What Choices Do You Have Of Flat-screen Televisions?
The technology behind televisions has advanced rapidly in the last decade to the
point where we are now overwhelmed with information about plasma screens, LCD TVs, LED backlighting, high definition television and Blu-ray. Unless you have a keen interest in new technology or have spent some time researching all of the different options that are available it can be daunting when you are suddenly presented with such an array of options, none of which you really know anything about.
If you are thinking of buying a new TV it is best to do a little preparatory research before entering a store or being tempted by a seemingly good online offer. First looking at the technology of the TVs themselves you will find there are three main categories available. These are plasma screens, LCD TVs and LED TVs. Deciding which of these is most suitable for you will depend on where you intend to place your new TV and how you use it.
Plasma screens tend to be much larger and also offer better viewing angles and image contrast in a darkened room. They are great for use in a home cinema system. LCD and LED TVs are more energy efficient and also offer a longer lifespan. In fact, LED TVs are the most energy efficient of the three options available. Both LCD and LED TVs will be smaller than plasma screens but also have a higher resolution. The picture quality is arguably better on an LED TV because of the use of local dimming for backlit images. However, LCD TVs are more affordable.
Next comes the question of high definition. High definition TV (HDTV) offers a much higher resolution than standard television, either two megapixels per frame (1920 x 1080p) or one megapixel per frame (1280 x 720p). The certification of HDTV was introduced in 2005 following much confusion between TVs that were HD ready and ones that offered full HD. Today a TV can only be classed as an HDTV if it has a tuner to decode an HDTV signal. This makes shopping for your new TV much more straightforward.
The final new term which has come along is Blu-ray. This is a fairly new format of recordable disc that was introduced to store high definition films. Their storage capacity is far greater than that of a DVD and in order to play Blu-ray discs you will need a Blu-ray player. For those who have limited space there are various TVs available on the market that come with a built-in Blu-ray player so you can enjoy this new high definition film format.