Why Should Your TV Be Flat?Is the earth round or flat? This perplexing paradox has been exercising great brains since the time man began to think and even today it has been a matter of controversy and debate. Fortunately when it comes to TVs the world seems to be in favor the flat. I mean, flat TVs. Apart from certain obvious reasons such as saving space, the reasons for this trend stem from the following advantages LCD flat panel TVs have over other models. We are already familiar with LCD technology in the form of digital watches and clocks etc. LCD is actually an acronym for 'Liquid Crystal Display'. As the name suggests, TVs based on LCD technology use the property of polarized light for display. Typically, these TVs have two thin, wafer-like polarized panels and in between these panels, a thin liquid crystal gel which is divided into individual pixels, is sandwiched. By applying electric current, the ability of the crystals to allow light through the crystals can be altered. FlatpanelLCD TVs have a lot of advantages. For instance, FlatpanelLCD TVs are not affected by altitudes nor do they suffer burn in. They are less expensive and weigh less and consequently they facilitate easy transport and installation. Unlike other TVs, FlatpanelLCD TVs will work effectively in almost any kind of room lighting from bright to ambient. Further because of brighter screen displays coupled with a high contrast and flicker free picture watching them is easier than a cathode ray tube (CRT) model. In comparison with plasma TV's FlatpanelLCD TV's run cooler than them. With 60,000 hours of picture life, they consume less electricity than a plasma TV. And FlatpanelLCD TVs have very low radiation emissions. Experience shows that FlatpanelLCD TVs are brighter and definitely sharper than CRT displays. Again FlatpanelLCD displays are not bogged down by the flicker problem which is found in CRT displays. The reason is the refresh rate is slower in the case of flat panels. However when it comes to image quality, the good old CRT displays lead. The other disadvantage is FlatpanelLCD TVs are so designed to work in only one resolution, which is 1280 x 1024. The following are the digital interface standards that exist govern FlatpanelLCD TVs: Plug and Display (P&D) from the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) - introduced in 1997, now almost obsolete. Digital Flat Panel (DFP) from the Digital Flat Panel Working Group - introduced in 1998 Digital Video Interface (DVI) from the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) - introduced in 1999 and currently popular. Standards assume importance in view of the fact that in case of not confirming to the standards compatibility issues may arise. For instance, if you are going in for a flat-panel which uses the DFP standard ensure that the video card inside the flat panel supports the standard. One more suggestion: Within DVI standard there are three types: DVI-D ( which supports digital-only monitors) DVI-A (which supports analog-only monitors) DVI-I (which supports both digital and analog monitors). The cables, monitor, video card etc have to support the particular type within the standard too or you may land up with compatibility issues. FlatpanelLCD TVs suffer from a phenomenon commonly referred to as 'ghosting' of images. Ghosting is a phenomenon which occurs when a pixel charge is retained on the viewing screen long after the image has gone. This gives rise to an image which is not the original image, but a 'ghost' of the original image, and hence the name. This phenomenon adversely affects viewing. |