KEY POINTS:
Liquid crystal display (LCD) is the fast-improving rival to plasma in flat-screen TVs. The battle is between LCD makers such as Sony and Samsung and companies such as Panasonic and Philips, who in the 40-49 inch range of TVs, offer plasma screens, a differing technology. As a result
of this technology war, prices of TVs will drop steeply in 2007, especially for LCDs, which are rolling off production lines in record numbers.
What makes it tick?
LCDs are everywhere - from mobile phone displays to computer screens and the little display to line up photos with digital cameras. They are popular because they are power-efficient and versatile at a wide range of screen sizes. Up until 18 months ago, however, plasma TVs ruled at the top end of the market. They were much cheaper and provided better picture quality - better contrast, blacker blacks and a more impressive refresh rate than LCDs. But the gap has closed and while LCD still sell at a slight premium, many prefer them for the flexibility they provide.
What makes it cool?
Most new LCDs are "high-definition" screens, meaning they can display HD signals which allows for better image and sound quality. Increasingly they come with high definition inputs (HDMI), allowing HD players, game consoles and computers to be plugged into them. LCDs are particularly good if you're putting a computer feed into your TV screen. As Media Center is now built into Windows Vista, it's likely more people will be using their TVs to run their computer as a multimedia hub. Good-quality LCD TVs have remarkable brightness and clarity. Plus, they take up less space than cathode ray tube TVs.
It's not really that expensive because ...
LCD makers such as AOC, Hyundai and LG helped push down the price of screens some 25 to 30 per cent last year. But the big players still charge a hefty amount for screens over 40 inches. Sony's S-Series Bravia range starts at $2200 for a 26 inch screen, with the 46 inch version costing $6000. Not many people have that kind of money to slap down on a TV set but consider the entertainment value an LCD screen will provide, if you use it for computing, gaming and home theatre movie watching. We've never really experienced this level of in-home entertainment before and a good screen is at the centre of that experience. You may find your LCD becomes your most valuable possession.