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Television Choices. April 2006. Types of TVs. Flat Panel Plasma LCD Projection- front and rear DLP LCD LCoS Tube. Flat Panel. create bright, crisp images without using traditional picture tubes. super-slim, wall-mountable TVs use either plasma or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panels.
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Television Choices April 2006
Types of TVs • Flat Panel • Plasma • LCD • Projection- front and rear • DLP • LCD • LCoS • Tube
Flat Panel • create bright, crisp images without using traditional picture tubes. • super-slim, wall-mountable TVs use either plasma or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panels. • Size: Up to 46" for LCD; up to 61" for plasma.
Plasma • Pros: screen's phosphor coating creates lifelike color that is closest to conventional tube TVs • Cons: vulnerable to burn-in although it's less of an issue for newer models • Size: 37"-61"
LCD • Pros: panels weigh less than plasma and use less energy; burn-in not an issue • Cons: picture slightly less natural than top plasmas • Size: 13"-46"
Projection- Rear (RPTV) • clear, sharp pictures that look best when viewed straight on, from a seated position, looks dimmer if you're viewing from the side, or standing up. • take up more space than direct-view TVs, and their larger screens require greater viewing distance for optimum results. • Size: 42" to 70". • Technology: DLP, LCD, or LCoS technology TVs have cabinets that are shallow and lightweight compared to conventional big-screen models
Front-projection • two-piece system: projector and screen. • heavy, expensive CRT-based units that require professional installation and maintenance. • compact, lightweight digital home theater projectors. • big, bright images create more emotional impact than any other display type. • Size: 40" to 300". • Technology: DLP, LCD, and LCoS projectors. perform best in reduced light or darkness,
DLP(Digital Light Processing) • developed by Texas Instruments, based on their Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) microchip. • Each DMD chip has hundreds of thousands of tiny swiveling mirrors which are used to create the image. • DLP technology is used in both front- and rear-projection systems.
LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) • sandwiches a layer of liquid crystal between a cover glass and a highly reflective, mirror-like surface patterned with pixels that sits on top of a silicon chip. • layers form a microdisplay that can be used in rear-projection and front-projection TVs. • Manufacturers use different names for their LCoS-based technologies. JVC uses D-ILA™ or HD-ILA™, while Sony uses SXRD™.
Tube (direct-view CRT) • (cathode-ray tube) TVs are what most of us watch. • sharp, bright images provide a vivid viewing experience in virtually all rooms and lighting conditions. • Size: Up to 36". • Technology: Built around a single large CRT ("picture tube") — a specialized vacuum tube in which images are created when an electron beam scans back and forth across the back side of a phosphor-coated screen.
Screen resolution • number of horizontal pixels times the number of vertical pixels • SDTV- 640 x 480 pixels • HDTV- 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080 for • EDTV (Enhanced-Definition)—852 x 480
Resolution • HDTV - film-quality picture offers detail, dimensionality, and rich, vibrant colors that the 60-year-old analog NTSC TV format can't begin to match, include upconversion circuitry to give non-HD signals (DVD, antenna/cable, digital satellite, etc.) a cleaner, smoother look. • SDTV digital format has better picture quality than existing broadcast and cable service.
Aspect ratio — 4:3 vs. 16:9 • conventional squarish 4:3 aspect-ratio - widescreen (most HDTV) 16:9 aspect ratio. • 4:3 HDTV-ready TVs are required to include a special viewing mode that displays widescreen material like HDTV broadcasts and anamorphic DVDs in a 16:9 "window" with black bars above and below the picture. • analog TV broadcasts are scheduled to end in 2009, and video programs will continue to shift to widescreen formats. • 16:9 TVs can display 4:3 programs in a central 4:3 window with black or gray bars filling out the screen's width on the sides, also usually include several viewing modes designed to make 4:3 material fill the screen's width by magnifying and/or stretching the image.
TV sound • TV part of a home theater, use A/V receiver and speakers to process and deliver video sound • built-in amplifier power output varies from 2 to 20 watts per channel. Higher power = cleaner, more realistic sound, and louder levels without distortion. • RPTVs have more room in their cabinets for speakers ( usually 15+ watts per channel), sound quality good, still doesn't compare to even a budget-priced receiver and speakers. • HDTV sets (those with some type of built-in HD tuner) include a digital output, through which they can send a crystal-clear Dolby Digital sound that is standard on HDTV broadcasts via a single-cable digital connection to your A/V receiver.
Hook-ups • TV built in A/V inputs- usually limited in number and types
Hook-ups • A/V home theater receivers provide multiple video inputs and outputs to enable video switching, which makes it easy to choose from among your various video sources.
Hook-ups • External switching devices/ RF converters
Components • Antenna, satellite TV receiver or cable box • DVD player and VCR • video game system(s) • DVR/TiVo hard disk recorder • camcorder-preferably front-panel A/V inputs