Friday, 23 April 2010
LCD TV buying guide
If you’re considering buying a new flatscreen television, chances are you’re weighing up between an LCD TV and a plasma TV. Hopefully this guide to buying an LCD TV can help.
LCD TV technology
LCD TVs consist of liquid crystal cells spread between the two thin glass panels of the television plus a lamp behind the screen. TFTs supply electricity to the cells, which allows the crystals to twist and filter white light from the lamp. This twisting action prevents burn-in or ghosting on-screen, which is often seen with plasma TVs. LCD TVs render colour by blocking certain wavelengths from the white light.
The higher the voltage of the light used in the LCD TV, the more effectively the cells are able to filter the light. Hence higher voltages are required to produce very rich blacks and brilliant whites. This is measured by something called a contrast ratio. The higher the contrast ratio, the better blacks and whites will appear on-screen.
LCD TV screen size and space considerations
LCD TVs are generally available in smaller sizes than plasma TVs, given that it’s hard to produce a quality larger screen using liquid crystals. While this is improving, a general rule of thumb is to consider LCD TVs for screens under 50-inches and plasma TVs for those over 50-inches.
You should also consider the space in which you’re going to be installing your new TV. Bigger is not always better, especially in a smaller space. A large television can overwhelm its surroundings and can be uncomfortable to watch if you don’t have to room to sit at an appropriate distance.
LCD TVs have also been hampered by narrower viewing angles in the past, so if your living room viewing area extends out to the sides, viewers sitting closer to the side may have trouble viewing.
LCD TV response time
Another figure you will see quoted in your quest for a new LCD TV is response time, measured in milliseconds (ms). A lower response time is considered better as a higher response time will cause fast-moving images to blur slightly.
LCD TV and HDTV
Just because you see the term “HD” or “high-definition” used somewhere in connection with an LCD TV, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting full high-definition. To be sure of what you’re getting, check the native resolution of the screen, which refers to the number of pixels that can fit on the screen. True HD is defined as 1920×1080 pixels, which also appears as 1080p and Full HD. However other resolutions are also classified as being high-definition, including 1366×768 and 120×720 (also known as 720p).
To the untrained eye, these lower forms of high-definition won’t prove much different to view than Full HD screens. And don’t forget, there’s no point having a high-definition TV unless you have a high-definition source to feed it, such as a Blu-ray player or HD broadcast.
Best LCD TVs
While there are many manufacturers of LCD TVs around today, several are considered to be leaders in the field. The Sony Bravia range of LCD TVs is well regarded, as are Sharp and Samsung LCD TVs. Pictured here is one of the Sony Bravia EX600 Series LCD TVS.
