HDTV And The Future OF DVD Players
By admin | January 1, 2009
The HDTV revolution has changed the home electronics landscape for good already, but the real benefits of this advanced technology will soon be apparent in the next few years as it becomes more accepted and established. For the last half century television entertainment remained pretty much the same as far as the video and audio capabilities are concerned. There were some advances along the way including large screen TVs and VHS recorders/players, but essentially the viewing experience was unchanged.
Much of the staleness of TV entertainment was due to the limitations of the analog system of broadcasting a TV signal. Only so much information could be sent over the air by analog format so no real advances in TV electronics were needed. But when satellite and cable TV entered the picture and introduced digital broadcasting, things began to change, and soon the DVD format just completely took over as the preferred medium for viewing movies at home on TV. The success of these digital format technologies has spurred the changeover from analog to fully digital entertainment and HDTV is the realization of that dream.
However, current DVD players are unable to display movies in high definition format even though their picture and sound is much improved than what has been available in the past. So there will be a need for dvd players to be taken to the next level now too as HDTV becomes an accepted standard for TV entertainment.
Already two of the largest manufacturers, Sony and Toshiba are set to introduce two competing technologies for displaying DVD entertainment in high definition format on a HDTV. Sony’s version is called Blu-Ray, and Toshiba’s is called HD DVD. Interestingly they are incompatible, so expect an electronics war to see which format gets accepted as the standard in coming years. As with all new technologies the initial models will be very expensive and the early DVDs that take advantage of this technology will be very limited, but if the meteoric rise of the initial DVD format is any clue, they can be expected to sell fast and become accepted very quickly.
DVRs(digital video recorders) will still be in their current format for the foreseeable future, but somewhere along the line you can expect to see units that record in high definition format to start showing up too. A lot probably depends on how quickly the new technologies are widely accepted.
As the switch to HDTV continues you can expect almost all new analog equipment to totally disappear in the next few years, perhaps as soon as 2010, so make your buying choices today with that well in mind. The future of TV entertainment is in high definition and dvd players and recorders will eventually meet those standards as well.
Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including audio and video. You can find out more about best portable dvd player and portable dvd player reviews by visiting our Home Theater website.
Tags: DVD, dvd player, electronics, hdtv, home theater, movies, surround sound, televisionTopics: HDTV | No Comments »
Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 2 of 5)
By admin | December 30, 2008
Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, “Where do I start?!”
In part 2 of our 5 part article, we the discuss the options in TV technologies
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Plasma. Plasma technology contains millions of “pixels” that contain a rare natural gas. This gas when excited by a small electrical charge produces colors and light to display the picture on the screen. Plasma is great for home theaters because it reproduces high motion video exceptionally well. On the other hand, if you have members of your family who like video games, I would rule Plasma TV’s outmainly due to something called “burn-in”.
Downfalls. The biggest downfall of Plasma TV’s is their half-life. As the TV ages it will naturally loose some brilliance and color depth. The good newseven with an average use of 4 hrs a day your plasma would still yield a half life of ten years. Not too shabby.
Burn-in is another downfall. Burn in is result of an image being displayed too often or for too long. Common ones are network logos, computer icons, video games, etc. The pixels involved get damaged and develop a “memory”. This information actually becomes “burned in” to the screen. The good newswith care, you can drastically reduce the chances of burn in.
Benefits. Plasmas are among the thinnest TVs on the market up to 4″ in depth. They are very suitable for Wall mounting or spaces for depth of the TV is a critical factor. Plasmas are produced in sizes ranging from 37″ to over 70″. Prices range from $1,400 to $17,000.
LCD. This technology is emerging from the computer world. Most small flat screen computer monitors are LCD. LCD does well in smaller sizes (50″ or less), and produces still images and deep blacks rather nicely. In my opinion, they produce some of the best still images of any TV in the market. LCD TV’s uses transistors to supply voltage to liquid-crystal-filled cells sandwiched between two sheets of glass. These voltages make the crystals untwist in varying degrees to filter light into varying shades of color.
Benefits. LCD are also very thin TVs with the thickest depth at approximately six inches. Pricing ranges from $600 to $5000. In addition, for the energy conscious individual, LCD’s consume the least amount of electricity to operate.
DLP. DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology utilizes a small “Digital Micromirrors Device” (DMD) to tilt more than 1.3 million micromirrors. The mirrors tilt to reflect light to create the picture. A color wheel produces the varying shades of colors that reflect on the micromirrors.
Downfalls. If you are looking for a thin TV, or to mount on the wall this is not the option for you. DLP TVs have depths as deep as 18″.
Benefits. DLP TV’s show the intention of having the longest life. The only part that will fail or affect image quality is the bulb life. Rated at 80,000 hours and being replaceable, average viewing of 4 hrs a day, make this a great TV for the next 50 years!
* Next in Part 3 of this article: What is HDTV?
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Brett Griffin lives and works in Philadelphia, PA. Brett has 12 years of experience in the technology industry and strives to seamlessly blend high performance technologies into one easy to use system. As co-founder of Architechtronics, Brett uses his creativity and experience to help builders, dealers, and homeowners meet their technology desires in their home.
Tags: benefits technology, buy, dlp, hdtv, home theater, lcd, new, part 2, plasma, purchase, television, tvTopics: HDTV | No Comments »
Visio 37 HDTV Product Review
By admin | December 18, 2008
Many are looking for the Visio 37 HDTV because one of the most promising companies to come out in recent years in the world of HDTV is Visio, or Vizio. They offer only a few different TV’s, but they have some of the lowest prices available anywhere. They are a great starter set for those looking to take a dip in the HDTV pool without spending tens of thousands of dollars.
While Visio doesn’t make a 37-inch plasma HDTV, they do make a 37-inch LCD model that is very attractive. The Visio 37″ LCD L37 HDTV is the number one selling set of that size in the United States right now and it retails for $999 on their own website. In the UK, it sells for the same price but in English Pounds from retailers such as Tiger Direct. The set comes with a one-year warranty and has an excellent resolution at 1366×768.
Visio does make other sets, as well. If you must have a plasma TV, they make a 42″ model and a 50″ model.
The 42″ plasma P42 HDTV retails for $1299 directly from Visio. It comes with a mind blowing contrast ratio of 10,000 to 1 which makes for an exceptionally clear picture. The set can also show up to 231 billion different colors. One can only imagine what a nature show on the Discovery channel would look like in 231 billion colors. The set also comes with a one year warranty.
It’s big brother, the 50″ plasma P50 HDTV also offers an amazing 231 billion colors, but with the wider picture, it can make watching TV an incredible experience. The set retails at $1,999 directly from Visio, but it can probably be found cheaper if you shop around. This particular set has won some awards, as well. PC Magazine awarded this set its editor’s award and Kiplinger’s magazine put it on their 2006 best of list. If you’re looking for that Visio 37 HDTV, you might want to upgrade to this beauty, you won’t be disappointed.
With so many different models on the market, choosing the perfect HDTV for you can be tough. But with these quality Visio models, you can be sure that you’ll be getting the best value for your money.
Dean Iggo is the webmaster of hdtvBrandReview.com where you can find hdtv reviews of the most popular brands and models including LG, Pioneer, Sony, Panasonic and more.
Tags: 37, hdtv, inch, plasma, television, uk, visio, visio 37 hdtvTopics: HDTV | No Comments »