LCD, DLP Or Plasma? Oh My!

LCD

LCD, DLP Or Plasma? Oh My!

At a decidedly higher price point is the next type of set to consider: Liquid Crystal Diode televisions, also known as LCD.

LCD televisions utilize two "polarized" panels that sandwich a thin liquid-crystal gel. That gel is divided into individual pixels, each of which can be darkened or lightened according to how much precise voltage is passed through it - the more voltage, the darker the pixel. Since some light always leaks through the gel, an absolutely black screen is almost impossible for an LCD television to achieve, but advances in LCD technology have put these TVs nearly at the same level as plasma.

Though the gap is narrowing, plasma TVs generally exhibit greater brightness and sharper contrast then the competition - especially as the screen size increases. Plasma televisions can be may measure under 5 inches, and have a very wide viewing angle.

Plasma

As with every other aspect of your long-awaited home entertainment project, in the long run the amount of money at your disposal will be the biggest factor in which television you ultimately choose. You would need to itemize the components you must buy, and prioritize it.

Audiophiles could choose to spend more money on a hi-tech surround sound system; others might choose to turn over a greater percentage of the budget to the designer. But no matter which option you choose, be comfortable knowing that any of the choices open to you are vastly superior to to what was available even in the recent past.

LCD computer monitors, because of their light weight and small footprint, quickly became the technology of choice in the industry. The smaller screen sizes created sharp LCD images, so small-screen TVs became LCD's niche. But in the past few years screen size has grown larger and larger while maintaining sharpness, and the previously poor viewing angles have become as good as plasma televisions can offer. Hi-Def LCD televisions are now a viable competitor to plasma televisions on the home entertainment field.

Currently, there are three main types of high-def televisions available: plasma, LCD and DLP.

Other minor drawbacks include the possibility of annoying fan noise in some models, and since the technology is more "mechanical" than plasma and LCD, there may be a higher incidence of breakdowns. Projection televisions of any type also are burdened with poorer viewing angles than the direct view sets, and color resolution may not be as sharp.

DLP

The usable lifespan of a plasma TV is 60,000 hours - which would allow you to watch TV for 6 hours a day for 27 years. Hi-Def plasma televisions can boast of contrast ratios of 30,000:1, a significant advantage over less expensive hi-def televisions. Although screen "burn-in" has been an issue in the past, technological advances have reduced this potential drawback to a minimum.

How to Choose

Built in a similar manner to an LCD TV, in that a sandwich is created by two panels of glass, the material between the two panels is not a liquid gel, but rather a gas.

This practical guide to the design, implementation, and maintenance of cable TV systems, written for technical personnel, engineers, managers, and operators, includes an overall introduction to standard NTSC and HDTV systems, outlining start-up procedures and development of the industry to the present day. The impact of new high-definition television (HDTV) systems is also discussed, for the first time in any cable TV book. This book presents a brief overview of the basic electrical circuits required for cable television systems, as well as sections on coaxial cables and cable systems, in which the whole cable TV distribution system is treated in detail. The head-end and hub system are completely discussed, and up-to-date material on cable system design and network topology is included. And to insure proper maintenance, readers get the latest test procedures and measurements, plus guidance on standards, records, and reference data.
Customer Review: A great overview
I'm new to Cable TV and work mainly on the software side. Two years of hearing the plant guys use decibels to describe coax runs led me to this book. This book is a great intro to the RF side of things. Note that while it isn't an EE level e-mag book it is not for the mathematically faint at heart.
Customer Review: Excellent read for electrical engineers
I ran across this book while on vacation and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's been almost 20 years since my undergrad and masters in Electrical Engineering, and this book brought back a lot of great knowledge and memories. Covers emag, optics, circuits and much more.

Go Online for a Terrific One-Stop Shopping Experience

Online shopping isn't new, but it continues to grow. An increasing number of people are letting their fingers do the clicking rather than head out to the mall or to a specialty store. Moreover, online shoppers are choosing boutique one-stop shopping sites over the Web's traditional e-commerce giants. Why? Because, in doing so, they can support entrepreneurs while taking advantage of wholesale prices and dropship bargains.What can you find at these one-stop shopping online stores? Just about everything. These sites typically have everything from jewelry, electronics, and leather goods to automotive parts, supplies for pets, and toys. And, just like the mega sites, they have brand names in virtually every category imaginable. You might, for example, find a Magnavox widescreen LCD TV with an integrated DVD player as well as Britney Spears' latest fragrance. You could find novelty items from your favorite sports team along with Olympus digital cameras. Or, you could shop for the latest Xbox 360 game along with a gorgeous pair of designer earrings. Online Buying TipsHow do you choose which online store to patronize? When I'm looking for a site, I first look for selection and brand names. Unless I'm looking for a rare item, I always go for the online store that has at least 5,000 items in stock. Next, I look for organization. I like to shop at sites that organize their items by easy-to-find categories. I don't want pet supplies to pop up when I'm looking for jewelry, or to search for personal electronics and have outdoor furniture appear in my search results. I'm also a big fan of sites that dropship. When my items come directly from the manufacturer, I find that they arrive faster and in better condition. Plus, since the site doesn't have to worry about stocking inventory, the owners tend to pay more attention to customer service. Since I'm somewhat of a privacy nut, I prefer to shop on sites that don't sell or disclose my personal information to third parties (other than the shipper) without first giving me the opportunity to prevent my information from being shared. Security is also extremely important to me, especially since I'm sharing sensitive information like my credit card number. So, before I click, I always make sure the site uses a secure server with encryption technology. If a site accepts PayPal, that's even better.If you've been stuck in the online mega-store rut, I encourage you to give the smaller one-stop shopping sites a try. You'll likely receive better service, and have an overall better shopping experience.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about One-Stop Shopping or Majon's Shopping - General directory.

Select the best equipment for your home theater

The fun and easy way⢠to create the movie theater experience in your own home

Are you ready for HDTV? Checking out surround sound and DVRs? This value-priced guide clearly explains the latest advances in home entertainment electronics and makes sense out of all the available choices. It then helps you choose the right equipment and shows you how to put it all together to build the home theater system of your dreams!

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Customer Review: Home Theater for Dummies
This was a well written basics type book. Definitely good for someone who knows nothing about home theater.
Customer Review: Very nicely written - but needs an update
This book is a bit dated. But since I am really a dummy in this area, it has been good to bone up my knowledge, as I gear up to buy and build up a audio home theater - I skipped most of the stuff on the video chapters as I don't plan a movie theater at home. It does need to be updated. PC and network information are old, so are some of the things around emerging standards. It could also do with some pictures and wiring diagrams - I am no dummy with electronics, but had difficulty understanding what was mean by a central panel, that could be placed in my basement or some place out of sight.