Consumers can do their homework by reading LCD TV reviews before a purchase decision, and many think that the final step is to go check out the model in store to verify the picture quality. However, this is one of the biggest mistakes that consumers make, when they assume that the set's picture will look just as good at home as it does in the store. This is an error that often leads to extreme disappointment.

The reason is that most retailers display televisions with picture-quality settings that are ideal for viewing under the fluorescent lighting of a typical in-store environment. Also, all of the pastel colors you see are adjusted to capitalize on the notion the a more vibrant picture means a better TV. In fact, a properly calibrated LCD TV may look rather dark at first glance, but what you lose in vividness you make up for in detail and energy-cost savings.