What is an LCD TV?

Liquid crystal displays or LCD’s are the new craze in television technology. They are light in weight and slime as your child’s school note book. You can hang them like a picture frame or even place them on a stand. They produce crystal clear images and make even the most boring documentaries interesting to watch.  Are you ready to get one? Before you go out and buy one. You should do your research this is not your parents CRT TV which works off of a light bulb there is lots of sophisticated technology involved in LCD TVs. So what do you need to know before you get one?

How does a LCD TV work?
Liquid crystal displays have been around for a long time your VCR clock, microwave display, the clock in your room and so on. The LCD has a great advantage it has low power consumption and can be made into almost any shape, hens the picture frame LCD TV. The LCD television display consists of two polarizing transparent panels and a liquid crystal solution sandwiched in between. The front layer of glass on the screen is etched on the inside surface in a pattern to form a template for the layer of liquid crystals. Liquid crystals are shaped like rods they bend light when electricity is applied to them this way light can not pass through them. Each crystal acts like a on off switch, either allowing light to pass through or blocking it, the pattern of transparent and dark formed from switching crystals forms the image you see.
 
What do I need to know before I buy a LCD TV?

Unlike the older tube TV’s there are significant things which need to be taken into consideration when purchasing a LCD TV. LCD’s involve computer technology and computer technology involves micro processors, software and etc..  These are things which can make your buying experience a head ace. I have gone through and simplified the buying experience; below is a list of things, you should know before making your purchase as well as suggestions. What is listed below is very important to know because if it looks good in the store might not look good in your living room.  

First thing is first how much viewing room do you have in your house for the TV you want?

Recommended
20” – 27” TVs you need to be 2.5ft to 5ft from the screen.
32” – 37” TVs you need to be 6ft to 8ft from the screen.
42” – 46” TVs you need to be 10ft to 14ft from the screen.
50” – 60” TVs you need to be 12ft to 16ft from the screen.

Response/refresh time
This is the time that it takes each frame of image to refresh onto the screen. This is very important because if it is slow you will see a poor quality image depending on what you are watching. Make sure you get something in the 5ms or less range. Even though your movies and sports games might look great, your kid’s video games might not. I would recommend getting the fastest response time you can find for a decent price. 

Connections
Do not get duped by “computer ready” slogans, if you want a clear image from the computer you will be connecting to the TV make sure the connection is DVI, lots of TVs come with a computer connections (VGA) but not a DVI type connection.  

Other basic connections: HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) similar to DVI, RF in, Component (Y/Pb/Pr), S-Video input, A/V input, USB 2.0, Premium Audio, Headphone jack.

Image clarity

Units Wide :  Units High

Normally 16:9 is for HDTV, most shows are broadcasted in 4:3 ratio.  Make sure you get 16:9 or you will be disappointed.

1080p, 1080i or 720p?
Let me just give you the answer HD movies are out and Blue ray are in, Blue ray operates at 1080p end of conversation. If you still insist on more depth read the next paragraph.

1080p means that the resolution of the picture is 1,920 vertical pixels by 1,080 horizontal pixels and the "p" stands for progressive scanning. Progressive scanning offers a smoother picture as horizontal lines are scanned or vertically scanned. This is Blu Ray and true HD quality. 
1080i means that the resolution of the picture is 1920 vertical pixels by 1080 horizontal pixels interlaced. Interlaced refers to the scanning method where every odd line is scanned one followed by a second scan of even lines. This is not smooth as 1080p. 
720p is the same concept as 1080p except the resolution is 1,280 vertical pixels by 720 horizontal pixels progressive. This is normal cable TV resolution.

Recommended LCD TVs

Don’t get cheap the better brands names will give you better hardware. For example how many sheets of LCD material are used to make the TV differs by brands and price.

Sharp LC-32D43U              Samsung LN-T4061F         Sony KDL-46XBR4             Samsung LN-T5265F

Recommended Store

www.dealinsecond.com

T.S. Nagra

Currently I am an Engineer with Intel Corporation where I specialize in Product Development Engineering.