December
2006
Going
Flat
Flat
screen TVs popular with today's consumers
With
prices falling and quality improving, more consumers are making
the switch to flat screen TVs.
But
choosing a TV is not as simple as it used to be. Before, the
only picture choice was a CRT (the picture tube that’s
been around for so long). Even though the CRT is old technology,
it still delivers a great picture.
The
big disadvantage of CRT TVs is that they’re bulky and heavy.
That limits the available screen size.
Flat
screen TVs give consumers a choice of much larger picture sizes,
up to 100 inches or more. They also take up much less depth and
open up mounting options never before available, including on
a wall or above a fireplace.
Flat
screen buyers have two main options–LCD and plasma.
LCDs
have been around the longest. You’re probably already familiar
with LCD technology from laptop computer monitors.
Each
pixel, or tiny dot on the screen, uses cells of liquid crystal
with either a red, green or blue filter. A light sits behind
the rows of crystals. When the light shines through combinations
of the three cells and varying intensities of the their colors,
you see the picture on the screen.
Plasma
is the newest flat screen technology. It uses the idea behind
fluorescent lighting.
Each
pixel is made up of a tiny red, green and blue fluorescent light.
The display varies the intensity of the three tiny fluorescent
lights to make the picture.
So
how do you know whether to choose an LCD or plasma flat screen?
Looking at the pros and cons of each may help you decide.
LCD–best
for TVs smaller than 42 inches
Pros:
- Use
less energy than plasma TVs
- Can
do double duty as a computer monitor
- Best
for bright rooms
- Run
cooler than plasmas
- Lighter
than plasmas
Cons:
- Contrast
not as good as plasma
- Can
have problems producing deep blacks
- Slower
response times can cause ghosting of fast-moving images
- Viewing
degrades as you move away from center
Plasma–best
for large screen sizes
Pros:
- Wider
viewing angle
- Better
color accuracy
- Produce
blacks almost as dark as CRT TVs
Cons:
- Can
be subject to burn in of static images
- Shiny
surface can cause annoying reflections
- Relatively
heavy
- Tend
to exhibit screen door effect more than LCDs
More on flat screen TV:
Flat screen energy use
What about all those
connections?
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