What TV Should I Buy?
What is so great about a flat viewing surface?
A flat viewing surface is advantageous for several reasons. First, the image itself is more realistic. With a conventional tube TV the image is distorted by the curvature of the glass. With Flat TV the image is not distorted in this fashion at all. Second, the viewing angle is wide on most flat monitor surfaces. Flat TV's are viewable from anywhere in the room with a normal viewing angle of 160 degrees. This surface appears brighter and clearer to the viewer, especially from an angle. Finally, the flat surface minimizes the viewing interference of reflections from room lighting.
DTV Format Comparison
Digital television, or DTV, is the new industry standard for broadcasting picture and sound using digital signals, allowing for dramatic improvements in both picture and sound quality vs. conventional NTSC analog programming. DTV programming can be delivered in either of two basic formats: standard analog definition (SDTV) or high definition (HDTV).
Transmission Type |
Analog |
Digital |
Digital |
Digital |
Digital |
. |
NTSC |
Standard Definition |
Standard Definition |
High Definition |
High Definition |
Maximum Resolution |
480i |
480i |
480p |
720p |
1080i |
Aspect Ratio |
4:3 |
4:3 |
4:3 or 16:9 |
16:9 |
16:9 |
Channel Capacity |
1 |
5 - 6 |
5 - 6 |
1 - 2 |
1 |
Description |
Standard TV as we know it today |
Good Picture and Sound - DVD or DBS Quality |
Better, depending on source; can be outstanding |
Best Possible |
Best Possible |
HDTV Format Comparison
HDTV is the highest form of digital television, delivering up to 1,080 interlaced scan lines. HDTV produces images that far surpass any you've ever seen in a home environment! SDTV, or Standard Definition, also represents a dramatic improvement over today's TV, with the added benefit of allowing stations to broadcast multiple programs within the same bandwidth as an HDTV signal.
Scan Lines |
Scan Rate |
Pixelization |
Frame Rate |
Aspect Ratio |
Formats |
|
SDTV |
580 Total
480 Active |
15.75 kHz (60i) |
480 x 640 |
24p, 30p, 60p or 60i fps |
4:3 |
4 |
580 Total
480 Active |
31.5 kHz (60p) |
480 x 704 |
24p, 30p, 60p or 60i fps |
4:3 or 16:9 |
8 (4x2) |
HDTV |
750 Total
720 Active |
45 kHz(60p) |
720 x 1080 |
24p, 30p, 60p |
16:9 |
3 |
1125 Total
1080 Active |
33.75 kHz(60i) |
1080 x 1920 |
24p, 30p, 60i |
16:9 |
3 |
For a more information please visit the excellent http://www.hdtvinfoport.com (HDTV Info Guide) for everything you need to know before you shop for a High Definition TV.
The right distance depends on the size of your TV:
- For 20 to 27-inch displays, you should be able to watch comfortably from 2.5 to 5 feet away.
- For 32 to 37-inch TVs, you should sit back 6 to 8 feet from the screen itself.
- For 42 to 46-inch TVs, you'll need 10 to 14 feet between you and the screen.
- For 50-inch LCD displays look best when viewed from 12 to 16 feet away.
That equates to approximately 2.5 to 3 times the diagonal size of the screen for 16:9 aspect ratio displays. Therefore, a 50" television screen would have an optimum viewing distance of 10.5 feet to 12.5 feet and a 22" television screen would be 4.5 feet to 5.5 feet. Your viewing position may vary as these are recommendations only and are subject to personal preference.
Rough seating to plasma screen distance recommendations are as follows: 32-37" screens may be viewed from 6 to 10 feet. A 42" plasma display may be optimally viewed from 10-14 feet. A 50" plasma display will look best from 12-16 feet. You should have at least 15 feet to work with when installing a 61-inch or 63-inch plasma screen.
The beauty of these flat screens is that you don't have to turn out the lights to see the image clearly and easily. Nor do you have to worry about eyestrain, since neither LCDs nor Plasmas flicker the way old-fashioned TVs do.
The picture is smooth, colorful, and (best of all) wide. LCDs have none of those annoying scan lines that conventional sets do. This owes to the fact that each sub-pixel has its own transistor electrode, which creates smooth, evenly lit images across the entire surface of the display. It also enables these displays to reproduce images that are saturated with color. [256 shades of red x 256 shades of green x 256 shades of blue " 16.8 million different colors!]
A more immediate concern is the actual lifespan of the light source in your LCD. This is perhaps THE critical component of your display unit. It is particularly important for maintaining a proper white balance on your TV. As these florescent bulbs age, colors can become unbalanced, which could result in too much red, for example, in your picture. So, it pays to buy name-brand displays. You will definitely pay more for better LCD display brands like Sharp, Toshiba, JVC, or Sony than you will for cheap Chinese or Korean variety knock-offs, but you'll get a backlighting bulb of higher quality and, in the end, a TV whose colors will stay truer longer.
PLASMA vs LCD TV
Comparison |
Advantage
Plasma vs LCD |
Comments |
Color Saturation |
Plasma |
With the following caveat: While plasma displays are especially good for moving images, LCD technology is better at displaying static images with particular crispness and even coloration. |
Computer Use |
LCD |
Except at "harsh" viewing angles. |
Contrast |
Plasma |
For scenes with a lot of dark and light images shown simultaneously-as with content originating from DVDs, video games, and NTSC TV signals-plasma TVs will consistently outperform LCD TVs. |
Longevity |
LCD x 2 |
LCD TVs are especially good for long-haul application like 24/7 signage. |
Production Size & Cost |
Plasma |
Even though production costs and retails prices have come down for both technologies, plasma still has the edge as far as production cost and capacity go. |
Screen Integrity |
LCD |
LCD technology is not prone to screen "burn-in" or "ghosting" the way plasma technology is. On plasma displays, static images will begin to "burn-in," or permanently discolor the pixels displaying it, after only a short time-just 15 minutes or so, in some cases. Though such "burn-in" can be reduced or "washed out," doing so reduces the overall lifespan of the display unit itself. |
Using Your Unit at Altitude |
LCD |
At 6500 feet and hight. |
Video Playback |
Plasma |
. |
Viewing Angle |
Plasma |
. |
Voltage Requirements |
LCD x 2 |
Because LCD TVs use florescent backlighting to produce images, they require substantially less power to operate than plasmas do. LCD TVs consume about half the power that plasma displays consume.
The reason: Plasmas use a lot of electricity lighting each and every pixel you see on a screen-even the dark ones. These are truly power-hungry devices.
|
DLP TV vs LCD TV
Comparison |
Advantage
DLP vs LCD |
Comments |
Accuracy / Brightness |
LCD |
With the following caveat: The LCD TVs will be brighter and have a distinct color accuracy advantage during the first few years of their lives (each sets has about a 70,000-hour lifespan). An LCD panel will slowly decay with time, as will its backlight(s). This decay will result in colors that slowly shift (towards more red or blue) over time. DLP technology, on the other hand, may not be quite as accurate, but the colors will not shift over the course its lifespan. The lamps can also be replaced in DLP units (sometimes easily), which should return them to their original brightness levels. |
Clarity |
LCD |
LCD for scenes with fine details, as it will display the image much more clearly than a DLP television within the optimum viewing distance. |
Color Saturation |
LCD |
When you're watching scenes with vibrant and brilliant colors, the LCD displays will seem more lifelike. |
Contrast |
LCD |
With the following caveat: There is not a clear winner here, since size impacts this performance level significantly. A large LCD TV cannot reproduce black levels remotely close those of a smaller LCD TV. Therefore, when comparing units of similar size, the DLP set will display richer black levels. |
Production Size & Cost |
DPL |
The DLP TVs generally cost less and currently are available in sizes larger than the largest LCD TVs in production. The DLP TVs are available in sizes ranging from 43-65" diagonally. The LCD TVs max out at 40" diagonally. |
Viewing Angle |
LCD |
Manufacturers claim viewing angles of 160-170° for both LCD and DLP displays. The viewable picture at these extreme angles is quite impressive for both technologies. The picture on the LCD displays remained consistent throughout all viewing angles. This was not the case with the DLP TVs. Viewing a DLP set from various angles will impact the overall color accuracy of the image. There is a considerable shift in the tints when changing vertical positions. You will notice this if you shift positions (i.e., stand up or sit down) while watching your DLP unit.
If having a sizeable "sweet spot" for optimal viewing pleasure is a must, then an LCD television is your best bet.
|
PLASMA vs DPL TV
Comparison |
Advantage
Plasma vs DPL |
Comments |
Altitue |
DPL |
. |
Brightness |
Plasma |
The DLP brightness level washes out color richness. |
Clarity |
Plasma |
The measure of clean edges and lines around and inside images of plasma TVs will consistently outperform DPL TVs. |
Color Saturation and Accuracy |
Plasma |
. |
Contrast |
Plasma |
The measure of the darkest black in relation to the lightest white images of plasma TVs will consistently outperform DPL TVs. |
Lifespan |
DPL |
. |
Size |
Plasma |
Plasma displays are designed with minimalist decorators in mind. There is little in the way of beveled framing, and speakers are often optional. If you want an exceptionally "clean" look for your home theater, think plasma. |
Cost Value |
DPL |
The DLP value is better per square inch than the plasma. |
Video Playback |
Plasma |
. |
Why Plasma is Better?
Digital television is now a reality-- but you're not going to see it the way it was meant to be seen using yesterday's TV sets. Today, we're in the midst of a digital video revolution, thanks to HDTV, DTV, DVD-Video, digital satellite broadcasts and computer video. Plasma display technology is the only way to fully enjoy the dramatically improved image quality of all these digital video sources.
Features |
Here are some of the many advantages plasma displays provide. |
High Resoluction |
Plasma display devices have higher resolution than conventional TV sets, and are capable of displaying full HDTV and DTV signals as well as XGA, SVGA and VGA signals from a computer. For example, you can get plasma displays with a 1024 x 1024 pixel high-resolution that can display images at true 1080i and 720p HDTV resolution, as well as 480i and 480p HD signals. |
No scan lines |
Conventional CRTs use an electron beam to scan the picture tube from top to bottom at regular intervals, lighting the phosphors to create the image. In the case of standard (NTSC) TV, visible scan lines can be seen.
Most plasma displays include built-in line doubling to further improve image quality when viewing standard analog video sources such as TV broadcasts and VCR tapes. |
Exceptional color accuracy |
High-end plasma displays are capable of displaying 16.77 million colors -- providing superb color realism with exceptionally subtle gradations between colors. |
Widescreen aspect ratio |
Plasma display devices have a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, the relationship between the screen's width and height. This is the proper aspect ratio for HDTV, and also allows many DVD-Video movies to be viewed in widescreen format, as originally seen in the theater. |
Perfectly flat screen |
Plasma display monitors have screens that are perfectly flat, with no curvature whatsoever. This eliminates the edge distortion that can occur in CRT displays. |
Uniform screen
brightness |
Unlike some rear and front projection televisions that suffer from uneven screen brightness -- seen as "hot spots" in the middle of the screen or a darkening near the edges and especially corners -- plasma displays illuminate all pixels evenly across the screen. |
Slim, space-saving
design |
Plasma display monitors are only a few inches thin-providing installation options never before possible. In addition to stand mounting, they can be hung on a wall or from a ceiling, allowing you to enjoy big-screen home theater impact from a component that doesn't dominate floor space. Conventional TVs and front projectors, by comparison take up far more real estate and are much more limited in placement flexibility.
Plasma monitors have an elegant, understated "picture frame" appearance that blends inconspicuously with any decor; with a chassis not much wider than the display screen itself.
Because they eliminate the need for a front projection unit and a projection screen, plasma display monitors are also ideal for use in a wide variety of business and commercial applications where the use of a front projector would not be feasible. |
Wide viewing angle |
Plasma displays offer a viewing angle of 160 degrees (top to bottom and left to right) -- much better than rear projection TVs and LCD displays. This allows a larger number of viewers to enjoy proper image reproduction from a wider variety of locations throughout the room. |
Universal display capability |
Most plasma monitors can accept any video format formats. Typically, they will include composite video (NTSC, PAL SECAM) (standard RCA jacks), S-video and component video inputs, plus one or more RGB inputs to accept the video output from a computer.
Whether you want to view a sporting event on HDTV, a DVD-Video movie, a satellite broadcast or even surf the Internet with incredible big screen impact, chances are a plasma monitor will accommodate your needs. |
Immunity from magnetic fields |
Because plasma displays do not use electron beams, as conventional CRT displays do, they are immune to the effects of magnetic fields. Components such as loudspeakers that contain strong magnets can distort the picture if placed too close a standard TV (which has a CRT). On the other hand, plasma displays can be placed in close proximity to any type of loudspeaker and not experience image distortion. |
Progressive Scan DVD Player
Several of Nikada's TV's, along with providing HDTV-capability, will maximize the picture quality you get from a Progressive Scan DVD player. Besides optimizing the progressive Scan DVD picture, these TV's will also improve the picture quality from standard (non-progressive scan) DVD Players, and will upconvert standard broadcast programming.
NOTE: Progressive Scan is a type of video signal where an entire video frame is shown every 1/60th of a second. In Interlaced Scan, the method used by older NTSC TV's, the odd horizontal lines in a video frame are shown in one 1/60th of a second, then the even lines in the next 1/60th, resulting in an entire frame shown every 1/30th of a second. Thus, Progressive Scan provides a smoother and detailed picture, with less flicker.
Put in Places You Couldn't Before
Nikada's newest models allow you to put a TV in places you couldn't before. With some models as slim as 3" and as light as 8 lbs, Nikada's TV's can fit where conventional TV's cannot.
Move Around Easily
As slim as 3" and as light as 8 lbs, Nikada's newest models will allow you to move your TV around easily. Some of our models even feature handles for easy carrying from room to room.
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