Some Things You Should Know about HDTV Televisions
When it comes to HDTV televisions there are many to choose from. Not only are many different models available, but there are different technologies that are used to power screens. Each one of these technologies has its own distinctive traits. Some of them have higher contrast while others are known for their durability and overall reliability. While there are in fact more than six HDTV technologies around including LED and LCoS, the ones that are often in stores are LCD, Plasma and DLP. Of course, they all do the same thing but in a different way.
One of the most know technologies is Plasma. HDTV televisions with Plasma screens were very abundant during the first years of high definition Tv. Plasma screens project warm beautiful colors and solid blacks. Dark blacks translate into high contrast and very defined images. They also have faster refresh rates than other high definition screens. Older models did had a short lifespan and were prone to image burn in. In a sense, Plasma HDTVs have the better image quality than other sets but they are heavy and can suffer from burn in if some precautions are not taken. They also consume more energy.
The other technology worth mentioning is DLP. As of now most of the time DLP is associated with rear projectors. While their image quality is lower if you compare them to Plasmas and LCDs, they are very budget friendly to those that are looking to create a home movie theater or just prefer a rear projector. They do suffer from low contrast however.
The leading technology in the high definition world is LCD. LCD means liquid crystal display. Colors are usually very bright on them. These sets can last for many years with the proper treatment. LCD are not prone to the problems that Plasma sets are and do not require as work to maintain in optimal conditions. However, the quality of the Tv is very dependent on the model in question. With these sets it is important to buy a good model since some sets from unknown brands give very poor performances. In general, most LCDs made by the big brands are excellent. So as a general rule stick with the popular brands if you decide to buy one of these.
It is strange that even if these technologies are very advanced, they can not match the contrast and colors of CRT, the oldest television technology to date. CRT is still used in some regular televisions. It was used for HDTVs for some time but, due to their weight and volume the production of CRT HDTVs died soon.
