KEY POINTS:
If you're in the market for a new TV, there's both good news, and not so good news.
The good news is that recent economic turmoil has seen flat panel TV prices flat-line, meaning there's some real TV bargains to be had out there.
The other news is, however, that in order to find that bargain, you've still got to sort through a bewildering array of geek speak, tech specs and a multitude of confusing sales babble.
Even choosing which type of TV to buy can be a source of confusion. To simplify things here's a guide to the three most common TV technologies, each with its own set of positives and negatives.
CRT TVs
These are the traditional tellies that have adorned Kiwi lounges since the beginning of time itself. They use cathode ray tubes, which is essentially a vacuum sealed glass tube that paints images onto the screen by firing an electron beam at red, blue and green phosphor dots at end of the picture tube (which is the bit you get to watch, the screen).
Good
# CRT TVs deliver crisp, high contrast images, complete with reasonably accurate colour.
Bad
# LCD and plasma screen sizes go up to and beyond 60", while CRT TVs typically stop 32"
# Compared to Plasma and LCD, CRT TVs are bulky and consume more electricity.
# Where LCD and plasma TV's have 16:9 wide screens, most CRT's have a square 4:3 screen. With widescreen broadcasts becoming increasingly commonplace, you could miss out on a vital part of the picture (e.g. half the rugby score could be missing) with a CRT.
# Most CRT TVs are only standard definition capable. With both Freeview and Sky now broadcasting content in peeper-pleasing high-def, buying a CRT TV means you'll probably miss out on a lot of delicious picture detail.
PLASMA TVs
Plasma TVs work by illuminating a combination of tiny red, green or blue fluorescent light bulbs to form a pixel. Each of these miniature fluorescent works like a neon sign, lighting up when electricity passes through it. Millions of constantly changing pixels, each lit up with a different intensity and colour in turn make up the video image.
Good
# Compared to their CRT and LCD counterparts, Plasma TVs are available with positively massive (up to 150-inch!!) screen sizes.
# Of the three key TV technologies currently available, common wisdom has it that Plasma TVs still deliver the best colour and contrast levels.
# Plasma TVs are also thin enough to be wall mounted, taking up much less space than a CRT TV.
# Plasma TVs tend to also have better viewing angle than most LCD TVs
# Unlike their LCD counterparts, plasma TVs don't suffer from motion blur in scenes where there is a lot of fast movement (e.g. rugby etc.).
Bad
# Good plasma TVs can still command a price premium compared to their LCD counterparts.
# Like fluorescent light bulbs, Plasma screens also fade over time (this said, it can literally take years of normal viewing before any fade is noticeable)
# Cheaper models have also been known to suffer from 'Burn-in' where a static image, (e.g. a broadcaster's logo) can be semi-permanently etched into the screen. (This issue is becoming increasingly rare nowadays)
# Few Plasma TVs are now available below 32" so forget Plasma TVs if its a smaller second telly that you're after.
# They may be wall-mountable, but they're a lot heavier than LCD TVs, and in some situations, can require heavy duty wall mounting hardware.
# Large Plasma TVs also tend to have higher power consumption than similar sized LCD TVs, although this can vary, depending on how the TV is set up.
LCD TVs
Liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs use tiny cells, each containing electrically sensitive liquid crystals. Passing electricity through cells affects the amount of light able to be shone through the cell by backlight mounted behind the LCD panel. Millions of clusters of red, green and blue LCD cells make up pixels and as with other TVs, rapidly switched combinations of pixels make up the on screen video.
Good
# Like their plasma siblings, LCD TVs are also thin enough to be wall-mounted, however, because LCD TVs also typically weigh less than similar sized Plasma screens, the process is often much easier.
# Most LCD flat screens also work well with computers or game consoles with no screen burn-in. (most LCD TVs have a dedicated PC input,making them ideal for windows media centre PCs)
# Of the three different TV technologies, LCD TVs tend to be the most energy efficient.
# Good LCD TVs can offer higher brightness levels than some Plasma TVs, making them more suitable for daytime viewing or for use in bright environments.
Bad
# Viewing angles can vary widely, depending on make and model of LCD TV.
# Poor black levels and low contrast ratios are typical with low-end LCD TVs.
# Some cheaper LCD TVs struggle to display deep blacks, which can also appear washed out. Bright colours can also appear dull. (As LCD technologies improve, this is becoming less and less of an issue)
# Cheaper LCDs can also suffer from objects looking blurred or even juddering in fast motion scenes. (As with contrast levels, LCD technologies are constantly improving so this is now less of an issue with big brand LCD TVs)
What does it mean?
So what does all this mean at the end of the day? Here are some basic guidelines to help you decide which sort of TV you should consider.
A good CRT TV can still crank out great picture quality and is ideal as a cheap extra telly for casual viewing in situations where space isn't at a premium.
Plasma TVs are still the best choice for purists with deep pockets, wanting to catch the latest HD movies with the best contrast and colour quality possible.
LCD TVs, however, are fast catching up to their plasma counterparts and are usually a more affordable option. If you're after an all-rounder for watching TV, catching the odd movie and even to hooking up a media centre PC to, a good quality LCD TV is a great choice.
Speaking specs
Translating the confusing conundrum of tech specs into something that'll help you choose the right CRT, Plasma or LCD TV needn't be a tough task. Here's a quick plain English guide to the more important specs to look for when comparing TVs.
The two key specs to look out for are brightness and contrast. Brightness is measured in candelas (which most blurb-sheets list as CD/M2). More candelas mean the TV can display brighter images, making for more vivid colours. Contrast measures the difference between the blackest black and to the whitest whites and is shown as a ratio. As with candelas, higher contrast ratios can give you a more defined picture.
Equally important is screen resolution, which in non-geek speak is the amount of video information the screen can display. Resolution is measured by the number of horizontal and vertical pixels the screen can display. The more pixels a TV can display, the more information you're able to see in the on-screen picture.
The highest HD broadcast resolution currently available in NZ is 1080 lines of pixels, which translates to a screen resolution of 1920x1080. Most channels however broadcast HD content in 720p (which is a 1280x720 screen resolution). If you're on a budget, buying a 720p capable telly makes a lot of sense as 1080 capable screens can command a price premium - yet most people with 20/20 vision are hard pressed to tell the difference from a normal viewing distance.
Another key consideration for LCD TVs is the pixel response time, which refers to the time in milliseconds it takes for LCD pixels to brighten or dim. A faster response time means less blurring in fast moving scenes. Equally important is screen refresh time. Cheaper LCD TVs tend to have 50hz refresh rates which can create a distracting juddering effect in scenes with lots of motion. Some manufacturers get around this using image processing techniques, whilst 100Hz refresh capable LCD TVs are now becoming more commonplace.
Also take into the viewing angle spec into account if you're in the market for an LCD TV. Whilst most LCD TVs can be viewed from 176 degrees either side of the TV, most LCD TVs will produce brighter, higher contrast images when viewed front-on. LCD TV Viewing angle specifications can vary widely so be sure to look for this spec and to try and view any LCD TV candidates across a range of angles when comparing.
Getting the right combination of video inputs is also a key consideration as doing so will future proof your flat screen TV investment. Look for HDMI digital video inputs as these can take both digital audio and video signals from next-gen game consoles, MySky HDi or My Freeview HD and display them at the maximum quality the screen is capable of.
Component or S-video inputs will also allow you to use older AV components (e.g. video game consoles and DVD players) with your screen. If you have a large collection of video or music content on your PC, checking to see if the TV has a network port that can allow it to hook into your home network for playing video or music content.
Last but by no means least, head online and jump to Freeview's website to see if you're able to get Freeview HD coverage. A growing number of flat panel TVs are being shipped with built-in freeview HD tuners, which can help to reduce set-top box clutter in your AV cabinet.
Time to buy
First things first, do some pre-retail research. There's a pile of good information available online. This will allow you to compare and contrast to narrow down your TV buying choices (and confusion levels) ahead of heading into the store.
Beware that a lack of available in-store space means retailers tend to cram lots of LCD and plasma screens side by side. This can distract you into comparing screens against each other rather than checking the image quality for the particular screens that you've decided to evaluate.
First things first, if the screen is displaying cartoon or computer generated content (Pixar films are most commonly used), ask to get a DVD or Blu-Ray movie with some real people and scenery put on (this should ideally incorporate some fast-moving action scenes). Animated or computer generated footage don't display a lot of detail, and can also hide a multitude of video imperfections.
Secondly, ask for the remote and have a tinker with the TV's on screen menus. Not all TV menu systems are created equal, and some can severely limit your ability to tweak image settings to your own tastes.
This is particularly important as most showroom TVs tend to be switched to a vivid setting which maxes out brightness, contrast and colour levels in a bid to make video footage stand out. Switching to a movie or normal mode will give you a far more realistic idea of what the TV is really capable of displaying.
Watching fast-moving action scenes can also give you a feel for how good the TVs built in video processing is. On-screen movement should be fluid, life-like and realistic. Juddering, video noise around the edges of moving objects, or blurred backgrounds are tell-tale signs of inferior video processing.
Also look at skin tones and colour graduations. Skin tones should look natural (not sunburnt pink or jaundiced yellow). Areas of colour graduations (such as a blue sky) should be subtle with little in the way of visible banding between colour shades. Blacks should also be inky black, not dark grey and fine detail should also be visible in shadows.
In addition to the actual TV, there are also extras to consider. Having spent several thousand hard earned dollars on a new TV, only for it to be fried by a rogue power surge is not only frustrating but avoidable - if you spend a few bucks for a surge protector. Because surge protectors can fail after only a single power spike, aim for one with a status light that tells it is functioning properly.
Another extra you're likely to be offered is an extended warranty. Many see these as a bad idea, but for some, they're a low cost form of peace of mind. If you're looking at an extended warranty, do the maths. Warranty prices vary widely and can range from between 10 per cent of the TV's price all the way up to up 20 per cent or more. Remember that flat panel TV prices have been dropping by 15-25 per cent annually, so factor in what the replacement cost would most likely be in 3-4 years' time.
Also remember that New Zealand has the consumer guarantees act which provides up to 24 months of cover when buying goods or services from a retailer. If however you do decide to add an extended warranty to your TV purchase, check who is providing it. If the extended warranty it's the store's own and they cease trading, your extended warranty could become worthless. This said, most retailers use an outside firm for extended warranties most of which will still cover you if the retailer goes under.
After you've got your telly
The factory settings on TVs are almost always tweaked to maximum brightness and contrast with a vivid mode enabled along with image "edge enhancement" features. This is typically done so that the TV picture will stand out on the showroom floor compared to other TV brands.
This approach might work in the store, but at home, it's a completely different matter altogether. The way we've evolved to see colours never took the "enhanced" settings of your new plasma or LCD TV into account, so calibrating your new TV to display can make a huge difference.
Calibrating by sight alone might give you some improvements, but to achieve the best results you're better off using a set of video calibration tools. The easiest way of getting your hands on these is to use the THX Optimizer included on many DVD releases (go through your DVD or Blu-Ray collection and look for a title with the "THX Certified" logo most Star Wars movies have the THX Optimizer hidden away in the extras menu). It provides a basic set of test patterns that will let you get your telly tweaked and ready to rumble with significantly more accurate images.
If you're wanting a set of more thorough calibration tools, try to track down the Digital Video Essentials disc (which can be bought online relatively easily). Lastly, before attempting any calibration, make sure your display has warmed up for at least a half hour and spend some time beforehand getting familiar with the various display menu settings of your TV (it's also a good idea to have the manual handy when tweaking).
