Countertop TV: Make the Right LCD Choice

Whenever I watch one of those home renovation shows, I'm always fascinated to see the number of families who seem to require a television in every room of their homes. There’s the portable on the kitchen counter (or on the kitchen table itself), or the small TV on the bathroom vanity. There are even those guys who keep a TV in their garage for company while they tinker.

Whether or not watching that much TV is a good thing is another debate. I’m just going to argue that it’s time to start replacing those second and third TVs with flat-screen LCD models. They’ll look ever so much better with the décor. If you've avoided flat-screen TVs in the past because of their stratospheric prices, it's time look again. Prices keep plunging, and in the 15-inch and smaller range, which is what you'll want on the kitchen counter or in the bathroom, prices are totally acceptable. I set a price point of $250 at Yahoo! Tech's TV product guide and got back 55 models to examine.

Here are three in my consideration set. I've always been particularly fond of the cutting-edge design of Sharp's AQUOS product family. Sharp pioneered this market, and their TVs are perennial award winners. You can go really small with the 13-inch Sharp AQUOS LC-13B8U-S and expect to pay around $225. Sharp has a full range of AQUOS models. Compare and contrast before you buy to find the perfect one for your space.

The Philips 15PF5120 is also worth looking at. It can double as a computer monitor as needed and is HD ready.

Samsung is another low-cost LCD leader, with models from tiny to humungous. In this size range, the LTN1535 is a good choice. It has an especially wide 170-degree viewing angle (which means you can see the image even if you're sitting far off to the side) and its side-mounted speakers are top notch.

Although a small LCD TV is precisely the kind of product that you should research and buy online, it's worth a quick trip to your local electronics superstore to see a few models in person, if only to check out the remote and the TV controls. Take it from one who has learned the hard way. I've been wrestling with the remote for my new Panasonic LCD TV for months, and I still can't seem to figure out the buttons!