What in the HD World?

The Super Bowl supplies the perfect opportunity to convince your significant other to finally get that new TV that you have been eyeing at the big box store.

Unlike my Black Friday Buying Guide, I'm suggesting that your most important purchasing factor is screen size.

Come on, this is the Super Bowl! Picture quality definitely takes the back seat to screen size for this gigantic clash of the titans.

In fact, if sports - whether it's football or futbol, ice hockey or ice dancing, basketball or baseball - are your must-see TV events, then the bigger the TV, the better.

How big? That depends on a number of considerations. For most of us 99 percenters, the amount of our bank account puts a crimp on our stadium-sized fantasies.

As you are weighing your options, you may believe that the difference between screen sizes is not that big, but a 10-inch reduction, (for example from 60 inches to 50), makes a noticeable shrinkage in the screen area measured in square inches. Here's a visual comparison with approximate area sizes.

Comparison of Different Screen Sizes
Click to Enlarge

Let me add a couple of other observations that I have experienced when reviewing TVs. First, it's surprising how quickly you get used to watching a bigger screen. And secondly, I have never watched TV and thought to myself, "I wish the screen were smaller."

One other note, the prices quoted here are ones that were found while cruising online retailers. They could vanish in an instant or you may find better deals if you dig. Also, I am concentrating on 1080p LED LCD TVs because they dominate the larger screen sizes.

If you are well-endowed, Sharp makes the largest consumer LED TV, the 90-inch LC-90LE657U, which is currently selling at $8000 (reduced from $11,000) on the Sharp website.

90-inch Sharp LC-90LE657 HDTV, $8,000 (on sale)

And if you are wondering if that 90-inch TV will fit on your wall or TV stand, here are the dimensions for the Sharp LC-90LE657.

If you drop down to the more petite 80-inch size, Sharp has four models, starting at $5500. The least expensive is the LC-80C6500U priced at $2900 (reduced from $4000). Considering that an 80-inch TV is four times the screen size of a 40-inch TV, a tag under $3000 is remarkable.

The competition heats up at 80 inches, with VIZIO entering the fray with their top of the line model M801D-A3 selling for about $3700.

Samsung throws their hat in the ring at 75 inches. Right now, their best deal is on their 75-inch LED 6400 HDTV at $3500 (chopped $2500 from $6000).

The pixels really begin to glow at 70 inches. Sony's entry, the KDL-70R550A, is reduced to $2300.

70-inch Sony-KDL-70R550A HDTV

Sharp is offering eight models, starting at a sale price of $3300 for the LC-70LE857U down to the LC-70LE550U at $1600.

I'm finding VIZIO's 70-inch M-Series M701D-A3 on sale under $2000 and the E-Series E701I-A3 for $1500.

Before I pause for some details, let's add the 60-inch category. (There are a few 65-inch models but that size has been usurped by the 70-inch TVs - yes, 70 is the new 65.)

By the time we reach 60 inches, all of the major TV brands in the U.S. (LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, and VIZIO) offer models in one or another of these larger sizes. (Granted, Toshiba's two options are a bit short at 58 inches. The less expensive 58L4300U is on sale for $1300.)

58-inch Toshiba 58L4300U HDTV

And you can still find Panasonic's 60-inch DT60 for around $1800.

But what pricks up a bargain hunter's ears is that even though many 60-inch TVs cost well over $1500, you can discover some for under $1000. For example, Sharp has slashed the prices of the LC-60LE650U ($950), the LC-60LE550U ($900) and the LC60LE452U ($750). At those prices, 60-inch has definitely become the new 55, if not 50-inch.

Perhaps not surprisingly, VIZIO's 60-inch E601I-A3 currently is down to $800.

Let's catch our breaths and put a little perspective on these prices. For some context, let's look at Sharp's offerings at 60 inches. They make 10 models ranging in suggested retail price from $2200 (LC-60LE757U) to about $1000 (LC-60LE452U).

As you can imagine, the costlier models offer more features like Internet connectivity (Smart TV) and better display technology like faster refresh rates (240 Hz instead of 120 Hz) or local dimming.

If you are not familiar with terms like those, I recommend that you read our HDTV Buying Guide for a refresher course on all the details. And then when you research individual models, you will know what is important to you.

I have left out two major categories in this overview, 4K Ultra HD TVs and OLED TVs. A few of the 2013 models of Ultra HD TVs definitely fall within the super-size category with an equally large price tag.

84-inch LG 84LM9600 Ultra HD TV, $17,000

Don't get me wrong, I love these 4K TVs and I believe they are the future. But the major brands charge a premium. Though by the end of this year, I think the prices will be much more approachable. Even now, the tags on many of the 65 and 55-inch models have been lowered to tempting levels.

55-inch Samsung F9000 Ultra HD TV, $3,000 reduced from $5,500

OLED TVs command an even higher premium, even for the 1080p models. But if you have the cash, their picture quality is superb. Though, I would wait until the 2014 models emerge later this year.

Finally, I'm still a big fan of the picture quality of plasma TVs, but I don't know of any larger than 65 inches, which I realize is not a tiny screen size.

Deals can definitely be found for plasmas, especially in the 50 to 60-inch sizes. For example, I am seeing the Samsung 60-inch PN60F5300 plasma for $850.

Panasonic is exiting the plasma TV market, but their 2013 models are worth considering, like the 60-inch TC-P60S60 on sale for about $1150.

60-inch Panasonic-TC-P60S60 HD TV, $1,150 reduced from $1,300

You should even be able to unearth under $500 deals on 50-inch plasma TVs, a dimension I now deem on the pint-sized end of this Go Big theme.

And don't forget to super-size your TV's audio with at least a sound bar, especially one with a subwoofer, if not a full blown 5.1 surround sound system.

Happy hunting.

Go Russell Manning and the Denver Seahawks! How's that for bipartisanship?

Next up is my rumination on Ultra HD TVs.

Stay tuned.