while preserving image detail. While it lacks a desirable second digital video input, its ability to produce realistic, natural looking colors was admirable. For game console and PC use, this LCD TV's high-resolution and speedy 8-millisecond pixel response time help it deliver a crisp, precise picture.