Plasma Tv What Is The Debate

Writen by Dale L

Plasma TV Review

Plasma TV review? Anyone who tells you that plasma is the best or worst of the television industry is trying to get you to overlook their bias. The fact is that if you want a new TV that can hang on the wall and produce a bright image, plasma may be the best TV to buy. The electronics industry is behind this technology, so you should look at it.

So how does Plasma work?

First introduced in 1964, the plasma television manufacturers have made huge improvements in processing and manufacturing making this television one of the best. The plasma technology differs from other televisions like LCD and CRT televisions by combining all three colors within each pixel. A charge is sent by electrodes between the glass panels to change the state of the plasma gas. The red, green and blue phosphors glow, creates light on the TV screen.

While some manufacturers use fans to cool the plasma TV, some like Panasonic, have models that are air-cooled. With these models, you need to ensure they have a bit of air around the screen. So don't mount it inside the wall without some space. The ones with fans can be noisy during quiet parts in the movie.

Here are some pros and cons of different TV technologies

CRT TV - It is the most common television. It is usually deeper than many other TVs and has a glass and metal tube. Recently, a flat version has become popular. Very heavy.

CRT Projection TV – The original big TV. They were the only way you could get a TV bigger than 40". They usually had a bright zone if you sit at eye level and not too far to the side. There is a bit of a depth to the TV and there is a gradual dimming of the picture as it gets older.

LCD – Flat and thin. What else can you say? Very bright image but can have some trailing with fast images if the refresh rate isn't great.

LCD Projection Television – First you take small LCD panels and you magnify it before projecting it on a big screen. It stays bright until the bulb dies and is user-replaceable.

DLP Projection TV – The chip was developed by Texas Instrument and has million-plus microscopic mirrors that pivot to reflect light. A bright bulb is shone on this chip and the reflection is projected through a spinning color-wheel. The new kid on the block in TV land. The question is, how are the ball bearings and the other moving parts?

Plasma – The image is created by electric charges to change the state of the gas. Thin is in.

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Getting Hdtv Into Your Home Theater

Writen by Andrew Seltz

Feeding your HDTV video system an actual HDTV signal makes a world of difference. I recently worked on the installation of a very high-end home theater system (six figure price tag on this job) and when the time came to test it, it was hard to watch anything but a true HDTV channel on the big 20 foot projection screen.

A high definition television system has a native resolution and every signal is either scaled up or scaled down until it matches this native resolution. The optimum situation is to feed it a signal that matches the native resolution so no scaling is required.

When a standard definition tv signal is displayed on an HDTV, the result is like looking at a low quality JPEG photo. All of the artifacts in the image are magnified. When you switch to a true HDTV image it's like someone cleaned a layer of dirt off of the tv. Everything becomes much clearer and more vivid. So, how do you get a true HDTV signal into your new home theater system?

Tuning in to HDTV Channels

The three primary ways of getting an HDTV signal into your home theater system are: over-the-air, cable, and satellite broadcasts. Let's take a closer look at these options.

Getting HDTV Over-The-Air

It might come as a surprise, but over 99% of US homes have at least one television station with a digital broadcast and 85% of all US homes have 5 or more stations broadcasting digitally. These are the major networks that you watch every day. Many of them have HDTV broadcasts. Before you go any further, look for local HDTV signals available in your area (www.hdtvpub.com.)

If you are planning to get most of your HDTV programming over-the-air, it makes sense to shop around for an HDTV with a built-in (ATSC) tuner. Many HDTVs (and almost all video projectors) do not have a built-in tuner. If you are building your home theater around a video projector, or plan to buy an HDTV without a built in tuner, you will have to invest in an HDTV (ATSC) tuner (like the Samsung SIR-T451) to access over-the-air broadcasts.

Once you have worked out the tuner issues, you need an antenna to get the broadcast out of the air and into your HDTV. The distance between your house and your local TV stations broadcast transmitter, and the power of the transmission they send out, will determine whether an old fashioned pair of 'rabbit ears' will work or whether you need a more robust antenna up on the roof. AntennaWeb's antenna mapping program (www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.asp) is a resource that will help you find where the local broadcast transmitters are in your area and point you to the type of antenna you'll need to put on the roof.

Check with your local tv stations to determine what over-the-air HDTV programming they offer. This will vary station by station and market by market, but the number of channels available is steadily growing. You may get a better mix of network HD broadcasts over-the-air than through your cable or satellite provider - and they're free!

Getting HDTV Through Cable

To get HDTV programming from your local cable company you will need an HD compatible cable box (usually your cable provider will provide this for a small monthly fee) and a subscription to HD programming.

The amount of HDTV content broadcast over cable channels is growing every day. Check with your local cable company to determine what channels they offer in HD. They will likely have several different packages available.

Most HDTV cable service will provide excellent results. But, the quality of the signal that arrives at your home depends on the quality of the wiring network that your cable company maintains. In some instances this can lead to lower picture quality. If you plan to go with a cable solution, ask around and find out if others in your area are happy with the service.

Special Note: Digital Cable Service is not the same as HD Cable Service. Most digital service is still standard definition. You must purchase service that is specifically marketed as HDTV to get HDTV programming.

Getting HDTV Through Satellite

If you have an unobstructed view of the southern sky, you can get your HDTV programming from one of the major satellite systems. DISH Networks, DirecTV, and VOOM are the major players in this market. Each offers a growing collection of HD channels and, if you live in a remote area, they may be your only option.

To get satellite programming you need to get an HD compatible satellite dish, an HD compatible receiver, and subscribe to an HDTV satellite programming service. Usually you can get all three as part of a package. If you have existing satellite service you may need to upgrade your hardware to become HD compatible. Check with your service provider to determine what upgrades you'll need and if they are offering any special incentives to upgrade to HD.

Enjoy Your New View

Once you've got true HDTV running through your digital home theater, you'll be amazed at the difference it makes in your entertainment experience. You may find yourself skipping your favorite standard definition program just to watch anything in HD - it's that beautiful.

Andrew Seltz is a Go-To Guy. His love of technology and movies has led him to work installing high definition video theaters in private homes and commercial venues. His articles appear on http://www.ColossalTV.com - the place to get answers for your digital home theater questions.

Choosing A Plasma Tv

Writen by Tom Ace

You've finally made up your mind to buy a plasma TV. You dream of watching your favorite television shows in full stereo, with sharp, crisp picture resolution. But how do you go about finding your dream TV? Here are a few tips that will help you get started.

The first thing that you should do is to decide on the size of the television monitor you want. Generally speaking, plasma TVs begin at around 32" and go as large as 63". The most common screen sizes are usually 32", 42", 50" and 61". So, measure the area where you want to place your TV to get an idea of which size would be most practical for you. It's important to remember that most plasma TVs have detachable speakers, so you will need to allow for a few extra inches on either side of where the screen will be.

You may well have the option to buy extra slim speakers, which attach directly to the monitor, if you don't want to use your own or an additional sound system, with surround sound. It is important to check that the model TV that you want to purchase has built-in amplifiers, or you will have to purchase or use an external receiver.

Once you've ironed out the size and type of sound system you want, you will have to consider the various mounting options that are available. The most common way to mount your new TV is with what is known as flat wall mounts. This is usually the cheapest option and places the plasma monitor almost flat against the wall. Another popular mounting system for plasma TVs is the Tilt Wall Mounting system. This allows the monitor to tilt away from the wall up to 15°. If you don't want to have the monitor tilted, you can opt for a simple table stand. This is ideal for the smaller monitors, allowing it to be used in boardrooms for video conference calls or in your living room.

There are many factors to consider, when buying your plasma TV. However, if you plan carefully, you should enjoy your new home entertainment center for years to come.

Tom Ace is the founder of Plasma tv Resources a website providing information on plasma televisions