LCD TV Buying Guide
March 7, 2006
Introduction
Liquid crystal display TVs (LCD TV), along with Plasma TVs, is the by-word for ultra-sleek digital TVs. From its unassuming beginnings as LCD monitors for computers, LCD has definitely become an inevitable part of every consumer’s life from timepieces, calculators, LCD monitors to the LCD TVs of today. It is interesting to note that while almost all other electronic gadgets seem to go miniature, large TV size seems to be the in thing nowadays. But gone are the days of bulky cathode ray tube TVs (CRT TVs) occupying a large floor area of our living rooms. LCD TVs and Plasma TVs whose main selling point is its ultra slim and wide screen now invade the TV viewing era, providing the best alternative yet to conventional models.
What is an LCD TV?
LCD TV stands for liquid crystal display TV. Basically, LCD’s are bigger versions of and works on the same technology as laptop or notebook displays. Located at the back part of the screen is a fluorescent white light that gives a bright and smooth illumination to the LCD screen. But what makes an LCD TV bring out sharp and clear images are those thousands of tiny LCD pixels above the fluorescent back light. Each pixel is made of red, green and blue LCD chambers that work like shutters – it lets through light that enables each pixel to emit color that is visible to the human eye.
Tips In Buying LCD TVs
In buying the latest electronic gadget, one is always tempted to go for the latest product releases because we know that one can never go wrong with a brand new purchase. But there is truth to the adage that an informed choice is the best choice. Here are three of the most important features to look out for in shopping for LCD TVs.
Check the contrast ratio
If you would like a TV with sharp images, better check out its’ contrast ration. Contrast determines the sharpness of the images appearing on the display because it measures the difference between white tones and black tones produced by an image. The higher the ratio, the sharper the image that can be produced by LCD TVs. Typically, LCD TVs have a contrast of 400:1 but industry sources say that it can reach up to 800:1.
Brightness
Another determining factor in buying an LCT TV is its brightness feature. Remember that a display’s brightness is expressed in Cd/m². To get just the LCD TV with just the right level of brightness, make sure that it is at least 400 Cd/m². While model or manufacturer also determines the brightness ratio, the basic rule to remember is that the higher the brightness ration, the better results.
Viewing Angle
The viewing angle feature determines how your LCD TV can be viewed in any angle. This does not matter when the viewer sits directly in front of the TV set, but it does matter when viewed from other angles. So the wider viewing angle, the more flexible it becomes for any viewer to watch the images. One can achieve a good viewing angle within the 140 degrees range.Newer releases offer wider angle at 170 degrees.
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LCD technology is emerging with every gadget nowaday.
It is really comfortable for users. But prices are still high. So, manufactures need to develop cheap LCD TVs.