What are typical LCD TV screen sizes?
Generally speaking plasma screens come in larger screen sizes than LCD TVs. The reason is to do with the fact that LCD screens tend to lose quality when they are really big (e.g. more than 37 inches) when watched from a typical viewing distance. Read more
How long do LCD TVs last?
There has been a fair bit of debate over this topic for a while, and people do throw about a lot of figures, so it’s time to think about it for a moment and inject some common sense.
Watching a plasma screen for eight hours per day for about nine years might be enough to wear it out - or ‘burn’ it out as the phrase goes. Thats about 30,000 hours. The effect of the ‘burn out’ would be for the screen to lose brightness eventually. Read more
Is HDTV in widescreen on LCD TVs?
High definition (HD) programmes will be broadcast in 16:9 aspect ratio (width to height). This is what we commonly refer to as widescreen.
The current norm of broadcasting in 4:3 aspect ratio will be gradually phased out, allowing for better all round imaging on screen. Read more
Does HD improve LCD TV sound quality?
Usually it does. If you invest in a HDTV, you will be receiving your broadcasts in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound - a great leap up from traditional sound broadcast technology. Read more
What is the best thing about LCD TVs?
The obvious point that you will notice about an LCD TV or a plasma screen is how thin it is compared with the traditional types of TV that we’ve all grown up with (known as Cathode Ray Tubes or CRT).
The bulky back of a CRT TV is something we’ve all just gotten used to but when you see it next to an LCD TV/plasma screen you realise just how cumbersome and ungainly the old style TVs really are. Read more
What does ‘aspect ratio’ on LCD TVs mean?
While you are checking out the specifications of LCD TVs you will come across the term ‘aspect ratio’, which sounds pretty technical but is actually a simple concept.
Aspect ratio refers to the width and height of the picture that is displayed and the relationship between the two. In other words it’s how wide and how high the image is on the screen. Read more
What is High Definition (HD) TV?
High definition is a technology for delivering outstanding picture and sound quality to on-screen entertainment, from television broadcasts to videos to computer games.
As most people spend more time watching TV than they do with videos or computer games, HD has become more associated with television technology than other media. Read more
LCD TVs and plasma screens - what’s the difference?
LCD TVs (Liquid Crystal Display) and plasma screen TVs look very similar in stores as they’re both much thinner than traditional TVs plus they have flat screens.
Don’t be fooled though - there are some major differences covered elsewhere on this site, but from a basic technical point of view it’s all about the way in which it generates a picture. Read more
