PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – There are lots of sales on televisions ahead of the Super Bowl.

How do you know if the television that’s on sale now is going to be a great set in the long run?

Consumer Reports put a new slew of big screen televisions to the test to help you find one that really scores.

Consumer Reports’ television labs are lined with dozens of LCD and plasma sets.

Of course, there are ones that are 3D capable and plenty that are Internet-enabled.

Each television faced more than 10 tests.

One sized up picture quality at an angle in order to find out how far to the side you can sit and still get a good view.

“In general, plasmas don’t have a viewing angle issue, but it’s a mixed bag when it comes to LCDs,” Chris Andrade said.

Testers also evaluate black levels in different lights.  Even in bright light, LCD’s hold their black levels. However, on some plasmas, the image washes out.

Consumer Reports also evaluated sound quality.

As televisions got slimmer, sound quality suffered, but the latest tests show that audio is improving.

With more and more sets offering 3D as a feature, Consumer Reports created new test patterns to assess the quality of the 3D picture.

“Some of our top-rated sets are 3D, while providing you with excellent 2D picture quality. But, you’re going to pay more for a 3D set. However, those prices are dropping,” Andrade said.

When purchasing a television, Consumer Reports said people often buy a set that’s too small for their room.

For instance, if you sit eight to 10 feet away from your television, consider a 50 to 60-inch screen.

If a 60-inch set is a little too much for your budget, the Panasonic Viera comes in a 50-inch size.

It also rated very good in Consumer Reports’ tests and costs $800 dollars, which is $600 less than the 60-inch set.

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