What to look for in LCD Flat Panel

• Pixel Pitch is measured in millimeters and it is space between each pixel or "display dot" on the screen of the LCD. The lower the pixel pitch, the sharper the display.



• Response Time: or is measured in milliseconds, and determines how fast the display adjusts its colors, shades, and
  tones. The lower the number, the better. A refresh rate of 8ms delivers good quality picture flow.



• Contrast Ratio is a measure of a display system, defined as the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color (white) to that of the darkest color (black) that the system is capable of producing.
  
  A high contrast ratio is a desired aspect of any display, but with the various methods of measurement for a system or its part, remarkably different measured values can sometimes produce similar results. Larger ratios are more beneficial when viewing videos with a lot of dark or light scenery.
  
  Higher contrast ratio have more variations of color within dark and light areas of an image or movie.
  Ideally, always go for a higher ratio.
  
  Common contrast ratios are 3000:1, 5000:1, 10,000:1 or 15,000:1.



• Brightness CD/M2:
  This is expressed in candelas per square meter and it is as important as the contrast ratio. CD/M2 brightness is responsible for outputting the necessary amount of brightness in order to see the screen from a distance, and from an angle.
  
  Ideally, always go for higher values.
  It indicates how well you can view the TV in brighter lighting conditions. The higher the value the brighter the screen will be and the easier it will be to see in bright light conditions



• Viewing Angle: A greater viewing angles gives you a greater ability to view the display from an angle. To determine whether the viewing angle is ideal, look at a monitor and test the visibility at that angle.
  
  Use your eyes to determine this and don't rely on a manufacturers' specifications.



• HDMI: A High-Definition Multimedia Interface capable of transmitting uncompressed streams.
  HDMI is compatible with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) Digital Rights Management technology.
  
  HDMI provides an interface between any compatible digital audio/video source, such as a set-top box, a DVD player, a PC, a video game console, or an AV receiver and a compatible digital audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV).
  
  HDMI had its debut in 2006, used with prosumer HDTV camcorders and even high-end digital still cameras.

Flat Panel TV, there's far more than just a big screen.
Sadly, it's buyer beware.

(Text and Photos by Jorg Fedler)

So you want a flat panel TV, but don't know where to begin? That's hardly surprising. For starters there are two competing technologies: LCD and Plasma.
Then there is a wide range of performance characteristics within each technology, resulting in variation of quality that can trap the unwary when purchasing either. Sound confusing? You bet, and unfortunately there are far too many outlets willing to exploit that confusion. A recent survey revealed, that the majority of Australian consumers do not fully understand what does and does not constitute high definition.

As a result there is a disturbingly high proportion of consumers out there that assume their new bargain Plasma TV is capable of high definition (HD) display when in fact it isn't. Research would indicate many people who own a 852 x 480 Plasma TV assume it is HD.

The myth about HD ready

Just because a device can accept a high definition signal, it does not automatically follow that it is capable of high definition display. Sadly there are are salespeople only too willing to let people make that false assumption. „HD ready” does not necessarily equate to HD display capacity. It simply means the device can accept an HD input . The HD signal is then stepped down to suit the display. To make things worse, some manufacturers are now including an in build HD tuner with a non-HD display panel. So it is little wonder that consumers leap to the wrong conclusion.

So what on earth is high definition?

High definition simply means „more than standard definition (SD)”.
The highest resolution SD format is PAL, with a 576 vertical resolution (720x 576).
Thus, almost any video with more than 576 vertical resolution is HD.
But full HD video is generally 1920 x 1080i (i=interlaced) or 1920 x 1080p (p=progressive).

Both Plasma and LCD come in various levels of screen resolution.

At the day of writing, the most common resolutions are 852 x 480, 1024 x 768, 1024 x 1024, 1024 x 1080, 1024 1080, 1366 x 768 and
1920 x 1080 (Full HD). Not all of these LCD grades are native 16:9 wide screen.

The resolution trap

The specification race in terms of definition capacity, however, is not the be all and end all. The larger the screen, the more important resolution becomes, but conversely at smaller screen sizes, the resolution figure becomes less important.
There is no big advantage , for example, to have a 32 inch LCD displaying 1920 x 1080 lines. What you don't want, however, is to choose an inappropriate screen resolution for your viewing distance, source material or entertainment needs.
It's with plasma panels that the resolution trap has found the most victims. There are plenty of plasma panels around that are 852 x 480 and incapable of HD display. Despite costing you a little more, 1024 x 768, 1024 x 1024 and 1366 x 768 are definitely preferred if you want to proper equip yourself for the future.
HD display capacity may not be so important for today's DVD or pay TV (neither of which is HD), but it will be for the next generation of DVD, Blue Ray and video games.

What about quality of signal processing?

Another key picture quality factor rarely if ever explained in your junk mail is the quality of signal processing on offer. A display panel is essentially a dumb device that displays the signal fed into it. The higher the quality of that signal can be, the better the image that appears on screen.

Some manufacturers are the envy of the world in terms of the proprietary picture processing they provide. The very same panel can look entirely different based on the quality of the picture processing that feeds it. This was always true of CTR and it's also true of Plasma and LCD today.
Depending on the source material, the effect can be more profound than resolution itself, and the only way to evaluate this difference is to look at the quality of the picture itself, and not merely buy based on specification alone.

All good quality makes provide some form of picture processing. The quality of this processing varies from brand to brand and sometimes within the brand itself. It is one of the key factors underpinning the price difference maintained by premium brands. Happily it is a difference that can readily demonstrated.