High-def TVs get bigger, better, cheaper
Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: Business
There have been many improvements in picture quality as the growing number of TVs with 1080p resolution show.
These HD sets can potentially display more of the detail in current highdef signals than so-called 720p sets can.
Until recently, most 1080p TVs were LCD or rear-projection sets. These TVs were very expensive at the time; however, now consumers find a growing number of 1080p plasmas at lower prices, giving them more choice.
Manufacturers are also addressing the inherent weaknesses of the different display technologies.
One good example of this is that many new LCD sets are using 120Hz technology. That essentially doubles the number of video frames displayed on the screen and is designed to reduce the amount of motion blur in fast-moving images.
Many plasma TVs now come with a protective coating that reduces that annoying reflection.
These many improvements leave little reason for consumers to wait to buy an HDTV. If price is not an issue at all, consumers should consider buying a 1080p model. However, this isn't fully necessary.
Many students who are looking for an HDTV will come to find that the 720p models will work just fine depending on the size of the TV.
Generally speaking however, as a rule of thumb, large TVs over 50" will look better in 1080p and smaller TVs under 25'' will look excellent in 720p. A 1080p TV has a frame resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels.
Trends in pricing suggest it's a good time to buy because many of the major price cuts have already occurred.
Over the next year or so prices for 40-inch and larger 720p LCD TVs are expected to fall only 10 percent or less, with smaller LCD TVs seeing even more modest price reductions. Prices of larger 1080p sets could drop more, though not as much as last year.
HDTVs are very reliable nowadays with repair rates for LCD and plasma TVs, averaging around three percent overall during the first three years of use, which is the time covered by many warranties.
Thanks to the steady increase in HD programming, there's now plenty of content that can make the most of these state-of-the art HDTVs. Most prime-time shows on the major broadcast networks and many cable/satellite stations (such as ESPN, Discovery, TNT, and many others) are now offered in HD.
There are other sources of highdefinition
content as well, most notably Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.
Patrick Comer
These HD sets can potentially display more of the detail in current highdef signals than so-called 720p sets can.
Until recently, most 1080p TVs were LCD or rear-projection sets. These TVs were very expensive at the time; however, now consumers find a growing number of 1080p plasmas at lower prices, giving them more choice.
Manufacturers are also addressing the inherent weaknesses of the different display technologies.
One good example of this is that many new LCD sets are using 120Hz technology. That essentially doubles the number of video frames displayed on the screen and is designed to reduce the amount of motion blur in fast-moving images.
Many plasma TVs now come with a protective coating that reduces that annoying reflection.
These many improvements leave little reason for consumers to wait to buy an HDTV. If price is not an issue at all, consumers should consider buying a 1080p model. However, this isn't fully necessary.
Many students who are looking for an HDTV will come to find that the 720p models will work just fine depending on the size of the TV.
Generally speaking however, as a rule of thumb, large TVs over 50" will look better in 1080p and smaller TVs under 25'' will look excellent in 720p. A 1080p TV has a frame resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels.
Trends in pricing suggest it's a good time to buy because many of the major price cuts have already occurred.
Over the next year or so prices for 40-inch and larger 720p LCD TVs are expected to fall only 10 percent or less, with smaller LCD TVs seeing even more modest price reductions. Prices of larger 1080p sets could drop more, though not as much as last year.
HDTVs are very reliable nowadays with repair rates for LCD and plasma TVs, averaging around three percent overall during the first three years of use, which is the time covered by many warranties.
Thanks to the steady increase in HD programming, there's now plenty of content that can make the most of these state-of-the art HDTVs. Most prime-time shows on the major broadcast networks and many cable/satellite stations (such as ESPN, Discovery, TNT, and many others) are now offered in HD.
There are other sources of highdefinition
content as well, most notably Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.
Patrick Comer
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