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LCD DLP, LCOS, or Plasma?
OVERVIEW
There are a lot of buzz words flying around. A TV is no longer just a TV. Not only do you have to choose between the style of TV you want - Flat Screen, Rear Projection, Digital Home Theater Projectors and Standard Televisions - but you have to choose the technology that powers it. We'll try to clear a few things up by providing a brief overview of the options.
COMPARISON OF TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS
There are four new technologies available: LCD, Plasma, LCOS, and DLP. Nearly all new TV's are sold
in the 16:9 widescreen format and all of these
HDTV ready by design.
- LCD
The oldest and most popular of the digital technologies. LCD (Liquid
Crystal Display) TV's use tiny color changing
pixels and backlighting to create the picture.
The result is a large crisp picture in a
light weight set can be flat enough to
be hung on a wall. LCD TV's are immune to
burn-in, but have a harder time displaying
black and grays than Plasma TV's resulting
in lower contrast ratios. The life expectancy
of an LCD TV is said to be between 30,000
and 60,000 hours of use. Since these technologies
are fairly new, practical life expectancy
remains to be seen. LCD technology is used to power Flat Screens, Rear Projection and Home Theater Projectors.
- Plasma
Plasma technology uses thousands of tiny
fluorescent lights to create a digital image
on the screen. The result a large crisp
picture in a light weight set that is flat
enough to be hung on a wall. Plasma TV's
produce a superior picture compared to the
big screen LCD's, but are subject to the
burn-in effect - faint ghost images that
can permanently appear on the screen over
time. Video game consoles are the biggest
burn-in culprits, but any static image can
cause burn-in over time. Plasma screens
also run hotter than LCD's and require cooling
fans. Like LCD's, the life expectancy of
a Plasma TV is said to be between 30,000
and 60,000 hours of use. Plasma technology is only used on Flat Screen TV's.
- DLP
Digital Light Processing, or DLP, is one
of the newer technologies. It was developed
by Texas Instruments and is used by many
manufacturers. DLP uses thousands of micro mirrors on a tiny
chip to project an image onto the screen.
The result is a large crisp picture on a
slim lightweight set. DLP televisions are not subject
to burn-in, but do need periodic bulb replacement.
DLP projection televisions are becoming
more popular and sell at prices similar
to the LCD projection TV's.
The downside? DLP Rear Projection televisions
depend on the DLP chip and it's thousands
of tiny moving mirrors. While the technology
has thus far proven itself reliable, it
is still new. With manufacturer warranties
typically only one year, costly repairs
are possible. DLP technology is used in Rear Projection TV's and Home Theater Projectors.
- LCOS, or D-ILA
Liquid Crystal On Silicon, or LCOS
is the newest of the four technologies.
JVC's LCOS implementation is known as D-ILA,
or Direct Drive Image Light Amplifier. LCOS
TV's use a technology similar
to the LCD's but instead of passing light
through the LCD projection panels it is
reflected off of them. Like the LCD and
DLP televisions, the result is a high quality
picture even on large screens and a slim
lightweight set. Also like LCD and DLP projection
televisions, LCOS televisions are not subject
to burn-in, but do need periodic bulb replacement.
They are less popular and less available,
but newer models from JVC seem to be the
most prolific. LCOS technology is currently used in Rear Projection TV's.
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