How to choose your next television

Whether it's plasma, LED, LCD, HD, or 3D, all of the "Ds" of television technology and terminology can have the average consumer scratching his or her head and wondering what's what?

Gone are the days when you turn the knob of the television set, adjust the rabbit ears antenna and hope the picture is clear. Television technology has advanced light years from what it was when most people were children. High-definition picture quality creates sharp images that make viewers feel like they're right in the show. Improved speakers and sound enhance the viewers' the overall experience. And today's televisions come in so many shapes and sizes, they'll fit in just about any home or business setting.

Other technology continues to shrink a television's size and weight so that they are lighter and thinner. Gone are the days of those ultra heavy behemoth sets. As all of these changes take place, it can be difficult to stay abreast of the changes. Shoppers looking for a new TV can inform themselves of the different types of TVs and the strengths and weaknesses to each.

Direct View

Direct view televisions, also referred to as CRT, which describes its cathode ray tube technology, have been around for decades. These are the TVs that were most common before the high definition boom. CRT TVs use a specialized vacuum tube inside of the TV to create the picture. The black level on CRTs are among the best, and these TVs are much lower priced than some of the newer technology.

While the direct view televisions have a long life expectancy, their bulk and weight deters many of today's shoppers who prefer sleeker alternatives than CRTs.

LCD

LCD, or liquid crystal display, is used on flat panel or rear projection televisions. LCDs are not overly reflective, so they're a good idea in bright rooms. They do not produce the "burn-in" effect, where an image is permanently imprinted on the screen, that other televisions might.

The disadvantages to LCD flat-panel TVs is that they can be expensive. There is also a limited viewing area. Those sitting to the sides of the television may have a darker, distorted view.

Plasma

Plasma televisions have emerged as a direct competitor to LCD flat panels. Plasma televisions produce an image that is more realistic than other types of TVs, and can be viewed from any angle without distortion.

Although the picture quality is excellent, without careful handling, plasma TVs can produce burn-in. There are also some concerns about the black level on these sets. Lastly, their expensive price tags deter some shoppers from buying plasma TVs.

LED

LED, or light-emitting-diode, TVs are produced much in the same way as LCD televisions. However, LCDs have a higher electrical output because they are lit by fluorescent lighting. In LED televisions, the fluorescent lamps have been replaced by LED lights that are brighter and consume less energy. These televisions also can be viewed well from many angles and have a high-definition picture.

For many consumers, price is one significant disadvantage to LEDs, as they can be several hundred dollars more than comparable plasma or LCD models.

3D

3D televisions employ a faster picture refresh rate than standard televisions to handle the greater amount of data necessary to produce a 3D picture. There are competing technologies that require specialized 3D glasses and those that do not. While many movies are being produced in 3D, there is not much regular TV programming being created in 3D. Until that changes, a 3D TV purchase might not be worth the considerable investment.

1080i, 1080p, or 780i, 780p?

These numbers refer to the resolution of the screen. The higher the number, the higher the resolution and crispness of the picture. For example, with a 780p television sharpness it will take 780 horizontal lines to create the TV picture. With 1080, it involves 1,080 lines. The (i) and the (p) refer to the method of picture scanning that takes place. Interlaced scanning (i) means the picture is formed by scanning in two consecutive passes where odd numbered lines are displayed in one pass and even numbered in the next. So in reality there are only half the number of lines being shown in each pass. Progressive scanning (p) is also known as full HD picture. That means that all 1,080 lines are used to produce the picture at once. Progressive products will produce a better picture quality and are best for watching sports, playing video games and fast-moving action.