5 Ways to Buy a Big Screen

[Gservo]

With many technologies to choose from, it can get complicated. Here's how to translate the specs.

by Suzanne Kantra Kirschner




Enter a showroom this fall and you'll find the widest selection of big-screen HDTVs ever, each incorporating different tech. There are hang-on-the-wall plasma and LCD sets, along with DLP (digital light processing), LCD, and LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) rear-projection TVs. Follow these guidelines: Look for a brightness rating of at least 400 candelas per meter squared (expressed as cd/m2), which is double the brightness of a typical direct-view set. Insist on a contrast ratio (the visual difference between the blackest black and the whitest white) of 400:1. And consider the angle at which you'll be watching the TV. Rear-projection TVs have poor viewing angles; LCDs and plasmas are more forgiving. Finally, keep in mind that digital displays must "upconvert" analog signals to their native resolution. Since a TV's ability to handle this conversion without artifacts varies greatly, be sure to check for a good internal converter. Any from Faroudja should be fine.

1. REAR-PROJECTION LCD
Advantages: No burn-in; most affordable of the widescreens
Disadvantages: Color isn't uniform; blacks aren't very black; contrast ratio is low; limited viewing angle
Size Range: 40 to 60 inches
Price Range: $2,999 to $6,500
Average Resolution: 1,280 by 720

2. PLASMA
Advantages: The biggest and brightest (500 cd/m2) of the hang-on-the-wall TVs; wide viewing angles (up to 160 degrees vertical and horizontal)
Disadvantages: The phosphors that create the picture are generally more orange than red—plus they can wear unevenly and with a static picture, cause permanent burn-in
Size Range: 32 to 63 inches
Price Range: $4,999 to $20,999
Resolution Range: 852 by 480 to 1,366 by 768

3. LIQUID CRYSTAL ON SILICON
Advantages: Highest resolution of any rear-projection; no burn-in
Disadvantages: Limited viewing angle
Size: 57 inches (others coming next year)
Price: $8,999
Resolution: 1,920 by 1,080

4. LCD
Advantages: The thinnest of the hang-on-the-wall TVs, with the widest viewing angle (170 degrees vertical and horizontal); very bright (450 cd/m2); no burn-in
Disadvantages: Fast-moving images tend to blur, so look for 25-millisecond or less refresh rate; blacks aren't completely black on some models (though it's improving)
Size Range: 15 to 40 inches
Price Range: $1,299 to $9,999
Average Resolution: 1,280 by 720

5. DIGITAL LIGHT PROCESSING
Advantages: Very accurate color reproduction; no burn-in; excellent contrast
Disadvantages: Some units create "glitter" artifacts on solid blocks of color; limited viewing angle
Size Range: 43 to 65 inches
Price Range: $3,499 to $10,999
Average Resolution: 1,280 by 720

—Research by Gary Merson

[jema]

Nice summary m8, whilst I have a half decent sound system on the TV, the TV itself is a cheap nicam 28" 4:3 set.

With all the new technologies I am finding the price drop each year and tech improvement on just too steep a curve.

Constrasting with PC's If you get a top of the line pretty much PC today for £1000, then next year the price of a top of the line PC will not be much less and your PC will be upgradble to pretty much that spec for £200.

With some of these TV's I'd reckon you are talking about paying £3000 for something mid to top range and see a price collapse of £800 in a year with no way to upgrade

So I'm still going to be waiting a while longer

jema

[CyberdynSystems]

Some things to keep in mind if the

- W I D E S C R E E N - is your desire,..

As I understand it the Aspect ratio thing is very boondoggled right now. There are several formats that are not necesarily compatible where common sense would tell you they are compatible.

If you are like me,.. when you buy a DVD you get the letterboxed version. You know,.. the ones with the black bars on the top and bottom across the width of the picture.

You get these so you can see "the whole movie"

... and you assume that when you get a wide screen tv,.. the bars will go away,.. and it will all fit,.. Right?

NOT! My understanding is that those bars are there for good!

On a wide screen the bars either get wider, or they stay right there and ,.. god forbid,.. new black bars appear on the sides as well????

Turns out there a few versions of Wide screen.

HDTV and 16:9 aspect ratio are not the same. Letterbox on the DVD is neither of the above. Apparently one can get 16:9 aspect ratio DVD's,.. but I have not seen them. In most cases no matter what you do something is being stretched or squashed,.. either side to side or up and down, or both.

My best advise right now is to decide very carefully exactly what you want to accomplish with a Widescreen TV,.. and research it,.. research reasearch reasearch. It is much more complicated than it appears.

The other option would be to wait,. and hope that the standards get worked out,. or more TVs like some of the Wega Sony's out there,.. will give you the option of numerous formats and compatibilty.

It is sort of a standards war,. only the standards are so broad and ingrained and incompatible it is not an easy fix.

So waiting may be a matter of Years,.. or even never.

[mackerel]

There's one more option for a big picture on the (relatively) cheep - an actual projector. Ok, not much use if you like to have the lights on at the same time, but should be great for movies. In the UK, budget models start around US$1500 and ones worth getting start around US$2500. Main thing to watch out for is to get one optimised for video, not for business presentation use.

[jema]

Originally posted by mackerel
There's one more option for a big picture on the (relatively) cheep - an actual projector. Ok, not much use if you like to have the lights on at the same time, but should be great for movies. In the UK, budget models start around US$1500 and ones worth getting start around US$2500. Main thing to watch out for is to get one optimised for video, not for business presentation use.

I have been keeping an eye and they are definately getting an interesting option

jema