Download The HDTV REvolution

Digital Light
Projection (DLP)
Plasma (PDP)
Liquid Crystal
Display (LCD)
When buying a TV, you’ll want to look at the
following specs:
 Contrast Ratio
 Response time
 Screen Resolution
 Backlighting (LCD and DLP)
 Color gamut
 Viewing Angle
 Refresh Rate (LCD)
CONTRAST RATIO
RESPONSE TIME
Measurement of the
difference between the
darkest black, and the
brightest white a panel can
produce.
 Marketing term. (not
scientific)
 No true standard
measurement.
 Look for at least 10,000:1
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Measurement of the time it
takes a single pixel to go
from black, to white, to
black again.
 The lower, the better.
 Not a factor on DLP, or
Plasma.
 Standard is 8ms, look for
lower.
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A pixel is one small dot of light on a television, or monitor.

Standard TV uses a 480i resolution, meaning there are 720 vertical
lines, and 480 horizontal lines of pixels.

“i” stands for interlaced, which means that only half of the lines of
pixels are lit up at once. First the odd numbered rows, then the
even numbered rows 1/30th of a second later.

“p” stands for progressive (480P, 720P, 1080P) and means that all
of the rows of pixels are lit up at the same time, and refreshed
every 1/60th of a second, or 1/120th of a second. (depending on the
TV)
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480i is roughly .3 megapixels. (think digital camera megapixels)
720P
1080I/P
1280 vertical lines and 720
 1920 vertical lines and 1080
horizontal lines displayed
horizontal lines displayed
progressively.
interlaced OR progressively.
 Ideal for smaller HDTVs.
 Ideal for larger HDTVs (40” or
(smaller than 40”)
higher)
 Around 1 megapixel.
 Slightly higher than 2
 Television broadcasts are
megapixels.
formatted in 720P or 1080i
 Important for HD movie discs.
due to current technology
limits.
Whatever TV you buy, will convert any signal it recieves to its
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native resolution. So if you buy a 720P TV, it will convert the
1080i signal to 720p.
SCREEN RESOLUTION
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Almost all DLP’s are 1080P
Get 1080P for screens 40”
or larger.
Anything below 40” should
be 720P. 1080P makes no
difference on smaller
screens.
If going plasma, get 1080P.
BACKLIGHTING
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If buying DLP, GET ONE
WITH AN LED BACKLIGHT!
New LCD’s are on the way
with LED backlights.
Currently using florescent
bulbs.
Plasma TV’s don’t use a
backlight.
COLOR GAMUT
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Range of color a television can
produce.
Plasma has a wide color
gamut.
DLP has a wide color gamut.
Cheaper LCD’s use 8 bit
panels. (lower color gamut)
Look for 10 bit color, and 14
bit color processing on LCDs.
VIEWING ANGLE
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Angle at which TV loses view
ability. (Basically looking at a
TV from the side instead of
directly in front of it.)
Typically listed at 178°
Not an issue on plasma.
Big issue with DLP.
LCD depends on the type of
panel.
Determine with your own
vision, don’t trust spec sheet.
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Newer LCD’s incorporate a 120hz refresh rate. Older
models use a 60hz refresh. (each individual frame of
video is displayed 60 or 120 times per second.)
Film based material is recorded at 24hz.
SDTV and 1080i material runs at 30hz.
HDTV 720p and 1080p run at 60hz.
120 is a multiple of all 3 standard refresh rates!
This reduces motion judder, and sharpens picture
quality!
Newer DLP sets are also using this technique.
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Large format television using DLP mirror technology.

Uses a rear projector to project on front screen

Size typically 50” or more.
ADVANTAGES

Inexpensive for size.

Good color reproduction.

Hides visual defects of last
gen SDTV material.

Although large in size, very
light weight.
DISADVANTAGES

Must replace bulb every 3 –
4 years. (Unless you buy
one with an LED bulb).

Picture not as sharp.

Poor viewing angles.

Lower brightness.
 Uses gas filled cells (pixels).
 Electrical charge changes the gas to plasma.
 Plasma emits different colored light.
 Sizes range from 42” up to 102”. Typical sizes are 42” and 50”.
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES

Wide viewing angles.

Screen burn-in.

Best current color
reproduction.
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Not ideal for computer
monitor use.

Higher electrical
consumption.
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No motion blur.
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High Contrast ratio.

Heavier than others.

Darker black levels

Glass screen reflection.

Uses 2 thin panels to “sandwich” a thin layer of liquid crystal
gel, which is separated into pixels.

Uses a backlight and electrical voltage to produce light for
each pixel.

Size ranges from 11” up to around 60”.
ADVANTAGES
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Large range of sizes
Double as computer
monitor.
No burn-in.
Competitive price.
Lower electrical use.
Sharper picture.
DISADVANTAGES
Can’t achieve perfect black
level.
 Some ghosting and motion
blur. (not so much with new
tech)
 Narrower viewing angle.
 Color not quite as detailed.
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BLU-RAY
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Chaired by Sony
Uses ultra-violet laser.
Uses optical disk with 50Gigs
of storage.
Java Based interface.
1080P
HD audio support.
De-facto standard in HD
media.
Basically the High Definition
version of a DVD.
HD-DVD
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Chaired by Toshiba
Uses ultra-violet laser
Uses optical disk with 15Gigs
of storage.
MS Hdi interface.
1080P
HD audio.
Abandoned format.
COMPONENT
HDMI
COMPONENT
Analog signals
Separates video into 3 signals.
Does not carry audio.
Carries HD signals.
Cannot be used to up-convert
copyrighted material to HD.
(Using a DVD player that
converts DVDs to HD-like
quality)
 Can carry 1080, but not well.
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HDMI
Digital signals
Combines digital audio and
video.
 Carries all HD signals, at full
quality.
 Since the signal is digital, you
can buy an HDMI cable from
monoprice.com for $4.00 that
is just as good as a $100.00
Monster cable.
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If your TV sits in a corner, and you want to get the most size
for your money, a 50” DLP (with LED backlight) may be the
right choice for you.
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If you watch a lot of movies, your TV sits parallel to the wall,
and your furniture is arranged in a way that you need a wide
viewing angle, a plasma may be right for you.
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If you play video games, have a bright room, want to wallmount your TV, and don’t need a wide viewing angle, an LCD
TV is right for you.
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DLP: Stick with Samsung. JVC, Mitsubishi are OK.
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Plasma: Pioneer and Panasonic are your best choices.
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LCD: Sony, Samsung, LG, and Toshiba are the best brands.
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I would recommend staying away from budget brands
(Westinghouse, Vizio, Element, Insignia), as they use cheaper
components and have significantly poorer picture quality.
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ALWAYS buy a warranty.