TV – types and technologies. Features and how to choose
The time has passed when buying a TV was a whole problem. Currently, you can purchase a television receiver for every taste and at any price. The only problem is the right choice. Every year, new models made using modern technologies appear on the market of household appliances, and television is also developing.
Today, the TV in the home is not just a TV viewing tool, but a real multimedia center. Let’s try to understand the functions and parameters of modern television receivers, so that when choosing it is easier to understand what kind of TV you need, what size, type and with what set of functions.
Kinds of TV
There are several main types of TVs, depending on the technology of screen production.
CRT
Such models have been familiar since ancient times. They are equipped with a picture tube, which is a cathode ray tube, and a remote control.
Benefits
- Relatively good picture.
- Reliable construction.
- Simplicity of repair.
- Low cost.
- High quality foreign components.
Disadvantages
- Large overall dimensions.
- Considerable weight.
- Low image resolution.
- Screen flickering.
- Few additional features.
Such a TV is suitable only for summer cottages. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the proportions of the image – the circle should not be an oval, and straight lines should not be curved. To make the screen flicker less, it is better to choose a kinescope with a frequency of 100 hertz.
Liquid crystal (LCD)
These are the most common liquid crystal matrix models. This principle of image formation has been known for a long time, and is used in computer monitors, tablets, laptops. However, many people still do not understand where the picture appears on the screen.
Liquid crystals embedded in the screen can transmit or block the radiation of the LEDs. This happens in the many thousands of cells on the monitor, called pixels. The disadvantage of the image is the insufficient depth of black color due to the fact that the liquid crystal passes some amount of light through it. Some distortion of the color gamut of the image when looking at it from the side is associated with the same phenomenon.
Benefits
- Lightweight and thin economical TVs.
- Good screen brightness.
- Large assortment of models to fit the screen.
- Simple operation.
- Long service life.
disadvantages
- Sensitive to poor signal quality.
- Insufficient black depth compared to plasma models.
- Insufficient image clarity in motion pictures.
With all the shortcomings, manufacturers are improving such models, which adds popularity to LCD TVs.
LED technology
Such models are also liquid crystal, but with LED backlighting. The new backlit displays offer high image quality, which increases their popularity. The new screen manufacturing technology makes it possible to make it even thinner, improve contrast and color rendition.
Screen backlighting can be of two types:
- Contour. The LEDs are located around the perimeter of the screen, and the light is directed towards the center.
- Straight line. It resembles a conventional LCD-type backlight, its cost is higher.
Another feature is local brightness control, which is used in direct illumination. Thus, it is possible to create local dimming in the necessary places, and exclude the passage of light through the crystals, thereby obtaining a black saturated color.
In edge illumination, this effect can be achieved by changing the characteristics of the matrix. LED technology performs well under various lighting conditions. Typically, these models have a thin screen that can be easily positioned anywhere.
OLED technology
The principle of operation of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is at the heart of TVs with this screen manufacturing technology. Their feature is increased color accuracy (including deep blacks), high image contrast, accurate motion pictures and wide viewing angles. Each pixel in the image is illuminated and produces natural color tones. Another advantage of OLED technology is the ability to create a thin screen (only a few millimeters).
Among the shortcomings, one can note a small list of models and a high cost.
Plasma TV
Plasma technology is the best option for creating a high-quality moving picture without image blur. Plasma screens are capable of delivering vivid color tones with good blacks, performing optimally in dark, dimly lit rooms. If we compare the viewing angles of plasma models with other types, then they have the largest angle, unlike liquid crystal and LCD screens.
Plasma screen technology has been in the consumer device market for many years. A plasma screen consists of a large number of cells filled with an inert gas, unlike LCD TVs, which use liquid crystals. When a cell is exposed to a certain voltage, the inert gas contained in it turns into plasma. As a result, light is emitted, passing through the cells, and creating a specific color cast. All cells together form a single image. Plasma screens do not need additional illumination.
Benefits
- High-quality color rendering.
- Deep black color.
- The TV shows a soft picture.
- Wide viewing angle.
- High speed of image updating.
disadvantages
- Image quality deteriorates in bright daylight.
- Impossibility of designing screens with small size.
- Large picture cells.
- Static pictures leave a trace on the screen.
- Power consumption is higher than LCD TVs.
Recently, plasma models have been constantly improving, their quality has become much better compared to the original versions.
Mini cinemas
A projection television is a modern type of television receiver. It has a cinema-like construction where the image is projected onto a white surface. Their main advantage is their low cost. Experts point out that projection TVs have a problem with pixel burnout. Also, not all people like the lack of brightness when viewed from different angles.
Laser TVs
Another modern type of TV is laser models. Many experts note their perfect high-quality image and long service life. They do not have such a negative factor as pixel burnout. The power consumption of laser TVs is low. Their significant disadvantage is their very high cost compared to all other types of TV.
Criterias of choice
After determining the technology for the production of screens, you should consider the main criteria for TVs that you need to pay attention to when buying them. These criteria are universal for all types of TV receivers.
Screen resolution
An important parameter in modern TVs is the screen resolution, on which the picture quality depends. If you want to watch TV in HDTV quality, you need a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. If your television is not digital, then the resolution does not matter.
Full HD is the most common resolution on computers and TVs. The image at this resolution is of high quality, and on small screens less than 65 inches, it practically does not differ from Ultra HD.
If you do decide to buy an Ultra HD TV, then you should check out last year’s lineup. This will be the most profitable option, as technology improves every year, and last year’s products become cheaper.
Manufacturer of TV
There are many different factories of TV manufacturers, each of which is trying to attract customers with their innovations. The main countries producing quality household goods are Japan and South Korea.
Japanese manufacturers are represented by Toshiba, Sony, Sharp and Panasonic. Since the days of the Soviet Union, Japanese quality has been considered the best in the world in terms of reliability and durability. Sharp does not trust other manufacturers to produce components for its products, and still manufactures them independently.
For a well-known brand and high quality, of course, you have to pay a higher price, so everyone chooses for himself which product to buy.
Korean firm LG has earned an award in Las Vegas for the release of the best TV. Experts note that the LG brand is the most optimal combination of quality and value.
Samsung Electronics manufactures TV receivers with better picture quality than LG, but their cost is also higher. In our country, one third of all sold TVs have the brand of this company, which is considered a „people’s brand“.
The Dutch company Philips also produces quality products comparable to Japanese and Korean manufacturers, both in cost and quality.
Matrix response time
In TVs with picture tubes, this parameter does not matter. For plasma models, this time is also very short. Response time is important in LCD TVs, especially in fast moving images.