Thursday, June 25, 2009

Things You Should Know About Mounting Your Plasma or Lcd Tv

So you've decided to jump on board the technology revolution and bought yourself a flat panel television. That's great and I'm sure you are very excited to see what it can do. But there are a few things that you need to consider after buying one of these televisions that you might not know about. I am here to explain what these are so that you are a more educated consumer.

The first thing you should realize is that while these televisions produce a beautiful picture, it is never as good as it looks in the stores. Why is this you ask??? Well, when the manufacturers make these tvs, they turn the contrast and brightness of the tvs way up so that when they are on display in a store, the picture looks the best that it can possibly be. The problem with this is that displaying the tvs like this will eventually damage your screen and force you to buy a replacement. For this reason I suggest never buying a floor model and checking the brightness and contrast of your tv when you get home.

Second, after buying you lcd tv, you are going to need all the proper cables to hook up all of your components to the tv. If you want HD(High Definition) you will need to buy component cables to hook them up. Component cables provide the best picture quality outside of an HDMI cable. But 9 times out of 10 the salesman will try and get you to buy the most expensive component cables they carry(for more commission) claiming that they will provide the best picture quality. This is simply not true. A component cable is a component cable. No need to break the bank on that one.

Third, you will need to buy a mounting bracket if you plan on hanging the tv on your wall. There are essentially 3 different types of brackets to choose from.

The first is called a Flush Mount Bracket. These simply hang your tv flat against the wall. Stationary. The next is a tilting Flush Mount Bracket. These are the same as the first except they allow your tv to tilt up or down for better viewing. The last is what is called a Cantilever Bracket. These allow your tv to hang stationary, tilt up or down, or move left or right. If you use this bracket, many times your tv will need an adaptor plate in order to properly screw the bracket to the back of your tv. Make sure to ask your salesman to check that out for you. If you need one, be aware that these adaptor plates cost almost as much as the bracket itself, so be prepared to shell out some dough. Between buying the bracket of your choice, cables and an adaptor plate(if you need one) be prepared to spend another $200-$400.

Finally, once you do all of this, you will need to have your Lcd or Plasma Tv mounted to your wall. There are two options for you here.

One, you hire an experienced A/V installer to come and hang it for you. If you choose this option, make sure you find a reputable installer. There are many fly-by-night installers that will make this experience a nightmare for you. Check some references of theirs and maybe prepare a couple of questions for them to make sure they know what they are doing. Using a professional, experienced installer is the easiest way to go, but be prepared to pay up to $600 for their services.

Two, you can mount it yourself. If you choose this option you will save yourself a nice chunk of money, but you can be trading the money for lots of headaches if you are not properly prepared. Make sure you have all of the tools you will need including a cordless drill, at least 14v, fishtape(to snake your wires through the wall),a nutdriver,drill bits,a level,tape measure, stud finder, and in most cases a friend to help you lift the tv.

www.LcdTvInstallationGuide.googlepages.com

Mike Ferrara began A/V installations about 3 years ago. He is passionate about his work and has learned a lot about the A/V business. He currently works as a lead technician for one of the biggest A/V companies in the country.

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Monday, June 15, 2009

LG 42PM1 Plasma TV Display Brought to Us by the Leader in Plasma Technology

The increased popularity of Plasma TV?s has soared so much in recent years that fierce competition has been just that, fierce. But any new LG plasma display introduced in the market has their own distinct features that set them apart from the rest. The LG 42PM1 plasma TV display has continued this tradition with the usual and expected high quality image display plus a plethora of other innovative features that makes this LG plasma display a class of its own when compared to others.

Its 42-inch plasma panel screen has a display image that provides very vibrant colors from its 852 X 480 resolution and supports a segment leading contrast ratio of 10,000:1 that is combined with 1500 cd/m2 brightness to produce unrivalled quality and sharpness.

The LG 42PM1 plasma TV display supports a native aspect ratio of 16:9 and a 4:3 interpolated aspect ratio. It also allows great viewing of up to 160-degree angle.

Along with its seemingly perfect display, the LG 42PM1 plasma TV display also produces great sound coming from its two built in virtual surround sound speakers that produces power output of 15 watts each and it is paired with an audio leveler.

But aside from its audio and video superiority, its stylish design and its thin sexy look is one of its strong points. The LG 42PM1 plasma TV display has a height of 65.35 cm, a width of 125.2 cm, and a depth of 9.35 cm. It can be easily mounted on the wall or left on a tabletop or TV rack.

Other popular LG plasma tv's are the LG mu50pm10 50 inch hdtv, the LG mu42pm12 plasma tv, and the LG 50pz41b plasma television.

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Monday, June 1, 2009

Plasma TV vs LCD TV - Which is Better?

Plasma TV vs. LCD TV

You know you want to buy a flat-screen TV but you don't know if a plasma TV or an LCD TV would be your best choice.

This article explains the differences between plasma versus LCD TVs, then shows you how to get the best price for a plasma or LCD TV.

Plasma TV

A plasma TV screen consists of millions of multi-colored gas-filled cells. When electricity passes through the cells they light up and produce a picture.

Plasma TV screens have a much higher resolution than tube TV screens. In fact, the picture is so clear it's almost like watching a scene through a window.

Screen sizes range from 42" to 65" wide and are 3" to 4" thick.

LCD TV

LCD (light crystal display) TV screens are made up of a thin layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates. When an electricity is sent through the crystals an array of tiny multi-colored pixels light up to create a picture.

LCD TV screens are thinner and lighter than plasma screens. They are the most screens for computers, and are quickly gaining popularity as TV screens.

LCD TV screens are anywhere from 1/4" to 4" thick and 2" to 65" wide.

Plasma vs. LCD Features

Picture Quality

When it comes to which type of TV screen is sharper and shows more detail, plasma TVs have a slight edge over LCD TVs, though LCD TVs are catching up.

Plasma TVs are also slightly better when it comes to viewing angle - how far you can sit to one side of a TV screen before picture quality is affected.

Screen Life

Screen life is the number of hours a TV provides before the picture begins to fade. Plasma TVs have a screen life of about 30,000 to 60,00 hours, depending on the make and model, while LCD TV's have a screen life of 60,000 hours or more.

Plasma TVs are also subject to "burn in." This occurs when a TV displays a still image long enough for a ghost of that image to be burned into the screen. LCD TVs do not have this problem.

HD TV

Both plasma and LCD TVs display HD (high definition) signals for a sharper, more three dimensional picture. LCD TVs, however, have a slightly higher resolution (more screen pixels) then plasma TVs.

Video Games

Plasma and LCD TVs are both great for video gaming, however because of plasma TV's tendency toward screen burn in, an LCD TV is the better choice if you play a lot of video games.

Portability

LCD TVs are thinner and lighter than plasma TVs, making them easier to move and easier to mount on a wall.

Plasma vs LCD TV prices

When it comes to which type of TV gives you the most bang for the buck, it depends on what you're looking for.

If you're looking for a large-screen TV - 42" or larger - plasma TVs are currently cheaper than than similar-sized LCD TVs. When I recently compared prices on 42" TVs, the cheapest plasma TV was $999, while the cheapest LCD TV was $1,367.

When it comes to mid-size TVs, I couldn't find plasma TVs smaller than 42." The cheapest 32" LCD TV I found was $619, while the cheapest 27" LCD TV was $550.

Visit the http://TheSatelliteTVGuide.com to get more information, to compare prices, and to get consumer ratings for plasma TVs and LCD Tvs.

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Monday, April 7, 2008

The Plasma Set Television- How it Works and Why It's a Good Reason to Buy a New TV

Long before plasma set televisions made their appearance, people bought TVs for their size. The bulkier, the better and whoever got the biggest, meanest television screen won the game of one-upmanship with his neighbors.

And then picture quality came along. The game quickly shifted into whose TV made the grass look greener and Halle Berry better looking than she already is. These days, the gold medal probably belongs to plasma television sets.

Why plasma television set looks so good

If you have your old CRT (cathode ray tube) TV, you've probably been amazed at the technology that made pictures come alive through the screen. CRTs also use pixels or dots that when grouped together, form a bigger image. CRTs basically use a vacuum tube that fires electrons against phosphors. Three phosphors make up one pixel, which is made of red, blue and green colors.

The CRT technology has a measure of control on which phosphor group to hit and depending on the strength and length of the hit, the picture tube shows us an image with color and light contrast.

Now CRTs perform well and are in fact still popular in many parts of the world. The only drawback is that they are heavier, fragile and eat up a lot of living room space. You've probably noticed the same issues with your older computer monitors.

With a plasma television set, the technology is different. Gas inside a fluorescent light is excited to a degree and transforms into a plasma state. Pixels are still made with the same three basic colors, but since plasma can be aimed more precisely, more pixels can be hit to form an image. The result? A clearer, prettier picture on the television screen.

Not only is high resolution a feature that plasma television sets boast of, there are also the colors ? all 16 million and more of them. Imagine watching the TV and knowing there are millions of different colors dancing right in front of your eyes even if you can only name a few. There's dragon red, leaf green, ocean blue or maybe canary yellow and egg white, but that's just a drop in the bucket of all the color possibilities that plasma television sets can offer.

The view from the other side

Another reason why plasma television sets win a lot of admirers is that it gives the concept of 'sitting in front of the television' a whole new meaning. Remember when kids used to fight for the 'best seats' right smack in the middle for TV viewing? This is no longer true with plasma TV.

With rear projection TVs, the viewing angle is about 45 degrees to the sides. A plasma television set can give you perfect images even at 160 degrees! You can walk from one side of the room to the other and you will still have the same picture quality, so don't worry too much about Aunt or Grandma sitting to the sides of the plasma television set. They are enjoying themselves just fine.

The flatness is also there for a reason other than giving the excellent viewing angles; it also reduces glare. With a plasma television set, you don't even have to dim the lights for better viewing. It works just as well even with ambient light turned to the max.

Issues and myths

No, you cannot refill your plasma television set's plasma content or that it's too radiation-heavy. Those are urban legends that are too silly to be even given a second look. Plasma television sets are a product of the latest technology and as such, still have a few issues here and there.

One of the most common is the burn-in issue, where a plasma television set develops a burned-in image when it's tuned in for too long to a static picture. There is also the half-life expectancy where plasma televisions are expected to burn a little dimmer after a few thousand hours.

These issues are quite true, but the real threat to the life and quality of a plasma television set is really a matter of wise and careful use. If you keep it on hours and hours on one channel with a static image, then a burn-in issue might emerge, but this will only happen after hours of day-in and day-out use. The half-life has also improved from the 30,000 hours (allowing you 9 years of plasma TV use for 8 hours of viewing a day) to 60,000 hours.

The Holy Grail of television sets?

For now, plasma television sets offer a lot to drool about but many would-be fans are put off by its price. Imagine paying about $2,500 for a 42-inch plasma TV. However, plasma televisions are priced that way for good reason ? they offer tops in picture quality and contrast and even with the monstrous size some models are available in, you won't want a lot in the resolution department.

Getting a plasma television set instead of an LCD or some other high-def TV is really a matter of personal choice and budget. Shop for the unit that's perfect for you and enjoy all the other benefits you won't otherwise get had you made a different choice.

For more information now go to: http://www.qualityplasmatelevision.com/Plasma-Set-Television.html http://www.qualityplasmatelevision.com

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Thursday, February 7, 2008

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

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Saturday, October 20, 2007

How Do Plasma Televisions Work?

Plasma TVs have been one of the most popular home entertainment solutions on the market for several years. They offer outstanding resolution and a quality picture and are usually capable of displaying HDTV signals, allowing you to watch all of your favourite HDTV programs. Compared to rear projection TVs, plasma technology offers some of the best viewing angles- no need to fight over the best seat anymore- and offer uniform screen brightness.

But how does plasma technology work? It's pretty simple. Some form of inert gas- say Xenon, for example, is inserted between two plates, which are held together, between which are over two million pixels, capable of producing a mind-boggling array of colors. The gas is then energized by a charge which turns it into a viscous substance, creating an ultraviolet light, which allows each pixel to display the appropriate color. Unlike rear-projection TVs, each pixel in a plasma display contains red, blue, and green phosphors, there is no need for a cathode-ray tube. In traditional TVs, the cathode-ray tube, or CRT, fires electrodes to the screen, where they excite phosphor atoms causing them to light up, thus creating a picture. The CRT is bulky and is responsible for the box-shape of traditional televisions. For example, if you want to increase the size of the screen in a CRT, you must also create a larger cathode-ray tube, therefore making the whole TV that much bigger- and bulky.

One drawback to plasma technology is the inability to recharge each individual pixel. Each pixel is an independently sealed entity, as is the plasma display panel and the gas, so if a pixel, or a group of pixels, fail or darken, the entire panel unit must be replaced.

Fortunately, however, you can expect your plasma display to last at least 60,000 hours of playing time, before the pixels begin to darken. So, in layman's terms, if you watch your TV for four hours a day, you can expect the panel to last around eighteen years.

Plasma technology has greatly increased the quality of home entertainment, ushering in a new era of television technology.

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

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