The origins of what would become today's television system can be traced back to the discovery of the photoconductivity of the element selenium by Willoughby Smith in 1873, and the invention of a scanning disk by Paul Gottlieb Nipkow in 1884. Since those very early beginnings technology and television viewing has changed a great deal. Simple changes like the evolution of black and white TV to color in the early days. Changes in size of the screens that seem to be growing more and more each year. As technology improves so does the home viewing experience.
The more recent quest has been focused on increasing television picture quality with better color accuracy and clarity. As a consumer, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the terminology and the features of the various types of televisions. If you are like most people, you simply don't have the time to learn everything you need to know in order to make an educated decision when purchasing a new television that will let you take advantage of new technologies such as
HDTV,
digital television and more. To that end I have provided a brief overview of new technologies in order to help in your search of a better picture.
The first step in getting the best possible picture is to receive the best possible signal, which at this time is digital. Satellite TV and digital cable offer the majority of
digital television out there at this time. However, changes in broadcasting are forthcoming as all major networks should discontinue broadcasting analog signals and convert completely to digital by February 2009. Digital signals offer many advantages but the most obvious result will be a higher quality picture (and sound). With this change, owning an
HDTV set would be of benefit although owners of analog sets will probably be able to purchase inexpensive converter boxes to be able to view the digital signals. However, if you wanted to get the full picture and take advanteage of the quality provided with a digital signal, you will need a "
wide screen" with 16:9 aspect ratio versus the 4:3 aspect ratio seen in most traditional sets.
With a basic rundown of digital signals out of the way. I shoudl also mention
HDTV. HDTV is one form of digital television. It transmits six times more information than you get through analog TV. This gives the viewer stunning pictures with far greater detail, clarity, and color accuracy. An HDTV is capable of displaying resolution of 480i, 480p, 720i, 480p, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p. The "i" means that the signal is displayed on the screen "interlaced" and the "p" means that it is displayed by progressive scan. Progressive scan generally produces a higher quality picture. The highest quality signal a conventional TV offers is 480i, but this is the lowest quality signal for an HDTV. Potential buyers looking for the best picture should accept no less that 720p.
There are many different technologies available such as
plasma,
LCD,
LCOS and
DLP provide displays with outstanding color accuracy, contrast, depth, and clarity. All have a good life span, dependability, and work well in most environments. The choice is primarily based on personal preferences although
plasma screens are not recommended for locations at altitudes over 6,500 feet. Plasma screens tend to be larger screens and they are also somewhat less expensive than
LCD screens of the same size. LCD screens on the other hand emit less heat and use less energy.
Obviously there are many options for getting an outstanding picture to enhance the viewing experience. As there are a number of great technologies, the type of display is less important than getting a digital signal and a set that can both receive the full high definition image and display it with the best possible resolution.
