How To Choose Your Next TV

John Holmes — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:05:46 +0000

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.

Which Home Theater Screen to Choose From?

Dave — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:03:24 +0000

Which Home Theater Screen?

True LCD HDTV, Plasma or one of the rear projections HDTVs. Rear projections come in (DLP) digital light processing or (LCD) Liquid crystal display and the oldest technology (CRT) cathode ray tube rear projection system. True LCD and Plasma offer the very thin screens and provide the highest quality pictures. With better viewing angles brighter screens very clear and sharp pictures. The DLP and LCD projections HDTVs are the less costly models but many provide some very good picture quality.

Take Your Time Selecting a Rear Projection HDTV

After choosing your rear projection HDTV, sound system, and of course the perfect snacks, remember, no movie is fun to watch if you have to deal with a bad picture. It's better to take your time and pick the right screen, than end up with blurry, distorted movies.

DLP Rear Projection Advantages

The DLP rear projection HDTV is offered in much larger sizes at substantially lower costs.

Go for Plasma or True LCD

Save yourself the hassle of trying to select a projection screen with the right quality picture and brightness you desire. Go straight for the Plasma or true LCD HDTVs first! They are very versatile components in your home theater system because they are so thin. The overall look of your home theater space will be enhanced since you could mount it on a wall making it more like what the movie theaters do with their screens. You could also mount it on your cabinet to enhance your furniture.

Plasma Screen Advantages

Plasma screen offers longer life by lasting 50 to 70,000 hours they are found to be 2 to 3 times brighter than an regular TV. They have a viewing angle of up to 180 degrees with no loss of picture quality. The cost much less to operate over time because there is no virtually no maintenance costs. Plasma colors tend to be more natural and accurate. The Plasma takes up much less real estate because of the thin panel takes up very little space.

LCD HDTV Advantages

LCD HDTV has a very long life span of 30 to 50,000 hours of run time peak performance at 20 to 30,000 hours. They are also very thin not taking up very much real estate making them very easy to place.

Selecting the Right Size Screen

There are many different needs to consider when buying a home theater screen. You need to consider your budget how much money you have, wall space, and especially screen size. A screen that is too big makes it difficult to focus on what's going on, meaning you could possibly miss an important moment in the movie. The same kind of problem if the screen is too small should be considered.