If you have followed my previous posts, you would have narrowed down your choice of a HDTV. There are other features that you may want to consider before making the final decision.
INPUTS
HDMI inputs
The more the merrier. Make sure there are enough HDMI inputs to connect all your intended equipment with HDMI outputs. Normally you will need at least 3 (depending on your set-up) - one for you cable/satellite TV box (like Astro), another for your DVD/BD player and the third one for your gaming, camcorder, HD Media Player and other gears. If you have the newer AVR, then this number is not so important since you can connect most of your gears to the AVR HDMI inputs and with just one HDMI cable out to the HDTV. If your chosen HDTV do not have the number of HDMI inputs required, you just have to pull the cables in and out when necessary or maybe you can get one of those multi-HDMI (many in, one out) adaptor.
RCA connectors
To connect your DVD player or other gears without HDMI output, you will need either the composite terminals (red, white, yellow) or component terminals (red, blue, green). Most HDTV will have both these inputs, otherwise choose the one with the component inputs since this will give a better picture on the HDTV. S-video input is now less common.
RGB/PC terminal
You will need this if you intend to connect up your PC or laptop. Most if not all LCD TV has this, but for Plasma need to double check. You should go for a Full HD model if you want to hook up a PC or the lower resolution will show up.
USB and Memory Card slot
Some models have a USB slot to connect a thumb drive or external HDD to play music, photos and videos but the video files format support differs from model to model. Some have a Memory Card slot (like Sony and Panasonic to support their cameras and camcorders directly) for you to view photos and videos. Personally, I feel it is better to get one of those HD Media Player which is more versatile and has more functionalities then the ones built-in with the HDTV.
Other features
Screen style
Plasma screen usually reflects more light while LCD are normally matte but newer models are more glossy so you need to pick the one that best suits your viewing environment. Too much reflection will spoilt your viewing enjoyment.
Viewing angle
LCD can never beat Plasma in this area. All LCD TV will have a smaller viewing angle than Plasma but this differs depending on the make. Look from the sides of the LCD TV to see how bad the image is affected but in practice it is not critical since most of us will be watching from the front and not too much from the sides of the TV.
Cinema Mode, 24p
This is also called Real Cinema, Real Movie, etc. by some brands. Movies are shot at 24 frames per second (24p) while the normal rate for videos are 30 frame per second (30p) in NTSC or 25 frames per second (25p) in PAL. So to get the right movie feel, some HDTV have this 24p cinema mode. Note that this will only work if the source is also output at 24p and Blu-ray Disc players can do this. Like in many other features, some models of HDTV can do it better than others. To most people, the improvement is slight and many people cannot see the difference unless the two rates are displayed side by side. So this is more for the purists and videophiles.
Sound/Audio
Generally, the bigger the set, the better the sound and the higher end models will sound better than those at entry level. But really, to complement the HD video, you should hook up an AVR to enjoy the HD sound, especially from Blu-ray discs for a complete enjoyment of HD.
Picture Adjustment
Calibration enthusiast may want to check what parameters are available for tweaking. All HDTV will have enough video/colour adjustments provided than most of us can handle.
Intra-brand Connectivity
If your already have equipment from a particular brand, you may want to consider the advantage of getting the HDTV of the same brand (if the critical specs meet your requirement) such as using one remote control for all the equipment.
WiFi and Internet connectivity
Some higher-end models may have these functions. Only you can decide if you really need these, at a cost.
Finally, there is the physical built and how the HDTV looks and blends in with the rest of the furniture. For that, we better leave it to the wife or mistress, oops, I mean the missus.
Ronald Kwok
Showing posts with label LCD TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LCD TV. Show all posts
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
HDTV screen size and viewing distance
If you have decided on the type of HDTV that suits you, the next big question will be the size. The general answer will be to get the biggest screen size that you can afford. The only caution here is that make sure you have enough space to view your HDTV at a comfortable distance from the front.
A few general facts on the HDTV screen size. TV sizes are always quoted using the length of the diagonal across the screen. For HDTV, many advise that 32" is a minimum size for your bedroom or those with space constraint and 40" as a minimum for a normal living room. If you are getting a HDTV to replace your existing CRT TV, do not get one with the same size. This is because normal CRT TV has an aspect ratio of 4:3 while HDTV has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and for the same height, the new TV is wider than the old TV or we say the new TV is widescreen and the old TV is squarish. Thus the same image will look smaller on the new TV and to get the same size picture (i.e. same height for the 4:3 picture) on the new TV, the screen has to be bigger. As a very rough rule of thumb, multiply the old screen size by 1.2 to get the equivalent new screen size.
For example, old 27" x1.2 =32" and old 32"x1.2=38". Since the HDTV only come in certain standard sizes, take the next higher one if you don't have an exact match after your calculation. Thus replace your 32" CRT TV with a 40" HDTV. For the budget conscious, the price increases as the screen size gets bigger but an exception may be for older or discontinued models. A 40" HDTV may sound and look big initially but after a while, may users feel that they should have bought a bigger set after the thrill of watching HD movies. Hence the early advise of getting the biggest set that you can afford.
However, the bigger the size of the set, the bigger the size of each individual pixel so a 60" set will look blockier than a 50" set at the same viewing distance. Thus you need to sit further away to watch a bigger display. The general advice is that the maximum distance is 2.5 times the size of the screen (always quoted as the diagonal across) so for a 40" screen, this will be 100" or almost 8 and a half feet away. Personally I find this a bit too far away. Some give the minimum distance as 1.5 times the size of the screen so for the same 40" example, this will be 60'' or 5 feet away. Thus you can sit anywhere from 5" to 8" away for a 40" HDTV to enjoy your show. This is just a rough guide and you can choose to sit any distance you want but if you sit too close, you'll start to see the pixels and if too far, you'll feel like missing the action. The choice is again personal preference and comfort.
I have mentioned in my earlier post that LCD TV has generally a more limited viewing angle when compared to Plasma TV. Thus the height of mounting the TV will be more important in the case of the LCD. So apart from strain necks if the LCD TV is mounted too high, you'll also get a poorer image. You may have to rearrange your furniture and wall decor to suit your new HDTV to have the best seat in the house.
Related to the size of the HDTV is the resolution that boils down to what the marketing guys call Full HD or HD Ready. By definition, the maximum HD resolution is 1920x1080 pixels and the minimum is 1280x720 pixels so Full HDTV has a resolution of 1920x1080 and HD Ready has less than that, usually with 1366x768 pixels for LCD and only 1024x768 for Plasma. They are HD Ready not because they can be upgraded to full HD but that they are ready to accept Full HD materials and downscale them to display on their lower resolution screens. For LCD TV, most models are now Full HD except for a few 32" and below. In the case of Plasma TV, quite a number are HD Ready only even up to size of 50" and you should check the specs carefully if this is important for you. However, experts say that you cannot really tell the difference if they are viewed at the correct distance, especially those of smaller screen size. But if the price difference is not much, you might as well go for Full HD or you may feel uncomfortable afterwards. But if budget is a real issue, get a HD Ready as it is good enough. Again, let your eyes be the judge.
So after picking the right size HDTV for your room, you would have completed your choice but only if you do not have other requirements or fussy about inputs/outputs, refresh rates, contrast ratio, etc. These will be discussed in the next post.
Ronald Kwok
A few general facts on the HDTV screen size. TV sizes are always quoted using the length of the diagonal across the screen. For HDTV, many advise that 32" is a minimum size for your bedroom or those with space constraint and 40" as a minimum for a normal living room. If you are getting a HDTV to replace your existing CRT TV, do not get one with the same size. This is because normal CRT TV has an aspect ratio of 4:3 while HDTV has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and for the same height, the new TV is wider than the old TV or we say the new TV is widescreen and the old TV is squarish. Thus the same image will look smaller on the new TV and to get the same size picture (i.e. same height for the 4:3 picture) on the new TV, the screen has to be bigger. As a very rough rule of thumb, multiply the old screen size by 1.2 to get the equivalent new screen size.
For example, old 27" x1.2 =32" and old 32"x1.2=38". Since the HDTV only come in certain standard sizes, take the next higher one if you don't have an exact match after your calculation. Thus replace your 32" CRT TV with a 40" HDTV. For the budget conscious, the price increases as the screen size gets bigger but an exception may be for older or discontinued models. A 40" HDTV may sound and look big initially but after a while, may users feel that they should have bought a bigger set after the thrill of watching HD movies. Hence the early advise of getting the biggest set that you can afford.
However, the bigger the size of the set, the bigger the size of each individual pixel so a 60" set will look blockier than a 50" set at the same viewing distance. Thus you need to sit further away to watch a bigger display. The general advice is that the maximum distance is 2.5 times the size of the screen (always quoted as the diagonal across) so for a 40" screen, this will be 100" or almost 8 and a half feet away. Personally I find this a bit too far away. Some give the minimum distance as 1.5 times the size of the screen so for the same 40" example, this will be 60'' or 5 feet away. Thus you can sit anywhere from 5" to 8" away for a 40" HDTV to enjoy your show. This is just a rough guide and you can choose to sit any distance you want but if you sit too close, you'll start to see the pixels and if too far, you'll feel like missing the action. The choice is again personal preference and comfort.
I have mentioned in my earlier post that LCD TV has generally a more limited viewing angle when compared to Plasma TV. Thus the height of mounting the TV will be more important in the case of the LCD. So apart from strain necks if the LCD TV is mounted too high, you'll also get a poorer image. You may have to rearrange your furniture and wall decor to suit your new HDTV to have the best seat in the house.
Related to the size of the HDTV is the resolution that boils down to what the marketing guys call Full HD or HD Ready. By definition, the maximum HD resolution is 1920x1080 pixels and the minimum is 1280x720 pixels so Full HDTV has a resolution of 1920x1080 and HD Ready has less than that, usually with 1366x768 pixels for LCD and only 1024x768 for Plasma. They are HD Ready not because they can be upgraded to full HD but that they are ready to accept Full HD materials and downscale them to display on their lower resolution screens. For LCD TV, most models are now Full HD except for a few 32" and below. In the case of Plasma TV, quite a number are HD Ready only even up to size of 50" and you should check the specs carefully if this is important for you. However, experts say that you cannot really tell the difference if they are viewed at the correct distance, especially those of smaller screen size. But if the price difference is not much, you might as well go for Full HD or you may feel uncomfortable afterwards. But if budget is a real issue, get a HD Ready as it is good enough. Again, let your eyes be the judge.
So after picking the right size HDTV for your room, you would have completed your choice but only if you do not have other requirements or fussy about inputs/outputs, refresh rates, contrast ratio, etc. These will be discussed in the next post.
Ronald Kwok
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Which type of HDTV - Plasma or LCD?
(Information is compiled from Internet sources such as Wikipedia, CNET, etc. but opinions are my own.)
The heart of the HD world is undoubtedly the HDTV and this is very often the first HD item to be purchased. This blog will hopefully point you in the right direction when choosing a HDTV.
Choosing a HDTV is not that confusing or difficult so we'll break it down to small bits so it will be easier to make a decision. There are basically two main types of flat-screen HDTV, the earlier Plasma TV and the latter and now more popular LCD TV both employing very different technologies. For those interested in the technical details, refer to Wikipedia.
Below are some general information about the main advantages between the two as a guide but this may vary from model to model and subject to change with new improvements from time to time.
Plasma - better Viewing Angle, better image quality (blacker black and better contrast), superior motion resolution for fast action.
LCD - no screen burn-in effect, lower power consumption, matte screen reflects less light, can get sizes below 40", a wider choice of manufacturers and models, more common PC connectivity, most models are full-HD.
A little more detail on some of the items mentioned.
*Viewing Angle - For Plasma, image will look the same at all viewing angles but for LCD, image will look faded or washed out if viewed at an angle from the sides or from top and bottom.
*Screen burn-in. An image permanently etched onto the screen, say when you pause a picture for too long. This will never happen for LCD but for Plasma, there is a possibility but not likely for normal usage.
*Motion blur and trailing - negligible on Plasma but noticeable on LCD for fast action movement e.g. a soccer game or other fast sports. Newer, fast LCD models has reduce this somewhat.
*Image quality. For purists, Plasma has better overall picture quality, especially blacker blacks and more natural colours. But many prefer the bright and saturated "larger than life" colours of LCD.
*Glossy and matte screen - Plasma glass screen reflects more light so not that good when view in a bright or well-lit room. LCD will look better than Plasma in these conditions.
*Power efficiency. LCD TV consumes less power than a Plasma of the same screen size, due to the different technology employed. Also LCD is less bulky than Plasma.
*Screen size. If you need a screen size of 32" or less, you can only get an LCD. Plasma is available from 40" or 42" upwards.
*PC connectivity. If you need to connect a PC to the HDTV, you'll be able to do it for most (if not all) LCD TV. This is less common for Plasma TV so need to double confirm if this is one of the usages.
*Full HD or HD Ready. Most LCD TV models are Full HD with resolution of 1920x1080 pixels while many Plasma TV at the lower end are just HD Ready with resolutions of 1366x768 pixels or 1024x768 pixels. (I am very surprised by this as I thought all Plasma TV are Full HD.) According to many reviewers, it is difficult to see the difference in practice so it is more psychological that Plasma is inferior in this area. And because of the lower resolution of Plasma TV (except for the higher end models) and possible image burn-in, it is better to choose an LCD TV if PC usage is intended.
*Choice of Manufacturers. Plasma TV brands are limited to Panasonic, Pioneer, Samsung, LG and NEC. LCD TV are also produced by them in addition to Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, Philips, Sanyo and many others. Thus there is a much wider choice in LCD TV.
In the early days, you get get Plasma in larger screen size and cheaper than an LCD for similar screen size but this may no longer be true as LCD are available now in comparable sizes with prices similar to Plasma. The lifespan of Plasma and LCD are about the same so there's little to choose here. It would seem that LCD TV is more popular than Plasma TV maybe because there are more manufactures and more models to choose from. In addition, more people are attracted to the bright, saturated and flashy colour of the LCD TV (some call this artificial, but hey, are we not attracted by artificial boob jobs and the like?)
So deciding between LCD and Plasma will depend on the primary purpose of your HDTV and the environment it will be used in but in the end it boils down to personal preference. Nothing like seeing for yourself and as long as you like what you see, then go for it after considering the major differences mentioned above if they are important for you. And of course get one within your budget.
My next post will be on other factors to consider like screen size and other features.
Ronald Kwok
The heart of the HD world is undoubtedly the HDTV and this is very often the first HD item to be purchased. This blog will hopefully point you in the right direction when choosing a HDTV.
Choosing a HDTV is not that confusing or difficult so we'll break it down to small bits so it will be easier to make a decision. There are basically two main types of flat-screen HDTV, the earlier Plasma TV and the latter and now more popular LCD TV both employing very different technologies. For those interested in the technical details, refer to Wikipedia.
Below are some general information about the main advantages between the two as a guide but this may vary from model to model and subject to change with new improvements from time to time.
Plasma - better Viewing Angle, better image quality (blacker black and better contrast), superior motion resolution for fast action.
LCD - no screen burn-in effect, lower power consumption, matte screen reflects less light, can get sizes below 40", a wider choice of manufacturers and models, more common PC connectivity, most models are full-HD.
A little more detail on some of the items mentioned.
*Viewing Angle - For Plasma, image will look the same at all viewing angles but for LCD, image will look faded or washed out if viewed at an angle from the sides or from top and bottom.
*Screen burn-in. An image permanently etched onto the screen, say when you pause a picture for too long. This will never happen for LCD but for Plasma, there is a possibility but not likely for normal usage.
*Motion blur and trailing - negligible on Plasma but noticeable on LCD for fast action movement e.g. a soccer game or other fast sports. Newer, fast LCD models has reduce this somewhat.
*Image quality. For purists, Plasma has better overall picture quality, especially blacker blacks and more natural colours. But many prefer the bright and saturated "larger than life" colours of LCD.
*Glossy and matte screen - Plasma glass screen reflects more light so not that good when view in a bright or well-lit room. LCD will look better than Plasma in these conditions.
*Power efficiency. LCD TV consumes less power than a Plasma of the same screen size, due to the different technology employed. Also LCD is less bulky than Plasma.
*Screen size. If you need a screen size of 32" or less, you can only get an LCD. Plasma is available from 40" or 42" upwards.
*PC connectivity. If you need to connect a PC to the HDTV, you'll be able to do it for most (if not all) LCD TV. This is less common for Plasma TV so need to double confirm if this is one of the usages.
*Full HD or HD Ready. Most LCD TV models are Full HD with resolution of 1920x1080 pixels while many Plasma TV at the lower end are just HD Ready with resolutions of 1366x768 pixels or 1024x768 pixels. (I am very surprised by this as I thought all Plasma TV are Full HD.) According to many reviewers, it is difficult to see the difference in practice so it is more psychological that Plasma is inferior in this area. And because of the lower resolution of Plasma TV (except for the higher end models) and possible image burn-in, it is better to choose an LCD TV if PC usage is intended.
*Choice of Manufacturers. Plasma TV brands are limited to Panasonic, Pioneer, Samsung, LG and NEC. LCD TV are also produced by them in addition to Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, Philips, Sanyo and many others. Thus there is a much wider choice in LCD TV.
In the early days, you get get Plasma in larger screen size and cheaper than an LCD for similar screen size but this may no longer be true as LCD are available now in comparable sizes with prices similar to Plasma. The lifespan of Plasma and LCD are about the same so there's little to choose here. It would seem that LCD TV is more popular than Plasma TV maybe because there are more manufactures and more models to choose from. In addition, more people are attracted to the bright, saturated and flashy colour of the LCD TV (some call this artificial, but hey, are we not attracted by artificial boob jobs and the like?)
So deciding between LCD and Plasma will depend on the primary purpose of your HDTV and the environment it will be used in but in the end it boils down to personal preference. Nothing like seeing for yourself and as long as you like what you see, then go for it after considering the major differences mentioned above if they are important for you. And of course get one within your budget.
My next post will be on other factors to consider like screen size and other features.
Ronald Kwok
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