Tags: Consumer Electronics, Home Appliances
By Alexander Villafania
MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA – Your fat, clunky, and heavy CRT (cathode ray tube) is on the way out. Flat, widescreen LCD TVs are in.
Over the last two years, technological improvements have made LCD TVs more popular especially among new home owners and those living in apartments and condominiums. In particular, there are now smaller screen sizes and declining prices.
But getting to surrender an old TV is difficult, especially since majority of home owners are not familiar with LCD TVs. Unlike ordinary TVs that can be used straight from the box, LCD TVs need a few more steps, though these are minimal.
Also, newer technological terms also make LCD TVs less appealing to people who are not familiar them. For instance, people were once familiar only with screen sizes: the bigger the better. Now, people have to be familiar with aspect ratio, screen resolutions, color gamut, and contrast ratio. Where once there was only A/V cables, there is now HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) and most people are not yet even familiar with component cables and S-video.
These technological advances shouldn’t deter people from buying an LCD TV. In fact, these give more advantage to users who may want to be as close as possible to a cinematic experience.
LCD TVs also consume less power than TVs of the same size. For example, a 25-inch CRT consumes up to 90 watts while a 22-inch LCD TV only consumes 60 watts. In today’s ongoing electricity price hikes, the clear winner would be the one with the less energy requirements.
There are a number of LCD TVs available in shops today. Most of these have similar technologies with a few boasting of a few more features. Among the competing premium brands are Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Sharp. But there are already a few new players in the LCD TV business, including TCL and Devant.
In most cases, the first thing for new buyers to remember is the screen size. Screens can be as small as 19 inches and can go all the way up to 52 inches. But the “sweet spot” for most households would be between 22 to 32 inches.
Next would be the resolution. Most people only watch free TV, which means there’s almost no need to have a TV that has a higher resolution of 720p (“p” for progressive scan), which is already the most basic high definition (HD) level. Videos in this resolution can also be rendered in 16:9 (read as “sixteen to nine”) aspect ratio, which means the screen size is wide, creating a wide screen cinematic effect. Most original DVD movies are also rendered in this resolution.
In comparison, free TV channels are in standard definition (SD) and are no less than 480i (“i” for interlaced) in resolution, rendered only in 4:9 aspect ratio, which is the exact same screen size of the nearly all CRT TVs.
However, movies in Bluray discs and video game consoles such as the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 can deliver far higher resolutions. To get the full effect, users must have LCD TVs that can render full HD at 1080 progressive. These kinds of TVs are more expensive, nearly twice as regular “HD-ready” TVs.
Still, the cost of a full HD LCD TV (shortened to HDTV) today is only two-thirds less than it was about a year ago. These game consoles and Bluray players are also considerations for people choosing to buy HDTVs. If people only want to watch DVDs, then they’re still better off with regular HD-ready TVs.
Most LCD TVs today feature HDMI ports, which is a new type of cable connection that allows users to connect the TV and other devices with just one plug. The single port already transfers video and audio and can sometimes be used to transfer data, especially from a computer with HDMI ports. HDMI should lessen the clutter seen at the back of TVs. Less clutter means easier management.
But the availability of HDMI-ready devices is still limited, which makes having a TV with more than two HDMI ports less appealing.
Audio buffs are most often the biggest critics of LCD TVs. That’s because these devices trade off audio quality for small size. The audio drivers (speakers) become much smaller to fit into the small space of a TV’s body so their sound is not as good as CRT TVs.
Some TV manufacturer, such as LG, have TV models that feature larger speakers. But some owners want to build their own audio systems that connect to their TVs. These become the elements of a home theater system – which could cost more. At the end of the day, users who prefer to just see than hear would remain happy with just about any type of LCD TV.
Lastly, consider also the aftersales support for these TVs. While few have complained about their TVs conking out within months or a year of use, some people might want to check their shops for home services. Luckily, most if not all appliance shops offer home repair and replacement services within six months to a year.
So there, a short guide to buying your own LCD TV. You can also check out local websites such as PinoyDVD.com that discuss topics related to TVs and audio equipment.
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