LCD TV Glossary

LCD TV Glossary of Terms:

1. LCD: Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are used in LCD TVs to create color. The liquid crystals in each cell on the TV screen are charged with electricity, which changes the way that light passes through them. A fluorescent light bulb shines light through the crystals, which change color to generate video on the LCD TV screen.

2. TFT: TFT stands for "thin film transistor." In LCD TVs, these transistors are so tiny that they are included in the pixels themselves, allowing pixels to talk to each other. So, an LCD TV listed as a TFT display is better able to deal with fast-moving video with lots of action, such as sports or action movies.

3. DTV: Digital television signals replaced analog TV signals in 2009. All televisions built after March 2007 can receive DTV. If you have a pre-March 2007 TV, you will need to buy a new TV set or an adapter that will translate digital signals into analog.

4. Pixels: These are individual points of color making up a TV picture. Pixel-count determines a LCD TV's resolution, described as the number of pixels forming the picture. LCD TVs will advertise the resolution as either the horizontal by vertical pixels, such as "1920 x 1080," or as the number of horizontal lines displayed (480, 720 or 1080). The number of pixels on LCD TVs continues to grow as HDTV manufacturers push for better detail.

5. Interlace scan: This is the "i" you'll see in "1080i" on LCD TV descriptions. Abbreviated 480i, 720i or 1080i, interlace scan means that a LCD TV lights half of the lines on the screen in one pass and the other half on the next pass. Interlace LCD TVs show less blur in moving images by scanning twice as often, but they actually only project about 30 complete frames per second.

6. Progressive scan: Abbreviated 480p, 720p or 1080p, progressive scan LCD TVs light every line in one scan. Progressive scan LCD TVs show greater detail by using every pixel each time the screen refreshes, which can be anywhere from 60 to 240 times a second.

NEC kicks out 26-inch EA261WM LCD monitor with WUXGA resolution

While Lenovo saw fit to stuff 1,920 x 1,200 pixels into a 22-inch panel, NEC is giving users a little more real estate to work with in its 26-inch EA261WM. The WUXGA LCD monitor is the first member of the newly launched MultiSync Enterprise Advanced (EA) Series and includes a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness, 5-millisecond response time, 92% color gamut, 4-port USB hub, 4-way adjustable stand and on-screen display controls in the bezel. Furthermore, you'll find down-firing speakers with a headphone jack, a DVI-D input, cable management cover and an ECO mode for giving Mother Earth (and your power bill) a break. It'll be available this August with a three-year warranty for $679.99.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/18/nec-kicks-out-26-inch-ea261wm-lcd-monitor-with-wuxga-resolution/

Sharp knocks out cheap new high-def TVs

Sharp has announced that it's launching a new range of budget HDTVs. The new Aquos D44E LCD TVs come in a range of sizes starting at 26 inches, at a price point of £499.

The models in the new AQUOS D44E series - LC-26D44E, LC-32D44E and LC-37D44E - have a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels and a supposed contrast ratio of 10,000:1. They're not full-HD 1080p screens then, but that's a minor consideration considering the quality of the panels in comparison to the fairly modest price.

HD-for-all

The 26-inch and 32-inch models (LC-26D44 EBK, LC-32D44) are available in the UK from late March 2008 with RRPs of £499 and £599 respectively. The 37-inch version (LC-37D44 EBK) will be on sale in the UK from July 2008. Pricing is not yet confirmed for this model, but you can bet that all of them will be available for less than their initial recommended prices.

Features of the range include:

• 176 degree viewing angle
• 6 m/s response time
• Enhanced programme overview with image-split and image-in-text functions
• Freeze-frame function to keep a favourite scene on screen
• Built-in DVB-T and analogue tuner for all-round TV reception
• 2 Scart sockets and the HDMI inputs with HDCP support
• YUV, AV/S Video IN, VGA IN and Audio OUT sockets

Source: http://www.tech.co.uk/home-entertainment/tv/tvs-displays/news/sharp-knocks-out-cheap-new-high-def-tvs?articleid=1521867470

Samsung Adds a Little Elegance With The PAVV 650 LCD TV

Panasonic has added more TVs to their PAVV line, this time three high-end LCDs at 40, 46 and 52 inches. Incorporating a new LCD panel, dubbed "crystal rose", the TVs have slim-bezel cases with touches of red which at least makes them a dash more elegant than the usual run-of-the-mill black boxes. Samsung have also upped the eco-friendliness by avoiding volatile organic compounds in the design. The screens are 120Hz, full HD and use the Digital Natural Engine technology. They'll be available in Korea at first, then worldwide by the end of April, for between $3,375 and $6,120.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/364495/samsung-adds-a-little-elegance-with-the-pavv-650-lcd-tv

Sony's Bravia F-series is no wallflower

Sony Japan just announced their Bravia F-series of thin LCDs. We're talking 46-inches with just 7.4-cm of non-protruding, wall-mountable goodness when these go live in Japan on March 25th. Available in 1080p resolution ¥400,000 (about $3,700) 46-inch and ¥290,000 ($2,685) 40-inch configurations or a ¥200,000 ($1,852) 32-inch model offering 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution. Each set features Sony's 120Hz Motion Flow tech, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 24p True Cinema mode, Bravia Sync HDMI control, Bravia Engine 2 processing, and a bevy of jacks including 3x HDMI, 2x S-Video, 3x composite and yes, Ethernet. Sony's 2.4GHz Bravia Link remote allows the controller to be used without pointing it directly at the set. More Sony sets on the way in a few.



Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/21/sonys-bravia-f-series-is-no-wallflower/