LCD guide
When I decided to buy a LCD TV (LCD = Liquid Crystal Display), I did a lot of online surveying. I am still yet to buy the TV but have been able to gather a lot of info.
HD and HD ready
The term HD (or full HD) refers to High Definition. HD offers an image resolution of 2 MP (Mega pixel) thats 1920x1080 pixels. HD ready TV is produces 1 MP images (1366x768 pixels).
So obviously a full HD TV offers a better picture clarity compared to HD ready.
HDMI
High definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)is almost the standard interface between home theatre systems and HD TV's. Usually a high bandwidth cable (capable of transmitting large amounts of uncompressed and digital data) is used to connect the HDMI port on the home theatre system or laptop to the TV. Check if your LCD TV has a HDMI port.
Colors
Check if the color reproduction of Red, Green and Blue is correct. Black should always be black! It should never be grey. Watch a colorful cartoon to see if there is no mixing of colors when the frame changes.
Contrast
A dynamic contrast is good. The more the better without putting any strain on the eyes.
Update on 15th August 2009
Screen size: 47.0 inches (diagonal)
Contrast ratio: 1200:1 (static); 8000:1 (dynamic) .......The higher the better
Display Brightness: 550 cd/m2 .......The higher the better
Viewing Angle : Vertical 176 degrees; Horizontal 176 degrees ..... should be as close to 180 as possible
Display Technology: Active Matrix W-UXGA Screen
Resolution: 1920 x 1080p .......The higher the better
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 ..... check if it offers multiple options like 4:3. That's the aspect ratio used in India
Response Time: 3 ms .......The lesser the better
Supported Video Formats: 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Digital TV Standard: HDTV Compatible .... preferably Full HD
Number of speakers: 2 (8 watts RMS each) ..... as a thumb rule 8 watts should be equivalnet to 80 watts PMPO in "Indian terms!"
Connectivity ports: 3 x HDMI, 3 x A/V, Analog Audio L/R IN/Out, Digital Audio
In/Out Side panel: Composite Video IN, Audio L/R IN, Headphone Out, S-Video In, one USB port.
Pixel defect is a rare phenomenon for LCD TV where a "Dead Pixel" always appears on the screen of red or green color. Just to be sure you are not one of those unlucky guys; test the unit in the showroom before buying it. If you are shopping online, then ask your seller about replacement policies.
HDTV compatibility is very important. Make sure your new LCD TV supports High Definition. High definition input is coming soon and it will give you a sharper and clearer picture.
Look for a HDMI input. This port keeps the signal all-digital, avoiding degradation that can occur as the signal passes through other components (like your cable box). HMDI carries high-definition audio as well as video. Some satellite receivers and DVD players also connect through this port
Decide if you want the picture-in-picture feature. The picture in picture feature allows you to simultaneously view two video sources at once, with one appearing as a small window on the screen. If you do want picture-in-picture in your flat panel LCD TV, keep in mind that single-tuner picture-in-picture lets you watch TV in one window and another source (like a DVD) in the second window. A flat panel LCD TV with two tuners lets you watch two television sources at once.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION. Go for the one with the lowest wattage.
To assess picture quality, all you have to do is turn the TV on and look at the pictures coming out of the screen! A high megapixel count,
Update on 14th Sept 2009
What is the difference between 720p, 1080i and 1080p?
The number 720 or 1080 indicates the resolutions i.e the number of lines encoded in the signal. The higher the number the better it is. The “I” stands for interlaced and the “p” stands for progressive. The difference is in the way the picture is scanned and displayed by your HD TV set.
In a 1080i, the picture you see is scanned in alternating lines i.e your HDTV will scan half of the lines of the picture in the first scan and the second half of lines in the second scan. However, these scans happen so fast that we hardly notice it.
The 1080p Progressive scan is different because it displays twice as many lines of resolution at one time. 1080p HD TVs does this by scanning all the lines at once, giving a cleaner and clearer picture. So in effect 1080p would be superior to 720p and 1080i.
Todays digital television broadcast systems in India are not equipped to transmit 1080p and all of the broadcasted HDTV is in the form of 1080i. Blu-ray Disc players are the only devices that support a full 1080p. The resolutions of 1080p televisions have the sharpest and smoothest images available. But eventually 1080p will be the new format of the future.
HD and HD ready
The term HD (or full HD) refers to High Definition. HD offers an image resolution of 2 MP (Mega pixel) thats 1920x1080 pixels. HD ready TV is produces 1 MP images (1366x768 pixels).
So obviously a full HD TV offers a better picture clarity compared to HD ready.
HDMI
High definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)is almost the standard interface between home theatre systems and HD TV's. Usually a high bandwidth cable (capable of transmitting large amounts of uncompressed and digital data) is used to connect the HDMI port on the home theatre system or laptop to the TV. Check if your LCD TV has a HDMI port.
Colors
Check if the color reproduction of Red, Green and Blue is correct. Black should always be black! It should never be grey. Watch a colorful cartoon to see if there is no mixing of colors when the frame changes.
Contrast
A dynamic contrast is good. The more the better without putting any strain on the eyes.
Update on 15th August 2009
Screen size: 47.0 inches (diagonal)
Contrast ratio: 1200:1 (static); 8000:1 (dynamic) .......The higher the better
Display Brightness: 550 cd/m2 .......The higher the better
Viewing Angle : Vertical 176 degrees; Horizontal 176 degrees ..... should be as close to 180 as possible
Display Technology: Active Matrix W-UXGA Screen
Resolution: 1920 x 1080p .......The higher the better
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 ..... check if it offers multiple options like 4:3. That's the aspect ratio used in India
Response Time: 3 ms .......The lesser the better
Supported Video Formats: 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Digital TV Standard: HDTV Compatible .... preferably Full HD
Number of speakers: 2 (8 watts RMS each) ..... as a thumb rule 8 watts should be equivalnet to 80 watts PMPO in "Indian terms!"
Connectivity ports: 3 x HDMI, 3 x A/V, Analog Audio L/R IN/Out, Digital Audio
In/Out Side panel: Composite Video IN, Audio L/R IN, Headphone Out, S-Video In, one USB port.
Pixel defect is a rare phenomenon for LCD TV where a "Dead Pixel" always appears on the screen of red or green color. Just to be sure you are not one of those unlucky guys; test the unit in the showroom before buying it. If you are shopping online, then ask your seller about replacement policies.
HDTV compatibility is very important. Make sure your new LCD TV supports High Definition. High definition input is coming soon and it will give you a sharper and clearer picture.
Look for a HDMI input. This port keeps the signal all-digital, avoiding degradation that can occur as the signal passes through other components (like your cable box). HMDI carries high-definition audio as well as video. Some satellite receivers and DVD players also connect through this port
Decide if you want the picture-in-picture feature. The picture in picture feature allows you to simultaneously view two video sources at once, with one appearing as a small window on the screen. If you do want picture-in-picture in your flat panel LCD TV, keep in mind that single-tuner picture-in-picture lets you watch TV in one window and another source (like a DVD) in the second window. A flat panel LCD TV with two tuners lets you watch two television sources at once.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION. Go for the one with the lowest wattage.
To assess picture quality, all you have to do is turn the TV on and look at the pictures coming out of the screen! A high megapixel count,
Update on 14th Sept 2009
What is the difference between 720p, 1080i and 1080p?
The number 720 or 1080 indicates the resolutions i.e the number of lines encoded in the signal. The higher the number the better it is. The “I” stands for interlaced and the “p” stands for progressive. The difference is in the way the picture is scanned and displayed by your HD TV set.
In a 1080i, the picture you see is scanned in alternating lines i.e your HDTV will scan half of the lines of the picture in the first scan and the second half of lines in the second scan. However, these scans happen so fast that we hardly notice it.
The 1080p Progressive scan is different because it displays twice as many lines of resolution at one time. 1080p HD TVs does this by scanning all the lines at once, giving a cleaner and clearer picture. So in effect 1080p would be superior to 720p and 1080i.
Todays digital television broadcast systems in India are not equipped to transmit 1080p and all of the broadcasted HDTV is in the form of 1080i. Blu-ray Disc players are the only devices that support a full 1080p. The resolutions of 1080p televisions have the sharpest and smoothest images available. But eventually 1080p will be the new format of the future.
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