What do the specs of a TV mean?
I went to Sears because I’m going to get a new television for Christmas. I thought it would just be finding a size but then I seen LCD v Plasma v LED… then 60Hz v 120Hz v 240HX…
Some TV’s were hundreds of dollars more then the TV’s 10inches bigger then them.
Now before I make an ill informed decision, can you please explain what the specs mean? Along with anything else I should know. I really appreciate all of your help.
LCD vs Plasma
LCD >> Plastic Screen, Light Weight, No Burn In, Less Glare
Plasma >> Glass Screen, Heavy, Can Burn In, Some Glare due to being more saturated looking
*Plasma generally looks more rich then LCD but honestly both are great. Plasma is slowly going out as it is more expensive to make and ship.
RESOLUTION
1080p is the current highest rating (Blu-Ray) (Some xbox 360 & PS3 games)
720p is HD (High Definition) Cable or Satellite Quality
No modern Flat Screen TV should offer less res then this or walk away.
CONNECTIONS – In order of importance starting with must have at least one.
HDMI – The most popular connection for modern HD devices. Capable of 1080p It can send both audio and video signal
Component – 1st generation xbox 360′s use these and a lot of DVD players. It’s capable of 720p and only does video.
DVI – You can input your computer through this. Up to 1080p. Video only
VGA – You can also connect your computer through this. Up to 480i approx. Still clear but not HD. Video signal only
RCA – The old school Yellow, White, Red. Typical for VCR’s and DVD
60Hz vs 120 Hz
This boils down to how many frames per second the TV can display. Typically the more Hz the better response time the TV will have. The better TV’s out there now have as quick as 2-4ms (miliseconds) meaning there won’t be motion blur when things move quickly across the screen.
So…
Lower response time = Good
Higher Hz = Good
CONTRAST RATIO
It will be something like 5000:1
The bigger the number to the One the better. This means the darkest colour it can show at the same time as the lightest colour it can show.
VIEWING ANGLE
The wider angle means you can sit anywhere in the room and see the TV picture clearly.
PRICE
Don’t go nuts, next week your new purchase will be old news anyway. (3D TV’s will be coming soon anyhow… Seriously, look them up. [No special glasses needed])
SIZE
This ties into price but basically don’t go over/under board.
ACCESSORIES
Don’t forget to leave some room in the budget for…
-HDMI and other cables you may not have
-Wall Mount bracket
-TV subscription (HD perhaps)
-xbox 360 or PS3
-Surround Sound System