Big screen TV
It used to be that buying a big screen TV was simply a matter of choosing what size and brand you wanted. Today there more sizes and brands than ever and a number of different technologies. LCD flat screen, plasma flat screen and DLP rear projection television sets are all available and have different strengths and weaknesses.
DLP Rear Projection TVs
DLP rear projection televisions actually contain a DLP projector and a screen. Although much smaller than the old CRT projection television sets, they are typically too thick for wall mounting. They also have a bulb that will need replacement after, typically, 2,000 to 3,000 hours. In exchange for these trade-offs, they offer picture quality and color fidelity that can equal or exceed a plasma television. They also do not suffer from burn-in. To get an idea of how good DLP technology is, bear in mind that if you have seen a digitally projected movie at a theater, it was projected through DLP.
Plasma Flat Screen TVs
These sets were the first flat screen TVs available for home use. Like an LCD screen, they are wall-mountable, although they tend to be both thicker and heavier. Early plasma sets suffered from the same "burn-in" problems that plagued old CRT television sets, although newer sets are much less prone to this problem. The key benefit of this technology is in the picture quality that it offers. Plasma sets offer a degree of color accuracy that LCD television sets cannot match while also offering brilliant whites and dark, inky, blacks. They also offer the widest possible viewing angle, making them a good choice for a room in which viewers will not all be located directly in front of the screen.
LCD Flat Screen TVs
LCD flat screens are the thinnest, lightest choice. If you want a set that is easy to integrate into your living room, they are the best option. That being said, they present some compromises in image quality. Although LCD technology has come a long way, it typically cannot match the color fidelity or contrast of a plasma or DLP set. In addition, LCD screens are less viewable from extremely off-axis angles than are the other types.
LED TVs
There are a number of LED television sets making their way into stores. These are in fact LCD flat screen TVs but use LEDs instead of florescent tubes. Edge-lit LED televisions have the benefit of being extremely thin. Other LED TVs improve contrast ratio through variable backlighting. What this means is that the LEDs behind the light part of the image will remain on at full power while those behind the dark parts of the image will remain dim, increasing contrast. These LED TVs go a long way to alleviate some of the image quality considerations of LCD panels.
Resolution
Although 720p sets are becoming rarer among big screens, at the smaller end of the big screen range, they are still available. Although most people want a 1080p set, if you have budget constraints, consider a 720p set. Many people cannot see the difference between 1080p and 720p at normal viewing distances on smaller sets. Because of this, a good quality 720p panel can frequently provide better image quality than a relatively cheap 1080p set.
Brand and Quality
There are significant differences between sets within the same size, resolution and technology class. Even if you do not care about the appearance of the case, style of the remote or number of additional features, certain televisions will simply look better than others. This is especially obvious with LCD television sets. Because of this, you should comparison shop different sets carefully and buy from a store that will allow you to return a TV that does not look as good in your home as it did in the showroom.
Tags: television sets, flat screen, image quality, They also, Because this