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Two new technologies in the world of TV, DLP and LCD, are now in a tight competition. Not long ago, everyone was talking about Plasma and LCD - which one would win? It became clear to most that Plasma, with its short lifespan of just 3-4 years, was simply not the best choice. In fact, the LCD screen has several benefits over plasma. For instance, LCD screens run much cooler than the average plasma TV, and thus require less power to operate. Plasma TVs run so hot, in fact, that they require a fan to cool them down - which can be noisy. In addition, plasma screens have a tendency to degrade over time, slowly becoming dimmer. LCD screens, on the other hand, run relatively cool, and do not degrade over time. Some Plasma owners, who have used their TVs for a few years now, have already witnessed the dimming of their screens. Also, LCD screens tend to have overall better picture quality, and are typically 10 to 15 percent lighter than plasma.

Now the choice is mainly between LCD and DLP - two distinct technologies that offer slight differences in display, price, and performance. If you are looking to buy a new flatscreen TV this year, you are probably wondering which one is right for you.

What are DLP, LCD TV Screens?

DLP stands for Digital Light Processing, while LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. DLP technology, developed by Texas Instruments, uses a DMD, or Digital Micromirror Device, contructed of 1.3 million microscopic mirrors. Each of these mirrors is essentially a single pixel. When a digital signal enters the DLP system, each mirror is either activated or not, resulting in tapestry of mirrors tilting either towards the DLP light source or away. This process produces different levels of light and dark reflected by each individual mirror. The colors are produced when the DLP light sources run through a red, green, and blue color filter on a moving wheel. Depending on the lightness/ darkness of each mirror, the colors come in an enormous amount of shades, producing vivid color images.

LCD screens are made of several polarized glass panels, between which are liquid crystal molecules. An electric current is run through the crystal molecules, changing their position in respect to the glass. As light passes through the molecules, these changes in angle result in different lightness/ darkness patterns that produce images on the screen. There are usually three polarized glass panels, one with red pixels, blue, and green. This system also produced very accurate, vivid images, but angle is important. You may notice that the best colors in an LCD display are seen straight-on.

Is DLP, LCD TV Screens better than the other?

Simply put, that is a difficult question to answer. Unlike Plasma TV screens DLP and LCD last much are longer, and are considered to both have superior image quality. LCD screens tend to have slightly better contrast, with a larger range of black and white color shades. DLP, however, still has faster refresh rates than LCD (although LCD has been vastly improved in this area over the last two years). This can have implications if you are really into high-action motion (sports, action movies), because movement may seem a little blurred with LCD at times. Also, you’ll want to remember that in order for you to get the best color out of your LCD, you have to sit right in front of it. LCD TVs also have a slightly shorter lifespan than DLPs, with only 45,000 to 60,000 hours compared to 75,000 hours or more. As far as price goes, LCD and DLP are still more expensive than Plasma, but like all things in time, their price has been coming down. And right now, DLP is slightly more expensive than LCD, but not by much. DLP, in our eyes, is the best investment, at least for the next few years.
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Bradley James is a senior editor at SciNet.cc, a website containing many helpful consumer electronics review articles. For more information on DLP and LCD TV technology, please visit our DLP vs LCD Tvs webpage.

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LCD monitors have an edge over other monitors as they have better resolution and sleek design. Due to the liquid crystal display technology, an LCD monitor can produce 16.7 million colors, which means, the tiniest of hues can be detected. LCD monitors are sleekly built, so they occupy less space on the table. They are also lightweight and very easy to transport.

LCD TV monitors are a combination of monitors used for computers and a normal television. They have a TV tuner built into them, which can allow them to function as both. They also have audio visual inputs, which can allow speakers and even woofers to be attached.

LCD TV monitors work on the principle of blocking unwanted colors from the white spectrum. Their screens have a large number of pixels, each of which twist and turn at appropriate angles to produce an image. The pixels are illuminated by a thin lamp or a projector LCD. Due to this, the LCD TV monitors can be designed very compactly. They also offer great viewing angles. Some LCD TV monitors can also produce good quality images when viewed at an angle as obtuse as 170 degrees.

LCD TV monitors also have non glare screens. This makes them easy on the eyes, even when viewed very closely. Also, they are not affected by light falling on them. Even in a bright room, the quality of image on an LCD monitor will be as crisp as in a dark room.

LCD TV monitors are available in general sizes of 19′, 20′, 21′, and 23′ and upward. Smaller LCD TV monitors are also available in sizes of 14′ and 17′. LCD TV monitors provide good image qualities irrespective of their sizes. There are some complaints. LCD TVs suffer from high burn rates; which means the image persists on the pixels for longer times. Also some LCD monitors cannot run high density games, which require HD compatibility. Some LCD monitors also produce a ghosting effect. However constant improvements are being made in LCD TV monitors to make these anomalies redundant.

In order to make LCD TV monitors sleeker, companies make their buttons small. Sometimes this becomes an issue if the buttons are too small to be read.

A new type of LCD TV monitor is being designed, which will allow people to watch different programs on the same TV by just changing their angle of viewing.

LCD TVs provides detailed information about LCD TVs, LCD TV reviews, LCD TV monitors, LCD TV wall mounts and more. LCD TVs is the sister site of Industrial LCD Monitors.

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LCD flat screen TVs provide a superior picture as compared to a traditional television - and they can come in more attractive styles to boot. A flat screen LCD TV can be mounted on a wall, under a cabinet, on the ceiling or can sit on a stand or on top of furniture. LCD TVs are versatile, flexible, and provide a better entertainment experience but how do they work?

LCD flat screen TVs, and LCD technology itself, is based on the properties of polarized light. LCD TVs consist of two, perpendicularly arranged panes of polarized glass “stuck together” by a liquid-crystal-filled polymer solution. When they are exposed to electrical currents, the crystals untwist to varying degrees, permitting specific amounts and colors of light to pass though them. Flat screen LCD TVs are, in effect, projection TVs that depend on an extremely bright lamp as their light source, so they’re considered a “passive” display.

So how do you choose the right flat panel LCD TV for you? You should at least consider the following factors when shopping for a flat panel LCD TV.

1. Look for a HDMI input. This port keeps the signal all-digital, avoiding degradation that can occur as the signal passes through other components (like your cable box). HMDI carries high-definition audio as well as video. Some satellite receivers and DVD players also connect through this port.

2. Match the LCD TV size to the size of the room where it will be placed. Because LCD TVs have higher resolutions than conventional TVs, you can sit closer than you normally would, so you can view a larger screen comfortably. (Keep in mind a 42-inch screen may overwhelm a small room, though.)

3. Decide if you want the picture-in-picture feature. The picture in picture feature allows you to simultaneously view two video sources at once, with one appearing as a small window on the screen. If you do want picture-in-picture in your flat panel LCD TV, keep in mind that single-tuner picture-in-picture lets you watch TV in one window and another source (like a DVD) in the second window. A flat panel LCD TV with two tuners lets you watch two television sources at once.

4. Do you need HDTV? A flat panel LCD TV with EDTV is cheaper, but it can’t display high-definition signals. The price difference between smaller flat panel HD-ready LCDs and ED-ready LCDs is fairly low, so you’re better off buying a HD-ready set. In fact, most experts say there’s little reason to buy a non-HD LCD television. These lower resolution LCD TVs won’t be able to accept high-definition signals, so the picture won’t look any better than regular analog TV. And small HD-ready LCD TVs can be found for $500 or less, which is cheap enough that there really isn’t much to “save” on a non-HD LCD TV.

Check to see if the TV comes with a stand or mounting hardware. Most flat panel LCD TVs come with a basic table stand, but wall-mounting hardware costs an additional $100 to $200.

5. Look into the manufacturer’s warranty policy before buying online. Some manufacturers have strict policies regarding authorized dealers. If you buy a Sharp LCD Television, for example, from an unauthorized dealer, Sharp may not offer warranty coverage. (However, the retailer may offer a substitute warranty that sufficiently covers you.) The difference in price between an authorized Sharp dealer and a discounter can sometimes be hundreds of dollars, so make sure you’re comfortable with the risk of not having a warranty, or make sure you ask the dealer for information about their warranty terms for the flat panel LCD TV you’re considering.

6. Finally, learn about LCD TVs. There are far more things to learn about LCD TVs than the above mentioned points. Get educated on how to buy an LCD TV.

Tim Jeffries is author of “The LCD TV Shopping Guide.” Get your copy at http://www.llcdtv.com

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