Jim Johnson asked:


With advancing technology revolutionizing the television viewing field, consumers have more choices than ever before. And as is often the case with electronics, it can be confusing. Terms and acronyms are used in the electronics industry that you just don’t find anywhere else, and if you aren’t careful it can keep you from buying newer technology simply because you don’t understand it well. That can certainly be the case with modern TV monitors.

The old analog TV sets of yesteryear did not have to have a very advanced monitor because the TV signal was only so good anyway, So CRT monitors lasted as the screen choice for decades. But now with HDTV moving the entire viewing experience forward in dramatic fashion, better ways of producing the on-screen image is in full production.

Two of those competing screen technologies are plasma TVs and DLPs (digital light processing TVs). Both types of screen technologies have been around for a while, although DLPs have only become commonplace in recent years. They use completely different means of displaying a TV picture and so each has it’s own peculiarities, both for good and bad. So you as the consumer need to weigh the differences and determine which will best fit your own needs.

Plasma TVs are well-known for their high contrast images and vivid colors, and they are generally cheaper than DLP TVs in the larger screen sizes. They have a wide viewing angle, and would make an excellent choice for many people. The drawbacks include less longevity and faster wear rate at higher altitudes above 6,000 to 7,000 feet, and the fact that they tend to run hot and need internal fans to cool them down that can sometimes be noisy depending on the model that you choose. They also can suffer from screen burn-in when an image is left on the screen for a very long time, producing a faint ghost image even when viewing something else.

DLP TVs are are capable of painting the screen with high contrast, color dense images too, although the nod still has to go to plasma TVs in general in this area. They are also easily used as a monitor for almost any digital video source that you have, including your computer. They use a reflective technology to display the screen image and so their picture is very bright and easy to see even in brightly lit rooms. However, they must be viewed at eye level, since the brightness falls off rapidly as you view them from either above or below eye level. The DLP will last almost indefinitely, but the light source must be replaced every 10,000 hours and that will cost over $200 when you do.

Actually either will make a fine choice to use with today’s emerging television technologies. Just be aware that each has it’s own drawbacks, so choose the monitor that will fit your own particular needs and uses best.

C R Ellsworth asked:


Recently the “Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act” was passed. This sets February 17th – 2009, as the “final-cut-off-date” for Over-The-Air Analog TV Broadcasts. That means your ‘Rabbit Ears’ and the tall antenna on your roof will be useless except for lawn ornaments. To watch any TV presentation that originates outside of your home you will need new hardware. The minimum will be an HDTV with a digital tuner. The tuner can be integrated or external. If there happens to be an HDTV Transmitter close enough to your home, you can buy an HDTV antenna.

HDTV signals are line-of-sight, so if you are on the edge of a broadcast area there are Roof mounted antennas available. This is how the local broadcast network affiliates will transmit, if you still watch them. There will of course be satellite and cable available for the myriad extra entertainment venues they provide.

Some regions may need an HDTV antenna if your cable provider is slow bringing HDTV to your area or if your area has no cable. If you use one of the Satellite providers you should be in luck. They are transitioning to HDTV as we speak. Ain’t Competition Great.

HDTV SPECIFICATION

The HDTV specification provides for three different types of HDTV, denoted by the number of lines of resolution and the signal type. They are:

*1080p (1080 lines, progressive scan)

*1080i (1080 lines, interlaced)

*720p (720 pixels, progressive)

Any TV not capable of displaying at least 720 lines is not ‘HDTV ready’ and any signal with fewer than 720 lines is not an HDTV signal. So, in order to be properly HDTV capable, a TV needs to be able to display at least 1280 pixels horizontally as well as at least 720 vertically.

The ‘i’ and ‘p’ in the HDTV specification refer to interlaced and progressive scan. The analog TV we’ve been watching for years is interlaced. That simply means that each frame of video is split into two fields. Each field contains alternate lines of the signal (one has the odd, the other the even) and is displayed for 1/60th of a second. Because it happens so fast, your brain interprets each frame as a single image. Progressive scan signals have no fields, they simply display each frame in its entirety for 1/30th of a second. This results in a higher quality image, particularly noticeable in fast-action broadcasts such as sporting events,

Once the decision is made as to how you are going to receive HDTV some decisions need to be made about how you will use the system. Your choices in display technology will depend on your most frequent use of the system. Depending on your interests you will want to evaluate different types of displays and/or controls.

Gamers will probably want different display qualities than a Home Theatre Buff, Sports enthusiast or Business users. Business applications such as Power Point & Spreadsheet display well with most consideration being given to the size of the audience. Avid sports viewers will need true high speed performance. I haven’t been a Gamer since before Intel’s P III, so their concerns will be addressed in another publication.

So what do you prefer?

A front-projection system uses a projector and a separate screen, and it projects images onto the front of that screen. This setup looks most like what you’d find in a movie theater — the projection unit is completely separate from the screen. The projector can be placed on a table or mounted to the ceiling. The picture looks best when displayed on a high-quality screen, but a specially painted, flat wall will work as well.

Rear-projection systems look more like traditional televisions. They display images on the back of a screen rather than the front, and the projector is completely contained within the television itself. You can also set up a rear-projection system with a projector and a special screen, but the term is most often used to describe self-contained TV sets.

For that theatre experience at home, without the sticky floor and screaming kids, I prefer a front-projection DLP Projector for my Home Theatre Room. In my opinion DLP is best for Home Theatre Video’s (DVD Etc. because of higher contrast and deeper black levels, Contrast (3000:1 for DLP, 1000:1 for LCD).

A projector of this type can project on a wall screen up to 120″ in size with high contrast and deep black levels. DLP miniprojectors on the market are around 3 pounds. Most LCD projectors are five pounds or more. These differences are being narrowed as technology progresses. For Business applications such as Power Point & Spreadsheet display these are not noticeable concerns.

I’m a Home Theatre Buff so DLP meets my expectations. But there are other technologies with their own pluses and minuses.

Plasma Displays have great resolution and incredible color definition. With a resolution of 1366 x 768 a plasma display can give virtually a 3-D effect. This in combination with exceptional color reproduction can be quite stunning.

Plasma does have some issues though. They can be subject to ‘Burn in’ and there is a concern with ‘Life Cycle’. At the price levels you will find in display technologies a screen that only lasts 20,000 to 25,000 hours before replacement is needed is problematic. This is possible with Plasma although NEC is working on raising their ‘life cycles’ to 60,000 hours.

LCD’s have an average life cycle of 30,000. LCD Screens deliver a very good picture. The LCD was the first display to have 1080 line resolution. LCD is better in bright light conditions. LCD historically delivers better color saturation than you get from a DLP projector although this is a major focus of new research on DLP tech.

Compared to Plasma, LCD has slow reaction time if you are watch presentations focusing on split-second events such as NASCAR and other sports. Contrast, at 1000:1 is not great compared with Plasma & DLP. Full black is hard to achieve with LCD, black is usually a deep Gray. LCD may also be subject to a screendoor effect, at times seeming to show a division between pixels. Also a potential problem with LCD: Long Term Image Degradation. Although this would most likely happen after a comparable Plasma screen may show effects of a burn in or element failure.

There are so many factors to consider and so much information out there that many more articles can be written. So for now further research and choices are up to you.

Jim Johnson asked:


Television technology has been essentially static for several decades until just recently. The old CRT tube TVs reigned supreme for years simply because the broadcasting technology could not allow for anything better to come along. Even if you had sophisticated monitors and sound systems, they wouldn’t be of much use because the TV signal couldn’t transmit enough information to reaaly make use of them.

But HDTV has changed the whole TV viewing horizon, and there is no better time to make the switch from analog to HDTV. Here are five reasons why a HDTV DLP should be in your future soon:

1. The FCC has passed a law that requires all TV stations to broadcast in digital format by the end of 2006, and that means that almost all broadcasting will be done in HDTV by sometime in 2007. After that, if you want to be able to receive over the air TV signals on your old analog TV set, you will need a digital to analog converter box to do that. So why not be ready for that change by getting the necessary equipment in place now as prices have fallen dramatically lately?

2. HDTV not only means improved picture resolution, but it also makes use of the widescreen format that is more compatible with the way that movies are actually filmed, so you get to see the whole screen image instead of having some of it cut off by an incompatible screen ratio.

3. HDTV also enhances the sound capabilities as it even supports Dolby 5.1 surround sound that is used by many movie theaters today. This makes true home theater sound easy to achieve.

4. DLP TVs employ newer screen technology to be able to display much brighter, sharper, and color dense images than has ever been possible before. They run cool, use relatively little electricity, and can come in very large screen sizes if you wish.

5. DLP TVs also are thin, making them a perfect choice for those with limited space. Because of their thin configuration they can be placed closer to the wall or even mounted right on it, allowing more viewing area in the room that would not have been possible with older bulky TVs.

All in all, HDTV and DLP TVs are a great choice for the ultimate in home television viewing. If you haven’t actually seen a demonstration of a DLP HDTV, why not visit a local electronics retailer and ask to see it for yourself? Many people just don’t understand what all the fuss is about until they actually see it in person, but once you do, you will no doubt come away very impressed. Just be sure that you don’t let this wave of the future in home entertainment pass you by!