The Best Choice in Flat Screen TV

Buy what is right for you!

Head to Head!

Plasma!

L C D!!!!

(cathode ?)

Oh the battle is on:

You know you want a flat screen TV ( you think).  Oh they are so sexy and space saving and such sharp pictures!  WOW

Ahem.....ok  reality check. 

First of all, the picture depends on the signal:

News Flash from my Cableguy: 

He wanted me to tell all of you not to call him about lousy pictures on your new TV's

It turns out that my poor cable guy is getting all sorts of flack about picture quality and wanted me to pass on some info:

If  you own a HDTV and are watching analog signal stations you will have a terrible "snowy" picture.

So first off, you have to look at what you are watching on a regular basis.  ( Oh yes, I know that most of the guys have just tuned me out here).  If you are watching analog stations ( talk shows, soaps, sitcoms, news) most of the time.  And if you are watching a few digital programs as well......and your TV is just fine, then perhaps you had better wait before buying a new TV.

The Inside Scoop!

Your TV screen is a bunch of little dots.  High Definition TV's have LOTS of little dots to fill in (hence the "high" part in the definition)  IF you are watching a regular program in analog or regular digital mode, the HDTV has to "make up" something for all the dots that are not being sent to it.  Sometimes it is "snow", sometimes it is "blurry reception".  Don't blame your HDTV, and don't blame the station.  It is just the pains of transition.  What to do?  Well, how about ....

Fire up the Old Clunker!

Yes there is still a place for the old CRT TV's. 

If you bought a good one, then you will get a good picture for some time to come.  This was part of the transition deal.  Oh sure you will miss the last wisps of Oprah's new hairdoo.....but you will also miss seeing all the wrinkles on her guests....not a pretty sight! ( we are getting old folks...we are getting old)

Ok so now the luddites are happy, but what about those on the leading edge?  What about those who are preparing for the future?  What about the guys who are desperate to keep a TV in the house after their wife has just spent the weekend watching HGTV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flat Screen TV's

Plasma or LCD?

Short answer:

• Plasma if you are planning to replace your TV within 8 years and have a large wall space.
• LCD if you have a small wall space, and are willing to ignore "little dots" in the picture.
• Neither if you have a large dark TV viewing room

Long answer:

Plasma looks great....but. 

I am still not convinced that they have solved the problem of true HDTV for plasmas under 50 inches.  And I am not sure about the longevity and problem with "burn in" ( when the logo of your favorite channel starts appearing as a ghost on all the other channels)  The manufacturers also admit that there is loss of picture quality over time, but say that the average person changes their TV within ten years so this will not be a problem.......hmmmmmm.  

OK  So IF you want a TV with a diagonal screen of 50' and want to change it in a few years and don't mind a loss in picture quality, I guess Plasma is for you. ( I actually know a few people who fit in this category.)

............................

LCD has two great features. 

First of all it can give you true High Definition on a small screen.  And secondly the picture quality will be around for a lot longer than plasma or projection. 

The biggest drawback is the " screen door" effect that many sets have ( the picture looks like you are watching it through a screen door).  

 Also the viewing angle is restricted in a lot of cheap sets.  This doesn't matter if you are in a small room and are watching it straight on, but if you are in a wide room, you will struggle to see anything if you are sitting at the far side.

Pixilization is another concern.  Pixilization is where the picture begins to break up into a shower of dots, or blurriness.  Sometimes you see this during the news or sports when there is a problem with the satellite feed.  This happens often with cheap LCD's.  What happens is that the TV can't keep up with the action that is being fed to it.  If you are watching with any sort of action you will want a set with high refresh rates or you will go nuts. 

.......................

Projection TV's are a great blend of all the variety of TV's out there (but  they work best in a darker viewing area).

They are slimmer than cathode ray sets.

They have nice smooth pictures like Plasma

They have great sharp pictures like LCD and can last a long time ( just change the bulb when you want a sharper picture).

But, they are powered by projectors and as that implies, need to be in a fairly dark space ( notice how the show rooms in the stores are always dim?).

.........................

What about CRT ( Cathode ray tube) TV's

They are great.  They last a long time and the picture stays sharper than just about anything out there.

But they are heavy and  BIG and limited in size.  Don't expect to go bigger than 34".

I like CRT TV's.  If you have the space for the big rear end and don't plan on having a HUGE  THEATRE EXPERIENCE   ( sorry guys) then you really ought to look at grabbing a high definition ready CRT TV.  Not many bragging rights now, but it will give you great service and a great picture for a long time.

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Well that's it for an overview.  I'll put more info in some other pages for you to browse through. 

Happy hunting!

Colin Noden