Buying Guide- Full HD TVs
//Tab- Making a choice
So you’ve decided to enter the world of full HD TVs who can blame you? The
pictures are crisper and sharper. The colours are more vibrant and the whole
experience is one that is light years away from the brown cased, black and
white TVs of the past that had limited channels and a crackly picture.
There are so many choices now and so many different sizes and with terms
like plasma, full HD, LCD, integrated Freeview and pixels it’s enough to
make your head spin exorcist style.
The prices range from hundreds to thousands of pounds and as your plasma
full HD TV is a pretty big purchase and may be the focal point of your room it
is important to make the right choice!
Ask yourself what size you want and where you will put it do you want to wall
mount it? And if not will it fit on your current TV stand or will you need a new
one? Budget is always a factor; so what’s yours?
//Tab-The technology
LCD ,Plasma, LED and 3D are the main TVs available today and all look
similar in that they are wall mountable super slim and attractive. However
there are some differences.
LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs are, along with Plasma cheaper to buy than
both LED and 3D TVs. They are available from 15-70 inches. Newer models
do not have the problem earlier models had, with poor black levels. LCD TVs
can’t achieve true black because light leaks through the pixels. However still
have a very good picture especially compared to their CRT predecessors.
Viewing angles for LCD TVs are a problem from certain points in the room
compared with plasmas. This is worth considering when thinking about
positioning your TV in the room.
Plasma TVs are now significantly cheaper than they were when they were
originally released and like LCDs offer a range of screen sizes and fantastic
picture quality. A picture on a full HD plasma TV can be seen from various
viewing angles in the room so you are less limited than the LCD as to where
you can place it. The also have better black levels than LCDs and colours
appear more vibrant.
However they do suffer from burn in, which is when a letter, image or logo
gets etched permanently into the screen (burnt in) when it has stayed in the
same place for too long. Particularly common if you pause video games etc.
This is worth noting but generally more common in the first 100 hours of using
your full HD plasma TV. This is the time to keep the contrast lower than 50%
and avoid showing static pictures on the screen for hours on end. Many
plasma TVs have features to combat burn including screensavers and pixel
orbiting.
LED TVs- are an improved version of LCDs and work by using tiny light
emitting diodes to create a picture rather than using more conventional
(CCFL) cathode fluorescent lights to illuminate the picture. There are now two
types of LED TVs, the original rear (LED backlit) and the latest edge lighting
(edge-lit LED).
LED TVS are generally slimmer than both plasma and LCD TVs and higher
end versions support the dimming function which illuminates clusters of pixels
independently. This helps create more intense blacks and more vibrant
colours in plasma style. However standard models use global dimming which
doesn’t give a picture as detailed or as crisp. Edge-lit LEDs use fewer diodes
which means they are slimmer and save energy.
These TVs are one of the most expensive but are super-slim and eco friendly,
making energy savings of more than 40% compared with conventional LCDs.
These offer the best wow factor for wall mounting.
3D TVs are the latest in TV technology and offer better viewing angles, better
pictures and a more interactive experience than ever before. A far cry from
the dodgy green and red 3D glasses in the 80’s, these TVs offer a new
experience which aims to keep up with the 3D films such as Avatar and
Monsters Vs Aliens.
At present they are expensive and still require 3D glasses to watch but this is
a small sacrifice for movie buffs to have the full cinematic experience in their
front room. You need a 3D source in order for these sets to be used to their
full potential but broadcasters are adding more and more channels by the day
including Virgin and Sky. You will need a 3D enabled blue ray player to watch
home movies in 3D format.
3D televisions are available in LCD and plasma and are made by all leading
manufacturers including Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and LG.
Manufacturers plan to bring out 3D TVs in the future where glasses are not
required so watch this space.
Most modern TVs have Freeview integrated so there is no need for an extra
to access digital channels which again can save space and is great if you do
decide to wall mount it.
//Tab- Size
When deciding on what size you go for you need to consider the size of your
room. Do you want the TV to be the focal point (key feature) of the room and
how much money you have to spend. Prices vary depending on which type of
HD TV you want to go for and make and model plays a big factor in price.
As a generally rule of thumb bigger HD TVs are suitable for bigger rooms and
small 32” and below are more suitable for smaller rooms and bedrooms. As in
a bedroom the TV can tend to dominate the room if too big.
//Tab- Picture Quality
This is determined by the resolution and Full HD TVs have a resolution of
1080p which means the TV can accept a high definition (HD) signal and
display it with a resolution of at least 1080 lines. In short it should be a crystal
clear detailed picture.
//Tab-Conclusion
This guide has been to help you form a better understanding of the 1080p full
HD TVs available today and what will be most suited to you and your room.
This is a decision that will affect your future TV viewing experiences so
shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Consider the size of your room, where you want to put it and whether you
want to wall mount it or not. A 1080p full HD TV can either be the focal point
as a 42 inch would be or blend into the background as a 19 inch Plasma full
HD TV will do.
You might want a 50 inch 1080p full HD TV but if you only have a small room
it will not only dominate the room but it will also reduce your viewing
experience because you will not be able to see the picture in all its HD glory.
Or maybe you would like a 40 inch Plasma full HD TV but only have 32 inch
money. Do not be disheartened. Whatever decision you make you will be
getting an experience and stepping into the land of no return.
Once you have experienced a 1080p full HD TV you will not go back. HD
brings movies to life and makes family time around the telly so much more fun
than those old school TVs from the 80’s where you all struggled to see the
crackled picture.
The future’s bright and vibrant, the future’s 1080p full HD TV.
References
http://asia.cnet.com/hdtv-buying-guide-61985379.htm#page3
http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/guide/3D_TV_introduction.htm