Big Screen TV Deals

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.