Americans spend more time watching television than any other activity besides work and sleep.

So why not spend it in front of a big one?

n Direct view TVs: Also known as conventional analog or traditional picture tube TVs. This is the type of television you’ve probably had for a long time, the one with cathode ray tube devices. These last a long time, sometimes more than 15 years. They’re relatively cheap and the screens range from 13 inches to 36 inches diagonal.

The problem with the bigger models is they have a large footprint. The depth of the TV can take up a lot of space. This can be a problem in small rooms.

These televisions can have regular screens that are curved and show glare on the sides sometimes. Or they can have flat screens – different from flat panels discussed below. Flat screens are a bit more expensive but have sharper pictures.

Price point:

32-inch sets start around $400.

36-inch sets start at $600.

n Projection TVs: Also known as rear-projection sets.

These can range from 45 inches to 73 inches. “They’re still the most popular big-screen TVs,” Brillati said.

The television works by projecting beams of light using lenses and a mirror, not tubes. They’re usually slimmer than standard televisions, and they’re generally cheaper than large direct-view TVs.

However, there are a couple of issues. First, sometimes the picture is dimmer than direct-view TVs and can be a problem in bright rooms.

Also, the brightness can decrease when you watch the screen at an angle, away from the spot directly in front of it. Projection televisions can have problems with convergence, too, meaning the beams get out of whack. That requires a repair.

In addition to standard rear projection sets, there are two other types that have better picture quality:

n Liquid Crystal Display Projection TVs: These cost more and usually are less bulky than conventional projection sets, but the picture’s contrast can be lower.

n Digital Light Processing Projection TVs: are more expensive than LCD Projection sets. But the pictures are sharper and the sets are much lighter. DLP is a technology developed by Texas Instruments. Brillati says these sets have become very popular, as they’re an affordable way to get high picture quality.

You can get a 61-inch DLP Projection set for under $4,000. These models require that you change a lightbulb every few years or so, depending on how much television you watch.

Price point: Projection TVs start at about $800. You can get a 65-inch rear projection set for as low as $2,000, and a 52-inch set for $800 to $900.

n LCD flat panels: Liquid Crystal Display flat panel televisions are only a few inches thick (thinner than the LCD Projection televisions mentioned above). Typically, these models can be really expensive. They use a white backlight and pixels to create the image. It’s the same technology you find in flat-panel computer monitors.

Price point: They start at about $600 for small 10-inch models, but jump to several thousand dollars.

n Plasma flat panels: Like LCD flat panels, these are thin, but they come in bigger sizes, up to 63 inches. These sets are mounted on walls, usually. People are attracted to these screens, but they can get quite expensive.

Price point: They start under $3,000 and go up to $13,000. A 50-inch set could run you $8,000 to $12,000.

Projectors (Front-projection televisions)

These come in two pieces, a separate screen and a projector that beams the image onto the screen. These allow for a true movie theater experience, with screen sizes from 70 inches to 120 inches.

But high costs and the fact that most folks don’t have rooms big enough for the screens make this a limited option for most.

Price point: They start at about $1,500 and go up from there.

Sources: Consumer Reports, Consumer Search, Plasma TV Buying Guide, checkbook.org, Best Buy.