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Plasma Television Guide

Posted on by Steven Parker

Plasma Television Guide

Our Plasma Television Guide provides all the information you need to make an informed choice when buying your next Plasma TV. Understand the basic technology that drives the prices, which are the top manufactures, top sizes and of course price comparisons. As well as a highly recommend company in Houston with 5 star reviews Multimedia tech

Basic Understanding of the Technology

There are four areas you will need to have a little understanding of before buying your plasma television. These areas not only impact the price but also determine if the television will be a good fit for your needs.

Resolution – Although your cable and satellite companies will most likely broadcast HDTV in 720P or 1080i because of bandwidth limitations, 1080P (1920 X 1080 lines) is the future. The new Blu Ray and HD DVD players along with the Playstation 3 all support 1080P. Therefore if your television watching is mostly cable or satellite feeds, look for 720P or 1080i, which should do the trick for now. But if you are looking toward the future and want to get the most from your new movie players or video games look for a 1080P television. For additional details see our article on 1080P vs 720P.

Aspect Ratio – Refers to the ratio of width to the height of your screen. Although there are several other sizes available by far the most popular are 4:3 and 16:9. Movie and television content is moving to HDTV, which is in the 16:9 format, so we suggest purchasing 16:9 based items. When you watch an item that is not in the same format as your screen you will see black lines either on the sides or on the top and bottom. Some televisions provide the ability to compensate this by stretching the image to fit the screen, but this results in images being wider (fatter) or taller (skinner) then they really are.

Aspect Ratio Diagram
Size-Although the size of Plasma Televisions range from 42” to over a 100”, the popular sizes are 42” and 50”. If you are looking for something smaller then 42”, consider a LCD TV. They have picture qualities similar to Plasma along with a thin flat design that can hang on your wall.

Connections-HDMI is the video connection of the immediate future, however DVI and Component are also reasonable choices. See our Video Cables page for additional details on connection options.

Why Plasma? Limitations and Other Technologies

Although Plasma televisions are an excellent choice, like all technologies they also have a few disadvantages.

One disadvantage of a Plasma television is called the Screen Door effect. This effect makes the television appear as if it was on the other side of a window or sliding glass door screen. The closer to the screen you are the more visible this effect will be. Manufactures are working on this and it is getting better. But definitely something you will want to consider if you plan on sitting close to the television or planning on getting a large size (over 50 inches). This becomes less noticeable with the higher resolution televisions because they provide more pixels. See the article on 1080P vs 720P.

Another disadvantage of a Plasma television is that it has a limited lifespan and will fade over time. Most Plasma televisions will start to fade (will not be as bright and colors lose saturation) around 30,000 hours of use then become unwatchable around 60,000 hours. There is no bulb that can be replaced therefore once this happens the television is no longer useful. Because of this, we strongly discourage buying a used Plasma television.

Plasmas are susceptible to the Burn in effect. The Burn in effect is what happens when an outline of an image remains on the screen even after the image is gone. This can happen when you have the same shape on a screen for long periods of time. Screens that display the same thing often, like stock tickers, can cause this. In most cases this will not impact users. And some of the new Plasma televisions have what is called white wash to clear the burn in, but using this will decrease the life of the Plasma TV.

For comparison against other television technologies such as DLP and LCD see the links below.
DLP vs LCD
DLP vs Plasma

Price Search and Comparisons

Prices vary greatly, especially for rapidly developing technologies like Plasma Televisions. Do not make the mistake of purchasing your next home theater item without taking a minute to do a price comparison. Through our partnership with PriceScan, we can provide you with immediate unbiased price and product availability information.

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Manage Smart Home Appliances

Posted on by Steven Parker / 0 Comment

Manage Smart Home Appliances

Modern technology has made possible for homeowners to manage smart home appliances. Wireless devices enable homeowners to control every home appliance in the home.

Arrive home at night to discover the veranda illumination on. Fall asleep hearing your favorite music. Customized home automation routines could easily be setup according to family members schedules as well as pre-established schedules.

One push of a button arms the home alarm and protects home appliances from voltage damage. Best of all some systems feature keychain remotes making it possible for activation coming from the car.

Things that managing smart home appliances allow homeowners:

– Handling devices, illumination and additional monitoring equipment

– Schedule timed events

– Set all the time activities to instantly adjust depending of dawn and sundown

– Command holiday season lighting

  • Monitor for changes of gas or water pressure in the lines.

An excellent home appliance is user friendly and effortless to find out. Smart home appliances do not need home rewiring. Special schedules might be specified for when homeowners are actually away or even the regular routine may continue. Either option gives the feeling that someone is still in the home.

Smart homes, as absolutely automated homes are actually even more inexpensive as well as less complicated to operate. Homeowners do not need to be afraid of additional costs since the savings pay over time the costs of all the home appliances.

Monitoring home appliances don’t have to be expensive or difficult. Homeowners can depend now on an automated system that can alert the owner when an appliance is due for maintance or when a faulty light has come on on the main touch panel alerting that appliance parts need to be repaired.

Using smart home appliances spares homeowners time, by effortlessly automating pre established activities. Motoring water temperature in a fridge, switching on the clean on on the stove, setting up the right time the washer and dryer will tumble your clothes, easily adjust the time and temperature the oven will bake a cake, Each of these duties, as well as much more are done automatically which in return for example provide the benefits of looking for the best company because the appliances need to be serviced.

Automating home appliances have several benefits such as tracking the appliance functionality anywhere any time. If just about anything bad happens, an alert will appear, the homeowner will definitely receive notice, as well as even alert the appliance manufacturer of an existing maintenance message.

Manage smart home appliances provide peace of mind to homeowners who know that in case of a fire is actually sensed, the appliance will warn the homeowner, automatically disable any power connected to the appliance and notify the homeowner that there is a problem with the appliance.

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HDMI to DVI Converter

Posted on by Steven Parker

HDMI to DVI Converter

There are several things to be aware of when considering a HDMI to DVI Converter. First are the limitations such as loss of sound and the inability to play copy-protected media. Second are the options available and the limitations on distance for HDMI and DVI cables. Read on for all the details.

Note, this page concentrates on HDMI to DVI Conversion. For a better understanding of the differences between HDMI and DVI see our HDMI vs. DVI article.

HDMI Articles
Video Cables
Cheap HDMI Cables
HDMI
Home Theater Wiring Installation

Like always I would like to recommend a good company with an outstanding installation service record. This one is one that can help you in The Woodlands TX. TV Installation The Woodlands

HDMI to DVI Converter Limitations

When converting between HDMI and DVI it is important to understand the differences between the two as this leads to the limitations in the conversion. The limitations are:

Loss of audio

Audio cannot be converted by a HDMI to DVI converter. Reason being that DVI does not carry audio. Therefore audio will need to be carried through another connector such as TOSLINK (Optical Audio Cables) if available. If TOSLINK is not available, audio can be connected using the audio connectors from a composite or component connection.

Getting the Correct Interface

Understanding HDCP Copy Protection: HDMI includes High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), which is Digital Rights Management technology protection. This technology is built into HDMI allowing players (DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, etc.) to play copy protected media. DVI does not provide this copy protection; therefore converters will limit the media that can be played from a HDMI device on a DVI device. Just to be clear, it is not the HDMI to DVI converter, adapter or cable creating the limitation but the originating HDMI device (DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, etc.) will either prevent output from playing or lower the quality of output if the receiving device is not HDCP compatible. Since the player can detect that the receiving device is not HDCP compatible this limitation will take place.

Although HDMI has a standard connector, DVI has about six different connectors so be sure you understand which one you have and order the correct connector for your needs. See our connector section for pictures and details on each connection type. Related to getting the correct connector, make sure the correct ends are male and female, also covered in the connector section.

HDMI to DVI Adapters, Converters or Cables?

Now that we understand the limitations on a HDMI to DVI Conversion and understand what we need, let’s look at the options available. HDMI to DVI converters are commonly available in converters, adapters and cables.

In this instance a converter and adapter are really the same. Since both HDMI and DVI are similar this is a simple device that converts the pin arrangements so the plugs fit. Here are some popular converters and adapters for HDMI to DVI Conversion.

Converter Cables

A cable that has HDMI on one end and DVI on the other. These come in various lengths and qualities. We recommend buying a converter or adapter and a HDMI cable for one side and DVI cables for the other side of the adapter. That way when you upgrade your DVI device to a HDMI device you will be able to reuse the HDMI cable you already have by just removing the adapter. For this reason we also recommend purchasing a shorter DVI cable and longer HDMI cable so you have the longer HDMI cable remaining after removing the adapter. We expect most people will upgrade to HDMI, as more and more content is copy protected making DVI a limiting factor.

Note, there are also other devices such as splitters, repeaters, etc. These are not covered in this section, see the article on HDMI splitters and repeaters.

Our Recommendation

We recommend purchasing a standalone converter rather than a converter cable so you can reuse your cables in the future. Keep in mind the distance limitations for HDMI and DVI Cables. For shorter distances (10 feet or shorter) a good quality cable will work just fine. For longer distances the signal will decrease and the longer the distance the worse it will get. Although a higher quality cable, such as Monster Cable, or cables with repeaters, may help to reduce this degradation and provide a reasonable signal quality up to distances of 20 feet. We recommend using Fiber Optic cables for distances over 20 feet.

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HDMI To Component

Posted on by Steven Parker

HDMI To Component

Converting HDMI to Component video is a common request with the recent increase in High Definition (HD) outputs supporting HDMI only. This can be done but there are some things you will want to know before embarking on the journey, this conversion is not as simple as buying a HDMI converter or HDMI adapter at the local electronics store.

Note, this page focuses on converting from HDMI to Component specifically. If you are interested in converting in the other direction see Component to HDMI. You may also be interested in related topics on the upper right hand side of the page.

Ok, on with the details. We will start with a brief introduction to HDMI and why this conversion is difficult followed by some potential solutions. Understanding of the challenges involved will help you in determining the correct solution for your needs.

HDMI port  Component

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), see what is HDMI for more information, is a digital interface for transmitting audio and video. Although the interface began shipping in 2003 it has just recently become popular. The reason for its new found popularity is not that it offers anything that was not already on the market. DVI was already available and is a digital interface capable of carrying High Definition (HD) signals. Component itself can also carry HD signals So the only real difference was that HDMI offers audio and video through one cable rather than separate cables for the two mediums. However, audio and video in one cable is certainly not reason enough for everyone to switch to HDMI. The reason for this switch is actually being pushed by the media publishers. HDMI offers copy protection called High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) that prevents copying of the media. Therefore the publishers have worked with the device (Blu-Ray players, up converting DVD players, etc.) manufacturers to produce devices with HDMI outputs and only send HD signals through the HDMI output. This rapid change has left many people in a position where they have invested in a new display that will display HD (720p, 1080i or 1080p) but the display does not have a HDMI input therefore they are not able to receive HD quality output from their new device when used with their existing display.
The normal solution when the interfaces are not the same between two devices is to look for an adapter or converter. But this conversion is not so simple due to the HDCP. This copy protection makes it so that a standard adapter or converter may not meet your needs. Below are some options for converting between HDMI and Component, read them carefully as the first two only work in certain situations. One last comment before we get to the solutions. You will only benefit from converting this conversion if your display is able to handle HD, therefore your display needs to be capable of handling 720P, 1080i, 1080p to take advantage of this. Otherwise save your money and use one of the other existing outputs, they should be able to provide the maximum signal your TV can handle.

HDMI to Component Converter

The easiest solution to find is a HDMI to Component converter. These are normally HDCP compliant, therefore will not convert copy protected HDMI inputs. If copy protected input is detected, there will be no signal and the screen will go blank. What this means to you is no DVD’s, no Blu-Rays, etc. Cable and satellite boxes may work if they are not sending HDCP copy protected signals. To see if they will work you will want to call your cable or satellite company and ask them if the HDMI signals coming from the box is encrypted or HDCP enabled.

HDMI to Component Adapter

In the case of this conversion, adapters and converters are often mentioned in different sentences, but really refer to the same thing. Therefore a HDMI to Component Adapter is the same as the converter mentioned above and has the same limitations. This section is just here as an attempt to reduce confusion.

HDMI To Component Stripper

Ok, for those of you looking to utilize your recently purchased display, that does not support HDMI, the answer is an HDCP stripper. These devices remove the HDCP information from the video signal and allow the video to be converted from HDMI to Component and played on non HDCP compliant displays. There are not many of these devices available any longer due to the HDCP and companies creating the devices getting sued. You can thank your government for this removal of your rights to use your new television.

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Wireless Home Theater

Posted on by Steven Parker

Wireless Home Theater

Finally, wireless home theater can be a reality. Major electronic manufacturers are releasing exciting offerings from wireless home theater systems and speakers to wireless TVs that you can move around the house with you. Imagine being able to catch the next big game while sitting by the pool or watching the kids in the back yard. We think the wireless TV is the neatest new technology. The ability to send video from the cable box to a TV located in a separate room in the house is really handy.

There are many different interpretations around what a wireless home theater system is. Does wireless mean wireless audio, wireless video, or both? Also how wireless is wireless, are power cords acceptable? Luckily no matter what your interpretation today’s technology has finally delivered solutions that can meet your needs. We cover several different options for “wireless” home theater; one of these should address your needs.

Wireless Home Theater System

Since the majority of our readers are looking for wireless audio solutions we will start there. The most popular option is a Home Theater in a Box system (HTiBs), these systems usually include a DVD/CD player and at least a 5.1 audio system. The common need is to remove the cords running to the rear speakers so one can add surround sound without tripping on wires. There are several systems on the market that can do this, at this time Panasonic is the system we recommend.

Actually Panasonic has taken an interesting approach to solving the wireless problem. They have produced an optional rear speaker transmitter and receiver module, which can be added at any time to any of their systems that support it. Therefore they have three systems that we can recommend. Pick any of these systems:

SC-HT930
SC-HT830V
SC-HT740

Add the SH-FX50 Wireless Receiver Module and you have eliminated the wires running across your room.

Note-While the system does transmit the signal wirelessly; wires are required to connect the rear speakers to the receiving module. This solution will eliminate the wires strung across your living room for the rear speakers, however there are still plenty of wires involved.

What are the other systems you ask?

Sony Platinum DVD Dream System – DAV-LF1H
Philips LX3750W
Kenwood

We have not forgotten the wireless video, this is a very exciting area of development, check out our wireless video section here.

Wireless Home Theater Speaker System

Assuming you are not looking for a Wireless Home Theater in a Box system (HTiBs), and just looking for a wireless home theater speaker system only. We start with the basic solutions then move to the more advanced.

Single Speaker Options

If all you are looking for is a wireless speaker that you can add to your existing TV audio to enhance the sound then the Pioneer XW-HT1 Digital Wireless Speaker System is probably the answer. This of course is not true surround sound but it sure is a lot easier than mounting five new speakers. Warning: This speaker does require a power cord. It eliminates the wires back to the audio source due to the power requirement is not completely wireless.

Another option is the Sony 900 MHz RF Wireless Speaker System Receiver and Transmitter. This has a rechargeable battery so it is completely wireless with an expected battery life of about 3.5 hours. Also has a fairly unique look, for some this will fit their décor, others may find the look a deal breaker.

Wireless Speaker Pairs

There is only one set that we recommend in this category. Acoustic Research AW-871 Wireless Stereo Speakers are simple to set up and can be completely wireless, we really like them. By default you will need to plug them in, but they do provide the option to add batteries. If you add rechargeable batteries (8 C cell batteries per speaker) then you have a pretty reliable wireless speaker setup. Really nice is that since you are adding the batteries, rather than them being built in, you can buy multiple sets and have unlimited wireless music.

5.1 Speaker System

A clear front-runner here, the Logitech Z-5450 Digital 5.1 Speaker System not only sounds good, but also provides the wireless rear speakers many are seeking. This allows for removal of the speaker wire to the rear speakers, they do still need a power cord however. So they are not completely wireless.

Full Wireless Home Theater Audio System

For a full wireless home theater audio system, there are two choices. Bang & Olufsen provide wireless connectivity to most of their speaker offerings. Well designed and reliable, but also not cheap.

The other option is still a work in progress. Announced at the CES show in 2016, they are close to being released.

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Flat Screen TV Frame

Posted on by Steven Parker

Flat Screen TV Frame

There are three different approaches for a flat screen TV frame. One is a motorized art frame that hides the TV behind a picture. These often come with a casing that is built into the wall providing ventilation and other important features. Another approach is a mirror frame that hides the TV behind a two way mirror. The TV is only seen when turned on, otherwise the frame just looks like an ordinary mirror. Last is a simple picture frame that is placed around a TV similar to the framing of any other painting or picture. In this case the TV is always visible. In this case, when not in use, electronic art is often displayed on the television.

Things to Consider

There are several things to consider when evaluating flat screen TV frames. First is ventilation. Many of the new TVs run fairly hot, most do not have fans because they do not want to add noise so they count on air circulation to cool. If they TV does not get the proper circulation it will run hotter than it was designed to and this will shorten the life of the TV. Some of the better flat screen TV frames include a casing that provides fans to help with the air circulation and cool the TV.

TV Speakers

Another thing to consider is your speakers. When framing, speakers can be added within the frame so that are not seen unless the television is on. These can be speakers that came with the TV or aftermarket speakers. In either case it is just a matter of planning for the frame size to be big enough to enclose the TV and speakers.

TV Mounting

Also consider the mounting, how will it look on the wall, does the TV need to tilt? If an in wall unit is possible how much depth do you have in the wall? Some of the units require over 5 inches which will require modifications to the other side of a 24 wall.

Picture Frame
www.FrameMyTV.com

Motorized Frames
www.visionartgalleries.com

Mirrors
www.mediadecor.com

Interested in doing it yourself?
www.hiddentelevision.com

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DLP vs Plasma

Posted on by Steven Parker
DLPvsPlasmaDecisionTree

DLP vs Plasma

Each offering its advantages and disadvantages navigating the DLP vs Plasma TV differences can be time consuming. We aim to help. This page is structured to provide some background in each technology, advantages and disadvantages to each then conclude with a decision tree diagram to provide a little more decision making guidance.

Note, this page focuses exclusively on DLP vs Plasma TV differences; if you are interested in some of the other technologies or comparisons with them, check out the links on the right.

OK, on with the DLP vs Plasma TV comparison.

DLP Background

Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology was developed by Texas Instruments (now licensed to others for production) several years ago. A simple explanation of how this works is that there is a small computer chip with thousands of mirrors on it. A light bulb is aimed at the mirrors and the mirrors reflect the light through a color wheel (to add the correct color) onto the screen. Because the light is projected onto the screen from the mirrors, this is considered rear projection. However this rear projection should not be confused with rear projection of the past. These televisions are much brighter, provide a better quality picture with a better viewing angle then the rear projections of 6 plus years ago.

DLP advantages

When comparing DLP vs Plasma TVs we see three advantages that DLP TVs have over Plasma.

As described above in the DLP Background section, DLP televisions have a bulb that creates the light on the screen. This bulb is replaceable (around $250) which means that your DLP television set should provide a quality picture for a long period of time. Where both the Plasma and LCD televisions will degrade over time.

DLP provides the best size to dollar ratio. For the money, DLP provides the highest quality and largest television you can buy. If you are able to find a cheaper Plasma of the same size, it is very unlikely that the picture quality will not be comparable to the DLP of a similar price.

DLP produces a very good consistent picture. That is expected, why is that an advantage you ask? Reasoning is that although a Plasma may produce better color saturation (how color looks, full, deep, etc.) and accuracy (See Plasma advantages below), the Plasma will fade over time (See Plasma disadvantages below). LCD has similar issues see DLP vs LCD for details. Therefore a TV that will provide a very good (Depending on brand and price of the same or better quality) picture for a long period of time at a reasonable price point is a good fit for the majority of consumers. Therefore, we expect this technology to gain in popularity. This increase in demand will drive the price down and provide even more of an advantage over other options.

DLP Disadvantages

When comparing DLP vs Plasma TVs we see three disadvantages that DLP TVs have when compared to Plasma.

Biggest disadvantage is called the Rainbow effect. Everyone does not see the Rainbow effect; therefore this may not impact you. For the people that do see it, it is usually seen when people look away from the screen then look back quickly. It appears as a colored streak across the screen. We suggest you view a few DLP televisions in a store to determine if this will be a problem for you or not. The manufactures are also working diligently to eliminate this issue and it has improved, hopefully this will not be an issue much longer.

Although slimmer than older projection televisions. The depth (6-18 inches) of most DLP televisions is more than a Plasma or LCD. Therefore if you are planning on hanging it on the wall this will most likely prove prohibitive.

Because the DLP television is a rear projection TV, the viewing angle is not as great as Plasma or LCD technologies. With rear projection you will find that if you are too far off to one side or the other the color will not appear consistent. This may not matter to you unless you have a wide room and need to be able to see the television from areas off to the side. We suggest a viewing angle of 40% or less for a DLP.

Plasma Background

Plasma televisions were the first to really change the landscape of modern televisions. Providing large screens at depths fewer than 5 inches, they are easily hung on walls. The technology is achieved by placing gases between two sheets of glass and then exciting the gases with electric pulses. These gases glow producing different color light that is seen by the viewer.

Plasma Advantages

When comparing DLP vs Plasma TVs we see four advantages that Plasma TVs have over DLP.

Plasmas are thinner than DLP options, usually around 3-4 inches making them ideal candidates to hang on walls.

A good Plasma, when new, will provide better color saturation (how color looks, full, deep, etc.) then the DLP equivalent. However a Plasma will degrade over time (see disadvantages below) therefore over time the Plasma will degrade to a lesser color saturation than the DLP.

Plasmas offer an excellent viewing angle. The picture is consistent so if you can see the screen, chances are it will look decent.

Plasma Disadvantages

When comparing Plasma vs DLP TVs we see three disadvantages that Plasma TVs have when compared to DLP.

One disadvantage of a Plasma television is called the Screen Door effect. This effect makes the television appear as if it were on the other side of a window or sliding glass door screen. The closer to the screen you are the more visible this effect will be. Manufactures are working on this and it is getting better. But definitely something you will want to consider if you plan on sitting close to the television or planning on getting a large size (over 50 inches). This becomes less noticeable with the higher resolution televisions because they provide more pixels. See the 1080P vs 720P article mentioned above.

Another disadvantage of a Plasma television is that it has a limited lifespan and will fade over time. Most Plasmas will start to fade (will not be as bright and colors lose saturation) around 30,000 hours of use become unwatchable around 60,000 hours. There is no bulb the can be replaced therefore once this happens the television is no longer useful. Because of this, we strongly discourage buying a used Plasma television.

Plasmas are susceptible to the Burn in effect. The Burn in effect is what happens when an outline of an image remains on the screen even after the image is gone. This can happen when you have the same shape on a screen for long periods of time. Screens that display the same thing often like stock tickers can cause this. In most cases this will not impact users. And some of the new Plasma televisions have what is called white wash to clear the Burn in, but using this will decrease the life of the Plasma.

DLP vs Plasma TV Conclusions

Some of you with a little more television experience may be wondering why we did not mentioned the standard television features such as contrast (Difference between the darkest dark and lightest white), clarity (clean lines, not jagged, around images), etc. Reason for this omission is that, when comparing DLP vs Plasma TV technology, the difference in these areas depends on the price and manufacturer of the television, not either of these technologies. Both technologies perform well in these areas.

Bottom line is that both technologies make for excellent televisions. There are some differences, which may lead you to one or the other, and the DLP vs Plasma TV decision diagram below should help with those differences. If you get to the bottom of the diagram and still have not chosen one or the other then consider which looks best in your room, as either should work just fine.

DLP vs Plasma TV Decision Diagram

DLPvsPlasmaDecisionTree
DLP vs Plasma TV Decision Tree

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DLP vs LCD

Posted on by Steven Parker

DLP vs LCD

With each offering its advantages and disadvantages navigating the DLP vs LCD TV differences can be time consuming. We aim to help. This page is structured to provide some background in each technology, advantages and disadvantages to each then conclude with a decision tree diagram to provide a little more decision making guidance.

And here you can find some of our other tips for you:

HD TV Articles
DLP vs Plasma
1080P vs 720P
Flat Screen TV Frame

Note, this page focuses exclusively on the DLP vs LCD TV differences; if you are interested in some of the other technologies or comparisons with them, check out the links on the right.

OK, on with the DLP vs LCD TV comparison.

LCD Background

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions operate by placing a bulb in the TV that generates light. The light is then passed through millions of red, green or blue liquid crystals where an electric current is applied to turn the colors on and off providing the correct color on the screen.

LCD Advantages

LCD televisions are bright making them an excellent choice for the room in your house that has several windows or an area where you cannot limit the lighting.

Most LCD televisions are less than 4 inches in depth allowing them to be hung on the wall unlike DLP televisions, which are usually more, than 6 inches in depth.

LCD televisions provide a greater viewing angle then DLP. A LCD television should provide reasonable viewing up to a 60% angle. Therefore if you have a wide room the requires viewing the television from areas that are not centered in front of the tv, this should prove to be a better option than DLP.

LCD Disadvantages

LCD televisions do not come in as large a size as televisions made with DLP or Plasma technology. LCD televisions, with a few very expensive exceptions, are currently less than 80 inches.

Like Plasma televisions, LCD TVs have a limited lifespan. The typical lifespan for a LCD TV is 70,000-80,000 hours. What happens with the LCD televisions is that, over time, the green will start to fade giving everything a red or blue tint. This fade has to do with the crystals and not the light source; therefore there is no way to fix this without replacing the TV.

DLP Background

Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology was developed by Texas Instruments (now licensed to others for production) several years ago. A simple explanation of how this works is that there is a small computer chip with thousands of mirrors on it. A light bulb is aimed at the mirrors and the mirrors reflect the light through a color wheel (to add the correct color) onto the screen. Because the light is projected onto the screen from the mirrors, this is considered rear projection. However this rear projection should not be confused with rear projection of the past. These televisions are much brighter, provide a better quality picture with a better viewing angle then the rear projections of 6 plus years ago.

DLP advantages

We see three advantages that DLP has over LCD TVs.

As described above in the DLP Background section, DLP televisions have a bulb that creates the light on the screen. This bulb is replaceable (around $250) which means that your DLP television set should provide a quality picture for a long period of time. Where both the Plasma and LCD televisions will degrade over time.

DLP provides the best size to dollar ratio. For the money, DLP provides the highest quality and largest television you can buy. If you are able to find a cheaper LCD of the same size, it is very unlikely that the picture quality will not be comparable to the DLP of a similar price. DLP is also available in larger sizes than LCD televisions.

DLP produces a very good consistent picture. That is expected, why is that an advantage you ask? Reasoning is that although a LCD may produce better color saturation (how color looks, full, deep, etc.) and accuracy, the LCD will begin to color distort over time (70K hours). Therefore a TV that will provide a very good (Depending on brand and price of the same or better quality) picture for a long period of time at a reasonable price point is a good fit for the majority of consumers. Therefore, we expect this technology to gain in popularity. This increase in demand will drive the price down and provide even more of an advantage over other options.

DLP Disadvantages

Biggest disadvantage is called the Rainbow effect. Everyone does not see the Rainbow effect; therefore this may not impact you. For the people that do see it, it is usually seen when people look away from the screen then look back quickly. It appears as a colored streak across the screen. We suggest you view a few DLP televisions in a store to determine if this will be a problem for you or not. The manufactures are also working diligently to eliminate this issue and it has improved, hopefully this will not be an issue much longer.

Although slimmer than older projection televisions. The depth (6-18 inches) of most DLP televisions is more than a Plasma or LCD. Therefore if you are planning on hanging it on the wall this will most likely prove prohibitive.

Because the DLP television is a rear projection TV, the viewing angle is not as great as Plasma or LCD technologies. With rear projection you will find that if you are too far off to one side or the other the color will not appear consistent. This may not matter to you unless you have a wide room and need to be able to see the television from areas off to the side. We suggest a viewing angle of 40% or less for a DLP.

DLP vs LCD TV Conclusions

While reading our DLP vs LCD review, some of you with a little more television experience, may be wondering why we did not mentioned the standard television features such as contrast (Difference between the darkest dark and lightest white), clarity (clean lines, not jagged, around images), etc. Reason for this omission is that the difference in these areas depends on the price and manufacturer of the television, not either of these technologies. Both technologies perform well in these areas.
Bottom line is that both technologies make for excellent televisions. There are some differences, which may lead you to one or the other, and the DLP vs LCD decision diagram below should help with those differences. If you get to the bottom of the DLP vs LCD diagram and still have not chosen one or the other then consider which looks best in your room, as either should work just fine.

DLP vs LCD TV Decision Diagram

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Automated Home

Posted on by Steven Parker

Automated Home

home theater automation

This is actually regularly a traditional scenario when you arrive home coming from work. The lights are out, your home is dark, and it is actually chilly. For most individuals, this is an all-natural setting but for those who are actually tired of the monotone as well as would like to experience adjustment, that’s currently feasible then an automated home is the answer.

With today’s sophisticated technology, you don’t have to get home in a dark as well as cool spot any longer. All you illuminations, interior or even exterior, are going to immediately activate when you come in coming from work. Your house will welcome you along with only the ideal temperature, also your garage door is going to open up for you. Impossible?

This is one company that we recommend very highly since their high reviews and great reputation are remarkable. Always remember that  home automation with a flat screen TVs in home theatre room go hand in hand.

Today, that is actually significantly feasible. Homes of the future, as many people favor to contact this, are actually currently so much more budget-friendly. Before when there were a couple of distributors of property automation units, the costs of these awesome devices are actually rather pricey. Only the affluent households may manage this deluxe. Today, that’s certainly not pretty much luxurious. Actually, time will certainly come when home automation will be a requirement.

Why should you automated your home? The three excellent reasons are actually convenience, security, and savings.

Let’s start with comfort. If you have an automated home, you may conserve lots of attempt and time. Your regimen activities could be performed immediately like sprinkling the plants/grass, thermostat environments, turning your lightings on/off, and also arming your safety system during the night. As well as not only that, you may also possess a fantastic home theatre time in the home by making your audio, video and also lights switched on automatically. And this includes the automated phone mute, drapes close, etc. This technology is actually made possible with a single touch of a switch.

In regards to safety and security, you can easily benefit considerably coming from an automated residence. Even though you’re out on vacation or even you remain in your workplace, you are going to look out when something’s inappropriate. If you are actually asleep as well as there’s a fire, you are going to be actually waken up, the lights will definitely be activated immediately to ensure that you can get away and also the fire department will certainly be advised instantly.

home automation for theater

If you have an automated household, you can spare a bunch of power. Your house will certainly command in every of its lighting operations, air condition unit, hot water heater, cold water pipes, smart appliances, home entertainment, as well as other intelligent gadgets.

Are you persuaded currently of exactly how home automation can help you and your household? Probably you need to have a couple of suggestions in order that you’ll recognize where to start. Right here are actually terrific residence hands free monitoring operation ideas for you:

–Notification device; if you have a member of the family along with hearing troubles, you could utilize this system; the individual is going to be actually informed by a resonating pager when an individual opens your front door or even entrance, or when an individual presses the doorbell. This body could notify any individual in a kilometer’s range
-Link your pcs to the cable/DSL modem
-Today’s home electronics also when held in closets; some residents favor to possess their enjoyment devices inside stylish AV racks or closets and by means of a smart home, the home entertainment device could be worked making use of a smart remote; the order journeys through IR Eye and right into your cabinets/closets
-Set up an intercom at your main door; you can easily use your existing phones in the house
-Trigger the light commands in your home by merely speaking
-Youngster will be actually safeguarded if you have a device for door and also pool alarm; this could detect unsupervised accessibility to the swimming pool area or entrance; and this is actually particularly valuable if you possess little kids in your home
-Put in a safety cam with documenting capacities and movement caused; this is actually for the surveillance of your loved ones as well as property
-Have a door video camera for your front door; when your doorbell rings, you can have a crystal clear sight of your site visitor
-Have wireless management of your UPB changes

These are just a few of the great tasks which you may combine in your house. If you cannot have all these things done in one setting, you may do it individually, so long as your budget plan permits. Acquire property hands free operation and also you can acquire limitless advantages of a home that will certainly help you.