TV Types – HD Ready Televisions
There are mainly 3 types of TV now, LCD, LED and Plasma. You can ignore the Flat Screen CRT which is still on sale but are from the good old days. In this article, you will get a better idea of what these screens are all about and the pros and the cons of the various TV types.
Buying a television set nowadays is not easy, there are many TV types out there and a lot of factors to consider before getting one unlike in the past, you only need to decide how large is your living room and how big you want the television to be.
Apart from trying to decide amongst LCD, LED or Plasma, you will still need to decide between HD ready and FULL HD. Most retailers will use powerful marketing strategies to trick you into buying an older model. The most common technique would be a very attractive price tag.
I will begin by explaining the difference between Full HD and HD Ready. When you shop for these TVs, you will need to keep your eyes peeled for these words. Do not just jump at the lowest price tag unless you feel that the technology of that TV suits your usage.
HD Ready
In simple terms, HD ready implies that this device is old. Currently we are in 2010. HD ready is a technology created quite a few years ago to allow a TV to receive HD signals. Which is the component cables that projectors are using. In the past, if you do not have this standard you will see nothing on screen even if you hook up the cables. As of current standard, HD ready still has its place if you do not have space for a huge screen larger than 42 inch, you can consider getting a small HD ready TV since it is impossible for the naked eye to see any difference if you have a small screen. But the video will still be clearer and crisp than normal TVs. Having a HDMI port does not mean that this TV is a FULL HD set. You will need to check the numbers.
HD Ready 1080p or HD Ready 1080i
Some tech savvy geek may be able to spot the numbers 1080 and know that the letter “p” means that this is a better TV set then the one with the “i”. But don’t be fooled by the letter p at the end of the number, you will need to be careful of the word HD Ready. It still means that it is an older model because this model fails to support every single mode that a FULL HD screen should. Nevertheless, a HD Ready 1080p is more than enough for most users.
The HD Ready 1080i is interlaced, which means half of what the 1080p has if I am to explain in layman’s term. The 1080i is the signal that is received from over the air TV shows. It is not yet possible to send the 1080p signal yet, thus such 1080i TVs are very suitable for cafes or pubs where lots of drinkers get together to watch soccer.
FULL HD, if you see this sticker on the TV, there is nothing to worry. It supports every single HD signal and is best to get a FULL HD screen larger than 42 inch. If the screen is too small, you cannot tell any difference even if it is not FULL HD, so why waste the money if it is a smaller than 42 inch. It is already very rare that you will find HD TVs with a 720p or 720i, but in the event you see this, do not ever buy it because it is the lowest grade in a HD standard.
LCD screens
LCD is not something alien to all, we see this almost everyday I assume, we use such monitors don’t we? Such screens have longer life span but poor brightness and contrast ratios. LCD screens are illuminated using florescent tubes. If you have a living room that is too bright, the colors will not look vibrant. Use of LCD TVs in an open air café is a no go as direct sunlight will make the screen look wash out. LCD screens have a response lag too, examples of such issues will be watching a F1 race or a soccer match. You will rub your eyes in disbelief that the car seemed longer with trailing shadows and the soccer ball seems to have a disappeared when it received a kick from the striker and shows up again somewhere in the air.
Plasma screens
Plasma screens will be able to display brighter colors even in a bright room and it has one added advantage over LCD, it has a faster response time. If you watch movies that have a high pace action like 2 cars racing down the highway shooting bullets at each other, Plasma screens will be able to render this much better than LCD. But they suffer from screen burn-in very easily especially with the logo of the over the air channel fixed usually at the top right hand corner of the screen. You will notice a shadow of that logo even if you are watching DVDs if the screen has suffered screen burn-in.
LED screens
This is a newer version of LCD; it uses light emitting diodes and therefore can project a vibrant image that is comparable to Plasma screens. Newer LED screens uses edge-lit concept and as a result of this, ultra light weight screens that are so thin that can be hung on the wall like a painting. But such LED screens cost a bomb currently compared to the other 2.
Apart from what was being discussed here, you will also find TV screens packed with more features like Wi-Fi connectivity and USB ports. Intelligent TVs will come pre-loaded with widgets so that you can use the TV as an alternate platform to watch Youtube, check weather forecasts or stocks.
I hope you have a better understanding of the HDTV TV types out there. It is okay to spend money on high tech electronics but if you spend a large amount of money buying technology that is getting outdated soon, you will end up being unhappy with the money you spend. Choose wisely and buy with no regrets.
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Posted by shingo
on Mar 26 2010. Filed under Techno Buzz.
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