FLAT SCREEN TV GUIDE

Many people are unsure as to what the difference is between LCD flat screen TVs and plasma TV sets. So what is plasma? The plasma in a TV screen is formed from neon and xenon gases that, when electrically charged, turn into what are known as ions. A photon is akin to a 'particle' of energy that is part particle and part wave.

The TV signal is converted to electrical energy that excites the photons of the plasma gases to specific energies according to the color of the original subject, and so excite the particular set of phosphor needed to produce the color. As red, blue and yellow can produce just about every other color of the rainbow, so red, blue and green do the same with photon sensitive phosphors.

Polarized light is light that is arranged so that its vibrations occur only in one plane, so that it is easily filtered.

Basically an LCD works by cells either allowing light through or not. This is colored by the use of red, blue and green filters in the front of each pixel, so that if light is passed through a pixel it is colored. With CTR the screen also contains red, blue and green phosphors, just as with the plasma screen, which are excited by a beam of electrons aimed at each specific pixel.

How Do You Choose the Best Flat Screen LCD TV?

Choosing the best flat screen LCD TV is not as difficult as you think. Also, do you want LCD or plasma? TV's range in price from a few hundred dollars to well over $3,000. Price is mainly determined by the screen size and resolution, but also by the quality of the set.

Most sets range in size from 15 inches up to 57 inches and larger. Medium-sized sets are great for bedrooms, while larger sets need a larger room to accommodate them.

Closely related to size is resolution. Resolutions come in two flavors 720 and 1080. Although you can find low prices at bargain stores, shopping online for your TV makes a lot of sense. For one thing, unless the TV is small, you'll need to have it delivered, anyway. LCD TV's are lighter, so they can easily be hung on the wall. The blacks on currently LCD TV's are good. Disadvantages include problems with pixel charge, which could make the image ghost. (Make sure you thoroughly inspect the tv when it's delivered.)

Another thing of importance, if you're looking for the best flat screen LCD TV, is the fact that the screens of LCD TV's are not as reflective as plasma screens.

Plasma tv's have faster response time, higher brightness levels. The picture on a plasma tv looks more cinematic. Disadvantages are static pictures can cause burn-in on the screen. Also, this type of HD flat screen tv requires extra support when mounted. They're much heavier than lcd tv's.