Post by dkennedy on May 3, 2006 4:02:30 GMT -5
How to pick a TV
Buy Smart: Plasma screens, Flat panels, High definition. With a dizzying array of choices, here are factors - from price to size - you need to know to decide which television is right for you.
May 2, 2006
By Kimberly S. Johnson, Denver Post
The future is here. And it's expensive and complicated.
But don't let the shock of buying a new television throw you. By keeping some basic principles in mind you can walk into that big-box electronics retailer ready to make a smart decision.
"It's not like buying your grandfather's TV anymore," says Jim Barry, spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. "It's a new digital age."
Manufacturers are constantly introducing new and improved sets. That makes it hard to pin down a perfect price, though for about $1,000 you should be able to buy at least a 42-inch high-definition TV, or HDTV, that will last a long time.
Barry says the first task is thinking about how you use your current TV and what you want do with a new set.
You also must consider the size of the room you plan to put your TV in. A 30-inch, flat-panel display might be big enough for a small room, or too small for a large family room.
The next TV you buy will most likely be digital. Manufacturers are phasing out analog sets, and the federal government has required all stations to switch to digital broadcasts by April 7, 2009. "The good news is digital takes out the ghosts and the snow," Barry says. Still, even a small set will cost more than $100.
Remember, not all digital TVs are high-definition, though all high-def TVs are digital. HD refers to the set's resolution and screen.
WORDS TO KNOW
Here are some key issues to be aware of when buying:
HDTV: There are HDTV monitors, or "HD-ready" sets, which means they can display HDTV through the use of an external tuner, such as a cable or satellite set-top box. These TVs are generally cheaper than Integrated HDTVs, which have the tuner built in.
RECEPTION: You don't need to have cable or satellite TV or a plasma or LCD set to watch HDTV channels. People who shun pay TV can watch local and network programs (KUSA-Channel 9 News or "Desperate Housewives") on any HD set by purchasing an off-air HD antenna, which costs about $50.
FLAT PANELS: A third fuzzy area for many buyers is what to look for in a flat-panel display. Flat panels are popular for their sleek, thin look. They come in plasma and LCD versions, though Barry says many shoppers incorrectly assume that all flat-screen TVs are plasmas.
PLASMA AND MORE: The smallest plasmas are no less than 37 inches, according to CNET.com's HDTV guide. The other most popular flat panel - LCD, or liquid crystal displays - use liquid crystals on a backlight within the set to illuminate and generate images. They're popular because they come in sizes smaller than 37 inches and can fit almost anywhere. You will also see flat-screen sets called DLP (Digital Light Processing), and LcoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon); all are fast replacing the traditional cathode-ray tube (CRT) sets. Some CRT sets, though, do come in high-def versions.
LIGHTING: Another consideration is the room's lighting. The type of HDTV you buy should be determined by the "daytime lighting in the room you'll be watching" TV in, says Philip Garvin, general manager and co-founder of HDNet, a Denver-based network consisting of all high-definition programs.
"If the room has a lot of daylight that can't be easily dimmed, then you should select a plasma type or direct-view LCD type of HDTV," he says. "If you can achieve modest dimming of daylight, a rear projection LCD or DLP (digital light processing TV) would work.
"Finally, if your viewing room is a mostly darkened room (such as a home theater) a front projection and CRT-type rear projection works fine."
SHOWROOM VS. HOME
Garvin adds that shoppers must carefully weigh the difference between showroom conditions and those at home.
"The lighting and position of the HDTV in the showroom dramatically affects the quality, and you can't reliably compare pictures," he said. You have to be "100 percent sure" that the pictures you're viewing on different HDTVs are coming from the identical source.
Content coming from a high- definition DVD will look far different than pictures coming in from a cable or satellite feed in the showroom.
Sometimes HDTVs require tweaking when you bring them home. If this is a concern, get the TV professionally installed. You might pay more, but you'll get the most from your set.
Your HDTV should support 780 progressively scanned lines (780p) or 1080 interlaced lines (1080i). HDNet's Garvin says full-resolution high-definition (1920x1080 lines of horizontal and vertical resolution) "is not expensive in CRT rear-projection types of HDTVs. But the same full resolution in plasma is very expensive."
He added you should always ask for the exact specifications. Don't accept terms such as "native" or "compatible."
"The higher the resolution," he said, "the better the picture."
HDTV is best viewed on a display 50 inches and larger.
One more tip: Sit close to your HDTV. The picture is "best viewed at a distance three times the picture height," Garvin said. "That's 6 to 7 feet away for a 50-inch display."
"This is somewhat counterintuitive, but ... there is so much more detail in the HDTV picture, so you need to sit close enough to see it," Garvin says. "Don't put a plasma on a distant wall or above the fireplace. Watching HDTV should be an engrossing experience."
A TV glossary
Discussing modern TVs can be like trying to learn Greek. Here are a few of the terms you'll encounter:
Plasma: The technology is complicated but essentially involves an electrically stimulated gas between two panels of glass. The sets can be as little as 3 inches thick and offer a wide viewing angle. They are expensive for their size, and there is a slight chance of burn-in of images that are left on the screen.
LCD: Liquid Crystal Display utilizes white light passed through tiny cells filled with liquid crystal. These TVs offer higher resolution than comparably sized plasmas and no danger of burn-in, and they come in flat panels. They are expensive in larger sizes and are sometimes difficult to watch from a side angle.
CRT: These are the old-fashioned cathode ray tubes we're all familiar with and come with the traditional curved screen or a flat screen. They are relatively inexpensive and still have the best picture quality in a proper environment with proper setup. However, they have large, deep cabinets; most cannot display computer signals; and they are being phased out by manufacturers
DLP: Digital Light Processing was developed by Texas Instruments and involves using small digitally controlled mirrors. These sets offer good black-level performance and no maintenance to preserve sharpness, and they are thinner and lighter than CRT sets. They need periodic lamp replacement.
Rear-projection: This is one of three ways an image is displayed on a television and can be used with the set types described above except the plasma screen. In brief, mirrors are used to fold light beams, taking a small image and projecting a larger image onto the screen.
What do you want to watch? How much do you have?
So your tax refund check has arrived and you're starting to eye those ads for TVs.
Here's a look at what you'll pay and what you'll get:
$300- $500 curved crt tubes: up to 36 inches flat crt tubes: up to 32 inches flat-panel lcd: up to 20 inches
$500- $750 flat tubes: up to 36 inches flat-panel lcd: up to 30 inches crt rear- projection: up to 46 inches
$750- $1,000 wide-screen hdtv tubes: 34 inches flat-panel lcd: up to 32 inches crt rear- projection: up to 51 inches dlp rear- projection: 43 inches
$1,000- $1,500 flat-panel lcd: up to 37 inches crt rear-projection: up to 61 inches lcd rear- projection: up to 60 inches dlp rear-projection: up to 56 inches plasma: up to 42 inches
$1,500- $3,000 flat-panel lcd: up to 42 inches crt rear-projection: up to 65 inches dlp and lcd rear projection: up to 62 inches plasma: up to 50 inches
Buy Smart: Plasma screens, Flat panels, High definition. With a dizzying array of choices, here are factors - from price to size - you need to know to decide which television is right for you.
May 2, 2006
By Kimberly S. Johnson, Denver Post
The future is here. And it's expensive and complicated.
But don't let the shock of buying a new television throw you. By keeping some basic principles in mind you can walk into that big-box electronics retailer ready to make a smart decision.
"It's not like buying your grandfather's TV anymore," says Jim Barry, spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. "It's a new digital age."
Manufacturers are constantly introducing new and improved sets. That makes it hard to pin down a perfect price, though for about $1,000 you should be able to buy at least a 42-inch high-definition TV, or HDTV, that will last a long time.
Barry says the first task is thinking about how you use your current TV and what you want do with a new set.
You also must consider the size of the room you plan to put your TV in. A 30-inch, flat-panel display might be big enough for a small room, or too small for a large family room.
The next TV you buy will most likely be digital. Manufacturers are phasing out analog sets, and the federal government has required all stations to switch to digital broadcasts by April 7, 2009. "The good news is digital takes out the ghosts and the snow," Barry says. Still, even a small set will cost more than $100.
Remember, not all digital TVs are high-definition, though all high-def TVs are digital. HD refers to the set's resolution and screen.
WORDS TO KNOW
Here are some key issues to be aware of when buying:
HDTV: There are HDTV monitors, or "HD-ready" sets, which means they can display HDTV through the use of an external tuner, such as a cable or satellite set-top box. These TVs are generally cheaper than Integrated HDTVs, which have the tuner built in.
RECEPTION: You don't need to have cable or satellite TV or a plasma or LCD set to watch HDTV channels. People who shun pay TV can watch local and network programs (KUSA-Channel 9 News or "Desperate Housewives") on any HD set by purchasing an off-air HD antenna, which costs about $50.
FLAT PANELS: A third fuzzy area for many buyers is what to look for in a flat-panel display. Flat panels are popular for their sleek, thin look. They come in plasma and LCD versions, though Barry says many shoppers incorrectly assume that all flat-screen TVs are plasmas.
PLASMA AND MORE: The smallest plasmas are no less than 37 inches, according to CNET.com's HDTV guide. The other most popular flat panel - LCD, or liquid crystal displays - use liquid crystals on a backlight within the set to illuminate and generate images. They're popular because they come in sizes smaller than 37 inches and can fit almost anywhere. You will also see flat-screen sets called DLP (Digital Light Processing), and LcoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon); all are fast replacing the traditional cathode-ray tube (CRT) sets. Some CRT sets, though, do come in high-def versions.
LIGHTING: Another consideration is the room's lighting. The type of HDTV you buy should be determined by the "daytime lighting in the room you'll be watching" TV in, says Philip Garvin, general manager and co-founder of HDNet, a Denver-based network consisting of all high-definition programs.
"If the room has a lot of daylight that can't be easily dimmed, then you should select a plasma type or direct-view LCD type of HDTV," he says. "If you can achieve modest dimming of daylight, a rear projection LCD or DLP (digital light processing TV) would work.
"Finally, if your viewing room is a mostly darkened room (such as a home theater) a front projection and CRT-type rear projection works fine."
SHOWROOM VS. HOME
Garvin adds that shoppers must carefully weigh the difference between showroom conditions and those at home.
"The lighting and position of the HDTV in the showroom dramatically affects the quality, and you can't reliably compare pictures," he said. You have to be "100 percent sure" that the pictures you're viewing on different HDTVs are coming from the identical source.
Content coming from a high- definition DVD will look far different than pictures coming in from a cable or satellite feed in the showroom.
Sometimes HDTVs require tweaking when you bring them home. If this is a concern, get the TV professionally installed. You might pay more, but you'll get the most from your set.
Your HDTV should support 780 progressively scanned lines (780p) or 1080 interlaced lines (1080i). HDNet's Garvin says full-resolution high-definition (1920x1080 lines of horizontal and vertical resolution) "is not expensive in CRT rear-projection types of HDTVs. But the same full resolution in plasma is very expensive."
He added you should always ask for the exact specifications. Don't accept terms such as "native" or "compatible."
"The higher the resolution," he said, "the better the picture."
HDTV is best viewed on a display 50 inches and larger.
One more tip: Sit close to your HDTV. The picture is "best viewed at a distance three times the picture height," Garvin said. "That's 6 to 7 feet away for a 50-inch display."
"This is somewhat counterintuitive, but ... there is so much more detail in the HDTV picture, so you need to sit close enough to see it," Garvin says. "Don't put a plasma on a distant wall or above the fireplace. Watching HDTV should be an engrossing experience."
A TV glossary
Discussing modern TVs can be like trying to learn Greek. Here are a few of the terms you'll encounter:
Plasma: The technology is complicated but essentially involves an electrically stimulated gas between two panels of glass. The sets can be as little as 3 inches thick and offer a wide viewing angle. They are expensive for their size, and there is a slight chance of burn-in of images that are left on the screen.
LCD: Liquid Crystal Display utilizes white light passed through tiny cells filled with liquid crystal. These TVs offer higher resolution than comparably sized plasmas and no danger of burn-in, and they come in flat panels. They are expensive in larger sizes and are sometimes difficult to watch from a side angle.
CRT: These are the old-fashioned cathode ray tubes we're all familiar with and come with the traditional curved screen or a flat screen. They are relatively inexpensive and still have the best picture quality in a proper environment with proper setup. However, they have large, deep cabinets; most cannot display computer signals; and they are being phased out by manufacturers
DLP: Digital Light Processing was developed by Texas Instruments and involves using small digitally controlled mirrors. These sets offer good black-level performance and no maintenance to preserve sharpness, and they are thinner and lighter than CRT sets. They need periodic lamp replacement.
Rear-projection: This is one of three ways an image is displayed on a television and can be used with the set types described above except the plasma screen. In brief, mirrors are used to fold light beams, taking a small image and projecting a larger image onto the screen.
What do you want to watch? How much do you have?
So your tax refund check has arrived and you're starting to eye those ads for TVs.
Here's a look at what you'll pay and what you'll get:
$300- $500 curved crt tubes: up to 36 inches flat crt tubes: up to 32 inches flat-panel lcd: up to 20 inches
$500- $750 flat tubes: up to 36 inches flat-panel lcd: up to 30 inches crt rear- projection: up to 46 inches
$750- $1,000 wide-screen hdtv tubes: 34 inches flat-panel lcd: up to 32 inches crt rear- projection: up to 51 inches dlp rear- projection: 43 inches
$1,000- $1,500 flat-panel lcd: up to 37 inches crt rear-projection: up to 61 inches lcd rear- projection: up to 60 inches dlp rear-projection: up to 56 inches plasma: up to 42 inches
$1,500- $3,000 flat-panel lcd: up to 42 inches crt rear-projection: up to 65 inches dlp and lcd rear projection: up to 62 inches plasma: up to 50 inches