Posts Tagged ‘electronics’
Plasma, LCD, projector, CRT? The choice of display technologies can be overwhelming for the un- or under-informed. Which TV should you next choose?
CHOOSING LCD
Slim and desirable, LCD screens are the new belles of the TV Ball. But they're not as perfect as you think...
Liquid Crystal Displays have been around for over 20 years, but have only recently become a reality in the TV market.
The reason for this is that their fundamental operation relies on crystals moving in a viscous liquid and, like wading in treacle, it's a very slow process. Early generation LCD panels simply could not switch pixels on and off fast enough to cope with a moving video image, and consequently remained in clock displays and PC monitors that were predominantly used for near-static images.
Thankfully, as the technology has developed, the pixel-switching time has dropped dramatically and, in the very best models, causes very little motion blur on moving images. This has opened the floodgates for LCD TVs right up to over 50 inches. However, unlike plasmas, price is no indication of quality.
Hot or Not?
LCD contrast ratio is generally poorer than any other TV technology as the backlight can leak through the "switched off" pixels. A potent backlight can lift the brightness figures, but colour is dependent on single block filtering, so the total range of colours and the colour saturation are also mediocre. The deep liquid crystal substrate means the picture integrity fades away as you move off axis, although the latest models claim a viewing angle up to 170 degrees. That said, manufacturer's specification sheets can read like Tolkien-scale fiction at times, so getting a demonstration of an LCD TV before you buy is essential.
So why is LCD currently the must-have technology? Not only are LCD TVs a super slim flat panel, they are much lighter in weight than plasma models, as the LCD itself is made from plastic rather than glass. Screen resolutions are HD-friendly on larger screen models and each pixel has a much better defined edge definition than the glowing phosphor dots of plasma or CRT - creating a very sharp image. LCD TVs do not suffer screen burn-in from constantly displaying static images, are silent in operation and, from an energy-saving perspective, use little electricity.
But the biggest key to LCD TV's rise has been falling prices. Each panel is cut out of a single large sheet of fully engineered LCD and each new manufacturing generation creates larger initial sheets. This reduces cost per unit and hence the street price.
LCD TV costs will continue to fall, the picture quality will continue to rise and, as features like digital tuners, memory card readers and wireless connectivity become mainstream, LCD TVs will dominate the 32 inch flat panel market.
As long as you make sure you are buying an HD-ready model and try before you buy, you can't go wrong.
If you are looking to buy a 15 LCD TV, unit then visit 15LCDTV.com for the biggest discounts and reviews on how to choose the best 15 Inch LCD TV sets.
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Toshiba HD-A3 720p/1080i HD DVD Player List Price: $149.99 Sale Price: $239.95  |
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10-5-2007 - TOSHIBA HD-A3 HIGH-DEFINITION DVD PLAYER |
Obviously you've upgraded to a true HD TV and the difference in picture quality is breath taking. The real problem is now in the quality of your DVD playback. It has somehow become less crisp than it used to be. Part of this is perception and part of it has to do with your player. Looking at an HD DVD might save you a little money and enhance your movie watching experience.
The advantages of an HD DVD player really boil down to two basic topics: convenience and quality. If you are looking for a solution that will make your DVDs play as nice as the HD channels you are receiving, forget it, you will never see that kind of quality out of a true DVD with anything that is out on the market now. However, HD DVD players offer something blu-ray does not: interchangeability.
There is no such thing as "true" HD picture with a standard DVD, though in most cases your old DVDs do play fine. This has more to do with the limits placed on the DVDs themselves; they just cannot compete for clarity and audio accuracy that true HD DVDs and Blu-ray discs can provide. So if you are thinking you'll get a better picture out of an HD DVD player using your old DVDs, the difference will be nominal.
HD DVD players use a blue laser. What this does for you as a consumer is shorten the load time and allow for a more compressed disc. That is to say a standard sized DVD will hold more digital content. That's how HD DVD is able to deliver a crisper picture in high def and its older cousins are not.
Another advantage for HD DVD players is simply that having one player that can play two formats saves you space. Otherwise you'd be losing space under your TV to yet another player. And no one wants to see that.
Another space saver comes from the fact that HD DVDs come in the same packaging as normal DVDs. This makes your movie shelf look more uniform and prevents you from having to store movies on different shelves. For those with OCD this helps some.
The players are readily available and relatively inexpensive compared to Blu-ray, so price is another factor. If given the option a lot of consumers would go for the cheaper solution to a problem and HD players for DVD are a viable one.
The real plus to it all is that you don't have to start over on your collection and you can keep one basic unit beneath your TV instead of two, three of four different boxes. For we older people who remember the Betamax/VHS wars if the early 80s there is the added comfort of knowing we don't have to completely switch formats again or hope we guessed which was going to become the standard.
Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on 7 Inch LCD TV which reviews and lists the best LCD TVs to help you pick the best one for your needs.
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LG BH200 Super Blu Blu-Ray HD DVD Combo Player List Price: $799.99 Sale Price: $1,499.00 |
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The Super Blu Player offers increased HDTV entertainment choices, because it can play 50 to 60 percent more high-def movie titles than either single-format player. With full networked interactivity available from selected HD DVDs, and the capability to handle networked "BD-Live" interactivity in forthcoming Blu-ray discs, it is the latest available technology that plays both disc formats... |