For Shoppers, a TV Guide By ROY FURCHGOTT December 29, 2010
WHEN most people buy a television, they measure the wall where they want to put it and then pick the largest screen that will fit. That is exactly the right way to buy a big TV, but it misses the point if you want the right TV. The good news is that picture quality has improved radically in the last five years, even as prices have plummeted. The bad news: there are a bewildering number of specifications and features to consider. Many of them will matter only to hard-core videophiles, but some are critical to everyone. One of the basic features is the type of set. Although projection and tube televisions are still available, most people choose either a plasma set or one of the two types of LCD televisions. Most of the professional installers I consulted prefer plasma televisions. And if you want a flat-screen model that is wider than 50 inches, there are few other choices. The installers say that plasma sets have the smoothest motion, the truest blacks - more on that later - and are more easily watched from side angles than the LCD variety. Moreover, "plasma is generally cheaper," said Shawn G. DuBravac, the director of research for the Consumer Electronics Association. But plasmas also use more energy than LCD sets - making them more expensive to run - and LCD sets can work better in bright rooms because they have higher bright settings than plasmas. "The electricity cost of powering the TV, even for the largest models, amounts to less than $2 a week," Mr. DuBravac said. "That's if you watch TV five hours a day, seven days a week." The cost may not bother every customer. There are also big differences among LCD sets. One technical distinction is that older LCD sets are backlighted by a fluorescent lamp, while the newer ones, called "LED LCDs," are lighted by hundreds of LEDs. These models can be brighter and have a higher contrast than their older cousins, and they are thinner, too - less than an inch compared with three or so inches. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/garden/30hometech.html _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
