Televisions...They're Thin, Really Cool with a "Go Anywhere" Outlook.
The big screen has given us Hollywood blockbusters. But it's been the small screen, television, that brought Lucy and Ethel into our living rooms, brought far away wars to our doorsteps, and created the national addiction that somehow brought together soap and "opera".
The small screen of the television has had a major impact on our lives. Now the television itself is experiencing major transformations. Rear projection televisions are becoming the dinosaurs of the industry, rapidly being replaced by plasmas and LCDs. However, word from Byron Sims, sales manager at Trend Technologies, is that they're not gone. "There are some new rear projection sets that are using an LED backlight. They're very bright, start up faster and are quieter in operation. They're a leap forward in rear projections, but I think the market will die out," he says.
The "small screen" is, in reality, no longer small. Televisions are big and getting bigger. (That's in terms of width. As far as depth is concerned, it's all about being thin and thinner). The technology and quality of picture are superb. And the prices are, surprisingly, not astronomical. In fact, prices for many products are dropping. Of course, there are the Bill Gatesesque models that can set you back more than $100,000. "There are some really cool things out there for big budgets. Panasonic and LG have flat panels over 100 inches, and Sharp has one that's 108 inches," says Sims.
Lower prices are good news because let's face it, one or two televisions in our homes just aren't enough. Without them throughout the house, we feel disconnected, uninformed and inadequately entertained. A television in the kitchen lets us watch Rachel Ray demonstrate a 30 minute meal before we've even unpacked the groceries. When we're watching television in the bathroom while getting ready for work, Louisville's own Diane Sawyer cheerfully tells us more than we may want to know about what's going on in the world. At the end of the day, Jay Leno helps us unwind, or at least makes us laugh at some of those things we didn't want to know were going on in the world.
"Televisions are everywhere. We've even installed them in the cabinet above the range. The heat from the range doesn't damage the television because the heat is pulled into the ventilation system. Televisions on an articulating bracket are great for kitchens because they can be pivoted and positioned from anywhere in the kitchen," says Tim Cadarette, of Bonnycastle Appliance & TV.
"Flat panels offer so many options for installation location. They can really go anywhere in the home, even on back porches and in outdoor living rooms. We recently had a car buff put a couple in the garage," says Troy Corrigan, vice president and general manager of Corrigan Home Systems. "Not only are the panels themselves getting thinner, but the brackets and mounts are also thinner. If mounted over a fireplace, a thin television looks great."
Sims agrees that people love the look of a flat panel mounted over the fireplace, adding that he's often requested to mount speakers flush in the wall. "Many homes now have a television on the floor or on a stand, but the homeowners want to replace it with a flat panel, running the wires behind the wall and improving the décor of the room," he observes.
Even though high end televisions can be a status symbol, not everyone wants to flaunt them, at least not all the time. They can easily be concealed in furniture, perhaps at the end of the bed, with a lifting mechanism bringing them into view. "If you don't always want to look at the television on the wall or over the fireplace, Artscreen has a screen that looks like a picture and can cover the television. When it's time to watch television, just push a button and the screen rolls up," says Hunter Blandford, vice president of Elite Home Theater and Technology. But the price tag for that artsy cover up can be hefty. According to Blandford, it can cost as much, if not more, than the television. A less expensive way to dress up the television is to install a frame around the screen, a technique Blandford frequently uses.
He says "home theaters have moved from the top of many wish lists to the must-have lists. The theaters have a variety of technology, including large televisions, sometimes with 100 inch screens, and almost always with 1080i picture quality." He also says new televisions with an iPod docking station that allows streaming video straight into the TV are very popular, another indication of the public's growing technological sophistication and appreciation of the newest product innovations.
Plasma or LCD?
Even with millions of dollars spent on marketing both plasmas and LCDs (liquid crystal displays), there are plenty of people who remain confused about the differences as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Simply put, the panel of plasma televisions is self-lighting. The image is generated by the plasma that causes pixels (the tiny dots that make up the picture) to glow. In LCDs, the light isn't actually created by the liquid crystals, but by a bulb behind the panel.
"The main differences between plasmas and LCDs are the black level and the contrast ratio," says Tom Luetzow, vice president of Regency Sight and Sound. (What's a contrast ratio? Think of it as how the color appears against a dark background. Higher numbers translate into better colors). Many experts say plasma televisions outshine LCDs at depicting deep blacks and rich, natural looking images.
"I recommend an LCD if kids are frequently going to use the television for their Play Station. But if the television is to be used primarily for watching movies, and the objective is to enjoy true color, plasma is the way to go," advises Luetzow.
It's common to hear people say they prefer LCDs because the picture is brighter than that of a plasma television. But, there's a downside to consider. Gene Crawford, president of Crawford Entertainment Systems, offers some sage advice when it comes to choosing between the two types of televisions. "If you're considering a 42 inch or larger flat panel TV, your first choice probably should be a good plasma unless there's a major light source or a large window opposite the television. Those images will appear in the face of the plasma television, but not in the face of an LCD. But if you don't have the reflection problem, I'd recommend a plasma for maximum picture quality," he says.
LCDs' thin depth may be appealing from a design standpoint, but the picture quality of an LCD screen may vary depending on your vantage point. If you're directly in front of the screen, the picture may be perfect, but when you move to the side, or if you're watching a screen that's installed above a fireplace, the images may appear dim. The good news is that these problems of color and contrast have been significantly diminished by some of the new LCDs that have a wider viewing angle.
When used with video games or as a computer monitor, older plasma televisions sometimes suffered from static images burning in, but industry experts report that the issue doesn't seem to be a factor with the newer models.
If a television screen is used for a computer, 1080i resolution will deliver greater clarity and finer detail than will a 720i.
Widescreen Televisions
When buying a new television, you'll be confronted with the choice of square or widescreen. "Everyone seems to want the widescreen, which is becoming the industry standard," says Cadarette. Widescreens have larger aspect ratio than a standard television. Don't be put off by techie jargon. Basically, it means the relationship between the width and the height of the picture. Why do you care? If you watch a lot of movies, you might prefer a widescreen because it displays a DVD picture in its original format. The idea is to help you feel as if you're in a movie theater instead of on the couch in the den.
The Battle of Blu-Ray vs. HD DVDs
Both Troy Corrigan and Tom Luetzow, agree that the battle between Blu-Ray and HD DVDs was won by Blu-Ray. If you're considering the purchase of one of the hot commodity Blu-Rays, Corrigan is quick to point out that you'll need to have a 1080i television, which he describes as "true high definition," not a 720i, to accommodate it. This is an important factor to keep in mind since Luetzow says that generally the inexpensive plasma televisions on the market are 720i, not 1080i.
Corrigan says for true 1080i, a HDMI cable is recommended. "It carries high definition audio and video instead of having to run three cables-red, green and blue." HDMI also tends to prevent outer edges of the image from being cut off.
"There's now a lot more HDMI modular interface. Sets will have three or four inputs on them, providing for multiple hookups, more operations, multiple DVD players and surround sound, "says Cadarette.
Energy Efficiency
"Television manufacturers are very responsive to the ever broadening movement toward energy conservation and are offering many products with ENERGY STAR ratings," says Blandford. (ENERGY STAR guidelines are determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy). ENERGY STAR reports that televisions, when combined with related products such as DVD players and set-top boxes, comprise approximately 10% of a household's annual electricity bill, and says that ENERGY STAR qualified televisions use about 30% less energy than standard units.
Wired to Go
Installing one of the new plasmas or LCDs isn't rocket science, but there are some things the pros want you to know. "If I can talk to homeowners before they're designing a space or before they begin a remodel, I can offer some ideas that can save them time and money. For example, if the television is to go over the fireplace, I'd suggest that the mantel not be 6 feet tall. Most importantly, wire for the television before the wall goes up. Otherwise, there's going to be some fishing around for wires," says Crawford.
Byron Sims agrees with those words of advice, saying "The earlier we can get in on the project, the better. Although there may be a concern about the budget, I say wire, wire, wire. It will cost three or four times as much if it has to be done after the drywall."
Crawford observes that there's often inadequate wiring for new televisions. "We frequently arrive at a house and are told it's all prewired for the television, but really there's only a cable jack and an electrical plug. The cable jack needs to go not to the television but to the cable box, and special wires need to run between the television and the cable box and between the television and Blu-Ray or DVD player," he says.
"There are terrific ways to distribute audio and high definition video throughout the house, with only a television on the wall, some speakers in the ceiling or wall, and a remote control on the coffee table. The remote control can give you access to all of it. The equipment can be hidden in a closet, a cabinet or a mechanical room," he continues.
Crawford says wiring should be done in a future-proof way to accommodate changes that will undoubtedly occur. "People should realize that the video system we're moving from is 54 years old and that the system we're moving toward, HDTV, has undergone a major birthing process for 12 years. It's highly unlikely that we're gong to see another dramatic change in our lifetime."
However, there may still be drama waiting to unfold. Tim Cadarette says Mitsubishi has 3D capability. When will it be ready? No one is sure, but you'll need to stock up on goggles and a transmitter to enjoy the experience.
