Guide to choosing a flat-screen TV (LED, LCD, Plasma): technical characteristics, energy consumption, durability, reliability, price comparison
When you buy your next TV, a number of factors could contribute to your decision. While many tend to buy the largest you can afford it, many other features are more important than size for HDTVs. Before choosing a flat screen TV, you should know the different types of screen resolution, contrast ratio and other features that flat screens of today can offer.
Steps
Choose the type of TV
1. 1
Understand the difference between the types of TV. The three most common types of flat screens are Plasma, LED and LCD [1]. These technologies are explained below:
TV "Plasma". The image is created by means of an electrical charge that is applied to a group of very small cells of plasma.
or TV "LCD". Are composed of a liquid crystal pressed between two glass panels illuminated by a fluorescent lamp. The image is created by applying an electrical charge to the crystal.
TV or "LED". Similar to "LCD", only instead of using a fluorescent lamp, using hundreds of LEDs evenly spaced along the entire surface of the panel (Full LED) or along the frame of the screen (Edge LED).
2. 2
Compare contrast ratios. The contrast ratio describes the ability of the TV to display images simultaneously bright and dark. The higher the contrast, the better the quality of the picture. While this is not fundamentally important, however, can be a deciding factor in making your decision. In general, plasma TVs have better contrast. Immediately to the second place Full LED TVs. So, contrasts slightly lower quality with Edge LED or LCD televisions.
Most of the LCD screens or from a contrast ratio of about 600:1, while for those in plasma, we start from 1,000:1. Both can reach up to 10,000:1. However, since up to now there is no standard, manufacturers tend to inflate the actual value of their TV models. Consult the reviews of the products for further evaluation.
or In addition to the highest contrast values, look good image quality characterized by black color. While the brightness can be adjusted at will, many LCD screens have difficulty recreating deep blacks, which can result in an image that looks faded.
3. 3
Evaluate how well each type of TV can handle the speed of movement of the images. If you are a sports fan at a slow pace, a plasma TV could be the ideal solution, as this type of screen is the one that manages to get a smoother display. Even if, however, over the past five years, both the LCD and LEDs are able to greatly improve until you get a relatively good quality.
or should be noted that plasma TVs are at risk of damage with static images, such as the logo of the networks or the control panel of video games. In fact, there is a serious danger that this type of images remain permanently imprinted on a plasma screen.
4. 4
Consumption. LCDs usually require only a single fluorescent panel, while a plasma screen needs every single pixel is lit individually. In general, in a year, the power consumption of a plasma display will be greater than one in LCD of about 50%. LED screens are those who consume less, up to 40% less than LCD.
5. 5
The Life Cycle. Plasma displays are those that have a life cycle shorter. Indeed, they have a half cycle life of 60,000 hours (ie, in 33 years, used for 5 hours per day, the brightness is reduced to 50% compared to that of a new television). The LED TVs generally have a half cycle of life of about 100,000 hours. The LCD a middle ground between plasma and LED.
6. 6
Price. Generally, LCD screens constitute the best option affordabile (perhaps the only option for small screens). Plasma TVs are often larger and proposals for solutions are slightly more expensive than their LCD counterparts. Finally, those LED. Being the newest technology, they are still very expensive and not yet distributed in a capillary.
Select the Screen Resolution
1. 1
Most flat screens offer options for a resolution of 720p or 1080p resolution while the traditional CRT televisions and cable broadcasts is 480i or 480p.
or 720p is the resolution for screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels lines, indipindentemente the size of the TV. High-definition cable and satellite channels, and some DVD players, use this resolution.
or 1080p is the resolution for screens with 1920 lines x 1080 pixels, and is used mainly for the Blue-Ray, although still the Blue-Ray Players can run content in 720p for TV that does not have an input to 1080p.
Compare Additional Features
1. 1
Think about where the TV will be placed. Only the dimensions of the screen, nonsotante is an important factor, it should not be the top priority when choosing a flat screen TV. Use your room to determine the screen size you choose-the ideal viewing distance should be about twice the size of the screen.
2. 2
Think about what you want to connect. The video inputs determine which type of peripheral devices you can connect to your TV.
or Composite video is the minimum standard of connection, which uses a pin RCA yellow (video) and two more RCA, white and red for stereo audio.
or L 'S-Video allows you to send analog component video signal through a multipin socket. The audio signal is not included in this type of connection.
or L 'HDMI is the standard for displaying high-definition images, required to connect a Blu-ray player, HD satellite or TV and DVD players are able to convert the high-definition signal to meet the specifications of the screen.
o Some of the new models also offer USB and other connections so you can connect a computer, digital camera or other digital dispositi.
or the key to access the Internet on your TV screen may be cumbersome for the back of your TV, so if it's something you want, so keep that in mind.
3. 3
Consider the Refresh Rate (Frequency Update). This parameter describes how fast an image is refreshed. It is measured in Hertz and the standard is 60 Hz While many viewers do not notice the difference, a high value of Refresh can be hugely appreciated by those who use a flat-screen TV for video games and more advanced.
Advice
• Built-in Tuners may provide an additional benefit for those who invest in convenience. Make sure the tuner is supported by the Content Provider Cable, before proceeding with the purchase.
• An option a little 'less flat for your next TV is the DLP (Digital Light Processing). The DLP screens tend to have twice as thick as a plasma or LCD, but they cost much less and are still much flatter than a traditional CRT TV.
• Some TVs offer a range of embedded content, including images of various types that can appear on the screen, or maybe a kind of internal hard disk where they can upload their own content in order to enjoy them on the new TV.
10/07/2010
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Translated via software
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Source:
Italian version of ReteIngegneri.it