Choosing a new TV - LED, LCD or Plasma

The TV market is getting ridiculously confusing if you are looking for a new TV and now there is more options to add confusion to the decision so let me keep you up to date on the new kid on the block the LED television.

Most people when buying a new television will consider the digital switchover and buy a digital television so their TV will still work when the analogue signal is switched off. However then you have to consider the HD options, do you want HD or HD Ready, 1080p, 1080i and 720p. Standard definition is transmitted in 480i and 480p.

The 1080p is only available on some blue ray disks and video games and no major networks broadcast in it but it is the best picture quality available. You probably won’t notice the difference in lines and pixels if your screen isn’t very big, so unless you are buying a large TV, its not too much to worry about. The 720 p stands for progressive scan so despite less pixels and lines than the 1080i but it scans more smoothly, this could be a good compromise on a larger TV.

Another factor in television buying is the size of the TV this usually depends on its function, whether its your main TV and what you can afford. TVs vary between the 19inch to about 70 inches, so you really do have a great deal of choice.

So you’ve decided on the pixels and size now another choice is the type. It used to be a choice between LCD and Plasma but now there is the choice of LED. So what’s the difference?

Plasma TV’s have received some bad press as they can suffer from burn in which is when pixels get imprinted onto the screen. It’s not as bad as the press made out there are now built in functions to repair it and it shouldn’t happen as long as you don’t leave a static image on the screen for hours on end. Another downside is its reflective screen that can be irritating in a well lit or bright environment but does make it great for a movie night. It has a good lifespan and will last about 17 years. It shows blacks very well and has good contrast and works well for home theatre due to its wide viewing angle.

LCD TVs have less of a viewing angle than plasma and do not show black as well and are more expensive if you are looking for a bigger model. They do offer higher resolution for their size than plasmas and you don’t have the worry of burnout. LCD TVs have been successful due to the falling prices of models in the mid range in comparison with Plasma.

LED TVs are the newest type of TV common on the market they are a type of LCD TV but use light emitting diodes over the code cathode florescent lamps used in traditional LCD TVs. There are two main types rear lit using local dimming and edge lit using global dimming. Rear lit shows plasma type blacks and edge lit use less diodes so you use less power and have a slimmer TV. LED TV’s are bound to be successful due to their energy saving capacities and ultra slim design. Sizes are limited to above 40 inch and the viewing angle isn’t as wide as plasma. They are still relatively expensive in comparison to the other televisions but are in a league of their own.

The LED is likely to replace the LCD eventually so if you are trying to get ahead in the technology race it might be worth buying an LED television, you can get all types of televisions at Elite Gadgets.