Home Theater - Plasma TV VS Projectors

Many homeowners are struggling with an important, electronic question: What is the ideal display for my home theater? Many people have fought this debate, but I'll try to make clear some important considerations.

The most important detail to consider when deciding between a projector and a large plasma television is ambient light. A room with lots of windows presents a problem for a projector because every little bit of ambient lighting degrades the projected image. The ideal environment for a projector is one where you have total control over the lighting. If your home theater uses a projector, you are limited to using it when you can eliminate other light. A plasma screen can be used anyplace, anytime.

Assuming your home theater has blackout curtains, or exists deep underground; let's examine differences between a plasma television and a projector. One advantage of a projector is that you can get a much larger picture than is available in plasma. Projectors can produce images comparable to an 81-inch screen and larger. This just isn't possible with a plasma screen. However, plasma's have the advantage of not needing any amount of space. A projector must have a long enough corridor to project its image on the wall or screen. To get an 81-inch or greater image, you need a decent distance between the projector and the target. Second, a projector's image is dependent on more than the quality of the projector; you must be projecting onto a specialized surface or you lose detail. A top of the line HD projector with a very high native resolution would be wasted if you were just projecting the image onto a wall. You need an equally high quality screen with features such as a matte finish to eliminate reflection and glare. A plasma display requires no additional equipment.

Overall, a projector has the potential of creating a beautiful image, but it needs too much to work effectively. If you're creating a private movie theater with lighting control and an investment in a screen, mounting equipment, and blackout curtains, then a projector is your piece of equipment. For everyone else, I suggest a plasma television.

Jakob Culver is founder of the website www.plasmatvarena.com providing information, articles and reviews about plasma tv's. To find more articles like this one visit the site http://www.plasmatvarena.com/

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Plasma TV Be Aware When Buying Online

A plasma TV may very well be the next step in your home entertainment future and the potential sources for the purchase of a plasma TV have never been better. Because a handful of retailers have jumped on the plasma TV bandwagon and started offering these televisions as part of their home electronics line, the cost of a plasma TV has never been lower. The fact that the technology has become well-established has also helped lower the cost of the plasma TV. So where do you go to find great deals on plasma TV sets?

Any retailer or wholesaler that offers a good array of home electronics likely has plasma TV sets in stock or has a source for them. For many people, purchasing from a local retailer is literally the only option they'll consider because they want to check out the set in person. While the cost has started dropping, a plasma TV still represents a major investment among your home entertainment components and you may be playing it safe to shop where you can actually see the set you are about to buy.

For other people, shopping online is a great way to do comparison shopping. You can find several online sources of home electronics that will allow you to conduct side-by-side comparisons of various plasma TV models. While you can do almost the same comparison by shopping retail stores in person, you might find that a side-by-side comparison makes your shopping easier.

Online shopping for the plasma TV of your dreams could net you a great deal, but don't overlook the fact that you're likely going to be paying shipping on top of the cost of the plasma TV. That cost might or might not be sufficient to kill the savings of purchasing online over that from a retailer in your area.

Tom Ace is the founder of Plasma tv Resources a website providing information on plasma televisions

Whats the Difference Between Plasma TVs and LCD TVs?

Plasma and LCD TVs are the latest trend in home entertainment. Both offer unrivalled picture quality and resolution, while doing away with the bulkiness of the older rear-projection technologies. But with all of the hype surrounding these two types of televisions, what is the difference between them? Although they look- and are virtually priced- the same, they are not.

There differences are found in the way in which they display their pictures. Plasma TV technology is made up of hundreds of thousands of little pixels, each capable of displaying red, green, and blue colors. A plasma monitor often consists of two panels, which are filled with an inert gas, such as xenon or neon. When the pixels are excited by pulses of electricity, the gas becomes liquid, thus generating light. This light in turn then illuminates the pixels, causing them to display the appropriate color to form a picture.

LCD panels function in a very similar manner. A panel of thin-film-transmitters, or TFT, sends electricity to cells filled with liquid crystal. When the cells are struck by the electricity, the liquid crystals allow light to filter through. Unlike the pixels found in plasma TVs, LCD monitors create color by blocking out the appropriate wavelengths from white light.

So which is better? The answer to this question depends upon what you plan to use TV for. Do you just want to use it to watch movies and television? If so, then a plasma TV might be best, because they are capable of a higher better color saturation and contrast than their LCD counterparts and for displaying moving images. If you plan in spending a lot of time showing digital photography or plan on using the monitor with your computer, then a LCD display might be better suited to these purposes.

Both plasma and LCD technologies each have their advantages and disadvantages and your decision should ultimately be based on your monitor's application.

Tom Ace is the founder of Plasma tv Resources a website providing information on plasma televisions

The Facts About Plasma Televisions

Today?s market is filled with different sizes, models and manufactures to fulfill any movie watcher needs in today?s world, there are so many choices that most people are confused. There is a wide range of sizes, manufactures, models and screen choices available which would fulfill the movie bug needs these days, that is why we are so confused about what is the best tv to purchase. If you are one of those people that loves to watch DVD?s you need to make sure you look at the ratio of a plasma television screen, this is very important to consider.

The war between plasma and LCD continues with many people, it is almost like the war between PC and Apple users. The new LCD televisions are High Definition Television ready and digital television ready which will make these types of TV last much longer down the line as the HDTV signal becomes more widespread in homes. LCD televisions are now available at increasingly lower prices, and the smaller units are available for as low as two hundred dollars with several retailers. Many of the large manufacturers of electronics have created technology such as LCD screens, some of these companies are Sony, Samsung, Phillips, Toshiba and Panasonic, even computer system manufactures are getting into the TV market, Dell has created TVs that compete with other electronic giants.

Watching a show on HDTV explains why so many people are switching to this type of technology, you realize how the older type of TV picture clarity is not what you thought it was. HDTV has brought a new way of watching TV, plasma screens are crisp, sharp images and when the HDTV signals becomes more prevalent more and more channels and households will be able to enjoy it. The large size and high definition capability are just a few of those great features HDTV televisions.

The viewing angle in DLP is big. The plasma screen is a streamlined picture-frame screen that has a 160 degree viewing angle, the screen is evenly illuminated across the screen and it has no curvature. These types of televisions provide a much clearer image which will make your investment of this new type of tv a sound one. Bigger is not always better, and a certain distance must be maintained between the plasma TV and the viewing area for optimal viewing experience.

The plasma display is unsurpassed because of the aspect ratio of 16:9 and the incredible resolution of 1366 x 768. They have great resolution and incredible color definition. Using the display resolution of 1024x768 gives the TV a picture that is sharp and crisp and an almost 3D effect. Plasma TV allows you to experience high resolution HDTV and DTV signals with exceptional color accuracy.

As time goes on and the manufacturing costs diminish the prices will start to drop on plasma TVs and the cheap plasmas will be introduced which will cost in the $800 - $1200 range, and as technology get better the screen size will start to grow and the screen will get larger for less. You want the model with the right size and weight to look and fit right into your space. While quality is important size and color are equally important.

In setting up the environment for your plasma TV, a primary consideration is to determine the screen size to match the floor plan or available space where the plasma will be displayed.

David Marc Fishman is the owner of http://www.priceriot.com. Priceriot is a new online auction where prices drop as people shop for iPod

TH-42PX70 Review - Panasonic Viera 42" 1080p Plasma TV

Having dominated the plasma technology market over the past few years, it's no wonder that every new generation of Panasonic plasma TVs are greeted with much anticipation. The latest one is no different: having been unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2007 in Las Vegas at the beginning of the year, roll-out of the 10th generation plasma began in Europe (soon to be followed suit in the US) in March 2007. I encounter the Panasonic TH-42PX70 quite often in my profession, and so will give a brief rundown of its capabilities.

Panasonic plasmas have an excellent reputation for unrivaled black level and shadow detail, and I'm happy to report that the TH-42PX70 is up there with the best in this department. Batman Begins and Unforgiven ? both suitably dark films ? would have absolutely murdered any lesser competitors, but on the Panasonic TH-42PX70 I could still see fine shadow detail that could have so easily been engulfed by nothingness.

Furthermore, there's not very much you need to do to get the picture looking right: if all TVs were produced in this manner, ISF calibrators will soon be out of job. To attain the 6500 Kelvin (daytime) color temperature in which films are shot and broadcast, simply go into your user menu, select the "Cinema" mode (assuming you haven't done so when you first set up your TH-42PX70) and then the "Warm" color temperature. By doing this you make sure that you're watching the film as per the director's vision.

Traditionally image retention are a big problem with plasmas; not so with TH-42PX70. I had detected a slight hint of retention after putting on static images (from my computer) for 10 minutes, but within 1 minutes of resuming moving images the retention washed away. I really think that as long as you take the proper precautions, image retention on plasmas is a thing of the past.

Nevertheless, the TH-42PX70 has its own set of weaknesses. For starters, it still suffers from problems of false contouring where there should be fine gradation. Part of this is source-based as the problem largely went away when watching high-definition, but if you're sensitive to this kind of thing it may annoy you.

The previous generation of Panasonic plasmas was haunted with what is known as "purple snake" or "purple ants", where purple bands or pixels with appear around green areas with small change of gradient. In the TH-42PX70 I couldn't really see it when sitting from 8 feet away, but if I move closer to the screen at say 3 feet I would notice it... IF I'm looking for it. Just something worth bearing in mind.

When reviewing plasmas, I cannot refrain from mentioning buzzing noise, which is typical trait of plasma TVs especially with high-contrast scenes. In fact, I could vividly remember a massive plasma TV shootout I attended where a pure white background was used to test how loud the plasmas buzzed. In TH-42PX70's case, the buzz is more like a high-pitched whine, which didn't particularly trouble me when the sound was on, but if you have ultra-sensitive ears, this is something to take into consideration.

To sum up my view as someone who sees and installs more than your fair share of flat panel television, the TH-42PX70 does most of the important things better than most TVs. Sure it's has its flaws, but this is such a wonderful set-and-forget plasma TV that if I were shopping for a new plasma TV, I'd take this in a heartbeat.

Robert Keene installs home theater by day and indulges himself in high-definition films by night. For more info on Panasonic TH-42PX70 plasma TV, check out his website at http://www.th42px70.co.uk

Four Easy Steps To Buy A Plasma Flat Screen Television

If you?re looking to purchase your first plasma flat screen television, there are 4 simple steps to insure a pleasant shopping experience.

First, you must decide how much money you want to spend. Take an inventory of your financial situation, and think about what you really want. If you?re on a budget and can?t afford to spend $2,000, you should begin your search with the lower priced models in the 37?- 42? range. Conversely, if you can afford more than $2,000 your screen choice is unlimited.

Second, decide the screen size and manufacturer you like. Plasma monitors are measured diagonally across the screen, as are other television sets and monitors. Plasma screens start at 32" and increase in size up to 103". The most typical sizes are: 37", 42", 43", 50", 61", and 63". The best selling plasma televisions are made by Panasonic, Pioneer, Sony, and Samsung.

Third, you should consider buying a plasma television from an online e-tailer. Here are some reasons to buy online:

? Convenience. No need to stand on line, or spend time talking to a sales person.

? Price savings. You save money by not having to pay sales taxes and we?re priced below big box retailers.

? Exclusives. They have a wider selection of plasma models to choose from all the major manufacturers.

Fourth, decide where to mount the plasma television. One of the major benefits of plasma TV is the flexibility they afford in mounting and installation options. Here are a few you might consider:

Flat Wall Mounts are the most common mounting option for Plasma TVs for home or business use. This option is the least expensive and allows the plasma monitor to remain closest to the wall, adding less than 2 inches to the depth.

Tilt Wall Mount is used when placing the plasma TV higher than the desired eye level. A tilt wall mount typically allows 15 to 20 of tilt, depending upon the brand.

Conclusion, buying a plasma television can be an exciting experience that will bring thousand of hours of entertainment if you follow these four simple steps.

William Coit is an expert on plasma televisions and he makes it easy to find the perfect solution for your home or business at http://www.williamcoit.com