But what’s different in all these confusing TVs, and what should you know before buying one?
This makes each individual pixel smaller, creating images that look sharper and cleaner.
However, HDTVs and computer monitors are more complicated than simply the sum of their pixels.
Here’s a rundown of the terms you’re likely to hear, and what each of them mean.
The higher the ratio, the better the contrast.
Refresh rates are measured in Hz, or cycles per second.
The lower the time, the better.
Better response times will also create less blurry pictures for fast moving images.
CRT: Acronym for Cathode Ray Tube, the oldest commercial model of televisions and computer monitors.
LCD is a very energy efficient way of creating color displays compared to CRT.
LED: Stands for Light Emitting Diode, a simple circuit that emits light.
Plasma: Plasmas use the same technology that the Fluorescent lights over your head use to light televisions.
Composite: The yellow video cable that connects old-fashioned analog signal into televisions.
Composite connections are only low-resolution, and are not ideal for HDTVs.
Component: A cable connection splitting video into three signals, allowing for HD signal.
DVI: The PC input counterpart for HDMI, How-To Geekhas already explained the differences between HDMI and DVI.
Liquid Crystals do not emit any light, and have to be backlit so that produce bright colors.
For this reason, LEDs are offered as the “Eco-conscious” alternative to Plasma and traditional LCD.
They are also free of harmful chemicals like mercury.
There are two styles of LED televisions.
Edge-lit models reflect light into the center of the monitor, and are the thinnest, lightest models available.
Since they have fewer lights inside, edge-lit LED models are cheaper compared to full-array models.
Full-arrays, however, have the best contrast ratios in LED technology.
So what does this mean for your television?
Plasma screen televisions produce some of the best image quality consumers are likely to find.
In addition to all of this.
While many are Energy Star compliant, LEDs consume less power and contain fewer harmful chemicals.
Eco-conscious and ethical gadget buyers may wish to consider this when buying a television.
You’ll find that RPTVs are surprisingly lightweight, because they are almost entirely empty space.
Moving an RPTV is a simple task, while some dense flatscreens may actually be heavier by comparison.
Despite their shortcomings, RPTVs can deliver an excellent HD experience to the budget-conscious home theater.
3D Televisions and hardware are complex, confusing, and potentially very expensive.
There is no objective answer, as each buyer will have unique needs.
Others still may want to recreate the theater-like experience with an enormous Rear-projection TV in a large dark room.
Image credit: First two images by the author, available freely underCreative Commons.
Unnamed cables image byGKS, available underCreative Commons.
LG TV Image byLGEPR, available underCreative Commons.
Led 1 byAlessandro Vannucci, available underCreative Commons.
Plasma Ball byBlazerMan, available underCreative Commons.
DSCF1457 bylyrislite, available underCreative Commons.
Source: Howstuffworks.com; FirstGlimpse , July 2009 Issue.
