Project Technology

TV, TV ON THE WALL, WICH IS THE

GREATEST OF THEM ALL ?
Admit it, you want one: The new, shiny, extremely slim TV that you can the hang on the wall as the ultimate decoration. You have been exposed to many advertisements featuring these next-gen TVs. You just can’t get them out of your mind. You ask your self: should I throw away my old TV ? How expensive is it anyway? Well, this article will try to clear up your confusion, so hopefully you’ll make a smart decision before you buy the TV of your dream.

Plasma TV
Try plasma TV if you want to have the biggest screen available. Sizes range from 32 to 70 inches. The plasma technology allows gas trapped between two layers of glasses to react to electricity, thus produsing images. Think of a neon lamp as an analogy. Furthermore, this kind of TV consumes less electricity. Prices are still astromically high, ranging from Rp 20 million to 50 milion. However, it’s full of features like HDMI ports, USB plugs, Dolby 5.1, etc. but be careful, not all plasma TVs are HD –ready (can support HD images). After several years of use, a plasma TV will lose its clarity and color, since the gas many have diminished. This effect is similar to the freon gas problem in fridges or air conditioners. The difference is that the plasma gas cannot be replenished. You just have ti buy a new TV.

LCD TV (Liquid Crystal Display)
Slimmer than plasma, an LCD TV has screen sizes from 17 to 32 inches. It also consumes little electric energy. One complaint about LCD screen is that the screen is often pixelated, too bright, and can only be viewed from certain angles. The brightness of an LCD TV can be measured from its contrast ratio in the specs, e.g 10,000:1, meaning the screen is very bright. But you can always adjust the contrast to your liking. Prices range from Rp 9 to 20 milion, depending on the features. Don’t forget that you can also treat this LCD TV a PC monitor. After several years of use, this TV might have the problem of displaying permanent black spots on the screen. This is called dead pixels.

Rear Projection TV
A quite rare breed of TV found its place among rich people in the 1990s because of its humongous size (50 inches). It is basically aprojector, but the light comes from behind,from red, green and blue lamps. It is best used in dimlit rooms, for the picture can be blurru. Since the invention of plasma TV, however, this rear projection TV has lost popularity. But nowadays, the font projectors like infocus can also be used to project TV broadcast of high quality, albeit at a high price.


CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube)

This is the most common type of TV, because the technology has been around for decades since TV was invented. CRT uses a process in wich electricity transfers signals into images inside a big, heavy glass tube. Your grandpa’s TV or your parents’ are most likely CRT TV. It is cheaper than plasma TV and LCD TV , and there are hundreds of models, at prices from as low as Rp 900,000 to Rp 5 million. The screen size ranges only from 14 to 29 inches. This kind of TV also tends to be heavy,very boxy and consumes great energy. However,the picture quality is still the best: crips, colorful,solid. And it’s very long-lasting. Some TV manufactures,like samsung,sold HD CRT TV for Rp 4.9 million. That’s a good enough bergain if you can’t wait to play your future PS 3 Xbox 360.

FINAL THOUGHT
The TV is an expensive product indeed. So you mustn’t rush to buy one. Find reliable information, ask around,check out and compare some brands, and think of your primary purpose. You don’t need plasma TV if your favorite programs are mostly reality shows and sinetrons. Indonesian TV station don’t have HD broadcasting yet, so the images will look similiar to those of a standar TV. Right now, CRT TV is the most affordable, durable and offers the best quality pictures, although it’s not as stylish as Plasma or LCD. Happy hunting!