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With the Super Bowl, new episodes of Entourage and The Sopranos, as well as March Madness coming up, now is as good a time as ever to buy that new HDTV that you’ve always wanted. But how do you decide on what TV to get? Here are the different types of HDTVs and their features:

Front Projectors: Front Projectors are for the elite, who have anywhere from $1,000 to upwards of $35,000 to spend on a TV.

Rear Projection: There are three types of Rear Projection TVs, with the most bought one being DLP. They are not as expensive as Front Projectors, but are still pricey coming in at any where from $1,000 to $5,000. One downside is that they are bigger and heavier then LCD TVs, and when viewed from the side, noticeable picture fade can be seen.

Plasma: Plasmas have a great price-to-performance ratio, going for $1,000 to $8,000. Be aware, if you live in a high altitude region, Plasmas are not a good choice, for they reportedly overheat in high altitudes.

LCDs: Being sold in sizes up to 40 inches or so, and with models being sold from $250 to $6,000, LCDs are the best choice for the majority of people looking to buy a new HDTV.  LCDs provide a bright picture in addition to being energy-efficient.  They also have relatively good response time for gaming.

Wondering how big of a screen to get? According to Fortune Magazine, “Viewing distance should be at least 1.5 times screen size; any closer and the image looks bad. So don’t splurge on that 84-inch set unless you can sit 10 1/2 feet away.”

Read [Fortune Magazine]