Posts Tagged ‘Home Entertainment’
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.
by Adrian Fletcher
Why Go Wireless
When installing a home theater system, probably the most common headache is dealing with all the wires that go all over the place. You are left with a tangle of wires that makes the room look ugly at the very least. At worst, a tangle of wires can be a hazard and the cause of accidents. This problem is part of the inspiration behind the wireless home theater system. A wireless home theater is ideal for coping with this problem as it means using fewer wires without impairing the function of the system.
Wireless technology has paved the way for wireless systems which are very fast, much cheaper and easier to use. With this said, the term wireless as it pertains to home theater systems does not really mean completely wireless just less wires than a non-wireless system. However, it is still a vast improvement over the bulky wires of non-wireless systems that are very hard to manage. Certainly hiding them won't be a very easy job, unless of course, you hire a professional to do the work for you.
The Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Solutions
The inventions of the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies that we use so regularly on our cell phones and laptops has made great possibilities for wireless home theater systems. These technologies will help cut down on the clutter that sometimes happens with our home theater systems. The good way to use those two technologies is to use them as media players.
The wireless home theater system in its truest sense is yet to come. Manufacturers of these products are still striving to design a system which will be financially appealing to the mass market and yet lucrative to produce. As with any new technology, if completely wireless home theater were to be available today, only a few people would be able to afford this piece of technology.
Today, wireless home theater systems are an easy, attractive option. The reduced number of wires and clutter makes the whole process much less painful and messy. Quality is similar enough so that there is very little to no difference in sound for the average person's range of hearing.
Remember Safety
When installing a home theater system, dealing with the tangle of wires is a problem that takes plenty of reading of the manual and a bit of head scratching. It can even be a safety hazard once installed as it may start a fire. A wireless home theater is the solution to this problem.
One point to mention is that manufacturers of wireless home entertainment systems still have problems with interference from other electronics devices. Think of the mobile phone for example. The challenge for manufacturers is to ensure that other wireless equipment present in the household does not interfere and cause problems. Ramping up amplification may help, but the cost would be prohibitive at this junction.
About the Author:
Learn more about Home cinemas, including home movie theater ideas at http://hometheatercomponents.net.
Panasonic - SC-ZT2 Full HD 3D Wireless Home Theater | US $799.00 End Date: Saturday Aug-28-2010 13:26:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $799.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
ALTEC LANSING PT8051 WIRELESS HOME THEATER SYSTEM NEW
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Brand New Paramax Home Theater System (wireless)
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ALTEC LANSING PT8051 WIRELESS HOME THEATER SYSTEM NEW
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ALTEC LANSING PT8051 WIRELESS HOME THEATER SYSTEM
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