Life requires us to adapt with the times, and sometimes we have to conform to the standards set by technology or your living room could one day have no television in it. America's biggest pass-time, watching television will no longer be possible unless you upgrade!. CRT's or the "Tube" as we have grown to call it, is now obsolete and therefore extinct. There is no place that fixes them, and your warranty's all go down with the tube with the tube (CRT) technology. It's time to move on, and get with the program; HD programs!
If you are looking to update your entertainment experience, you can find some really good HDTV's for good prices nowadays. You will notice a light year of a difference in prices, compared to several years ago when they first came out. The HDTV comes in 3 different types, the Plasma, the Digital Light Projector, and the Liquid Crystal Display. Choosing the type depends on how often you use it, price range, resolution/ picture quality you prefer, or how large you want your TV. There are new TV's coming out now that are called OLED HDTV's and are even better than the Plasma picture quality. But OLED's are rare and very expensive. Let's first take a look at the Plasma.
PLASMA
The Plasma technology is best for medium screens at about 50". Some companies like Panasonic offer screens as big as 103”, but most Plasma's are smaller than DLP's. The technology is the most advanced and usually most expensive. Plasma TV's have hundreds of thousands of unique pixel cells, and electronic pulses stimulate natural plasma gases like xenon to light up the pixel cells all while balancing red, green, and blue color hues. Plasmas are very flat and can be hung on a wall. The advanced technology offers great resolution in large screens up to 1080P along with rich vibrant color and dark blacks which give off a good contrast. The Plasma TV is infamous for losing its color after a few years and the gases inside cannot be replaced. Plasma gases lose steam and so does your picture quality. If you decide on going with a Plasma because you won't use if often or can afford to buy replacements, then look for companies like Toshiba and Panasonic. They are known for lasting the longest.
My Personal Pick: Panasonic 50” ONYX , Model #- TH-50PHD7UY / TH-50XVS30 ONYX
This TV improved the phosphors in the Plasma which limits burn on the screen. The casing of this television works to keep it cool and does not require a lot of power. This is good since it prolongs the life span of the Plasma.
DLP (DIGITAL LIGHT PROJECTOR)
DLP technology uses the a digital light projector powered by a simple bulb that reflects digital information to a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) is made up of tiny mirrors each the size of the width of a hair. Each mirror reflects information set forth into a color wheel that always rotates inside the TV. This is why DLP's cannot be made flat like Plasma's and LCD's. The advantages of owning a DLP are their lower costs than plasma, and are offered with larger screens mostly. The DLP is flat compared to old projection TV's and can't be hung up on a wall, but can still be placed on any small table and they are much smaller than normal projections.
The masters of DLP technology are Samsung. Samsung claims to have invented this relatively new technology. DLP TV's have less contrast but are much brighter than the Plasma. The brightness could result in flat, washed up color. Unlike, the plasma, the quality doesn't fade for good and all you have to do is replace a small light bulb ever 3 years or 80,000 hours. Light bulbs for DLP's can cost up to as little as $200.
My Personal Pick: Samsung 61” Model #- HLM617W
This DLP offers blinding brightness as well as deep blacks which lead to decent contrast and color for a DLP.
LCD (LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY)
LCD's are similar to Plasma's and are now being offered in larger sizes. The technology is similar to the way a Plasma works and some models are even equally competent in price. There is no liquid in the TV at all, but only differ from the Plasma's because they don't have Xenon and Neon gasses in them. They use about half the power of a Plasma TV and the lifespan is longer than them too. Some LCD's come with replaceable bulbs. It depends on the manufacturer. LCD's have my least favorite picture quality compared to the three. Some pictures come out blotchy, like the old Tube televisions but the LCD picture is still High Def. Even though the resolution isn't the best, LCD's are perfect for Computer programs and PC compatibility. They work great in rooms with large windows and can even be viewed in direct sunlight. They have Plasma -like color richness, and great brightness and contrast. LCD's won't suffer from screen burn too. If your looking for a good LCD, go with Sony, Samsung, or Sharp.
My Favorite Pick: Sharp 52” AQUOS LCD Model #- 52D82U
This TV is very sleek and light, and would look great on any wall or tabletop. You can find a strong back light in this television with almost no lag.
These are my favorite televisions for 2008. They say that once you go HD, you can never go back. Regardless of which brand, or technology you go with, the satisfaction of having high definition TV in your living room is almost equivalent to how we felt in the 60's when we all felt it was necessary to go and replace our black and whites TV's with color television.
