If you have not yet watched TV on an HDTV you do not know what you are missing. When they promote high definition they aren�t kidding. When my daughter was born I knew I�d be spending a lot of time at home so I invested in an HDTV and two years later I still think it was an excellent purchase. Not only is the picture unbelievable but the sound is much improved as well.
If you want to watch satellite programming you will need a tv that is at least HDTV ready. Your satellite service provider will supply you with an HDTV tuner. Even if you will not be watching much HDTV programming, there is still a huge benefit to watching a digital television. All HDTV and HDTV ready tv's contain upconversion circuitry that cleans up the picture with even non HDTV signals.The weight of an LCD and a plasma tv are comparable, with the LCD models being slightly lighter in the 40" range. As the screen size approaches 60", the weight of the LCD overtakes that of the plasma screen. The display panel tends to last longer with the LCD than with the plasma models. LCD televisions are not vulnerable to burn-in, also known as image shadowing or ghosting, like plasma screens. Burn-in is essentially burned, or worn out pixels in a plasma screen that have been damaged over a period of time and retain color information from static images like network logos, etc... Plasma tv's tend to have more accurate color reproduction than LCD models, and are currently less expensive than a comparable LCD. While the largest LCD tv at this writing is 65", that is likely to change quickly as the technology evolves with the latest innovations in the computer monitor industry. The largest plasma screen television currently produced is the Panasonic TH-103PZ600U103", which boasts a massive 103" screen, and is expected to carry a whopping retail price of about $70,000 when is hits US markets in late 2006.The least expensive option is the good old fashioned CRT (cathode ray tube) television. It has been around since 1927, and it is the least expensive option. It is built around a single picture tube, and provides excellent contrast and overall picture quality. A higher end picture tube television will actually give a smoother appearance of motion than a flat-panel tv. The primary drawbacks of tube tv's are their immense weight (compared to newer technology), and the considerable depth of the sets themselves, both severely limiting your installation choices. Also, the largest tube television available is 36", so if you need a larger picture, you might want to step up to flat-panel television.I did a lot of research before buying my TV. I ended up buying a 42� Sony LCD projection TV. It is a beautiful picture. I am very pleased with the purchase. But, none of these TV�s is without flaws. This particular model has a bulb that helps to project the image to the screen. It has a shelf life of about 18 months. I have had it replaced recently. The bulbs are a couple hundred dollars. Thankfully I purchased the maintenance plan when I bought the unit. Other than that I couldn�t be more satisfied. I can turn out all the lights in the room and throw in a DVD and it is better than going to the movies. I do have mine hooked up to a home theater system. Without that the sound would not be good enough to compare to a movie theater.Many people are not aware that by the end of this year, from what I have read, all TV signals will be sent via HDTV format. In order to watch TV you will either need a HDTV or you will have to have a converter to attach to your existing TV. The converter will not make your current TV an HDTV all of a sudden, it will just allow you to continue to get the same picture you have always gotten. Those converters are going to go for roughly $250 or so, based on my past research.
No matter what kind of TV you end up buying the bottom line is that you are going to be amazed the first time you watch your favorite show or sporting event in HD. It is actually funny to me when I look back and think of what TV�s I used to watch when I was little. We had those knobs that you could hear being turned down the street. No remotes, no cable or satellite, and we had to constantly fiddle with the rabbit ears to get a decent picture. I watch a program in HD and I sometimes wonder to myself how they are going to make watching TV in the future even better. It doesn�t seem possible but you know it is. History has shown things only continue to get better.
Author: Scott Bianchi
No comments:
Post a Comment