Newbie (Wants to buy LCD TV. Has questions)

Hi victorytea (Paul),

Welcome to the TechLore Community! This is a great question, and I'm glad you asked it.

There's a few questions in there, so let's go through each individually. 

Thinking of getting a 32"- does HD tuner mean that you can keep current reciever?

Since you're a satellite subscriber, you must rely on an external set-top box (also known as an external tuner) because satellite receivers are not built into TVs. The HD tuner you'll find built into a TV will receive HD channels from rooftop/set-top antennas, and possible cable... depending on the TV. You can continue to use your current receiver, but if it's not a "HD" satellite box, then you will not be able to view HD programs on your new TV.

What should I look for in an LCD?

This is a pretty big question, and you'll get differing opinions from everyone you talk to. For LCD flat panel TVs,  I'd consider the following points:

• Brand - I'd steer clear of off-brand LCD flat panel displays. Some day they may be a good buy... but not yet.

• Resolution - at 32" you'll have a choice between a 720p and 1080p displays. Each are high definition, but 1080p displays will show over two times the detail as 720p displays (and will cost more). More on this here. 
• Black Level - The TVs ability to display a true, rich black will ultimately determine how three-dimensional and lifelike the image will be. You can use contrast ratio as a guide, but I've seen many high contrast ratio sets with a poor black level. Make sure you actually view the television in person (with your own source material), before you buy it.
• HD Tuner - Since you're a satellite owner, this really doesn't matter that much. I'd opt for an intergrated tuner, but don't worry if it's Cable Card capable or not.
• Inputs - Make sure the new TV you buy has all the connections you'll want. If you're not sure what those are, you'll want at least 2 analog inputs (composite/S-video), 2 HD component inputs, and 2 HDMI connections that are HDCP capable. If you want to easily connect a computer to this TV, having a PC capable VGA or DVI connection will be very useful.

There's a lot of smaller things to consider, but this should help you hit the ground running. I'd love to see a good LCD TV community discussion, so keep us informed on what you see, and ask any follow up questions you may have.

You can check what expert panels of technicans have to say about LCD vs DLP Plasma, by going to your favorite search engine flavor and type in "LCD vs DLP".  You'll get many hits, just read through them and get it straight from the people that biuld, test, and compare products for a living.