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 05, 2006
The Pros and Cons of Plasma, LCD and DLP HDTVs
HDTV expands consumer choices from the traditional CRT and rear projection. To these, now vastly improved, types it adds Plasma, LCD/LCoS and DLP. All have their strong points and drawbacks.
CRT - Traditional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube or 'direct view') works by shooting electrons at a screen. The electrons from the gun get pushed around by magnets, 'painting' the screen by illuminating lines of pixels (short for 'picture elements'). In the case of HDTV there are commonly 1,080 lines and the entire screen is formed from 1920 by 1280 pixels. There are lots of varieties, including those with only 720 lines and smaller numbers of pixels.
Newer HDTV-style CRT models offer the same great pictures - deep, sharp blacks, excellent contrast, even richer and more realistic looking color, along with the enhanced resolution of HDTV. Better resolution translates to a sharper picture.
Those traditional strengths come with some trade-offs. CRT tubes can only be made so thin before the edges of the picture become fuzzy. Though some current sets have shallow tubes, they are still deeper than flat panel TVs. Even shallow tubes are around 14" deep.
The largest screens are limited to about 38". And the larger the CRT, the heavier and bulkier they become. Most CRTs are at least 20" (51cm) deep and weigh up to 200lbs (91kg).
Plasma
One of the cleverest design ideas, plasma TVs produce an image by passing a current through a gas held between two glass screens. The electricity causes the gas to glow in a way similar to fluorescent tubes.
The screen size generally starts where CRTs leave off at 38", and can be as large as 62". Most are made in 'thin-profile' style, only a few inches deep. They're both lightweight and thin (relatively), making it possible to hang them on the wall. You can recreate the movie theater atmosphere and free up floor space.
But, though prices have fallen in the last year, they are still on the high side and quality is very mixed. Good sets will still cost upwards of $5,000 or more. Even then, contrast ratios (the difference between dark and light across the screen) are rarely as good as a high-quality CRT.
Newer models have less difficulty with burn-in. 'Burn-in' results when a static image, such as the broadcaster's logo, stays on the screen for long periods. The image then never fades. Still, consumers need to be wary.
Nevertheless, spend enough and you'll get one of the most spectacular pictures available in a large screen.
LCD/LCoS
Liquid Crystal Display (or Liquid Crystal on Silicon) TVs operate much the way a laptop or flat-panel computer monitor screen does. It passes current through a series of rectangles.
Most TVs, though, suffer from the same problems as monitors. Blacks aren't black enough, contrast isn't high enough and viewing is generally limited to a smaller angle than other types.
But in the more costly models, most of these problems have been overcome to a large degree. Picture quality can be outstanding and they don't suffer from burn-in problems.
DLP
Digital Light Processing is a rear-projection technology that - in most commercial sets today - ranges in size from 40" to 80". They frequently have replaceable lamps and offer excellent picture quality in a flat-panel arrangement.
They are often less costly than other HD sets and (with the micro-projector type) don't suffer from burn-in problems. Fortunately for those considering an HDTV purchase, prices have fallen over the last year and continue on a downward trend. But don't wait too long. By Feb 17, 2009 all broadcasters will discontinue analog (standard TV) broadcasts and switch completely to digital. Sometime before that happens, prices are likely to spike.
Posted by HDTV at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
