Flat Panel TV Primer

You see them in all kinds of public places and now that prices are coming down, you may want to consider buying a flat panel television for your home. They come in two versions, LCD and Plasma, and here we explain the difference.

Flat Panel TVs are the hottest consumer technology right now. But a lot of people don't realize there are two different types of flat panel TVs. LCD TVs are like an over grown laptop screen, although much higher in quality. Whereas the newer Plasma TVs, each individual pixel is like a gas charged tube. The important thing to realize is size. Up to 30-inches, you're looking at LCD screens, if you want a screen that's larger than 30-inches Plasma TV is the way to go.

Consumers love LCD TVs for a number of reasons. First of all they're very flat, they can hang on the wall just like a picture frame or they can sit on a desktop. Consumers love this idea, it's really a futuristic way of looking at TV but it's here in the present. The LC-22SV2U is Sharp's new 22-inch Aquos widescreen LCD TV which allows viewers to enjoy full-screen images from wide-format video. The LC-22SV2U, with WVGA resolution (854 x 480), offers four different view modes so you can choose how to display 4:3 programming. Two speakers frame the screen on either side and produce high-quality stereo audio. The new line has models all the way from $700 to up to $7000, Sharp even has a model with a built in subwoofer. The LC-22SVU sells for $3800.www.sharpusa.com

Plasma TV is a newer technology, but is one that is really catching on with consumers. If you're looking for a screen larger than 30-inches, Plasma is your best bet. You’re also going to see brighter colors and the picture will stand up more when you sit off axis than it will with an LCD. The good news on the Plasma TV front is the prices have come down and the resolution has gone up. This is a Panasonic 42-inch Plasma TV-- last years model was $1000 more and it was only standard definition. This year for $7000 you get a 42-inch diagonal and its HDTV compatible. www.panasonic.com