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Plasma Television Buying Guide

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:55:24 +0000

IntroductionIn six short sections, we'll help guide you towards making informed choices on buying the plasma TV you need for your home theater or living room, tradeshow application, business or retail display, or executive and corporate boardroom. The sections in this Buying Guide are arranged in an order and progression that we feel is most helpful in imparting key information towards a plasma TV purchase. First, we'll take a look at the kind of environment in which you are setting up the plasma display. Next, we'll see what kind of content you intend to watch on the TV and what sort of A/V devices you'll be using to determine the plasma type for your needs. Then, we'll check out important plasma specs you should know about and installation issues to pay attention to. Lastly, we'll take a quick look at pricing and other cost issues that you may want to consider. Ready? Let's begin. The Plasma TV EnvironmentCalculating the Correct Distance In setting up the environment for your plasma TV, a primary consideration is to determine the screen size to match the floor plan or available space where the plasma will be displayed. Plasma monitors are measured diagonally across the screen, just like any other television set. You can typically choose from the following sizes: 32", 40", 42", 46", 50", 61", or 63". Bigger is not always better, and a certain distance must be maintained between the plasma TV and the viewing area for optimal viewing experience. Sitting too far away diminishes the overall impact. Sitting too close, however, could also present its own problems as when you start seeing the screen's "structure"; i. e. , the dots or pixels that make up the plasma display. The right distance depends on the size of your TV. - For 32" to 37" TVs, 6 to 10 feet from the screen is needed. - For 42" to 46" TVs, 10 to 14 feet from the screen is needed. - For 50" TVs, 12 to 16 feet from the screen is needed. - For 60" and larger TVs, at least 15 feet of space from the screen is needed. In determining the appropriate TV size for you, you should also consider the space required to install the unit itself. When recessing a plasma display unit, allow at least 3 inches of open space at the top of the unit and adequate ventilation space of at least 2 inches behind it as well. Remember, too, that most plasma displays do not have built-in speakers, so you'll need to allow space enough to attach speakers. Viewing Angles: More on TV Placement Viewing angle is another factor that affects the viewing experience. Today's plasma TVs offer viewing angles approaching (and sometimes exceeding) 170 degrees. This is much better than viewing angles for LCD displays and rear-projection TVs, and the wide viewing angles for plasma displays translates to a bright, clear picture for anyone in the room no matter where they're sitting. Room Lighting and the TV Picture Lighting is also important in the area where your plasma TV is set up. Plasma TVs generally do a fine job in rooms with regular indoor lighting, but optimal viewing may not be possible in areas with too much direct sunlight. Thus, windows that let in direct sunlight should have easily adjustable blinds or curtains that can eliminate reflections off the screen. Light from a window behind the TV also makes it difficult for the eyes to adjust to the very brightness of the screen, and window treatments are recommended in such cases. A little bit of controlled background lighting could also be helpful, as the background light gives the black portions of the picture a deeper, darker look. Altitude May Increase Noise Levels If you live in Denver, Santa Fe or other areas above 6,000 feet, be aware that some plasma displays may start exhibiting operational noise. This is due to increased pressure on the gases contained in the glass substrate of the plasma, a phenomenon that makes the unit work harder to cool the display element. Check to see if the manufacturer has a maximum altitude rating if you are setting up the plasma in high-elevation areas. What You Can Watch on Your Plasma TVYou can choose between HDTV (High Definition TV) and EDTV (Enhanced Definition TV) for your choice of plasma display. Which type you prefer depends on the kind of material you intend to watch on the plasma. EDTV is the perfect entry point into digital television, with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio and an image resolution that is 200% better than today's analog televisions. On the other hand, HDTV has up to four times the resolution and colors compared to EDTV, offering the ultimate visual and sound experience. At present, only a limited number of programs are broadcast in true high-definition format (all major networks broadcast HD counterparts to their regular analog-signal broadcasts). In fact, if you plan to use a plasma HDTV for regular TV programming, you may be surprised to find that regular TV programming may even appear slightly worse, as the big screen exaggerates the flaws in standard TV programs. DVD images from most of the currently available DVD titles on the market today also do not fare as well on true HD plasmas. In fact, these DVD images appear better on EDTV plasma units, because the image resolution of a widescreen DVD (nominally 740 x 480) more closely matches the actual resolution (852 x 480) of the EDTV plasma display. Why bother with a High Definition TV at all, you may ask? Because HDTV, paired with a true High-Definition or high-quality source, can produce truly stunning images. With a progressive-scan DVD player paired with, say, any of the recently released HD-DVD or forthcoming Blu-ray DVD titles (encoded in true HD format), your plasma HDTV can come to spectacular life and bring out unrivaled image quality. And as more TV programming becomes available in High-Definition format with the looming of the FCC deadline for switching to all-digital broadcasting, plasma HDTV sets will have more TV content to show. One thing's for sure: Your HDTV won't be obsolete anytime in the next few years. Devices for your Plasma TVWith today's plasma TV models, almost all of them will have multiple inputs that allow connection of various devices, with 32" or larger screens having inputs for connecting six or more different A/V components. Which video components do you have now, and which do you plan to add in the future?At the very least, you'll probably want to connect your antenna or cable box, plus a DVD player and perhaps a VCR. Other possibilities include a satellite TV receiver, video game system, or TiVo hard disk recorder. And if you use a camcorder, you will definitely want a set of front-panel A/V inputs on your new TV. The newer plasma TVs will include digital inputs such as HDMI or DVI, which can accept HDTV signals from your cable box or satellite (and even some DVD players) in an all-digital format. Some plasma TVs also include a VGA or DVI PC input, which allows your plasma unit to pull double-duty as a PC monitor. Connection tip: If you route your video signals through your home theater receiver, you can connect even more video sources. Most home theater receivers provide Composite Video inputs and outputs to enable video switching, making it easy to choose from among your video sources. If yours does, you may be able to connect your video components to your receiver, which will then send the selected video signal to your TV. Many receivers have S-Video connections as well, and some even include Component Video switching. Plasma TV Specifications When comparing plasma TV sets, it's important to know what to look for to make sense of the specifications you're presented with. Below is a quick rundown on the necessary specs that you need to weigh before making that all-important purchase decision. Resolution: Resolution is a determining factor in selecting a plasma TV. Do you want HDTV or EDTV? HDTV, with a resolution of at least 1024 x 720, is the ultimate visual and sound experience, but what is available for viewing on HD is currently restricted to a few HD channels on cable, as well as the newly emerging and necessarily few DVD titles from the HD-DVD and Blu-ray DVD formats. On the other hand, most of the currently available DVDs actually play better when viewed on EDTV, because the image resolution of a widescreen DVD (nominally 740 x 480) more closely matches the actual resolution (852 x 480) of the EDTV plasma display. Choosing the type of plasma TV that you want, therefore, is a question that should be considered along with the type of content you frequently watch or will be watching on your plasma. Inputs: A plasma television should work with any existing video component with standard A/V, S-Video, or Component Video outputs. In addition, most plasma TVs have DVI or HDMI connections for use with high-definition sources. Some plasma TVs also have VGA input connections that allow them to be used as monitors for a PC. At the minimum, look for the following specifications on a plasma connection: DVI-I or DVI-D, Component, RCA or Composite, and S-Video. Take into consideration your current component set-up such as your satellite system, cable box, DVD player, and external stereo components and see what kind of inputs or connectors they use. Tuner: Check your plasma to see if it is HD-ready or HD-integrated. An HD-ready plasma TV is essentially a monitor that needs an external tuner source before it can function as a TV. An HD-integrated panel has a tuner built into the set and is ready for use. If you receive your HDTV programming via cable or satellite instead of over-the-air, you may not need a tuner at all, as you will be using the set-top boxes provided by your cable/satellite service to receive HDTV programming. Check with your cable or satellite providers for more details. Some cable/satellite companies do away with set-top boxes and provide their subscribers with cable cards instead. Check with your cable/satellite provider if they provide cable cards and the cable-card type that they offer, and then check the specification on the plasma for cable card slots. Contrast Ratio: Contrast ratio is the measurement that determines the variation between the whitest and darkest parts of the image. This is an important specification, since plasma TVs with a low contrast ratio will make dark images look muddy and gray while making light images look washed out. A good measure of contrast ratio is 1,000:1 or higher. Anything less than 1,000:1 especially on a set that is 42" or larger may not provide optimal viewing experience. Brightness: Without sufficient brightness, your image will look muddy and soft even in a dark room. Viewing distance, screen size, and ambient room light will also affect the need for more brightness capability. A brightness rating listed at 550 cd/m2 or higher is good, but don't get bogged down with the technical number listed. Instead, make sure that the screen is bright enough for your needs as you conduct your own visual inspection. Panel Life: Look for a minimum of 60,000 hours of panel life in your plasma specifications. This is the rating on how long it would take before your panel has half the brightness compared to when it was new. A 60,000-hour spec translates to approximately 20 years of viewing at 8 hours per day. (This approximation may vary, depending on the source and type of content, settings, environment, and use of your plasma TV. )Anti-burn-in/Pixel Shift: Burn-in refers to the remnants burned on to the screen after a static image has been left on the plasma for a long period of time. To minimize or prevent burn-in, determine if the plasma panel utilizes burn-in protection, such as power management settings, full-time picture or pixel shift (both vertical and horizontal) technologies, or automatic screensaver functions. Speakers: If you plan to use an external surround sound system, you won't need audio speakers, but most plasma TV sets include speakers that rated anywhere from 7-12 Watts Pre-amp which is much better than that of conventional TVs and sufficient for most viewing. Check your plasma's specifications to see if it comes with speakers and if the speakers are removable. Universal Remote: A universal remote can take the place of having one remote, so that it controls all the various components of your TV system, such as the DVD player, audio, cable/satellite etc. If you plan on buying a universal remote, check to see if it's supported by the plasma set of your choice to make sure the plasma accepts universal remote devices. Power Consumption: Power consumption for plasmas range from 240 watts to over 500 watts, If you're concerned with how much energy a plasma set may use, check its specifications to determine power consumption. Units tend to have higher wattage requirements as the screen increases. A good rule of thumb is to compare similar-sized units together; units with higher wattages tend to use inferior components as a rule. Installation and Mounting OptionsThere are basically two options for installing a plasma TV: Displaying it on a table stand, cart, or similarly equivalent horizontal surface; or hanging the Plasma TV (on a wall or from a ceiling, using wall mount fixtures). One of the major benefits of plasma TV is the flexibility of mounting and installation options that are available. However, because of the sheer size of the TV, mounting presents its own sets of issues that need to be taken into account. For wall (or ceiling) mounting, you will need two people (ideally), with at least one having enough experience to determine the strength of the wall, what is behind the wall, and the proper hardware to use; e. g. , anchors, screws, etc. The last thing you need is to have your new Plasma TV fall off the wall and smash into bits because of improper wall mounting. Professional installation is highly recommended in this case. Below are various TV mounting options you might consider: Table Stands are popular for displaying plasma units. These units, however, are not one-size- fits-all appliances. Sometimes one is included with the TV itself; other times you have to purchase the stand separately. Most consumer-oriented plasma TVs come with their own matching table stand, used whenever there is enough tabletop space to support the TV. These units are custom-made to manufacturers' specifications, as each plasma display has its own requirements on how the stand fits the plasma. The table stand allows for maximum flexibility, as nothing is permanently affixed to the wall. (Add graphic) Plasma TV Carts are typically used in business applications for trade shows and in-house presentations. Table carts are often used in a courtroom setting or to mobilize up to the edge of a boardroom table for maximum visual presentation. The table cart may include a platform for placing a DVD player, laptop computer, or VCR. (Add graphic) Flat Wall Mounts maximize the space-saving benefits of plasma technology. This is generally the least expensive option, and it adds less than two inches to the total depth of the plasma unit. It is used in home theaters, living rooms, or company boardrooms to achieve and maximally offset the sleek appearance that plasma displays are known for. (Add graphic) Tilt Wall Mounts let you place your plasma TV above eye level, keeping the unit out of the way but allowing it to be readily viewable from anywhere in the room. A tilt wall mount typically allows 15 to 20 degrees of tilt (depending on the brand of the wall mount). This option is often used to install plasma displays above fireplaces and in bedrooms, and is also used for overhead displays in retail or industry (with or without an attached ceiling bracket). The tilt wall mount adds from 4 to 6 inches to the depth of the mounted display. (Add graphic) Articulating Wall Mounts use swivel arms to render the plasma unit flush with the wall and out of the way when the unit is not in use. Pulled out, this mounting device allows you to turn the display 120 degrees to either side and as much as 10 degrees up or down. It adds between 3 or 4 inches to the depth of the plasma mount (depending on the manufacturer of the wall mount), and is used for maximum flexibility in sports bars, library studies, and commercial display operations. (Add graphic) Ceiling Mounts enable you to mount your plasma TV where you want it in case a wall isn't available. This option is generally coupled with a tilt mount, so that the display can be adjusted downward for easier viewing. Lengths of ceiling mount poles vary according to customer needs, but standard lengths are from 24 to 43 inches. Ceiling mounts are usually used for airport displays, checkout counters, hospital rooms, and bedrooms. (Add graphic)Pricing and Other CostsPlasma TVs are expensive, but they do fall into a few distinct categories. Below is a rough guide to retail and online pricing for plasma units (current as of this writing, May 2006). - $1,000 to $1,500 buys you a plasma TV up to 42"- $1,500 to $3,000 buys you a plasma TV up to 50"- More than $3,000 buys you a plasma up to 65"Also: - Under $1,500 buys you a refurbished EDTV plasma- Under $2,000 buys you an EDTV plasma- More than $2,000 buys you an HDTV plasmaIn addition to the cost of the plasma TV itself, you may want to factor in the price of accessories, such as cables, surge protectors, additional audio equipment, furniture, and room treatments to arrive at a realistic cost outlay for your plasma TV purchase. Lastly, be aware of "standard" charges that apply to your purchase: a sales tax when the TV is bought at a brick-and-mortar establishment; shipping charges (especially if the TV is bought online); and delivery and/or set-up charges. Check and compare the manufacturer warranties for various plasma TV brands; extended warranties are always extra.

Microtek Lab Inc. is a consumer electronics company focused on scanners, plasma and lcd televisions, digital projectors, lcd monitors, digital cameras, home theatre equipment, and accessories. You can view their online store at store. microtek. com Use of this article is permitted provided that the article is used in its entirety.

Everyman’s Non-technical Guide to Hdtv

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:50:06 +0000

With the recent rapid advances in the technology of home entertainment equipment, the introduction of High Definition TV (HDTV) has been at the forefront of these changes. Together with Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Plasma TVs, HDTV has been the most accepted and pioneering new aspect of television over the past few years. Brief overview of TV Transmission In 1996 the introduction of Digital TV transmission sounded the death knell of Analog television. Although it's taken many years for Analog to finally succumb to the improved technology that is Digital, the end will come early in 2009 when US broadcasters must by law cease to transmit Analog TV signals and transmit only in the Digital format. Digital TV (SDTV) gave a superior picture and clearer sound than the out-of-date Analog system. Viewers had a TV viewing experience far in excess of what Analog could ever provide. However in the years since the start of Digital transmission, television has improved even further and now one of the latest features is High Definition TV (HDTV). This again is a vast improvement on its predecessor the SDTV and provides a greatly improved television viewing experience. HDTV is becoming more and more popular with new television buyers particularly at times when an important sporting event such as the Olympic Games is due to start. HDTV is particularly suited to sporting events - the movement of an athlete or a ball is crisp and precise. There is no 'shadow' behind the athlete during fast movement. For those people who still have an Analog TV then now may be the right time to move to a better TV system. They can either change to a SD television, or else the improved HDTV system. The technical terms used explained: 'Digital TV' is the term used to describe SDTV 'HDTV' is the latest form of 'Digital TV' and is simply called 'HDTV' 'Digital TV' does NOT refer to HDTV. HDTV is the latest and best in modern TV technology High definition TV was released in the late 90s to much acclaim from the TV experts because of the crisp, crystal-clear picture and the surround sound presentation. The quality of HDTV cannot be matched by standard definition TV, a point understood by someone seeing HDTV for the first time. Once the superiority of HDTV has been acknowledged, a viewer have difficulty in accepting the inferior SDTV format. The factor that determines the quality of a TV picture is the number of vertical lines on the screen. The SDTV system is based on 480 to 576 lines. The more acceptable HDTV figure is about 1080 lines, with the minimum being set at 720 lines. At 1080 lines, the narrower lines gives a picture resolution of between 2 and 5 times better than SDTV, a difference that would persuade many to adopt HDTV. However to receive high definition reception other factors need to be taken into account in addition to the type of television: 1) A suitable tuner will be needed. This could be incorporated in the TV, or else a set-top box unit may be necessary. 2) An appropriate satellite dish will be needed if the viewer subscribes to a satellite TV provider. 3) The viewer will need to be signed up to receive HD programs from the TV program provider. 4) The whole system will need to be configured correctly. The increasing public interest and demand for HDTV is influencing the TV providers, both cable and satellite, to provide an increasing number of HD programming options for their subscribers. For example one of the two major satellite TV providers, Dish Network, at present provides over 80 channels in HD format, with many planned for the future.

The future of television is the HDTV format. This and the wide-screen concept give the viewing public want they've wanted for many years - a system that gives them as perfect a picture as possible, together with the very best audio presentation.

The author, Dave Neville, has an interest in a website that deals with satellite TV, and includes a review of the range of HDTV channels offered by the Dish Network satellite TV service provider.

The author writes on satellite TV issues focusing on the programming deals offered by the dish TV companies. He also has an interest in the superior technology of HDTV as recently introduced by the Dish Network satellite TV provider.

Hdtv Buying Guide

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:45:52 +0000

HDTV: Reasons For Getting It
As soon as supporters of HDTV introduced it back in 1998, word spread that people would have a radically new TV viewing experience. With high definition television, you would be watching your favorite TV shows with improved picture quality and hear it through digital surround sound that made you feel as though you were part of the scenes.
HDTV: What Is It?
HDTV surpasses regular analog television technology. With HDTV you'll notice crisper and clearer images that your older analog television can't match. With the older analog technology, the television receives wave signals on the air. The quality of the picture is diminished when these signals are converted to the screen. Signals to LCD HDTV or plasma HDTV are sent digitally, without losing the overall quality of the images received.
HDTV: Function and Benefits
The US is phasing out analog broadcasting and replacing it with digital broadcasting. When the deadline arrives in 2009, your analog TV will not work, unless it has a converter. Right now, your analog TV set will still work so you might be wondering why you would want to have an HDTV right now:
The picture quality of HDTV is better and you can see tiny details even on bigger screens.
HDTV multicasting allows stations to broadcast several programs in one line.
Viewers can participate in shows or movies, which have interactive content, such as games or contests.
HDTV will use the entire screen to display its signal, whereas analog sets use only every other pixel line.
You can expect to see all the brilliant colors and images from channels that broadcast HD.
HDTV Problems
Some HDTV models are quite expensive. It's impossible to get High Definition programming through your older analog television. However, new televisions are built to be able to receive HD signals. If the television you buy doesn't have a built-in tuner, you'll need to look at HDTV antennas or HDTV tuners.
Shopping For An HDTV?
It's best to see HDTV for yourself. By studying HDTV reviews and listening to only good buying advice, you'll soon be enjoying a new way of watching television you've never seen before.
Copyright (c) 2006 by Leroy Chan

Confused about HDTV? Visit http://www. MyHDTVadvisor. com for answers to your questions about LCD HDTV, plasma HDTV, HDTV tuners, antennas, reviews and more.

A Beginner’s Guide To How HDTV Works

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:11:00 +0000

The next big wave hit television viewers around the world are HDTV. This acronym of HDTV. It will be the new definition of image sharpness, voting accuracy and viewing pleasure. With as much as twice as many lines of resolution than traditional television, is the working name of an HDTV really a work of pure technical brilliance. The sound quality of HDTV will be through the encrypted digital channel decoder 5th 1 and will be a boon for music lovers. Combine these features and support of advanced notice to TV channels currently available, viewers will have gala time.

So what makes HDTV offers more than a normal TV and how does it work? To begin with, is an HDTV sets a new standard for picture quality, clear sound, feature richness, perspective and overall pleasure to watch. Normal TV viewing, which may be in the form of NTSC, provides about 550 horizontal lines of resolution, while the HDTV gives twice. This is because the digital encoding allows compression of the signal to make it easier to store and transmit. The end of broadcast content for viewing digital television should also be different and more efficient than analog TV today.

Analogue TV, the one most viewers are familiar with today is 6 MHz signal has the intensity and color information for each scan line in Fig. An analog television signal in North America has 525 scanning lines for the image and each image is updated every 30th of a second (half the scan lines are painted every 60th second in what is called interlaced display). The horizontal resolution is something like 500 points for the colors. HDTV offers twice the resolution of 1024 lines per screen refreshing rate is the same as for analog TV, which doubles clarity.

The higher resolution image is the main selling point for HDTV. Imagine 720 or 1080 lines of resolution compared to the 525 lines people are used to the U.S. (or 625 lines in the case of Europe) - a huge difference! Different formats for HDTV are:

* 720p - 1280x720 pixels progressive 1080i * - * 1920x1080 pixels interlaced 1080p - 1920x1080 pixels progressive

Interlaced and progressive refer to the scan. In an interlaced format, the screen shows every odd line at one scan of the screen, and then follow the lines, even in a second scan. Progressive scanning shows the whole picture, each line in a show every sixty second. This gives a much smoother picture, but needs a little more bandwidth.

The increase in compression quality for video and audio are now driving the market for digital television. Bandwidth requirements of broadcast content is high, digital compression techniques are better suited or better be used for transmission of digital content for viewing. HDTV function and prosper, it is necessary to change both the transfer order of equipment and finally receiving television - HD TV.

One thing is certain - the days of good TV viewing is on the road.

Isabel Baldry is a freelance writer who writes passionately about a number of issues. Learn how here HDTV.

A Layman’s Guide To Hdtv Shopping

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:02:04 +0000

Shopping for an HDTV with Kevin Pang Tribune and tech columnist Eric Gwinn. Chicago Tribune. com / kevin Place