Plasma TV, rear projection and conventional. (Buyers Guide: Televisions)

Member Name: matt_uk

Product:	Buyers Guide: Televisions
Date:	22/04/01 (17291 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Picture quality

Disadvantages: Weight, space

Choosing a particular TV nowadays is all about the size of your wallet, or if cash is no object then there are 100's maybe 1000's to choose from. This is a guide to main types of television that you may come across.
Plasma televisions work by using Neon or Xenon gas in a plasma state, which is sandwhiched between two plates of high quality, highly polished glass. Electricity is then passed through the gas when a picture is required, the gas then glows blue, red or green, phosphor then tints the pixel as required to the specific colour. There are over a million pixels in a plasma TV. This is complicated to produce and so costs more, an entry level plasma TV costs around £6000 for a 42" screen. Plasma Tv's can be hung on walls and have a depth of about 3" including wall brackets. Although you will need a big house for this one as the smallest size is about 37", most are 42" but you can get bigger. Picture quality is superb if you rig it up to a high-end DVD player. The only problem is that most of them don't come with teletext or tuner, most put the tuner into a separate box.
Rear projection televisions have three chathode ray tubes, one red, one green and one blue. They fire the image away from the screen and onto a projection display panel which is then reflected onto the screen of the set for you to see. RPTV's really have no limit to how big they can go, can you fit a 61" into your house? A 41" costs around £1600. RPTV's are usually packed with fun, from surround sound and teletext to subwoofers. The picture quality is good, but if you sit too close you can really make out those pixels, you also have to sit in front of it, sit to the side and it's hard to make out the picture.
Conventional televisions are great, nearly everyone has one. They use a glass vacuum tube which is the bulk and weight of the TV. From the back of the tube three electron streams (blue, red, green) are fire
d fomr the back of the tube and on the screen which is coated in red green and blue phosphor, these glow the appropriate colour when hit by the appropriate stream. All three together create white, all off create black. The picture quality is exceptional and they work most of time without going wrong for ages. The only problem is weight and size because the tube takes up most of the room. A typical price for a 32" widescreen is £800.
Choose wisely and happy watching!

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