Currently, there are three main types of HDTV available: plasma, LCD, and DLP.
DLP
Let’s look at the least expensive first, the DLP. DLP stands for Digital Light Processing and it is actually a rear projection TV. In DLP projectors, the image is created by an array of tiny mirrors, with each mirror representing one pixel on the screen. Although less expensive than other HD options, this technology can still offer 1080p resolution, the highest available today.
While DLP TVs are not heavier than the other HD types, they are slightly thicker (around 15-20 inches) and are not yet designed for wall mounting, although that may change in the future. next.
Other minor drawbacks include the possibility of annoying fan noise on some models, and since the technology is more “mechanical” than plasma and LCD, there may be a higher incidence of breakdowns. Projection televisions of any type also have poorer viewing angles than direct view equipment, and the color resolution may not be as sharp.
LCD
At a decidedly higher price is the next type of device to consider: liquid crystal diode televisions, also known as LCDs.
LCD televisions use two “polarized” panels that are sandwiched with a fine liquid crystal gel. That gel is divided into individual pixels, each of which can be darkened or lightened based on the precise amount of voltage passing through it – the more voltage, the darker the pixel. Since some light always leaks through the gel, an absolutely black screen is almost impossible to achieve for an LCD TV, but advances in LCD technology have brought these TVs almost on the same level as plasma.
LCD computer monitors, due to their light weight and small size, quickly became the technology of choice in the industry. Smaller screen sizes created sharp LCD images, so small screen TVs became the niche for LCD screens. But in recent years, the screen size has grown larger and larger while maintaining sharpness, and previously poor viewing angles have become as good as plasma TVs can deliver. High definition LCD televisions are now a viable competitor to plasma televisions in the home entertainment arena.
Plasma
Constructed similar to an LCD TV, in the sense that a sandwich is created with two panes of glass, the material between the two panes is not a liquid gel, but rather a gas.
Although the gap is narrowing, plasma TVs generally exhibit higher brightness and sharper contrast than the competition, especially as screen size increases. Plasma televisions can measure less than 5 inches and have a very wide viewing angle.
The lifespan of a plasma TV is 60,000 hours, which would allow you to watch TV for 6 hours a day for 27 years. High definition plasma TVs can boast 30,000: 1 contrast ratios, a significant advantage over less expensive HDTVs. Although screen “burnout” has been a problem in the past, advances in technology have reduced this potential inconvenience to a minimum.
How to choose
As with any other aspect of your long-awaited home entertainment project, in the long run, the amount of money at your disposal will be the most important factor in which you ultimately choose television. You should detail the components you need to buy and prioritize them.
Audiophiles might choose to spend more money on a high-tech surround sound system; others may choose to give a larger percentage of the budget to the designer. But no matter which option you choose, feel comfortable knowing that any of the options available to you is far superior to what was available even in the recent past.