Flat Screen
How can you be sure you choose the right flat screen for your needs? Is a flat panel really the best buy? And do you know whether a plasma or a LCD flat- screen TVs is better and why?
Panasonic Plasma TV
Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P50G10 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-P42X1 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV
Release Date: 03/01/2009
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Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P42G10 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Release Date: 03/17/2009
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List Price: $1,299.95
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Panasonic VIERA G10 Series TC-P46G10 46-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
Release Date: 03/17/2009
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Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ800U 58-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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Amazon Price: $1,857.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $3,699.95
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Plasma Flat Screens
The pro's and con's of Plasma Flat Screens
All current plasma displays offer HDTV resolution, as well. Screen sizes range between 42 inches diagonal up to more than 70 inches.
Plasma Flat Screen Pricing
Prices for a plasma flat screen TV start at around $1000 and top out at more than $15,000.
Budget models usually have lower contrast and poorer reproduction of black and of dark grays, yielding a picture with less punch and detail. They do a worse job of converting regular standard-definition (SD) TV programs and DVDs to their own native resolution, which can result in a coarser and noisier picture.
The most expensive plasmas in a given screen size are typically the new 1080p models, which offer 1920 by 1080 resolution.
Potential Problems with Plasma Flat Screens
Like the old CRTs, plasma screens use phosphors to generate light, which means they can be subject to burn-in. When a static image is left on the screen for a long time (i.e. a station logo or a text banner), it may not completely disappear when the image changes. There are technical provisions to prevent this: most models now use pixel-shifting strategies that continually move the image on the screen in imperceptibly tiny increments to help prevent burn-in, with the result that this is much less of an issue than it used to be.
Sony Bravia LCD TV
LCD Flat Screens
LCD Flat Screen Pricing
For screen sizes below 42 inches, wide-screen HDTV LCDs have become price-competitive with similar-size direct-view CRT TV sets
A 32-inch high-definition LCD flat screen ranges in price from about $600 to $2000 depending on its manufacturer and features. (A 32-inch wide-screen display has about the same screen height as a 27-inch TV with a conventional 4:3 aspect ratio.)
LCD screens are price-competitive with plasma screens at screen sizes smaller than about 50 inches. For larger displays, LCDs are usually more expensive, though the gap is narrowing.
Potential Problems with LCD Flat Screens
LCDs still tend to have lower contrast ratios than plasmas, primarily because they have a harder time reproducing deep black and dark grays. In addition, they have slower response times, which can sometimes cause blurring of fast-moving action, such as in sports. However, LCD makers have made strides in this area as well, quickening response times and, most recently, introducing high-end models that refresh the display 120 times per second instead of the standard 60.
LCDs are often one to several inches thicker than plasmas and have a somewhat narrower effective viewing angle. (Plasmas, like CRTs, are easily viewable from well off to the side and do not exhibit any change in brightness as you stand up or sit down.)
LCDs are often one to several inches thicker than plasmas and have a somewhat narrower effective viewing angle. (Plasmas, like CRTs, are easily viewable from well off to the side and do not exhibit any change in brightness as you stand up or sit down.)
Advantages of LCD Flat Screens
LCDs are completely immune to burn-in, are easier to view in brightly lit rooms, and more often include all the standard features of a conventional TV. LCDs also run cooler than plasmas, minimizing the need for potentially noisy fan cooling.
An LCD is a particularly attractive choice for a sunlit room or in situations where a plasma would be too large or where you want a display that can serve double duty as a TV set and computer monitor.
Flat Screen Auctions
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Flat Screen Specifications
What to look for when you buy
- Important: Contrast Ratio
Contrast ratio refers to the brightest and darkest light values a display can produce at the same time. All else being equal, the higher the contrast ratio is, the better.
Take contrast ratings as a very rough guide to be supplemented by eyes-on evaluation. That said, LCD contrast-ratio specs start at about 600:1, while those for plasmas start at about 1000:1 or better. - Important: Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio describes the relationship of screen width to screen height. Conventional TV sets have a 4:3 aspect ratio, wide-screen TV's are 16:9. Wide screens are the future.
HDTV is a wide-screen format. DVDs usually look better on wide-screen displays because most movies were filmed in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (very close to 16:9, which is 1.78:1) or in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (even wider than 16:9). - Important Video Inputs
See the detailed list below. - Less Important: Resolution
Resolution is specified as the number of pixel columns by the number of pixel rows - (i.e. 640 by 480 or 1280 by 720). Resolution and contrast ratio determine perceived picture detail.
Digital content currently is delivered in these five formats: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.
A display can be considered high-definition if it is wide-screen and has a total pixel count of around 1 million. Therefore 1920 by 1080, 1280 by 720, 1366 by 768, and 1024 by 1024 are all examples of high-definition display resolutions. Small differences are not very consequential at greater than 1280 by 720, the specified resolution of the 720p high-definition format.
If you sit close to a large screen (50 inches or greater), you may prefer a 1920 by 1080 (1080p) display, but the increased picture detail afforded by such a high-resolution display will be difficult or impossible to see on a smaller screen. - Less Important: Built-In Tuners
Most current flat-panel displays include a tuner for conventional analog broadcast and cable TV reception and for broadcast HDTV. A few, however, are strictly displays, or monitors, with no built-in tuner (a more common setup for plasmas than for LCDs). That may not matter if you receive all your TV programming via satellite or cable, but if you want to watch broadcast TV over an antenna, be sure that the set you buy includes a TV tuner.
Pioneer Plasma HDTV
Pioneer PDP-6020FD 60-Inch Class KURO Plasma HDTV
Release Date: 06/12/2008
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Amazon Price: $3,799.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
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Pioneer PDP-5020FD 50-Inch 1080p KURO Plasma HDTV
Release Date: 06/12/2008
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Amazon Price: $4,499.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $3,500.00
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Pioneer PRO 111FD - 50" Elite KURO plasma TV with built-in network media player - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTV
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Pioneer PDP-5010FD 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
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List Price: $4,999.99
Pioneer PRO 151FD - 60" Elite KURO plasma TV with built-in network media player - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTV
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Amazon Price: $5,699.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $6,500.00
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Flat Screen Wall Mounts
VideoSecu Wall mount for LCD Monitor Flat Screen TV with Swing Arm VESA100/75 -ML10B
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Peerless ST660 Universal Tilt Wall Mount for 37"- 60" Flat Panel Screen with one Touch Tilt
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Amazon Price: $79.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $250.00
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VideoSecu Adjustable Tilt Wall Mount Plasma TV LCD Flat Panel Screen black Bracket MP50B 1GR
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Amazon Price: $26.30 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $150.00
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VideoSecu LCD Monitor Wall Mount Flat Panel Bracket Plasma TV Screen ML10 1EC
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Amazon Price: $16.30 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $79.99
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VideoSecu LCD Monitor Flat Screen Plasma TV Tilt Swivel Wall Mount ML413B 1GU
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Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $150.00
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Sharp LCD TV
Sharp LC40E67U/N 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
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List Price: $899.99
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Sharp Aquos LC42D85U 42-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
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Amazon Price: $1,133.93 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $1,499.99
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Sharp LC19SB25U 19-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
Release Date: 05/15/2008
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Amazon Price: $319.59 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $299.99
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Sharp LC52E77U 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black
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Amazon Price: $1,499.88 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $1,899.99
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Sharp Aquos LC46D85U 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV
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Amazon Price: $1,275.00 (as of 07/10/2009)
List Price: $1,499.99
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Flat Screen Video Inputs
What your connections Flat Screen TV should offer
- Composite video: This input type has the lowest quality but the broadest compatibility. Any device that has video outputs will include composite video among them. Connection is made with a single 75-ohm coaxial cable between RCA jacks.
- S-Video: S-Video offers better quality than composite video, and most video sources except standard VCRs now have S-Video outputs. Connection is made with a special cable and multipin sockets.
- Component video: This high-quality option is the minimum standard for connecting high-definition cable and satellite set-top boxes and progressive-scan DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray Disc players. It requires three 75-ohm coaxial cables of the same type used for composite video.
- VGA: Video graphics array is a high-quality analog RGB connection used primarily for computer connections.
- DVI: This is one of the highest-quality types of inputs. Digital Visual Interface is a digital video connection that can attach to devices with HDMI outputs through an adapter. It may also be used for computer connections. It requires a special cable and multipin sockets. Some displays with a DVI input may work only with computers, so watch out for that if you plan to connect an HDTV source, such as an HD digital cable box or an HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc player. For guaranteed HDTV compatibility it must comply with the HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) system.
- HDMI: This connectio is of the highest quality too. High-Definition Multimedia Interface is basically DVI plus a digital audio and control link, and it normally incorporates HDCP; it can be connected to DVI with adapter cables. This connection is provided on almost all current HD satellite receivers, HD cable boxes, and upconverting DVD players (those that provide 720p, 1080i, or 1080p output from regular DVDs), and it is the standard video connector for Blu-ray and HD DVD players.
The exact version of the HDMI input (i.e. 1.1 or 1.3) is of little consequence on TV sets. If you have, or plan on getting, an HD DVD or Blu-ray Disc player, it is desirable that the TV's HDMI inputs be capable of accepting 1080p signals.
Flat Screen Buying Guide
How to approach your purchase to make sure you buy what you need:
Here's what I'd do when shopping for a flat screen:
You should get a set with an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) input. This will ensure maximum compatibility with HDTV sources such as HD digital cable boxes, HD satellite receivers, and HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc players.
Compare displays using a variety of input sources: All flat-panel displays will handle HDTV and DVD signals well, but mediocre cable and satellite signals will give some of them fits. Don't make a buying decision based only on pictures generated from high quality sources.
Check for good blacks and detail in dark scenes: Bring a DVD of a movie containing some dimly lit night scenes to test this. Verify for good black reproduction and ability to render detail in near-darkness.
Remote Control OK?: Does it have backlighting or glow-in-the-dark buttons to help you see what you're doing when the lights are turned down? How easy is it to find commonly used buttons by feel?
Check the video settings of the flat screen you look at: Pull up the video-adjustment menu and check the settings. If you thought the picture looked a little (or a lot) off on first viewing, try selecting the median settings for contrast, brightness, color, tint, and sharpness. Those settings probably won't be optimum. A good display can easily look worse than a lesser one if it's poorly adjusted. Repeat your tests using a different input sources, including a dimly lit movie,
