So you feel ready to buy and HDTv but there are things to consider when you are ready to buy it. It doesn’t matter if you plan to buy it online or in the local electronic retailer store, you should aways check out high-definition sets in person.

Check your video sources to see you have them ready: If you don’t already have high-def video sources like an HD digital cable or satellite box, a DVR, or a Blu-ray Disc or HD DVD player, investigate them early beforehand to know the number and types of inputs and cables you’ll need. If you buy your HD gear first, an installer will be able to hook it all up to your new set and troubleshoot problems.

Choose an HDTv showroom: Pay visit to the specialty home theater stores that stock the sets you are thinking about buying. They will have quiet, dimly lit areas much like real living rooms which is much better. Brightly lit and noisy showrooms at the big-box stores make comparisons and reviewing the products much harder.

Bring your own movies with you to test: They should be on both DVD and high-definition media (Blu-ray or HD DVD); rent if necessary. Last year’s remake of “Casino Royale” has plenty of fast action and night scenes for comparing smooth motion and black quality.

Check image qualities by viewing from several distances, look for variations in Picture quality at wide angles (LCDs can look washed out), Smoothness of motion in action scenes and video games (LCDs with fast response times and 120-Hz refresh rates should rival the smoother look of plasma sets), Brightness and contrast (LCDs typically are better), Color saturation and accuracy, Deep blacks in night scenes (generally better on plasmas), Detail and sharpness (better on LCDs), Quality of video scaling. How well does the TV display standard-def images? How well does the set stretch or box 4:3 sources to fit the 16:9 wide screen of most HDTVs?, Uniformity of picture from edge to edge. Does the picture have variations in brightness, especially at the edges? and Screen reflectivity (plasmas’ glass coatings and bright rooms don’t mix well)

Look for a cheap and bargain: Ask store salespeople to match online prices (arm yourself in advance by checking out prices in PC World Shopping). Local delivery is better where large TV sets can easily be damaged in transit, and good luck getting a replacement from most discount outlets. And see if they offer free cables, mounting hardware, or professional installation.