NBC NEWS - Superbowl Sunday is just a few weeks away you may be thinking about a new big screen TV.

Most people have one or are in the market for one, and if you are looking to buy, you should know that big screens are not created equal when it comes to power use.

Energy expert Danny Parker says your choice can make a dent in your budget.

"If you are looking for energy efficiency, the LCD technology is going to do better," he explained.  "The brighter the picture on a plasma television, the more power it will use."

To prove his point, the wattage used by a 42-inch plasma was compared to a 42-inch LCD, both showing the same picture.

"This is the energy use of the plasma television at 370 watts versus 214 watts for the LCD.  You save 50 bucks a year for the television itself with the influence of the air conditioning on the house that ends up being $75.  $1100 dollars over the life of the television for making that choice," Parker said.

The larger LCD model would save you about $150 in electricity a year.

That's an estimated $2,250 over the life of the TV.