With football season here, maybe you’re eyeing your old televisions and considering new sets. Before you buy, learn about the latest developments in television technology. Your choices aren’t limited to LCD and plasma. A slew of new technologies are hitting the market:

LED TVs

Sharp, Samsung, LG and Toshiba all make LED TVs. These are really LCD sets. However, they use light-emitting diodes for backlights. Other LCDs use cold compact fluorescent lamps.

LED backlights provide clearer, crisper images with better contrast. For an even better picture, look for one with local dimming.

Local dimming turns off the backlight in dark areas of the screen. The result is black blacks and excellent contrast.

LED TVs cost more than traditional LCDs. Expect to pay a $400 premium. For example, Samsung’s 32-inch UN32B6000 runs $1,500. The comparable LN32B650 runs $1,100.

But a LED TV may save you in the long-term. LED backlights use less power than CCFLs.

OLED TVs