One of the age old questions when deciding to buy a television is LCD or Plasma.  In this debate one of the things to help decide comes down to viewing angle.  This means that when you aren’t looking directly at the set, the picture is still able to be seen.

It turns out that when it comes LCD HDTVs, there are major differences when it comes to different brands and even different models within the same manufacturer.  Some televisions boast 175 or 178 degree angle but the real definition is when you actually sit and watch it.

According to Consumer Reports, the best test is the couch test:

Stand 4 or 5 feet away from a 40- to 50-inch TV and move several feet to the left or right of center. That’s comparable to sitting at the end of a couch in front of the TV. See if the images start to look more faded, if the screen darkens a bit, or if the colors lose vibrancy. Move a little farther away from center to see what the picture would look like from a chair off to the side of the couch.

This phenomenon doesn’t exist when it comes to plasma televisions which gives it an advantage.  There are issues with burn-in when it comes to plasmas but if you decide to buy one, make sure you know how to properly break it in.