Consumer Electronics Reviewed By You
First-generation plasma televisions have picture degradation issues, and third- and fourth-generation plasma TVs consume more power than LCD televisions. Discover why a plasma TV may generate a lit. . .
First-generation plasma televisions have picture degradation issues, and third- and fourth-generation plasma TVs consume more power than LCD televisions. Discover why a plasma TV may generate a lit. . .
ShopNBC was in attendance at this years Consumer Electronics Show. Dave King caught up with representatives from the hottest electronics brands to bring you the latest on this years must-have elect. . .
ShopNBC was in attendance at this years Consumer Electronics Show. Dave King caught up with representatives from the hottest electronics brands to bring you the latest on this years must-have elect. . .
TV standards
The standard adopted by the US was called NTSC, which stood for National Television Standards Committee. NTSC is the television standard in the US, Canada, and Japan.
Germany developed the television standard called PAL, which stood for Phase Alternating Line, and introduced it in 1967. PAL is the television standard in the United Kingdom, much of Europe, Africa, Australia, and some parts of South America.
The French developed in 1967 the television standard called SECAM, Sequentiel Couleur avec Mémoire, French for “sequential color with memory”. The SECAM standard was used mostly in France and Eastern European “Warsaw Pact” countries.
There are various kinds of television broadcast systems:
Terrestrial television
NTSC, PAL, PAL2 and SECAM analog signaling
Satellite television using standard digital signaling
Cable television
both analog and digital systems are available.
MMDS (Wireless cable)
TV aspect ratio
All of these early TV systems shared the same aspect ratio of 4:3, which was determined by the Cathode Ray Tube manufacturing technology of the time — today’s CRT technology allows the manufacture of wider tubes. However, due to the negative heavy metal health effects associated with disposal of CRTs in landfills and the space-saving attributes of flat screen technologies that lack the aspect ratio limitations of CRTs, CRTs are becoming obsolete.
The switch-over to DTV systems co-incides with a change in picture format from a aspect ratio of 4:3 (1. 33:1) to an aspect ratio of 16:9 (1. 78:1). This enables TV to get closer to the aspect ratio of movies, which range from 1. 85:1 to 2. 35:1. The 16:9 format was first introduced for “widescreen” video and DVDs. The current technical implementation of 16:9 uses the same pixel raster as 4:3 video, in a full screen anamorphic format.
There is no technical reason for this aspect ratio change to be coupled with the introduction of DTV, but it has been decided to synchronize these changes for marketing reasons.
Aspect ratio incompatibility
A wide image on a conventional screen can be shown:
with “letterbox” black stripes at the top and bottom
with the extreme left and right of the image falling off (or in “pan and scan”, parts selected by an operator)
with the image horizontally compressed
A conventional image on a wide screen can be shown:
with black parts at the left and right
with the top and bottom of the image falling off
with the image horizontally expanded
A common compromise is to shoot or create material at an aspect ratio of 14:9, and to lose some image at each side for 4:3 presentation, and some image at top and bottom for 16:9 presentation.
In a room where several people watch one TV, horizontal expansion is not so bad, it compensates for watching at an oblique angle.
New developments
Digital television(DTV) — High Definition TV (HDTV) — Pay Per View — Web tv — programming on-demand.
TV sets
The earliest television sets were radios with the addition of a television device consisting of a neon tube with a mechanically spinning disk (the Nipkow disk, invented by Paul Gottlieb Nipkow) that produced a red postage-stamp size image . The first publicly broadcast electronic service was in Germany in March 1935. It had 180 lines of resolution and was only available in 22 public viewing rooms. One of the first major broadcasts involved the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The Germans had a 441 line system in the fall of 1937.
From the earliest days of the medium, television has been used as a vehicle for advertising. Since their inception in the late 1940s, TV commercials have become far and away the most effective, most pervasive, and most popular method of selling products of all sorts. Advertising rates are determined primarily by Nielsen Ratings
Television usage skyrocketed after World War II with war-related technological advances and additional disposable income. (1930s TV receivers cost the equivalent of $7000 today (2001) and had little available programming. )
Television in its original and still most popular form involves sending images and sound over radio waves in the VHF and UHF bands, which are received by a receiver (a television set). In this sense, it is an extension of radio.
Color television became available on December 30, 1953, backed by the CBS network. The government approved the color broadcast system proposed by CBS, but when RCA came up with a system that made it possible to view color broadcasts in black and white on unmodified old black and white TV sets, CBS dropped their own proposal and used the new one.
Starting in the 1990s, modern television sets diverged into three different trends:
standalone TV sets;
integrated systems with DVD players and/or VHS VCR built into the TV set itself (mostly for small size TV with up to 17″ screen, the main idea is to have a complete portable system);
component systems with separate big screen video monitor, tuner, audio system which the owner connects the pieces together as a high-end home theater system. This approach appeals to videophiles who prefer components which can be upgraded separately.
There are many kinds of video monitors used in modern TV sets. The most common are direct view CRTs for up to 40″ (4:3) and 46″ (16:9) diagonally. Most big screen TVs (up to over 100″) use projection technology. Three types of projection systems are used in projection TVs: CRT based, LCD based and reflective imaging chip based. Modern advances have brought flat screens to TV that use active matrix LCD or plasma display technology. Flat panel displays are as little as 4″ thick and can be hung on a wall like a picture. They are extremely attractive and space-saving but they remain expensive.
Nowadays some TVs include a port to connect peripherals to it or to connect the set to an A/V home network, like LG RZ-17LZ10 that includes a USB port, where one can connect a mouse, keyboard and so on ( very interesting for WebTV).
Even for simple video, there are five standard ways to connect a device. These are as follows:
Component Video- three separate connectors, with one brightness channel and two color channels, and is usually referred to as Y, B-Y, R-Y or Y Pr Pb. This provides for high quality pictures and is usually used inside professional studios. However, it is being used more in home theater for DVDs and high end sources. Audio is not carried on this cable.
SCART- A large 21 pin connector that may carry Composite video, S-Video or for better quality, separate red, green and blue (RGB) signals and two-channel sound, along with a number of control signals. This system is standard in Europe but rarely found elsewhere.
S-Video- two separate channels, one carry brightness, the other carrying color. Also referred to as Y/C video. Provides most of the benefit of component video, with slightly less color fidelity. Use started in the 1980s for SVHS, Hi-8 and early DVD players to relay high quality video. Audio is not carried on this cable.
Composite video- The most common form of connecting external devices, putting all the video information into one stream. Most televisions provide this option with a yellow RCA cable. Audio is not carried on this cable.
Coaxial or RF (coaxial cable)- All audio channels and picture components are transmitted through one wire and modulated on a radio frequency. Most TVs manufactured during the past 15-20 years accept coaxial connection, and the video is typically “tuned” on channel 3 or 4.
Are you thinking about buying a plasma television for your home? As you may already know, Plasma televisions are becoming increasingly popular as of late, as the prices of Plasma Televisions are becoming more and more affordable each passing year. Plasma televisions can provide excellent viewing experience, and are perfect for those who want to enjoy a high quality home theater.
As with most technology purchases, there are advantages and drawbacks associated with this type of television as well. If you are new to Plasma TV, making a purchasing decision can be a little difficult. So before you rush out to buy your new Plasma television set, it’s important to at least understand the basics of plasma television first.
Image Quality
One of the primary reasons that plasma televisions are so popular is their high quality image displays. Plasma television displays are bright and crystal clear, have a very wide color gamut, and also available in fairly large sizes. The large size is actually very interesting because it is something that a typical television sets couldn’t be made without affecting the quality of the screen. These types of televisions (Plasma TVs) offer very high resolution images with sharp details and true to life color.
Convenient
Plasma television sets can easily blend into the design of just about any room. These television sets are very thin in design when compared with other television, and can allow you to better utilize the square footage of your home. So instead of taking up a significant amount of floor space, plasma televisions can be hung directly on the wall or placed on a compact stand.
Longevity
Plasma televisions are not the most durable or long lasting television sets available. These types of television sets are difficult, if not impossible to repair. They generally last about seven years with normal usage. However, they are fragile and subject to irreparable damage when being moved from one location to another.
Pricing
Plasma televisions are priced at the mid range of television technology. They are less expensive than LCD television sets, but cost significantly more than analog sets.
Is a Plasma Television Right for You?
If you want to enjoy an affordable, high quality television viewing experience, a plasma television set can be a good choice for you. However, if you’re looking for a set that will last for a decade or more, and can stand up to the rigors of frequently moves, you may want to choose a different types of television set.
Buying a Plasma Television
When you are in a store comparing with different plasma TV sets, remember that the employees there can be very helpful to you, especially since plasma TV is such a large ticket item for them. Therefore it is more likely that they are going to be more than willing to let you do or ask things that you normally wouldn’t be able to. And in terms of testing out the product, make sure you like it before you make your final purchase decision.
The Sony Corporation, a global powerhouse in the entertainment electronics industry, has become a household name when it comes to television. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, this company is a leading researcher, developer, and manufacturer of semiconductors, electronics, communication products, videos and video games, and information technology for the consumer and professional developer industries. The multinational company is employer to 158,500 people, and it reported consolidated annual sales revenue of $67 billion in 2005. After the development of the worlds most successful transistor radio, the manufacture of the TV became the benchmark of quality TV sets. Lets follow traverse from transistors to liquid crystal.
In 1955, Sony, then known as the Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, introduced the TR 55 to the world. Small enough to fit in a coat pocket, their first transistor radio became the model for future portable music machines that American teenagers would use to listen to the growing phenomenon of American rock and roll.
From transistors, they began its venture into liquid crystal in the 1960s. The company received a patent for the invention of the aperture grille cathode ray tube TV in 1963. In aperture grille technology, very thin vertical wires behind the glass of the televisions display screen are used to separate different colors of phosphors into strips. For nearly thirty decades quite a long time when speaking of technology aperture grille technology provided consumers and TV manufacturers with the best screen image. This milestone in the Television dynasty was branded the Trinitron.
When it came to picture and product quality, their television was long seen as a benchmark. The patented aperture grille design produced bright colors, high contrast, and balanced focus that stood out from other available products. Aperture grille design was also easier to manufacture than TV tube products, bringing about a change in the TV production process. These factors combined to make the brand top of the products.
Since patent for the aperture grille technology expired in the 1990s, a number of other producers of televisions, such as Samsung and Mitsubishi, have incorporated the Trinitron technology into their own products. Additionally, their branded computer monitors, are a widely distributed item. Most of the major computer makers, including Apple Computer, Dell, DEC, Gateway, IBM, and Sun Microsystems, feature the logo in the upper left hand corner.
Like any strong technology competitor, the company moved on as the new era ended with the introduction of gas plasma and liquid crystal display monitors and televisions. After thirty decades of CRT dominance, the LCD and gas plasma technology are thought to have better picture quality. To keep up with the times, company created a flat screen version of the picture tube in the 1990s. The design, a new flat picture tube called FDTrinitron, is described on their website as delivering incredible imagine accuracy, wide viewing angles, outstanding contrast, and corner to corner detail. Now, Sony now also produces high definition digital TV with the patented Live Color Creation backlight system. This along with their surround sound systems provide todays consumers with the latest in high technology home theaters.
Companys progression from transistor radios to liquid crystal models the way successful companies operate: incubate a new idea, develop and patent it, license it to other manufacturers, and then start the cycle again. The Trinitron brand, with cathode ray tube technology and the latest flat tube allow the company to remain a benchmark in the home television industry. Its LCD flat screen televisions, along with its entire home entertainment line, are sure to continue pleasing consumers long into the future.
Televisions previous to the Plasma TV explosion used the (CRT) cathode ray tube to give users the ability to watch television. CRT televisions works by shooting out a beam of negative charged particles called electrons into a large glass tube. These negative electrons
For the past 75 years, the vast majority of televisions have been built around the same technology, the cathode ray tube (CRT). In a CRT television, a gun fires a beam of electrons (negatively-charged particles) inside a large glass tube. The electrons illuminate phosphor atoms inside the tube (screen), this allows the TV picture to be produced by illuminating different areas of the phosphor coating, this is what gives you the CRT television.
Now welcome to the new face of television, Plasma TV. Plasma has taken the home theater market by storm because of their amazing picture quality and very thin design. The idea of plasma display panels began in 1964 at the University of Illinois. The first displays were very primitive using only points of light created in the laboratory. As time went on digital processing, and other technology, made vivid plasma displays a reality.
Plasma televisions use a much different type of technology thatn CRT models, they use something called pixels. Using a video signal the pixels on the flat screen light up with a high-energy beam of electrons that are separated into the 3 primary colors, red, green and blue. From the illuminated fluorescent lights pixels you get the full color spectrum that produces a full range of colors that give you the image on the screen. Each pixel on the screen has three fluorescent lights in it, a green, red and a blue fluorescent light. Each fluorescent light in the pixel can produce 16 million colors, giving you amazing colors and overall picture quality that you can’t finder in regular CRT televisions.
Another feature that you can’t find in CRT TVs is the widescreen design found on Plasma televisions. The (16:9) aspect ratio is the same dimensions used in movie theaters. This feature gives Plasma flat screen high definition television models a cinematic feel, that is great for watching feature films, concerts, Monday Night Football or anything else you can imagine.
And unlike conventional television models, there are no scan lines on plasma televisions, so the picture is much sharper. The viewing angle is far superior than CRT, there is 170 degree viewing angle so you can basically watch the TV from any area in the room. As I mentioned before Plasma Tvs are very thin, only 3. 3 inches in width. This makes them perfect for hanging on your wall, freeing up space in your home. Just like a picture frame, you can now hang your television on your wall!
So who manufacturers these thin TV displays? You can choose from numerous brand names which I’m sure you are familiar with such as, Sony, Sharp, Hitachi and Samsung to name a few. Plasma isn’t the only technology available if you are a HDTV buff, you should also check out LCD televisions and rear projection TVs.
And if you want to find a cheap plasma TV, check out the discount deals available through internet, particularly Amazon. com and Ebay. com. Those 2 online merchants are trusted and can offer not only new, but used and refurbished models for even bigger savings.
If you watch television and have an older CRT (cathode ray tube) or analog TV set, you have undoubtedly heard that by February 2009, you will need to have purchased a converter box in order to view basic television programming. Most of us already enjoy digital television programming with satellite or cable and won’t need to do much to prepare for the change. However, if you are one of the estimated 20 million households that do not take advantage of these services but rather watches TV using an antenna, you will not be able to receive any programming after midnight on the February 17, 2009. CRT television owners can choose to purchase a converter box using a government subsidized coupon for the purchase or they can buy a newer model television that can accommodate the change to digital, like an LCD or plasma screen. The change made by Congress to transition to all-digital television has been put in place for several reasons: 1. Better picture and sound quality is available with digital television 2. More free channel options are available with digital television 3. Transitioning frees up more frequencies that can then be used by emergency services. What’s The Big Deal? Because many homes may in fact be getting rid of their older television, there is a growing concern as to what to do with those older TV models. An estimated 75 percent of unused and broken televisions get stored away rather than recycled or disposed of. Keeping an old set around is really not a good idea. Older CRT sets contain anywhere from four to eight pounds of toxic lead, a fairly unhealthy thing to keep lying around your garage. Additionally, throwing these TVs into a landfill is not too environmentally savvy either because the lead can leech into the soil and groundwater if broken. Recycling can help prevent the release of this hazardous lead. Additionally, television sets are big, clumsy, non-biodegradable objects that take up large amounts of space in our nation’s landfills. Many states have already started prohibiting or limiting the ability to dispose of electronic devices in landfills. California, for instance, was one of the first states to pass a law prohibiting the throwing away of old TV sets, followed by several other states. The Environmental Protection Agency website can give you more information on limitations in your area. How Can You Recycle Your TV? There are a number of different options available to CRT and analog TV owners wishing to dispose of their sets in the most socially and environmentally responsible way. Before handing over your TV to any of these organizations or companies, however, ask some simple questions to verify that they comply with state or local electronics disposal laws and that they send any hazardous waste to a facility that specializes in the safe and legal disposal of such things. Donate It To Charity: Consider giving your TV to a local charity, church or hospital. They may be willing to take it off your hands as well as pick it up from your home. You can contact the Electronic Industries Alliance for a list of local and national organizations that accept used electronic items. Local Goodwill, Thrift Stores: Thrift stores will generally take an older TV set as long as it is in working condition. If you don’t know where to start, simply make a few calls and see who might be interested. Electronics Retailers: Some retailers, such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot will work with television manufacturers to sponsor in-store collection of televisions, computers and other electronics devices. This service is usually free or there may be a small charge. This is an incredible convenient option for people that want to dispose of a TV and get a new one all in one shop. Some retailers may even pick up the old TV set when they deliver your new one. ~Ben Anton, 2008
First-generation plasma televisions have picture degradation issues, and third- and fourth-generation plasma TVs consume more power than LCD televisions. Discover why a plasma TV may generate a lit. . .