What Do You Have To Look When Buy A New LCD HDTV ?

Presented by HDTV Shop

lcd hdtv

Do you have a plan to buy your new LCD HDTV ? If you have a plan to upgrade your entertainment experience with a new LCD TV,  here’s what you need to know to choose the best set.

The LCD TV has earned the top spot in worldwide sales because prices have steadily decreased while picture quality and integrated features have made regular, albeit evolutionary improvements. Well, understanding some of the basics of the technology, can help you choose the right LCD HDTV for your needs and budget.

Screen Finish

The LCD TV screen can produce more than twice the light output of a plasma display, and that extra brightness is most useful in environments where ambient lighting is difficult to control. In a well-lit environment, the extra brightness from LCD provide helps maintain picture detail by improving the apparent contrast (dynamic range) of the image.

Many LCD screens have a matte finish to minimize distracting light reflections. some new LCDs, however, are incorporating glossy top filters that boost apparent contrast and color saturation by making video black appear inky dark. Glossy LCD screens produce a slightly crisper picture than a matte-finished surface filter, with its light-diffusing qualities, can manage. Remember to always consider the room’s typical ambient lighting conditions, when deciding on the type of screen finish.

Contrast Ratio and Pixel-Response Rate

An HDTV’s contrast ratio is its ratio of measured light output when displaying white to its measured light output when displaying video black. Given that most LCDs are relatively bright to begin with, it’s better to focus on which model produces the deepest, darkest representation of video black (black level). If two properly configured LCDs are placed side by side, the TV with the darker black level often has the more detailed, better-saturated, and more appealing picture.

Also remember that an improperly configured LCD can appear to have a superior black level. Don’t judge picture quality using an HDTV’s default picture settings. When possible, compare relative picture quality using a picture preset mode labeled Theater, Natural, or Movie. These modes do not guarantee proper video settings, but they do typically minimize the more heinous “enhancements” like over-sharpening, oversaturated colors, and increasing picture brightness at the expense of detail to produce a more accurate-looking picture. Also pay attention to fine shadow detail, particularly in dimly lit scenes. These can be some of the toughest video scenarios for LCD screens to get right.

A couple of oft-cited LCD HDTV specs that provide little to no useful information are pixel response time and contrast ratio. The problem with these specs is that there are several variations and each is calculated in significantly different ways, and marketing folks tend to focus on whatever spec calculation provides the most impressive looking result without regard to making any kind of valid comparison.

Nowadays, the LCD feature that best addresses this artifact is120-Hz display technology. Most 120-Hz LCDs are inserting interpolated frames into a traditional 60-Hz video signal that, when combined with advanced pixel driving techniques, produces a clearer, more detailed picture when depicting motion.
Like 1080p screen resolution, 120-Hz technology is a premium LCD feature but its benefits are immediately tangible; budget permitting, 120Hz technology should be on your LCD HDTV shopping checklist.

Resolution

1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080 pixels progressively scanned) is currently the pinnacle for consumer home theater material, and with all other things being equal, you want the screen resolution of your HDTV to match this format in order to provide the most detailed picture possible.

Some manufacturers advertise “1080i” LCD TVs, but you just need to know that there is no such thing. It simply sounds better than saying a particular model has half the screen resolution of a true 1080p display. Most of those 1080i LCDs have an actual widescreen resolution of 1,366 by 768 pixels, and they generally cost less than similar models with 1080p resolution.

But many factors affect the perception of picture detail, including distance, a person’s eyesight, and the quality of the video material. At a viewing distance of 3.5 meter, it would be difficult for a person with normal vision to distinguish the difference between a 720p/768p and a 1080p display showing the same 1080p video. If you often view high-quality 1080i/1080p video at closer distances, and you can afford it, go with a 1080p set.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 12:02 am and is filed under Buying Tips, Lcd Hdtv. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.