October 21, 2007
Big Screen TV Entertainment Centers
It's no big secret that we all enjoy quality entertainment. Whether it's a television serious or a film, most of us can't seem to get enough. This is exactly why an awesome TV is in order. Obviously millions of families have already invested in big screen tv entertainment centers. And why shouldn't they? You can acquire one for a reasonable price these days. A large flat panel LCD screen may have cost nine grand when it was released, but that's no longer the case. These dazzling entertainment centers are much more affordable now. Some folks are even finding big screen tv entertainment centers for under a grand. You can't beat that!
Let's examine the reasons why you'd consider big screen tv entertainment centers for your home. First of all, you probably watch at least one show and/or film on a daily basis. Since you already have this routine, why not make it more enjoyable with a 50 inch plasma? Secondly, and this is a major one; we all need big screen tv entertainment centers in order to achieve the movie theater experience. Come on; you know it would be awesome to attain that movie theater picture and sound in the privacy of your own home. That Friday night movie with the family is so much more fun this way. But that's not my point. I'm addressing the cost of theater prices. Who in the heck wants to pay them anymore? They just continue to rise. And don't even get me started on the concessions. So if you can grasp that movie theater experience in the comfort of your living room, you just might dismiss the local theater altogether. Now that's a major way to save some dough. I know every time I took my wife and daughter to the movies, it would run me 40 bucks or more. That's crazy!
A good starting point for big screen tv entertainment centers is the web. Store like Best Buy and Circuit City have plenty to offer. Furthermore their deals are especially low these days on big screen tv entertainment centers due to Wal-Mart. Yes, I did say Wal-Mart. Ever since Wal-Mart dropped their electronics prices so low, all competitors have had to take the plunge in order to compete. This is not good for them in any way, but it will benefit you in getting a nice flat panel television with pristine clarity and color.
Posted by HDTV at 04:02 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2006
A New Breed of Televisions for HDTV
HDTV, also known as high definition television is becoming more popular because it offers viewers a clearer picture, better sound, progressive scanning and a wider viewing screen. Wide-screen televisions sets are a top choice for consumers looking to set up a home theater system, too. When shopping for a new HDTV set, the choices and options can be perplexing. There are many different types of HDTV sets available. There is definitely a new breed of televisions for HDTV.
Most HDTV sets that are available for sale are big screen and they are generally expensive. Smaller-screened televisions with digital capabilities are slated to hit the market in 2007. It is estimated that only about 30 million televisions in the United States have digital tuners, out of the several hundred million sets already installed in homes.
Choosing a high definition television can be confusing. When shopping for a new HDTV, do research and understand the product. It is recommend that you shop around and ask lots of questions before purchasing. HDTV set ups can be costly. Larger sets can run in the thousands of dollars just for the television. Most HDTV sets that are available for sale are big screen and they are generally expensive. Smaller-screened televisions with digital capabilities are slated to hit the market in 2007.
There are three types of digital television signals that currently broadcast. They are SD for standard definition, ED for enhanced definition and HD for high definitions. The SD and ED signals can be broadcast with a traditional square screen or in a movie-like wide-screen with reduced picture quality. HD signals however, are all wide-screen, which makes the picture crisper and clearer.
When looking at HDTV sets, there are many sizes and styles to choose from. LCD microdisplays are probably the most popular of the HDTV sets. It is a rear projector that uses three small LCD panels. Each panel is less than one inch diagonal and has the capability to produce high definition wide screen images up to 70 inches. The LCD panels are made up of a grid of transistors that create a pixel structure. When the transistors are charged, tiny rotating crystals suspend n a liquid inside the panel. The crystals are like tiny shutters that control the amount of light that passes through each panel. The light is reflected on a mirror and through a projection screen, which creates the full color high definition picture.
The choices for HDTV are staggering. Consumers can purchase plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display), DLP (digital light processing) or LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon), which are all types of monitors. There are also projection displays to consider. They also come in LCD, DLP, and LCOS. Many viewers prefer the wall display monitor that either plasma or LCD offers. But, these are usually most expensive of the high definition sets, especially the ones that are sized between 40 to 70 inches. Lower on the cost spectrum, but equally good, are the LCD displays that are sized at 42 inches and under.
There are great benefits of using high definition television. HDTV has over twice the sharpness and clarity of analog TV broadcasts. The color resolution for HDTV sets is far superior. For consumers who have already made the switch to HDTV, they feel this is the biggest advantage of high definition.
The lack of imperfections in the television screen often seen on traditional television is another reason why many prefer high definition to analog. With HDTV, problems such as snow caused from a weak signal, double images from ghosting or multi-path and picture sparkles from impulse noise are a thing of the past. These problems often seen on a conventional television broadcast just do not occur on HDTV.
Screen resolution from a high definition TV broadcast is almost five times as sharp as conventional broadcasts. High definition has double the lines of resolution compared to a traditional analog TV set. While a traditional analog set can only display 525 lines of resolution, HDTV technology takes this one step farther. HDTV broadcasts can display 1080 horizontal lines of resolution. This makes a huge difference in the picture clarity and quality. Often with big screen analog broadcasts, the picture is severely degraded because of the resolution lines.
Posted by HDTV at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2006
HDTV and Your PC
Several companies have long been promising the convergence of the PC and the TV. Their promises are finally becoming a practical reality. While mostly the younger set will want to watch movies on their PC, the prospect of connecting the two and sharing content is potentially attractive to anyone.
PC monitors and TVs traditionally projected images in entirely different ways. But as digital broadcasting, DVD and other media grew the differences diminished. Though there remain many dissimilarities under the covers, it's much easier now to mask those.
Several TV networks now offer a variety of popular TV shows as downloads over the Internet. Disney, for example, provides some content exclusively found on the web and it's free. Other producers have made arrangements for episodes to be available the day after TV broadcast, sometimes for a subscription fee.
Finally, with the advent of large screen LCD and plasma panels, the differences between a TV and a computer monitor have been reduced in some cases to how the unit is connected and what software drives the display.
Most HDTV panels have one or more methods for connecting to your PC.
Some have RGB (red-green-blue) connectors of the type familiar to anyone who has hooked up a stereo. Cables run from the front or back of the TV into either the VGA connector on your PC's graphic card or into a similar connector on a HDTV card.
Another method involves connecting a VGA-to-component cable between the PC and the HDTV's component ports. In that setup the graphics card in the PC usually goes to a standard monitor, with a HDTV card providing the interface between the PC and your HDTV.
Either setup allows viewers to display digital photos or video on the HDTV. But there's more. To expand on that capability a card, such as ATI's HDTV card, can be used to receive over-the-air HDTV broadcasts.
Most homeowners have cable or satellite, but broadcasters still do what their name suggests: broadcast TV over the air. As time goes on, more and more of that content is in the form of high definition TV. Several popular shows, and many sports events, are now regularly shown in HD format.
Installing the ATI HDTV Wonder card and connecting it to your HDTV is simple and relatively inexpensive. The card retails for around $120. The limitation is you can only receive and display over-the-air material. The card is NOT a method for bypassing the cable or satellite companies' pay-for-play offerings.
More expensive, but more full-featured, options are available. For example, NEC has recently announced their ValueStar product. Combining a HDTV, a DVR (digital video recorder, ala Tivo) and a PC in one, it retails for about $2,800.
Lastly, several of the newer HDTV sets, as well as the new HD players (HD-DVD or Blu-ray) have an in-built Ethernet connector. Currently, its use is primarily for firmware upgrades to the TV or player, but that's likely to change over the next two years. Several vendors are promising movies and more shuttled between the PC and the HDTV, to the point that the distinction - after all these years - may finally, truly, disappear.
Posted by HDTV at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2006
HDTV - I Want My HDTV!
For years (or decades, depending on where you start), consumers have been asking, 'Where is it?' about HDTV.
Sets that cost thousands of dollars were never going to be adopted by the mass market. Even if you popped for the price tag, the number of sources was minuscule. Unfortunately, also for several years, the industry (or in this case industries, since several are involved), were faced with a dilemma.
Manufacturers could, without too much difficulty, produce large quantities of equipment - TV sets, players and recorders, camcorders, etc. But if there was no hope of adequate content to take advantage of them, they wouldn't make the investment.
Content producers - filmmakers and studios, TV broadcasters, etc - were not going to go to the expense and trouble to create HD content until there was a large enough audience to buy or watch.
In the mix were the government bodies (the U.S. FCC, the UK Radio Authority, etc) who were either making the situation impossible or trying to arbitrate an impossible situation, depending on your point of view.
Fortunately for all concerned, many of those hurdles have now been overcome and all systems appear to be go for lift-off on the long-awaited superior pictures and sound.
As of July 1, 2006 (in the U.S.), all new 25" or larger sets are required to have digital tuners, or at least be DTV-ready. (By March 1, 2007 the figure reduces to all 13" or larger sets.) Finally, February 17, 2009 has been selected for the cutoff date for analog broadcasts. After that date, you'll either need a digital TV or a converter to receive broadcasts.
At the same time, as both cause and consequence, HDTV sets are coming down in price to the mass-market range, and headed further south. Some good quality, large-screen sets are now available for under $2,000. That seems high by today's standards, but less than 10 years ago an ordinary 36" Sony - twice the weight and several times the bulk - used to cost that.
HD (high definition) broadcasts are becoming more common. Where only a few years ago there were one or two special broadcasts, there are now several regular programs shown weekly in HD format.
And, as often happens, the player/recorder market is now ramping up release for HD equipment. Though saddled with two different formats - HD-DVD and Blu-ray - the new player/recorders have arrived.
Content for either HD-DVD or Blu-ray (primarily in the form of Hollywood movies) is thin, but so were DVDs not too many years ago. Now, there is only a small percentage of classic films that are NOT available for DVD, and nearly every new release is available a few months after theatrical runs.
Already a dozen films are available in the high definition format. With all the major studios committed to one or both formats, it won't be more than a few years before most films are released that way. Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray format players will play ordinary DVDs.
So for those who have long been clamoring for crystal clear pictures and stereo sound, it's now time to start looking at those big, flat-screen sets. You can now have your HDTV.
Posted by HDTV at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)
June 09, 2006
HDTV Signals
HDTV - What's All The (Signal to) Noise About? - The Signals
Discussions of HDTV focus mostly on the receiver, which is natural since that's the most visible part. But that receiver has to have something to receive.
HDTV sets display 1080 lines of pixels (small, colored rectangles composing the screen), about twice the traditional number. And the screens themselves typically have a 16:9 aspect ratio rather than the standard 4:3. That means, even though the dimensions of the sets vary, the ratio of width to height is always 16 to 9 vs 4 to 3 for standard sets.
Behind the scenes, so to speak, other technology is at work.
Traditional TV signals were broadcast in analog fashion. Avoiding some complicated physics, that just means the radio waves composing TV signals are wiggled (modulated) in different ways. Those modulations make variations that the set's electronics can process into moving images that look like people, horses, etc. No variation, no moving image.
Digital signals, by contrast, make those changes by varying the pattern of 1's and 0's that form every kind of digital source (DVDs, TV, MP3, etc).
Whether the signal is delivered over the air via satellite transmitters and receivers, via cable or even into your PC or TV via DVD player or over the Internet the basic idea is the same. Make a changing pattern of 1's and 0's and translate that into a series of moving images to create the illusion of real people riding real horses.
There are several advantages (and a few hurdles) to using that method.
One advantage just hinted at is the ability to transmit movies to PCs. That's becoming ever more popular since, among other things, it enables people to see more kinds of content on their PC - such as movies from a library on a pay-per-view basis. People aged 16-24 throughout the world now spend more time on a PC than they do watching TV.
Another is the ability to deliver not just better quality images, but vastly better sound. Though it's long been possible to hook up your TV to your stereo, the sound broadcast wasn't always worth the effort. Now Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is commonly broadcast along with standard HDTV video signals, making the investment in a full home entertainment center much more attractive.
Digital broadcasts will, in the long run, lower broadcasters costs. Currently, they're supporting two different technologies. That eats into revenue that could be used elsewhere. Converting to digital-only broadcasts (currently scheduled for 2009) enables them to invest more in programming content and other things consumers want.
Digital broadcasts make it much more feasible to eliminate different kinds of interference. Though with cable and DVD many of the older problems with TV are history, such as snowy or rolling pictures, digital broadcasts eliminate even more sources of trouble. And, of course, last but not least, high-definition digital broadcasts allow sending signals with much more 'information', feeding those HDTV sets that can display those impressive pictures of people riding horses.
Posted by HDTV at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2006
HDTV - Samsung's Line
Samsung is at the pinnacle of home electronics and their line of HDTVs is no exception.
Like most manufacturers the plasma models tend to be more expensive than either LCD or DLP, but prices in all three lines are dropping. That trend is expected to continue for at least another year. Offsetting those price drops are an emphasis on larger screens and higher resolutions. Several 42" plasmas are still available and can - theoretically - display 549 billion colors. 'Theoretically' since the human visual system can't discern that many differences anyway.
The 42" HP-S4253 plasma, for example, sports a 10000:1 contrast ratio. In general, higher is better - though, here again there's a limit to what humans can perceive. Any set within the range of 4000:1 to 10000:1 is likely to offer very black blacks and vivid, realistic colors.
Most of the differences among plasmas, like other types, is size and price but some carry extras. The 50" HP-R5072, for example, comes with an in-built card that (in some cases) makes an external cable box unnecessary.
There are a dozen different models to choose from, ranging from 42" to 63" with several 42" models available. Differences lie mostly in the small details. Some have more input/output slots and ports, some have PC card slots or SD slots, others have more speakers than another. Several offer hidden speakers.
The LCD line is a good option for those wanting to spend a little less and willing to accept a 'smaller' screen in exchange. Sizes range from 32" to 46", with the smallest considered small only in the past few years.
The 46" LN-S4692D offers a great viewing angle, 178 degrees, in a flat-panel display on a swivel stand. Contrast ratio is very good at 5000:1.
Even the smaller 40" LN-S4051D would be enjoyed by gamers using an Xbox. At a contrast ratio of 4000:1 with 8 ms response times, blacks will be great and motion blur undetectable for most content, whether game or TV.
Like any LCD it's important to view from the proper distance. For this size, seven feet would be the minimum recommended.
Whatever size you choose, be sure the model includes a HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and component ports. Without it, you may be frustrated by the poor picture quality from your DVD player. With it, even 480p DVDs can display an impressive picture quality.
Samsung has a variety of DLP style TVs, ranging from as 'small' as the 50" HL-S5065 to the enormous 71" HL-R7178W. All offer excellent picture quality, though some reviews question Samsung's reliability.
The 71" HL-7178 sports a digital cable ready card and supports 1080p video, which no current Panasonic model does. Even the smaller 56" HL-S5688W offers a great 1080p picture and a 14,400 rpm color wheel to minimize 'rainbow' effects that some DLP models suffer from.
The 'i' stands for interlaced, a technique in which the pixel rows are illuminated every other line, a complete screen 'painted' in two passes. 'p' types make one pass across the screen. While, all other things being equal, 'p' types offer a superior picture, interlaced models are still excellent. Older technology suffered from some flicker with interlacing, but that's largely no longer true.
Many HDTV's are offered in HD-ready types. That indicates the receiver has no in-built HD tuner. That isn't necessarily a deal-killer, since many cable or satellite boxes have tuners that can perform just as well. HD-ready is generally less expensive, all other things being equal.
Prices are affected by screen size, obviously, but also by resolution (720p vs 1080p for example), extras and a host of other factors. Check your favorite price comparison website for details. As with any TV, be sure to view under good lighting conditions before deciding.
Posted by HDTV at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)
June 04, 2006
HDTV - LCD vs Plasma
HDTV - LCD vs Plasma, Pros And More Pros (And a Few Hurdles)
Digital LCD screens first became popular several years ago when they were introduced as lighter, slimmer alternatives to CRT computer monitors. The differences were dramatic. When used to form a HDTV they're even more so.
LCDs produce an image by projecting a light onto a series of 'liquid' crystals sandwiched between glass rectangles. Those crystals can pass or block light as they twist internally. Not really a fluid, the term comes from the fact that the crystals can twist easily when subjected to an electrical current. Varying the voltage changes the amount of twist, which results in more or less of the rear-projected light being blocked.
That curious bit of physics gives LCDs their great advantages and introduces some hurdles for manufactures trying to produce great pictures at affordable prices.
The rectangles making up the screen are arranged in rows of pixels ('picture elements') and are actually composed of three, colored sub-pixels set side-by-side. That close spacing and the precise control of twist allows designers to produce an image with great resolution, accurate color reproduction and astounding clarity.
Since every pixel contains the three colors needed - red, green and blue - to form any perceivable color, LCD sets can produce a very realistic color image. But doing so requires that 'behind-the-scenes' the pixels filter the white fluorescent backlight projected onto them.
That arrangement leads inherently to attractive, bright images that plasma type sets can't quite match. However, as sets age, that backlight can dim or change color, reducing their advantage.
Some sets offer the option of replacing the backlight, but that can be expensive. Current models have good lifetimes, though, and by the time it becomes a problem many will be looking to replace the set with the latest technology.
LCDs retain that bright, clear image better than most plasmas even under varying light conditions. Both types perform well in darkened rooms, but LCDs have a slight advantage under brighter conditions and more room arrangements. Inherently anti-glare, these sets look great in almost anyone's setup.
For several years, plasma dominated the upper reaches of size, while LCD often outperformed in the smaller (13" to 37") range. With improved technology, both types do well, with LCDs now available as large as 65". Though, of course, you pay a premium for the larger size.
During those same years, plasmas held the advantage in viewing angle. The nature of LCD panels makes them lose some contrast and the ability to project deep blacks as the viewer moves to the side. Images can look gray and 'washed-out'. Even colors can shift subtly.
Current sets have reduced that problem to a minimum so that under most viewing conditions it will be unnoticeable. For several years 130 degrees was about the best one could hope for, but 160 degrees or more is common today. That covers a field that would satisfy just about any normal setup.
LCDs offer a wide range of uses. In the morning they may serve as a great looking computer monitor, in the afternoon as a game console and in the evening make a first-rate HDTV set. Older models struggled with motion blur (games and some films or shows require 12-15ms response times to avoid streaking), but current offerings have largely overcome that limitation.
The playing field for LCD and plasma has leveled to a significant extent the last few years. Today, except for the extreme sizes, the choice comes down primarily to price, reliability and that ever elusive 'best picture' quality. Be sure to 'test drive' any set you consider under good lighting conditions with a quality source.
Posted by HDTV at 04:03 PM | Comments (0)
June 02, 2006
HDTV Hype?
HDTV - What's All The (Signal to) Noise About? - The Sets
Look closely at your TV screen and you'll see that the image is made up of many little colored rectangles, spaced slightly apart. HDTV, in effect, squeezes more of them onto the screen closer together and changes the shape of the screen.
So what good does that do?
Paper clips aren't the only thing magnets can push around. They can push electrons, too. Take a pair of magnets, one on each side, and vary the strength so that the electrons move in a curve. Otherwise they all would hit the screen in one spot.
Do that to illuminate 480 lines of pixels on a screen four units wide by 3 units high. Do that many times per second and change the intensity and color just right to create the illusion of real-life motion. That's standard TV. 4:3 is the 'aspect ratio'. No matter the TV's dimensions, the ratio of width to height is 4 to 3.
Now, increase the number of lines to 1080 and change the aspect ratio to 16:9. That's High Definition TV, HDTV.
So, what's 'digital' about that?
Standard TV broadcasts send the radio waves they consist of in analog fashion. They wiggle (modulate) the signal to provide changes that the set's electronics can process into images.
Digital signals instead use a changing pattern of 1's and 0's, just like computers. The result is an image with much higher resolution, less fuzzy, fewer sharp corners in parts of the picture ('jaggies') and overall a better looking display. If you've ever seen an HDTV set with a good signal, and by now most people have, the difference really is striking.
The results are clearer pictures, sharper, more realistic colors and a look that's much closer to the 35mm film resolution on which most movies were originally shot.
There are a few commonly-added features - not strictly part of the HDTV standard - that improve the experience even more.
Most HDTV sets support 5.1 Dolby stereo, for sound of the type you'd expect from a good stereo system. Home theater systems take advantage of that and add multiple speakers to provide movie theater-style audio coverage.
Different manufacturers offer different frame rates and techniques for 'painting' the screen.
A 'frame rate' is the number of times per second the gun moves completely across the screen. Anywhere from 25 to 60 frames per second.
The 'painting' is done by moving the gun from top to bottom, in one or two passes. When it's done in two passes, the gun skips every other line, then comes back and does the skipped lines. That's 'interlacing'. In 'progressive' systems all the lines are illuminated in one pass.
For example, 1080i50 is equivalent to 1920 x 1080 pixels, interlaced, projecting 50 fields (25 frames) per second.
The visual results of the different frame rates and of using 'i' vs 'p' methods is often debated. In general a higher frame rate results in a smoother looking image. Interlacing helps to reduce flicker under certain conditions.
Posted by HDTV at 02:03 PM | Comments (0)
