rbinck
04-30-2004, 01:24 PM
Introduction
Many people find the choices of HDTVs very confusing. Since most consumers do not have a technical background, they don't even know where to go or what to look for when shopping for a new HDTV. I will try to shed some light on the current choices starting with the least expensive sets and proceeding to the big daddies, the plasmas.
General HDTV Information
First of all some general information. There are sets that are ready to plug in and receive HDTV programming via an over the air antenna (built in HDTV tuner) and there are sets that have only a conventional TV tuner and finally there are sets that have no tuners at all. Depending on the brand, some sets offer an optional HDTV tuner that either plugs in or may be integrated with the set. If you have strong HDTV over the air sources in your area, the sets with the built in HDTV tuners may have value for you. If you are going to get your HDTV signals via a cable box or satellite, then you may want to forgo the extra cost of a built in HDTV tuner.
Most HDTVs being sold today will have a screen format that is referred to as 16:9. The SDTVs were all in the 4:3 format. Simply stated the 4:3 format means that for every 4 inches of screen width there will be 3 inches of screen height. Similarly in the 16:9 format, for every 16 inches of screen width there will be 9 inches of screen height. The 16:9 format provides a wide screen display that more closely resembles a movie screen. Combining that with the greater detail of the HDTV picture provides a theater like experience.
16:9 screen format these days generally will display Grey bars on the sides of the picture when 4:3 information such as standard cable channels is being viewed on the screen. Some people find this annoying and will opt to place their screen in some form of panoramic or zoomed display, so that the screen is filled with the picture. Some modes will just provide zoom where the top and the bottom of the display is just chopped off, and other modes will expand the picture horizontally which makes people look fat. It takes some getting used to and some experimentation for one to decide what they like best. I have some customers that have asked us to remove their wide screen TVs and replace them with conventional 4:3 units because they have such trouble getting used to the fat people. Other applications we have built in some sliding panels in the cabinets to allow the grey bars to be covered.
Direct View HDTVs
The lowest cost option (although this depends on size somewhat) for a HDTV is the direct view set. These sets use a conventional picture tube and are available in the conventional 4:3 format and the 16:9 wide screen format. The smallest direct view screen size I know of, other than computer monitors which also will double as an HDTV monitor, is 27" 4:3 format. I have a Zenith C27V28 27 (http://www.epinions.com/content_112452537988) in. Flat Screen Television in my home office that doubles as a computer monitor, for example. Other Zenith models go up to 36" and the price ranges from $900.00 for the 27", $1,300.00 for the 32" to $1,800.00 for the 36". These are all 4:3 format screens and present black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when operated in the 16:9 wide screen mode.
The advantage of the direct view units other than size and price is they are very bright and have about as good a picture as the plasmas. Their smaller screen size actually has a much better picture when viewing SDTV than most big screen HDTVs will have viewing the same material.
Rear Projection HDTVs with CRT Guns
This technology has been around from the first big screens and is still a viable option for HDTV viewing if your space permits. These floor standing units are some of the biggest cabinets, screen size for screen size, of any HDTVs on the market. They generally will be embedded into a large entertainment cabinet or sometimes just standing alone.
While when properly set up these units will provide excellent HDTV performance, there are issues to be watched for with these units. The focus and convergence may need adjusting for the best performance, even right out of the box. One of my HDTVs is the <A href="http://www.epinions.com/content_116163055236"]Zenith">Zenith R49W36 49 in. Projection Television and it has a neat auto convergence feature that will reset any drift of convergence at the push of a button.
CRT based rear projection TV range from 40" 16:9 for about $1,000 to 60" 16:9 that are above the $3,000 price tag.
LCD Rear Projection
This technology is an outcropping from the LCD projector systems that will be covered later. The drawback of the LCD projectors used to be the brightness of the picture and many units have a different hue to them. Lately these problems have been overcome and the new LCD rear projection TVs provide a fine display. The HDTV units are limited to about 1380x720 pixels as opposed to the direct view and CRT based tube units that will provide the full 1980x1080 pixel coverage. Since they are by nature progressive scan units, they will provide a rock solid high definition picture that is hard to distinguish from the higher resolution CRT based units. One advantage the LCD units have over the CRT based rear projection units is cabinet size. The cabinets are not much larger than the screen size, so they are usually placed on a table or shelf in an entertainment center. This allows for additional storage or equipment that would be taken up by the TV if a CRT based rear projection TV was used. The Zenith D60WLCD 60" 16:9 LCD HDTV Monitor Projection Television cabinet measures 57.0"w x 17.3"h x 19.3"d compared to 56.7"w x 60.0"h x 22.4"d for the 57" 16:9 HDTV Monitor Rear Projection CRT based.
Costs on the Zenith LCD rear projection units range from $3,500.00 for a 52" unit to $4,500.00 for their 60" unit, so a step up in that department.
DLP Rear Projection
DLP is one of the newer technologies available for the HDTV market. DLP stands for Digital Light Processing and consists of hundreds of tiny mirrors that are motor operated. Basically the mirrors turn to provide more or less light reflection to the lens. The complete method of operation is beyond the scope of this document, but more information can be obtained at this link: <A href="http://www.dlp.com/?DCMP=TIHomeTracking&HQS=Other+OT+home_dlp#Scene_1 http://www.dlp.com/?">DLP Technology
The advantage of the DLP technology is size comparable to the LCD rear projection units and an expanded contrast ratio. Blacks are blacker due to the ability of the mirrors being able to cut off all of the reflected light. Also since there are no phosphors or active elements to decay, the burn in possibilities are eliminated. Additionally, there are not any trailers that frequently occur on LCD based displays, so the DLP units are a favorite for big screen gamers. If this is your deal, be sure the set you choose is going to be compatible with your game box or computer before you purchase.
DLP based rear projection HDTVs range from $3,000.00 to the $7,000 price range, although the price seems to be pretty fluid so I would suspect the price will drop as the popularity of this technology increases. DLP units like the LCD units generally have the 1380x720 resolution.
Home Theater Projectors
This technology has been around for some time and you have probably seen a projector used for a Power Point presentation at some time. Most projectors used for computer presentations will have a resolution of 800x600 pixels and were marginal for home theater use. Also when screen sizes approached 6 feet, the use of video processors to add lines became necessary, thus running the cost of the installation up even further. Nowadays there are LCD and DLP projectors that provide 1380x768 pixel resolution and some have the line doublers built in to provide a great home theater video source. But be forewarned, this technology is not to be had on the cheap as it is generally required to dedicate a room for the theater, where lighting can be controlled as the brightness is somewhat less than other technologies. Projectors can be had for as little as $2,500.00 up to the $10,000.00 range. You also need a screen and mounting which will add several hundred dollars more, but if you want a 12 foot HDTV, this is probably the way to go!
Direct View LCD Panels
This is a limited market because the panel size currently is limited to about 34" or so, but for people who want a high quality HDTV with very limited space requirements, these units serve the purpose. We have installed the Zenith L30W36 30" 16:9 LCD HDTV Monitor in bathrooms, for example. Other applications have been where a computer monitor and HDTV was required. These units are fairly expensive for their screen size with the L30W36 coming in at $4,700.00, but at 29.9"w x 19.7"h x 4.1"d it could be just what the doctor ordered.
Many people find the choices of HDTVs very confusing. Since most consumers do not have a technical background, they don't even know where to go or what to look for when shopping for a new HDTV. I will try to shed some light on the current choices starting with the least expensive sets and proceeding to the big daddies, the plasmas.
General HDTV Information
First of all some general information. There are sets that are ready to plug in and receive HDTV programming via an over the air antenna (built in HDTV tuner) and there are sets that have only a conventional TV tuner and finally there are sets that have no tuners at all. Depending on the brand, some sets offer an optional HDTV tuner that either plugs in or may be integrated with the set. If you have strong HDTV over the air sources in your area, the sets with the built in HDTV tuners may have value for you. If you are going to get your HDTV signals via a cable box or satellite, then you may want to forgo the extra cost of a built in HDTV tuner.
Most HDTVs being sold today will have a screen format that is referred to as 16:9. The SDTVs were all in the 4:3 format. Simply stated the 4:3 format means that for every 4 inches of screen width there will be 3 inches of screen height. Similarly in the 16:9 format, for every 16 inches of screen width there will be 9 inches of screen height. The 16:9 format provides a wide screen display that more closely resembles a movie screen. Combining that with the greater detail of the HDTV picture provides a theater like experience.
16:9 screen format these days generally will display Grey bars on the sides of the picture when 4:3 information such as standard cable channels is being viewed on the screen. Some people find this annoying and will opt to place their screen in some form of panoramic or zoomed display, so that the screen is filled with the picture. Some modes will just provide zoom where the top and the bottom of the display is just chopped off, and other modes will expand the picture horizontally which makes people look fat. It takes some getting used to and some experimentation for one to decide what they like best. I have some customers that have asked us to remove their wide screen TVs and replace them with conventional 4:3 units because they have such trouble getting used to the fat people. Other applications we have built in some sliding panels in the cabinets to allow the grey bars to be covered.
Direct View HDTVs
The lowest cost option (although this depends on size somewhat) for a HDTV is the direct view set. These sets use a conventional picture tube and are available in the conventional 4:3 format and the 16:9 wide screen format. The smallest direct view screen size I know of, other than computer monitors which also will double as an HDTV monitor, is 27" 4:3 format. I have a Zenith C27V28 27 (http://www.epinions.com/content_112452537988) in. Flat Screen Television in my home office that doubles as a computer monitor, for example. Other Zenith models go up to 36" and the price ranges from $900.00 for the 27", $1,300.00 for the 32" to $1,800.00 for the 36". These are all 4:3 format screens and present black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when operated in the 16:9 wide screen mode.
The advantage of the direct view units other than size and price is they are very bright and have about as good a picture as the plasmas. Their smaller screen size actually has a much better picture when viewing SDTV than most big screen HDTVs will have viewing the same material.
Rear Projection HDTVs with CRT Guns
This technology has been around from the first big screens and is still a viable option for HDTV viewing if your space permits. These floor standing units are some of the biggest cabinets, screen size for screen size, of any HDTVs on the market. They generally will be embedded into a large entertainment cabinet or sometimes just standing alone.
While when properly set up these units will provide excellent HDTV performance, there are issues to be watched for with these units. The focus and convergence may need adjusting for the best performance, even right out of the box. One of my HDTVs is the <A href="http://www.epinions.com/content_116163055236"]Zenith">Zenith R49W36 49 in. Projection Television and it has a neat auto convergence feature that will reset any drift of convergence at the push of a button.
CRT based rear projection TV range from 40" 16:9 for about $1,000 to 60" 16:9 that are above the $3,000 price tag.
LCD Rear Projection
This technology is an outcropping from the LCD projector systems that will be covered later. The drawback of the LCD projectors used to be the brightness of the picture and many units have a different hue to them. Lately these problems have been overcome and the new LCD rear projection TVs provide a fine display. The HDTV units are limited to about 1380x720 pixels as opposed to the direct view and CRT based tube units that will provide the full 1980x1080 pixel coverage. Since they are by nature progressive scan units, they will provide a rock solid high definition picture that is hard to distinguish from the higher resolution CRT based units. One advantage the LCD units have over the CRT based rear projection units is cabinet size. The cabinets are not much larger than the screen size, so they are usually placed on a table or shelf in an entertainment center. This allows for additional storage or equipment that would be taken up by the TV if a CRT based rear projection TV was used. The Zenith D60WLCD 60" 16:9 LCD HDTV Monitor Projection Television cabinet measures 57.0"w x 17.3"h x 19.3"d compared to 56.7"w x 60.0"h x 22.4"d for the 57" 16:9 HDTV Monitor Rear Projection CRT based.
Costs on the Zenith LCD rear projection units range from $3,500.00 for a 52" unit to $4,500.00 for their 60" unit, so a step up in that department.
DLP Rear Projection
DLP is one of the newer technologies available for the HDTV market. DLP stands for Digital Light Processing and consists of hundreds of tiny mirrors that are motor operated. Basically the mirrors turn to provide more or less light reflection to the lens. The complete method of operation is beyond the scope of this document, but more information can be obtained at this link: <A href="http://www.dlp.com/?DCMP=TIHomeTracking&HQS=Other+OT+home_dlp#Scene_1 http://www.dlp.com/?">DLP Technology
The advantage of the DLP technology is size comparable to the LCD rear projection units and an expanded contrast ratio. Blacks are blacker due to the ability of the mirrors being able to cut off all of the reflected light. Also since there are no phosphors or active elements to decay, the burn in possibilities are eliminated. Additionally, there are not any trailers that frequently occur on LCD based displays, so the DLP units are a favorite for big screen gamers. If this is your deal, be sure the set you choose is going to be compatible with your game box or computer before you purchase.
DLP based rear projection HDTVs range from $3,000.00 to the $7,000 price range, although the price seems to be pretty fluid so I would suspect the price will drop as the popularity of this technology increases. DLP units like the LCD units generally have the 1380x720 resolution.
Home Theater Projectors
This technology has been around for some time and you have probably seen a projector used for a Power Point presentation at some time. Most projectors used for computer presentations will have a resolution of 800x600 pixels and were marginal for home theater use. Also when screen sizes approached 6 feet, the use of video processors to add lines became necessary, thus running the cost of the installation up even further. Nowadays there are LCD and DLP projectors that provide 1380x768 pixel resolution and some have the line doublers built in to provide a great home theater video source. But be forewarned, this technology is not to be had on the cheap as it is generally required to dedicate a room for the theater, where lighting can be controlled as the brightness is somewhat less than other technologies. Projectors can be had for as little as $2,500.00 up to the $10,000.00 range. You also need a screen and mounting which will add several hundred dollars more, but if you want a 12 foot HDTV, this is probably the way to go!
Direct View LCD Panels
This is a limited market because the panel size currently is limited to about 34" or so, but for people who want a high quality HDTV with very limited space requirements, these units serve the purpose. We have installed the Zenith L30W36 30" 16:9 LCD HDTV Monitor in bathrooms, for example. Other applications have been where a computer monitor and HDTV was required. These units are fairly expensive for their screen size with the L30W36 coming in at $4,700.00, but at 29.9"w x 19.7"h x 4.1"d it could be just what the doctor ordered.