LCD Flat Screens Reviews

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Liquid crystal display television or LCD TV uses LCD TFT technology, more often than not, for visual output as opposed to the conventional cathode ray (of the original TV) or plasma technology.

LCD television initially faced problems entering the market, particularly when it came to viewing fast paced action. Also, the viewing angle was rather limited. However, with the advancement in technology, these problems have more or less been wiped out. Today LCD television commands a burgeoning market, especially in the Asian region.

For quite a long time, the general consensus was that the technology used for LCD television was appropriate for small televisions only, and would invariably fall short of plasma technology when it came to bigger televisions. However giant corporations like Samsung, Sharp Corporation and LG Philips have challenged this notion by coming up with LCD televisions with distinctly large panels. 40″ to 45″ televisions were widely in the market a year ago. Sharp Corporation has successfully produced a 65″ panel LCD television. In 2004, Samsung and Sony joined hands to build a factory, with the intention of manufacturing 60,000 panels every month. In 2005, Samsung proclaimed the successful completion of an 82″ HDTV TFT panel. It is believed that the LCD market is potentially worth billions of dollars, and television is seen as the main market.

TVs based on S-PVA LCD panels produce good viewing angles. They also give sufficient
“contrast ratio” for viewing scenes that are bright, as well as dark scenes in bright conditions. Also “dynamic contrast” technology improves contrast when one is viewing dark scenes in dark conditions. Also, there are LCD televisions that throw light on the background to help make dark scenes look darker.

Today, LCD televisions are offering greater viewing angles and better quality images. LCD televisions can also be deemed direct competition to the fashionable plasma televisions. However, LCDs are distinctly lighter and comparatively more durable.

LCD technology is “non-emissive”, in that it does not give off radiation like conventional televisions. Furthermore, their operation requires less power than plasma or CRT technology.

If you are bent on buying a new state-of-the-technological-art TV set, my choice would be the LCD television that is compatible with the PAL broadcast standard.

PAL, or phase-alternating line, is the standard broadcast system used in most parts of the globe, including Asia. To those residing in select countries of Asia and Europe in particular, it is important that their television sets be PAL compatible. Otherwise, their TVs would not be able to capture the video and broadcast programs. In other words, the television would have no signal and it will not work.

The PAL system is an analogue broadcast standard using some 625 alternating lines, and operates in most countries on the 50 HZ frequency. It is basically a system of encoding colours to produce greater picture details and broader colour luminance.

PAL is the broadcast standard use in Asia and Europe, in contrast to the NTSC system in the United States, Japan and others. The other or the oldest television standard is SECAM, which is still being adopted by a few countries, like France. First commercially used in 1967, PAL has eight different and generally incompatible types in use, throughout much of the worldtypes B, G, H, and also D, I, K, N and M. Asian countries on the PAL standard include China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Laos, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand. It is also used in the United Kingdom and most European countries and in some countries in South American and Africa.

A number of these new television models are out in the market, and fortunately, these are configured to work with the different world television standards. The so-called “multi-system” TVs invading the high-end market are able to receive broadcast systems from either PAL, NTSC or SECAM standards. Most of today’s advanced models are generally portable because they are lightweight, and you could even bring your very own TV along, to watch any local broadcast when traveling to almost any point in the globe.

Now, whether you opt for a multi-system model or not, we suggest that you choose a set with Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor. LCDs offer a wealth of advantages not previously possible with conventional television.

Such a TV utilises the liquid crystal technology for its visual output. This technology is generally based on Thin Film Transistor (TFT). Early LCD TVs had certain inherent problems relative to the traditional visual display systems. It displayed ‘ghosting’ images with fast moving action and was best viewed looking perpendicular to the screen or from a slight angle. In the recent years, these problems have been over-come, and LCD TVs, along with Plasma displays, have become dominant TV products in the world market.

In October, 2004, the market saw the entry of LCD TVs with 40 to 45 inches screen, while Sharp announced the successful launch of a 65 inch panel. Consequently, in March, 2005, Samsung came out with an 82 inch LCD panel.

LCDs belong to the new breed of high-definition television that gives very sharp pictures and amazingly vibrant colors. Because of the vibrant images displayed on the monitor screen, LCD televisions can appear to give off superb contrast as well. This kind of television especially gives off captivating images during bright light situations. Backlight is built into each monitor to provide brightness.

Compared to the traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) televisions, LCD monitors are flat. They are light in weight, unlike the CRT models that are very heavy and bulky. LCDs are so slim and flat that they can make to blend with the interior design of a room and can even be hung on the walls.

LCD or liquid crystal technology use millions of crystals trapped in a liquid base. When electricity is turned on, the heat-sensitive crystals, encased in between two panes of glass, allow light to pass through. In an LCD monitor, this property is manipulated in varying degrees so that the screen produces pixels of a broad range of colors and thus be able to display images. It is the light behind the glass panel that beams light through the monitor display. The liquid crystals, when subjected to electric current, block the light, resulting to patterns of gray and transparent crystals. The most commonly used type of liquid crystal is the twisted nematic or TN liquid crystal.

The tiny transistors are laid on a polarized glass substrate, and specific rows are turned on to allow an electric charge to reach a target column. This way, only a particular capacitor at a particular pixel is charged. This process is done in minutely exact increments, resulting in an amazing range of over 256 shades or levels of brightness for each color pixel.

LCD television traces its history to as far back as 1888 when Austrian scientist Friedrich Reinitzer first discovered the phenomenon of liquid crystallization. However, it was only in 1968 when the earliest LCD was developed by the RCA television company.

LCD monitors used to be available under-20 inch sizes. However, manufacturers have been utilising scientific advances to come up with better and bigger-sized LCD monitors. Certain models now reach up to 50 inches in width.

As LCD technology improves, so does the pricing. Where these TVs used to be more expensive than their Plasma counterparts, LCD televisions are now priced competitively and come in various sizes to choose from.

A very good feature of LCD TV is that its monitor can last up to 25 years or over 60,000 hours of normal use. This is so because its light source is replaceable. It also evades the occasional problem of burning-in, that can affect the other kinds of television. This is owing to the fact that unlike Plasma TVs, LCDs do not use phosphor dots; instead colour filtersred, green and also blueare utilized in the layered active matrix panel.

The LCD televisions that first appeared in the market did not produce good visuals when compared to CRT TVs. The early models had “ghost” images when displaying fast acting scenes. Today, however, LCD viewing has become a pleasurable experience, and even highly anticipated. Pictures viewed are very smooth and clean because of the so-called “reverse pulldown” correction, that the television does to the distortions caused by the process of transferring film into video for broadcast purposes.

LCD television of all brands and sizes have flooded the market. Among the big manufacturers are Sharp, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Hitachi, JVC and LG Philips. Generic LCDs, which naturally come at lower prices, are readily available through the Internet. Prices can run as low as under $200 and as high as over $1,000, depending on its brand, features widescreen or standard aspect ratio and size. LCD TVs come in flat panel, rear projection and now, even in wireless or portable models.

Before buying your new LCD television, however, it is best to remember certain things. Firstly, try to visualize the placement for your TV. Capitalise on the fact that LCD models are sleek and compact. An LCD monitor is actually more of a decorative fixture rather than a mere home appliance. If you are buying a flat panel model though, installing it should be a breeze and almost like a painting to behold. Wall or ceiling mounts and table stands can also be used to display your LCD television.

Also, decide where to buy your new digital TV. It might be better to purchase your LCD unit in an established dealer around your residence to facilitate easier or quicker access to after-sales service. Take note that prices can vary, with stores offering the best prices likewise offering the least quality service. But whether you are shopping via the traditional route or via the Internet, always try to background check a retailer; and find out more about its policies and record of service. Do not forget the insurance.

Aside from the visual experience and the sleekness of designs, LCD technology has made possible, perhaps the important feature of LCD television, is its practical offer of reduced power consumption. LCD TVs are very, very e
nergy-efficient and, inch for inch with CRTs, consume over 50 percent less electricity. In other words, you can bring in to your home big-screen experience sans the extra cost of added electricity. And because “burn-in” is not an issue with LCDs, your family can practically watch your entire favorite broadcast programs or DVD movies nonstop.

Once you view a HDTV program on a LCD TV screen, you will probably be hooked for life. The colors are so vivid and the resolution so sharp that it just makes TV viewing a pleasure.

But one of the big advantages of a LCD TV monitor is it’s ability to be mounted almost anywhere thanks to it’s thin configuration. Televisions have normally been viewed as a piece of furniture that takes up floor space in your home. That’s because the old CRT TV screens were very large and bulky, especially in the larger screen sizes, and just not conducive to being mounted very easily. But LCD TVs are changing all of that. They can actually be mounted on any flat surface that is capable of supporting their weight, even the ceiling. So what do you need to wall mount a LCD TV?

Thankfully, LCD wall mounts are becoming much more popular and available as the sales of LCDs continues to grow. They can be found both online and offline and come in a variety of sizes and price ranges. You can get a simple wall mount that mainly consists of some metal brackets that attach to the wall and then the TV is mounted on them, or you can get more sophisticated and buy a wall mount that has arms that allow you to slide the TV in and out from the wall and even adjust the viewing angle as desired.

The biggest caveat with LCD wall mounts is to be absolutely certain that the one you choose will indeed support the full weight of your particular TV monitor. To find out consult the TV specifications for your monitor in the user manual or online and determine it’s weight first. Then as you shop notice carefully how much weight each mount is capable of handling. If the supported weight statistics are not shown, don’t even bother with that mount.

Once you have the type of LCD wall mount that you want, the most important step is to actually install it. If you choose to do this yourself, be sure to follow the directions from the manufacturer very carefully in the installation process. It would also be a very good idea to be familiar with doing some kind of home improvement beforehand that involves wall mounts. After all, this mount will be holding a very expensive piece of equipment and if it fails, you will stand a good chance of destoying the TV altogether. If you don’t feel qualified to install the wall mount, hire out the job to someone who you know can handle that kind of job, and factor in the installation costs to make sure that it still fits into your budget.

Once installed correctly a LCD TV will be a joy to watch for many years and will also probably be a topic of conversation for whoever visits your home.

Jim Johnson is a successful author and publisher on consumer related matters. You can find out more about a lcd tv wall mount and lcd tv reviews by visiting our HDTV website.

All LCD televisions are also ready to accept HDTV (high definition television) and DTV (digital television) signals and would thus be quite functional a few years down the line, when these signals become more widespread. A majority of LCD screens can also be used as computer monitors because they can be hooked up to a VGA or DVI signal, though the resolutions of various screens tend to vary with different models and brands.

Issues with the LCD television and emerging solutions

Potential buyers who wish to replace their traditional CRT with the latest LCD need to be aware of the pros and cons of the new LCD technology and how the differences between the two technologies would alter their lifespan and viewing pleasure. The viewing angle for LCD televisions based on PVA and S-PVA LCD panels is limited to about 140 degrees, after which distortion sets in. For both light scenes and images and their darker counterparts, LCDs work better due to their high contrast ratio. The disadvantage of this technology lies in the appearance of “ghosting” when the image varies and moves between different dark shades.

Televisions with CRT technology do not suffer from “ghosting” as the phosphor contained in the CRT panel is charged by the strike of a beam of electrons. Most of the light is emitted in a comparatively shorter period of time, usually less than 1 millisecond, compared to a refresh period of about 20 milliseconds. For an LCD television, each pixel emits light of a fixed intensity for a stretch of approximately 20 milliseconds in addition to the time it takes to go over to the next state (or the refresh period, which is usually between 12 and 25 milliseconds).

This stretch of time, also known as the response time, can be lessened by the design of the panel, or through the use of overdriving technology, but the response time can only be cut down to the length of the refresh period. Bringing the response time to a level equal to the refresh period is usually enough to watch films and television programs, but for those who want to watch videos shot at 50 or 60 frames a second on certain LCD televisions, some ghosting issues still remain.

Plasma versus LCD – a fascinating, complex battle indeed! LCD and plasma TVs each have their own characteristics. And the decision about which one you prefer has a lot to do with your personal taste, much like preferring a peanut butter sandwich to a jelly sandwich, or vice versa.

Let us proceed point by point.

Each pixel in a plasma TV is made up of three phosphors – one red, one blue, and one green. They emit light when struck by beams of electrons. The quantity of light emitted depends on the intensity of the electron beam. It is the phosphors themselves that create the light one can see on a plasma screen.

On the other hand, LCD TVs use millions of crystal, which are suspended in a liquid that is sandwiched between transparent panels. A bright florescent light is in place behind this liquid crystal sandwich. The crystals are instructed to either let the light pass or block its passage. Color filters are used to determine color.

As far as size is concerned, both TVs were always thin, and so that question is something of a stalemate. For example, the difference between 3″” and 5″” seems to matter in case of certain models, but becomes almost immaterial when it comes to a large-screen TV.

In terms of the viewing area, however, plasma TVs have always been known for their larger sizes. And that holds true in general. Put in a different way, one will have a greater variety of plasma TVs to choose from when he/she is looking at the big models. But it should be kept in mind that LCD TVs, too, are steadily gaining ground.

Now comes the question of price. For a large-screen plasma TV and a large-screen LCD TV of the same size, the plasma TV would normally cost less. LCD TVs are, however, dropping in price, and it is highly likely that the two will be on equal footing in the price department quite soon. All else being equal, in the plasma vs. LCD TV battle, plasma tends to win on this one for the time being. But the battle goes on.

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