Sunday, August 21, 2011

Guide in buying HDTV; Samsung HDTV - best prices for the best LCD HDTV monitors & tv out there,




I wrote this article for the original, for issuing HDTVetc August 2003 and subsequently published in the Journal of HDTV in 2006. Buyers still go through the same chain of stores now the national struggle. I updated the article to include current HD equipment and technology. Tutorial component and analysis is still valid today, and is designed to assist consumers in making purchasing decisions right. Enjoy reading.

The following topics are discussed in this segment:

H / DTV and NTSC TV, What is it?

The first efforts of the transition to DTV

DTV HDTV quality or volume, or both?

Back to the legacy analog TV Broadcast Competition Digital

Satellite / cable, and DTV transition

Tuner Integration

Impact DVD to DTV

The race for knowledge





You will hear about HDTV and decided to start looking for one. A friend reminded him that the general knowledge about buying a normal TV from analog CRT is not enough time to choose a digital product now, so you can check what you read about the wide screen black bars, digital tuner and resolution, and things are clear expectations in the store.

You get a consumer electronics store in the country is usually most people will go, and suddenly see dozens of demos of HDTV sets staring back at you. A salesman comes to you, the human face is known, the seller will sell the new dishwasher two weeks ago, people selling HDTV in power. It began to feel worried, but hang in there.

It is clear that the store is not committed to the quality of the A / V retailers. Many buyers make their purchases based on advice from untrained personnel information consumer electronics chain a national daily.

In the past, a regular store can have only one HD HD TV really shows, the only one with a HD tuner, the other showing the same image from video sharing high-definition quality circles are not adequate.

Now maybe all the grocery stores all the HD, and watch the whole show the same picture but with a different color, contrast, image enhancement, black, white, etc., because no one cares that the right path. So I started wondering what HDTV is not always perfect like preaching, is HDTV?

Seller turns to you and, in the midst of your panic attacks from consumers, saying, "Trust me, buy this TV looks much better at home, after the HD tuner connected. "Would you buy a car without test driving?

Millions of people passing through the same experience, because HDTV was introduced in November 1998. Fortunately, some improvements have gradually seen in stores, especially A / V specialty retail stores, should have more time to help consumers understand the concepts behind each display technology, and not just a quick sell HDTV on the red label stock, as well as the chain more national consumer electronics.

Most consumers love red tag savings, and many leave the store satisfied with a product portfolio that does not understand. The possibility that many of these do not really want to understand, because HDTV technology was introduced at the level of complexity that refuses to try to get a TV.

To illustrate the complexity of a decision to buy an HDTV you might want to read HDTV Complex Enough?

The purpose of the article you read is to help you make you more confident to buy, but first let me cover the following main themes HDTV:

H / DTV and NTSC TV, What is it?

You may be aware of U.S. plans to replace our current analog interlaced TV (NTSC) dates from the 1940s through the digital system, digital television, February 17, 2009. Interesting idea began as an "analog" HDTV General Instrument proposed all digital system in 1990.

Digital TV Standard consists of 18 digital formats, which are grouped into two levels of quality, approved by the ATSC (American Television Systems Committee) in 1995:

1) SD: Standard definition, 480i / p (i: interlaced, p: progressive) see the horizontal lines of vertical resolution (rows counted from top to bottom), each corresponding with a maximum resolution of 704 pixels horizontally Total (counting from left to right ), and has an aspect ratio (relation to unit width to height) 4x3 (like regular TV), or 16x9 widescreen.

2) HD: High definition, 720p and 1080i / p to see the horizontal lines of vertical resolution (rows counted from top to bottom), each row in the order in 1280 (to 720p) or 1920 (for 1080i / p) of the total pixels resolution horizontal (counting from left to right), and only in proportion widescreen 16x9 aspect.

Note that, because it is not complicated enough, the horizontal line (row) is indicated as a solution "vertical" (480, 720, 1080), and a vertical column of pixels aligned in a horizontal line is expressed as "horizontal" resolution (704, 1280, 1920) .

DTV is 15 years in the making before it aired in November 1998. HDTV is a component of the quality of digital television, but this application is not mandatory, is elementary. I use the term only in addressing the digital television system of digital television in general.

Subsequently in 2000, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), presumably to help consumers confused, creating another level of resolution between: ED (enhanced definition).

Promoted to the SD 480p ED level, leaving only the 480i standard SD format. It also does not give the right to label 810i HDTV TV to display only lines of vertical resolution of the displayed image, rather than 1080i.

One of them characterizes the level of involvement of the CEA to help consumers help manufacturers to get rid of assemblies of justice. But back to the CRT based DTV adjust to market forces, it is still most DTV sets and displays the pixel resolution is clearly defined as the number of pixels in both directions.

Our current NTSC over the system (OTA) analog television is air interlaced 480i (525i 480i actually visible horizontal lines of vertical resolution). Regular channels of digital satellite and digital cable can be compared to digital SD DTV, but also sent dozens of HDTV channels.

To ease the transition, broadcasters will be given space for additional channels from the FCC for simultaneous analog and digital versions of their programs. This is a great investment for television stations to construct DTV factory with new cameras, production equipment, etc.

When DTV is fully implemented, broadcasters will return one of two channels, broadcasting analog transmissions cease, and the current analog TV, VCR, TiVo with an analog tuner will stop the "tuning" as (but still functions as a display device to receive signals from 480i Analog, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc.). This date was originally set for January 2007 but was extended on February 17, 2009. If done DTV, the FCC auction of radio spectrum.

Most OTA terrestrial TV stations broadcast digital TV in SD and HD widescreen, and consumers who buy an HDTV in the fast pace every year.

The first efforts of the transition to DTV

Just look back at the CEA in 2003 statistics, the first 5 years about 6 million digital television HDTV (of which only 300 000, including digital TV tuner) and 400,000 tuner set-top box (STB) were sold between 1999 and 2003. In 2007's, HDTV 8 times times, and nearly 50% of households have digital television system, according to CEA.

Back in 1998 / 9 is not uncommon for the first generation of monitors for high-definition television for $ 10,000, and the tuner HD receivers cost $ 700 to $ 3,000. It is expensive for the former.

In late 2007, and television variety of technologies are available for every viewing environment. DTV sets are much better quality, and sell for a fraction of the price sold in 1998.

DTV HDTV quality or volume, or both?

We all love the incredible quality of high definition video, however, because the HD DTV is not required in the plan, which allows broadcasters to use the 6 MHz allocated slots (for HD channels), multicast instead of multiple sub-channels than SD quality, because it actually happened at many stations across the United States.

By sharing the same total bandwidth of 6MHz, SD sub-channels to steal about 2-3 Mbps each required bandwidth of an HD channel should deliver 19.4 Mbps (if the station is also multicast HD sub-channels). Compression strength parallel transmission 19.4 Mbps HD signal to a level slightly lower to make room for the SD sub-channel, compromising HD quality.

In many cases, more than one SD sub-channel multicasting with HD sub-channel. When reducing the bit rate compressed HD signal beyond acceptable limits, providing a lower image quality with visible artifacts, especially in fast moving images in sports is more clear and unacceptable, wide screen (more on that later).

It may also be possible that the TV channels you want to share some of the data bandwidth for the disbursement of interactive services, or for mobile digital TV for mobile handheld devices (it has no analog to portable devices as well). For more information, see the article I wrote a series of "mobile DTV," in which to study the potential impact of mobile applications in the quality of HD channels as bandwidth theft.

We all hope to govern the HD and HD quality will prevail over the volume of digital business models, and should be encouraged to DTV station to do so, most consumers buy an HDTV instead of a conventional television.

Back to the legacy analog TV Broadcast Competition Digital

When the broadcast digital television is fully implemented February 17, 2009, there will be compatibility with existing analog equipment, but a trap for you to watch digital TV channels on their analogue terrestrial digital TV at this time would require a digital STB tuner connected to the air. Current analog TV will display 480i interlaced analog versions of digital images.

No need to take risks to replace analog TV is in good working condition, if you want to keep watching TV the same quality, but you want to buy a digital tuner STB DTV transmissions.

This also applies to your analog VCR, DVD recorder, TiVo, etc., if you want the independence of the diffusion of adjustment. Several years ago, the digital STB TV tuner is quite expensive, $ 400 - $ 1000 price range, consider buying a digital tuner for $ 400 to $ 30 an analog VCR, but gradually lower the price.

The U.S. government has approved the subsidy coupon program to help people to buy a digital TV tuner to facilitate the transition from analog to digital for existing analog televisions can continue to be used for digital broadcasting DTV.

To this end, Congress approved funding of $ 1.5 billion, with initial contribution of $ 990 million to subsidize up to two $ 40 coupons per household. Coupons became available in January 2008 and can be requested by consumers until March 2009, for use in the purchase of two digital TV tuners.

Both coupons can not be used together to buy just one digital TV tuner, whether they are used to buy another tuner OTA / DVR STB, satellite STB DTV tuner in it, or cable STB.

The tuners offered by this program will cost $ 50 - $ 70 per set, consumers must pay the difference after applying the $ 40 coupon. Under the plan, the tuner will be available mid-February 2008 by the national chains Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.

Although subsidies are designed to tune the tuner digital SD and HD channels, which can emit a signal that focus on other 480i resolution analog to analog TV. In other words, subsidized tuner is not usually done as an HD tuner that approval of the resolution HDTV 480p, 720p or 1080i HD to watch. This only serves to downconvert because their purpose is compatible with analogue TV, but their prices are lower than the standard resolution of HDTV ATSC tuner with variable output and digital output.



Satellite / cable, and DTV transition

If you subscribe to a satellite with a satellite decoder that you need for SD / HD digital services. In addition, most banks also have satellite terrestrial ATSC tuner, if you want to get local channels for free with a VHF / UHF. However, DirecTV launched a new model in late 2007 without antenna input, local channels is seen from the satellite signal, the service for most major cities.

If you subscribe to cable when the cable company decides to turn off power to the house of analog and digital power supply only, you need a cable to the analog signal to digital STB see each analog TV channels in your home like the focus of the DTV Coupon Program broadcast on, but you want to rent or to buy the cable STB, without coupons.

Cable companies are licensed by the FCC in late 2007 to continue the electrical analog service for 5 years (until 2012) if they wish, but is not obligated to do so. Digital Cable STB Terrestrial digital TV tuner is not in them so you can not use your tuner is connected to a UHF / VHF antenna to receive local channels for free.

Cable companies will face at least two alternatives for the transfer from analogue to digital between 2007 and 2012:

a) If your customer base is mostly digital, cable companies may have an incentive to make a large upfront investment to get enough of digital STB to convert all remaining analog subscribers to digital services as soon as possible level, to rent a digital converter box for each analog TV. To provide the bandwidth occupied by broadcast channels to analog cable feed, can be used for additional digital channels and receive a higher income if premiums, VOD, PPV, etc. paid services.

b) If the base of customers mainly analog, cable companies might want to keep the current mix of analog and digital decoders, analog and maintain the required level until 2012. Since the bandwidth of the cable from analog broadcast channel allocation should continue in the alternative, the company will have to delay the growth potential of digital channels and services, but not a requirement for substantial investment in the front face of the digital STB, it is not forced conversion. This option seems economical for both companies and customers as customers are not forced to rent a digital converter box for analog TV today can each be attached to the wall of the coaxial cable without a cable box, since many are not the main TV in most households.

While the initial investment of a large number of digital set-tops can be expensive for a cable company, there may be potential revenue offset a little extra to receive digital services, such as paying for VOD, PPV or premium channels. In addition, the number of digital decoder required for full digital conversion of the power cord can be reduced even more when considering the growing base of integrated CableCard HDTV tuner is expected to increase in 2008 and 2009.

However, as a CableCard tuner built into an HDTV set in one direction, can still be a basic cable customers still needed a two-way capacity of HD-STB cable VOD, PPV, and cable programming guide supplied. Each cable company has to balance these factors through 2012.

Tuner Integration

Today, everyone who wants to save more money every year. This is very impressive if you can make more money and still see high-definition satellite television on your PC. You can accomplish if you see the cheapest deal for your TV entertainment at home.

You can do research on the Internet for the cheapest deal and you can see the HD satellite TV is the ideal choice. You can offer a little money per month package includes free installation and other local channels. This is very cheap if you want to see their local channels.

If you use the power of HD satellite TV, you will be able to get crystal-clear digital channels. If you decide to pack a pack of free high speed internet via satellite, satellite providers offer an additional $ 10 off per month for one full year of service.

Many people go online every day and use software that allows them to view their high-definition satellite television, even if they are at home. Even watching a computer screen can be uncomfortable, because computer monitors are relatively small compared to the TV at home, not a serious problem and people can be ignored.

HD satellite TV, you can easily choose the package that allows you to pay more than the schedule that you want. It is better for you because if you use cable, you have to pay for tons of programming, only a vision, and still not get the program you want. You can choose the package that lets you see what you want from the beginning.

To have HD satellite TV, you have to do is get the software, you do not need extra gadgets. This software offers more features, where access to over 3,000 channels including local channels and 1,500 radio stations. And when you have an Internet connection, you will not lose any of your favorite television shows. As a result, the price is not all you have to pay attention, you only pay the price and can make the most of it. It's a sure thing.

The old adage that says that TV is bad for your health has recently been challenged by environmental psychologists, who conducted a study to explore the mind the benefits of HDTV.


Experiments conducted by Peter Kahn and his colleagues at the University of Washington is very concerned about the exhibit, now take viewers closer than ever before in the natural world with the arrival of high definition TV. The researchers attempted to examine whether high-definition television broadcast environment, plasma replacement windows - will have beneficial effects on office workers.


After 16 weeks, the experiment is considered successful because the workers are exposed to see the green and the mountains from time to time be found to think more clearly, enjoy a greater sense of well-being, and feel close ties with the outside world that those who do not enjoy the view - whether the world is the representation of television.


While television can not provide a strong connection as a hands on experience of nature in the first place, an important result to show how the brain responded positively to a well defined natural images, which can be useful to live in an urban environment that is separate from the natural world.


An earlier study by Marc Berman of the University of Michigan shows the comparative effects on the welfare of natural stimuli, such as trees, plants and fresh air, it was found that the impact of a more relaxed and positive that the most spectacular of urban environmental stimuli, where workers can feel more difficult to relax and unwind at the end of a long day.

In 2002, the FCC issued a "mandatory" plan to gradually integrate a digital tuner broadcast digital television monitors and other fastening devices such as HD DVR. The plan was implemented in 2007 for all sets larger than 13 "and all the digital TV on sale mandate to include a digital terrestrial tuner (except for some models of industry / professional). In most cases also includes a tuner for unscrambled cable premium channels are clear, and even includes a CableCard tuner for channels and premium services.

As mentioned above, unidirectional CableCard tuner only, and lack features two-way video-on-Demand, Pay Per View Simbu and guidance provided by the cable programming company, which is a separate set-top boxes from cable companies still have an integrated television designed to be bi-directional CableCard tuner in their joints.

Industry analyst commentary for the size of the economy this year will lower the price of digital tuners in today's very low price NTSC analog TV tuner, but the fact that the STB for ATSC terrestrial or cable, satellite, DVR, etc. (not a government coupon down-converted-STB) is still has a very high price, considering that the HDTV is good, a large drop below $ 5,000 - $ 10,000 98/99 at a price below $ 1000.

More on this topic is discussed below.

Impact DVD to DTV

Most of the 6 million people who buy HDTV in the first 5 years after transplantation (98-03) did not see the HD, but to enjoy DVD playback in widescreen 480p. Even now, in 2008, after HD DVD was introduced in early 2006, the contents of a normal DVD is still a favorite of digital television, precisely because it is so progressive screen resolution of 480p or 720p or 1080i additional / p native resolution digital television (either DVD or TV). The same DVD played on an analog TV will only display the image as a 480i interlaced scanning.

In addition, the HDTV has the ability to display movies in widescreen anamorphic all original vertical resolution is stored on disk, while the 4x3 analog televisions will display the same DVD letterboxing the image between the top of the greatest / bottom bars to maintain aspect ratio is wider than the movie , and a lower vertical resolution than the image itself.

Samsung HD TV reviews



With over 500 models of home theater speakers available through a generous number of high value and low-end, many consumers rely on salesperson to lead them in the right direction. Consumers have a limited budget, be sure to go with the cheapest option for meeting the needs there. This, however, tend to get less than ideal sound system does not meet the expectations or needs of the owner. Therefore, it is a good idea to educate one of the best brands and styles of speaker and specifications to meet the housing needs before making a decision. Home theater speakers are generally comprised of front speaker, left and right speakers, center channel speaker, two surround speakers and a subwoofer. Homeowners can mix and match pieces, but professional help is advisable to ensure that the speakers are compatible. What kind of speakers come in different sizes, designs and sound output. The following is a kind of style you might consider: Speaker Floor-Power </ b> the most popular days of home theater speakers available.Every, more Samsung HD TV, and those who want to buy Samsung HD TV beyond. Most people want to buy Samsung HD TV require some accurate information so they can buy the best. Samsung is one of the leading brands for HDTV production.

They offer a model for the customers the best quality. All models of Samsung HDTV sports a unique feature to create the best possible experience for the audience. However, to make the right decisions when buying Samsung HD TV can be a daunting task if you do not have enough information about the different models of HDTV.




Samsung HD TV rule revision is perfect for you to help you make the right decision. Samsung HD TV considered the best high-definition television offers the highest video quality and digital sound quality.With occurs at high speeds, people expect the best of their leisure time time by time spent in front of the box. "These days, the latest equipment for high-definition television is available, people can immerse themselves in the middle of the action that combines crisp, realistic digital surround sound each pushing the boundaries of that before!

For the best viewing experience of HD, it is recommended by most modern equipment such as HDTV HDTV capable, HD decoders, the latest in surround sound and, of course, the appropriate cable to connect your HDTV together .

HDTV comes in different flavors and it is important to choose the one that is the future and fit your budget. When choosing your HDTV, make sure it is capable of displaying standard definition 720p and 1080i HD formats. It is also worth the time to wonder if HDTV is compatible with HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compatible. If the technology is too much for you, just look for "Mark HD" - This is the easiest way to tell if your HDTV is real. Logo "Mark the HD Forum is an initiative of Australian industry and Digital Providers can only apply to television on certain criteria. The best source that provides detailed information on all aspects of unit testing Samsung HD TV.

Samsung HDTV review is the key for you to identify the model they need. In addition to experts, the first time that most people find the best performance and cultivate the habit of seeing Samsung HD TV comments. What could change the entire theater district or moved to another house. cabinet or bookshelf speakers <b> </ b> is the same as well as speakers from the ground, but smaller and can be placed in the center or recreation or shelf to save space. <b> wall speakers </ b> does not require floor space, and may lose the party wall. Their quality is generally good, but require professional installation and wiring. <b> wall speakers </ b> is recommended to use a flat TV screen. They offer excellent sound and the aesthetics of good parts. Home theater owner or designer must determine the needs and likes listening to some of the space to create a theater-quality home. Room size and design are important factors, and encourage the speaker setup. Logistics, as well as the placement of electrical outlets, room size and space, you can use a large influence on the type of equipment that can and should be placed in the room. Home theater speakers are available in different sizes. Not all sizes are assigned to each room. Large speakers are not useful for a small room, because to play at lower volumes. This can cause distortion in the audio. Small low quality speakers that are used to large spaces can produce a sound of metal or thin, if you can not produce enough votes for a good performance. Similar size speakers may sound different in output or play a different sound level is equally important to listen to speakers and compare brands and sizes before buying. The headphones are available in a variety of deposit - natural wood or laminate, metal, plastic, and from time to time, but often feel may be limited by the make or model. Speaker as diverse as tennis, so be sure to try some and how they fit into your home theater before making a purchase.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Sep 22, LCD TV Mounts Installation Guide - Part 2: Choosing the Right LCD Mount

Almost all LCD TVs come with a tabletop stand as a standard accessory. This in itself should do a fine job as long as you happen to have a suitable table or cabinet of the appropriate height.

Yet this is just one of the many mounting options available for flat-panel televisions.

The reality is that these less than 4-inch deep display panels have given rise to a vast range of alternative LCD mounts. These range from the modern-looking pedestal stand complete with shelf supports to take your AV gear, to wall-type tilting and articulated swivel-arm LCD TV mounts, and TV ceiling mounts.

Important: Irrespective of the mounting option you choose, ensure that the LCD TV mount you opt for comes with a VESA compliant mounting hole pattern.

This is the standard measurement for flat-panel TV mounts. Universal stands designed to fit various sizes normally come with multiple hole patters to fit the different screen sizes.

The VESA mounting standard includes the VESA 50, 75, and 100, while larger models may use the VESA 200.

The number behind the VESA standard indicates the mounting hole pattern in millimeters. For example, the VESA 100 will have four holes placed at the corners of a 100mm by 100mm square.

The exception is the VESA 200, which comes either in VESA 200x100mm, or VESA 200x200mm hole pattern.

OmniMount G3-FP-DARK Floor StandFloor space is not an issue? Then a possible option is the 'pedestal' type floor stand. It provides an ultra modern look that better fits flat-panel TVs than the standard 'tabletop stand/cabinet' combination.

This type of LCD TV mount do provide an easy mounting option for flat-panel televisions. It is the way to go especially if you have limited DIY skills since you do not need to drill any holes in walls.

Pedestal type LCD TV mounts would normally enable you to hide all interconnecting cables inside the supporting column; most will also provide for height adjustment of the supporting bracket.

This mounting option is a great straightforward option for spaces without small children.

Mounting an LCD TV using a pedestal-type floor stand is no different from installing an ordinary TV.  Just follow the instructions to assemble the various parts together using the provided Allen-key and/or spanner, and adjust the height of the supporting column and equipment shelves - if included, as necessary.

You then need an extra pair of helping hands to lift and place the LCD HDTV on the stand. All that remains is to connect the inputs and outputs by following the installation instructions that come with the flat-panel LCD TV and AV gear.

Sanus PFFP pedestal LCD TV mountThere are various pedestal stands to choose from. A high quality yet affordable floor stand is the SANUS SYSTEMS PFFP Universal Flat Panel TV Stand.

This SANUS LCD TV floor stand is presently selling at amazon for around $250. It is not among the cheapest mounts available online, but it represents good value for money and comes in an attractive silver finish.

The whole package includes the SANUS VMPL50S LCD TV mount - designed to accommodate flat-panel displays up to 50 inch, and a glass shelve to support an HDTV set-top box, a DVD, etc. Additional equipment shelves are available if required.

An upgraded version of the PFFP LCD TV mount is also available - the SANUS PFFP2B Universal plasma/LCD TV floor stand. It has the same metal structure as the PFFP except that it comes with two equipment shelves as standard. The PFFP2B is available in either matt black or silver finish.

LCD TV mounts designed to hang your display on a wall are available in a large variety of models and come from many different brands. LCD wall mounts vary from the standard fixed wall mount to tilting mounts and articulated swivel-arm mounts.

The use of a tilting wall mount is ideal for hanging your LCD HDTV above eye level - say, if you are going to watch TV while laying in bed. Articulated swivel-arm mounts lets you swing your flat-panel TV either side for better viewing from different angles.

All LCD wall mounts consist of two main parts, a back plate that mounts onto the wall, and a front plate with the VESA mounting hole pattern that is screwed onto the back panel of your LCD television. What happens in between these two plates determines whether the wall mount is fixed, tilting, etc.

Irrespective of the model and brand, the mounting process for an LCD TV mount is practically always the same. You just screw the back plate onto the wall, attach the front plate to your LCD TV, and then lower the whole LCD TV/front plate assembly in place into the rest of the wall mount assembly. You would need the help of an extra pair of hands here. Models vary, so make sure you follow the installation guides that come with both your mount and LCD TV.

These wall mounts take up the least amount of space - in that they add no more than two inches to your flat-panel television set depth. The PDR Mounts fixed-type flat-panel TV wall mount displayed on the right adds just approximately 1.625 inches to the overall depth of your flat-panel TV.

These relatively simple wall mounts are also among the cheapest LCD TV mounts you can buy; the heavy-duty fixed-wall mount shown hear is presently selling online for approximately $65.

PDR Mounts Heavy Duty Fixed Mount for 23" to 37" Flat Panels

There is even more in favor to the standard fixed-type LCD TV wall mount. This is also the easiest to install yourself; if you have ever hung a bathroom cabinet, you can handle the job, but...

Unless you have some sort of restriction with the additional increase in depth resulting from the use of adjustable wall mounts, try to avoid using fixed LCD TV mounts. True that these are the easiest to install, but once you lower your LCD TV in place, it would be difficult if not impossible to manage the inputs at the back of your television. This is important as not all LCD HDTVs come with conveniently placed inputs. In the worst case, you may have to remove the LCD TV from the wall bracket each time you need to pass a new cable.

Tilting and swiveling wall mounts add a bit more depth to the overall mount than fixed LCD TV wall mounts. The tilting wall mount shown on the right is approximately 3-inches in depth as against the less than 2-inches for a standard fixed-type wall mount.

But then these mounts leave your interconnecting options open, as they will enable you to add more cables to support new gear later without having to remove the LCD display panel from the supporting brackets.

Universal tilting LCD wall mountTilting wall mounts provide for a change in the vertical angle of view (typically ±15 degrees) of the television depending on the viewer position. These LCD wall mounts are best suited where the ideal mounting height is not feasible.

A swiveling bracket allows also for a change in the horizontal viewing angle. This means tilting and swiveling/articulated arm LCD TV mounts have a further advantage. Through the proper adjustment of the LCD panel, it is possible to improve the viewing experience while minimizing, or even eliminate glare problems.

Opting for a wall mount that allows for vertical and/or horizontal movement is the best way to go if the additional increase in overall depth is not a problem. Price wise, the additional expense for a tilting LCD TV mount with respect to a standard 'fixed' type wall mount is minimal, yet the convenience gained is significant.

Sanus articulated-arm LCD wall mountArticulated-arm LCD TV mounts provide for even better positioning of the LCD panel while maintaining all the benefits associated with tilting and swiveling mounts.

These type of wall mounts however, are somewhat more expensive than fixed or tilting LCD wall mounts. The SANUS stand shown here is selling at Amazon for just under $300. Still, this mount is good value for money considering its solid heavy-gauge steel construction. Further more, it comes in an attractive polished silver finish, and features tilt, swivel, pan, and extended motion adjustments.

Last but not least, you can go for a ceiling mount - another good bedroom option.

Note however that this is the most difficult to do it yourself. Unless you are a professional, we do not recommend that you try installing a ceiling mount on your own as you need to take the structural integrity of the ceiling into account.

Ceiling mounts are generally more expensive than the fixed wall-type LCD TV mounts though when you purchase online, the price difference between standard wall mounts and ceiling mounts is not so pronounced.

In fact, the articulating LCD ceiling mount featured on the right is selling at amazon for less than $80; this is practically the price of a good quality fixed-type wall mount.

Articulating LCD Ceiling MountThis silver finished ceiling mount is both VESA 100 and VESA 200 compliant, and can support up to 100lbs - meaning that it can easily take a 42-inch LCD or plasma screen. It also features a 5-degree upward and 15-degree downward tilt mechanism for better positioning of the flat-panel TV.

Blue bullet

When you purchase an LCD TV mount, purchase only from a reputable source.

Blue bullet

Buying online offers a price advantage, but ensure that you get a good return policy in case you discover that the selected mount is not suitable for your needs. Most major online stores - including amazon, do support appropriate policies in this respect.

Blue bullet

When you buy an LCD TV mount, ensure that it fits your LCD TV. Check both the mounting hole pattern on the mount, and equally important, its load bearing capacity with respect to the weight of your flat-panel TV.

Next: LCD TV Installation (3) - An alternative to in-wall wiring

If you are in the market for a flat panel TV mount, we advise to visit the amazon storefront; the vast choice of products and the various buying options available from the different retailers are among the best online. 

However, prior to any decision, we recommend to do some research of your own. Look at what other customers had to say about their LCD mount following their purchase. This will give you extensive insight about the product of interest - in particular about the built quality and ease of assembly and installation. A good starting point is the customer feedback posted on the amazon site. 

You can search the amazon storefront for LCD TV Mounts without leaving our site by using the amazon search box below; your search results will appear here under.


View the original article here

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Sep 23, Plasma vs LCD TV - A Detailed Comparative Guide (2): Picture Matters

This is one of those areas in this plasma vs LCD TV shoot-out, which is becoming increasingly difficult to determine where to go. This in view that the latest generation plasma and LCD flat panel displays are both capable of producing excellent picture quality – with bright, crisp clear images. Yet there are still a few significant differences when it comes to plasma vs LCD picture performance - including with respect to LED TVs -  that renders one display technology more suitable than the other under certain circumstances.

Plasma TV sets are generally more suitable for home theater use than LCD TVs, even though the latest LED TVs are capable of achieving exceptionally deep blacks.

However, plasma TVs picture quality characteristics render plasma television sets more suitable for use under controlled lighting. The main reason is plasma's deeper blacks. The gas cell structure within a plasma display is such that there is no light leaking between adjacent cells (or pixels). This enables a plasma TV to display deeper blacks than its LCD counterpart especially when handling mixed content images with predominantly dark content but that still contains small bright areas to be displayed simultaneously over the dark background.

Some may argue that LED TVs are also capable of exceptionally dark blacks in comparison to CCFL LCD TVs but take note that even the more precise LED TVs with full array local dimming are not capable of producing the deepest blacks of the best plasmas when handling bright objects over a predominantly dark background.

Improved black level performance is a most important picture quality parameter as it helps render better those difficult-to-define quality attributes like picture depth, scene detail - especially in television and movie scenes where lots of dark and light content is shown simultaneously, and color richness - more specifically the perceived color saturation. Indirectly, a better black level also leads to better rendering of picture contrast.

In comparison, the nature of LCD technology – where a backlight shines through the LCD layer – makes it difficult to achieve true blacks, i.e. true absence of light. There is always some light leakage between adjacent picture elements in an LCD panel. And this applies even to the latest LED-backlit LCD TVs using local dimming technology and especially edge-lit LED TVs. The latter are basically nothing more than CCFL LCD TVs with the CCFL replaced by a LED backlight. While LED TVs can literally switch the LED backlight off to achieve total darkens say between scenes, yet their overall black level performance with mixed content nowhere approaches that of the best plasma TVs.

In fact, the darkest images on a plasma TV can be as dark as a fraction of a candela. This corresponds to the 'brightness' of the turned-off phosphor. In the case of an LCD television, the 'brightness level' of the darkest picture scenes is significantly higher; in the worst case, it can even reach one candela - at times even more, and this when viewed just right in front of the LCD display. View the LCD screen at an angle, and you will find that its black level performance deteriorates significantly. As stated, LED TVs can achieve total darkens by switching the LED backlight off but you cannot take black level on its own; more important than the deepest black a TV can achieve is the overall black level performance with mixed content.

In other words, when it comes to plasma vs LCD, despite the latest improvements in LCD technology - especially with LED TVs, plasma still enjoys a technological advantage.

In general, the color accuracy of LCD panels is still not exactly on par with that of the best plasma televisions - but the difference between high-end models for both display technologies is just a hair apart and often noticeable only under a test environment.

The reason for the slight plasma edge in this respect arise out of the way color is produced in LCD displays where white light from the backlit source is filtered through micro color filters build in sub-pixels.

This LCD light transmissive method of controlling color is an inherently difficult process to maintain color accuracy and vibrancy - even though most LCD displays manage to do quite an impressive job. Instead, plasma generates color direct at the light source - thanks to the different phosphors used in the individual sub-pixel elements.

In general, plasma displays continue to exhibit more richness in color information and more natural coloration; on the other hand, LCD display panels would normally tend towards over-saturation. This over-saturation, together with the inherent anti-glare technology employed in LCD panels, and their relatively brighter image, render LCD panels more suitable for use in brightly lit rooms.

This does not mean that LCD panels are not suitable for use in the home theater. Some of the latest generation LCD HDTV sets make use of intelligent backlight units that are capable of delivering even greater color freedom, thus yielding more true to life colors. In particular, the latest developments in LCD panel backlights using LED light are capable of more accurate rendering of color detail. LED TVs within this category include the Samsung 46-inch UN46C8000 and 55-inch UN55C8000 edge lit LED TVs with precision dimming, and LG 55-inch 55LE8500 and 47-inch 47LE8500 LED TVs with full array local diming backlight technology. These LED TVs are capable of top-notch performance but this superior performance with respect to other LCD TVs does not come cheap.

The latest energy efficient plasma display panels from Samsung, Panasonic, and LG are also capable of producing relatively very bright images despite their lower power consumption levels. This makes these new 2010 plasma TVs also suitable for use in brightly lit environments. Yet we still recommend using LCDs under bright lighting instead of plasma as apart from plasma's higher power consumption levels, prolonged use of high brightness levels in plasma displays may eventually reduce their phosphor lining performance.

And what about contrast ratio? We are seeing some really high contrast ratio ratings for both plasma and LCD TVs - with the latest trend being the popular mega-contrast ratings. The biggest number we have seen so far averaged 5,000,000:1 for most premium plasma TVs and 10,000,000:1 quoted by LG for its latest LX9500 3D LED TV series.

Yet when it comes to comparing plasma vs LCD contrast performance, the real problem with LCD televisions is not insufficient contrast with respect to plasma TVs. Rather, it is the deterioration in picture quality associated with LCDs due to a noticeable lowering in contrast and black levels with off-axis viewing; this also leads to loss of color saturation. This is especially so with LED TVs due to their restricted viewing angle. This is not the case with plasma TVs.

A word of caution here about high contrast ratio ratings: Manufactures like to impress with excessive high figures. However, keep in mind that it is not possible for the human eye to perceive any difference in contrast between a ratio of say 5,000:1 and 10,000:1, even in pitch darkness. There is also the issue that static (at times also referred to as on-screen contrast ratio), and dynamic contrast ratings are not one and the same thing. Manufacturers tend to quote the latter as it yields a bigger number.

Furthermore, the perceived contrast level by the eye depends on a number of factors. Apart from the level of ambient light - which may very well render even a rating of 100:1 academic, in the case of direct-view displays like plasma and LCD, contrast ratio performance is also dependent on the effectiveness of the screen anti-glare filter in maintaining black levels under bright lighting - more specifically in its effectiveness in blocking external light from entering the display panel. For more information on this issue, please refer to our Contrast Ratio article.

Image uniformity encompasses a number of aspects that range from uniformity of the image brightness across the screen to image smoothness. These are issues that are highly dependent on the display technology but quite a few of these uniformity issues may arise out of problems with the video processing itself and therefore, may vary significantly between brands.

When comparing plasma vs LCD image uniformity performance, plasma enjoys a definite edge over LCD TVs. In particular, plasma seems to be more forgiving when displaying noisy video content. In a similar manner, shadow gradations on plasma looks smoother than on an LCD.

Furthermore, problems related to lack of uniformity in the image brightness across the screen are exclusively LCD related. LCDs often exhibit a sort of a brighter spot - how pronounced varies from make to make, but in general, brightness is not 100% uniform across an LCD TV screen - mainly because of problems with the backlight-diffuser system used to spread light across the full display area. And with edge-lit LED TVs, screen uniformity may get even worse than with CCFL LCD TVs. This is not the case with plasma TVs.

Issues such as banding, clouding, and pillaring are all forms of uniformity issues associated with problems in the LCD backlight. These problems may arise with both CCFL-based LCDs and edge-lit LED backlights. Additionally, LED LCDs using local dimming technology may also exhibit a sort of halo effect - also referred to as blooming - when displaying bright objects over a predominantly dark background.

LCD TV with Clouding Problem LCD TV with clouding problem

These brightness uniformity issues in LCDs are often further pronounced with off-angle viewing.

3D has taken a much slower start that what TV makers expected but for those interested in 3D TV, it is interesting to note that plasma and LCDs (CCFL and LEDs) does not perform the same.

Again, it is plasma that takes the upper hand here. It seems that unlike plasma TVs, LCD televisions - whether using a CCFL or LED backlight - are more prone to image crosstalk. The latter is a phenomenon in 3D viewing where a subtle washed-out image intended for the right eye appears as a halo around the image intended for the left eye and vice versa.

This affects the 3D image detail - leading to a subtle double image effect that may at times become annoying with some 3D content. In the worst case, it may even cause eye fatigue.

It is true that 3D Crosstalk can be caused by a variety of factors including lack of accuracy in the synchronization between the TV and the shutter glasses, as well as too high contrast TV settings or a high contrast image. But it is also enhanced by an insufficient pixel response time. Even the superfast (for an LCD) 1 msec response time of the LX9500 LG LED TV flagship series is not fast enough to eliminate crosstalk completely. Mind you, the LG flagship faster response time helps reduce 3D crosstalk over slower LCD TVs - including the Samsung C8000 series, but it is still present on this flagship LED LCD TV.

Instead, reviews of the latest 3D Panasonic plasma TVs show that these plasma HDTVs can produce an exceptionally 3D picture with hardly any visible crosstalk.

But the way, LCD panels have another drawback when it comes to 3D TV! Because of the polarizer layer used on LCD panels - both on the TV display and the 3D glasses, the viewer has to sit in an upright position to get the 3D effect; try to tilt or relax and sit back with the glasses at an angle to the LCD screen and the image would go dark as the polarization of the display panel and that of the glasses cross each other.

Here our thumbs up in this plasma vs LCD analysis goes to plasma televisions, even though both technologies are extremely close in terms of overall picture performance, but...

In general, plasma color richness and naturalness will prevail in rooms with low to normal lighting. Plasma also performs better when it comes to 3D TV due to its less susceptibility to 3D image crosstalk. Instead, LCDs will perform better in brightly lit rooms due to their inherent anti-glare technology and higher brightness levels.

We continue this plasma vs LCD discussion by looking at how picture quality behaves with a change in viewing angle.

The viewing angle represents how far one can sit on either side of the screen away from the center, without experiencing significant deterioration in picture quality mainly because of color shifts and reduced contrast.

Plasma televisions typically have a better viewing angle than LCD TVs as they hold black levels much better with off-axis viewing than LCDs. This usually occurs at around 100 degrees, i.e. at some 50 degrees on either side of a line drawn normal to the center of the screen.

The main reason for this difference between these two technologies arise out of the fact that each pixel in a plasma display panel produces its own light, rather than light being spread across the screen from one central backlight source and then controlled by active polarized elements in the display panel. Hence, each pixel is more readily visible even when viewing at an angle to the screen surface because its brightness is consistent with every other pixel on the screen.

Recent developments in LCD technology mean that this is less of an issue - rather it is becoming a non-issue especially with the latest generation of CCFL LCD televisions. With LED LCD TVs, the situation is somewhat different; these still suffer from a somewhat restricted viewing angle and unless you take the best seat, you would not enjoy the best picture.

What used to be a clear advantage for plasma displays is becoming more and more a non-issue especially with the latest generation of LCD televisions, however...

Do not always assume that viewing angle is no longer important when comparing plasma vs LCD, especially if the viewing angle is not specified. The tendency – in particular with cheaper LCD TV sets - is that the deterioration in picture quality is more accentuated with LCD and in particular LED TVs, than with plasma displays.

The minimum recommended viewing distance for a 1080p HDTV is approximately twice the screen width. Yet, due to the different pixel structure between plasma and LCDs, if the viewing distance is less than 6 to 8 feet, probably you will be better off with an LCD TV. The pixel size and display build up structure of an LCD panel help render a smoother picture than that from equivalent size plasmas for the same pixel count.

For a detailed discussion on TV viewing distance considerations, we advise to check our article here.

None if you are within normal viewing distance for your screen size; this applies as long as your viewing distance is more than approximately 6 to 8 feet away from the TV screen.

If you have a too short TV viewing distance, an LCD television may render itself better as its pixel structure is less visible.

Up to not long ago, LCD panels used to deliver more in terms of pixel count. LCD manufacturers were also the first to come up with 1080p screens and to a certain extent, this was also used to a great extent by LCD TV retailers as a sales advantage over plasma TVs.

This is no longer the case; for anything greater and including  42-inch screens, plasma TVs are readily available in 1080p full HD resolution. This means that the two display technologies are now on par in this respect.

Rather the situation with both plasma and LCDs is that you have more choice for 1080p HDTVs; additionally, 720p LCD TVs at anything bigger than 37-inch have become almost inexistent.

A word of caution: Do not underestimate the picture quality supported by the less expensive 720p display. Keep in mind that the eye would not be able to perceive the additional picture detail afforded by the 1080p pixel count for screens less than and including 50-inch diagonals from what is considered normal viewing distance especially with TV program content. Rather, opting for a 720p instead of a 1080p HDTV for anything between 40-inch and 50-inch would definitely lead to significant savings since the higher pixel count of 1080p plasma or LCD HDTVs comes at a price.

Up to very recent, LCD televisions used to deliver more in terms of pixels for screen sizes up to 50-inch. When comparing plasma vs LCD TV sets, it was only at the extreme larger end of the scale that plasma and LCD display resolutions met.

However, things changed. At screen sizes where collision between the two technologies occurs, plasma and LCD TVs are both available in 1080p resolutions. Rather, the real problem for the HDTV buyer is that 720p LCD TVs are no longer available within the 40-inch to 50-inch screen category.


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Sep 22, LCD Mounts Installation Guide - Part 1: LCD TV Installation Basics

LCD HDTVs are sleek, sexy and versatile. Together with plasma TVs, LCD flat-panel televisions are considered by many as the coolest thing you can have in your home entertainment area.

Surely, one of the greatest features of flat panel LCD TV sets and plasma televisions is their slim footprint - with most displays being no more than 3.5 to 4 inches thick.

It is this peculiarity that opens new mounting options - by using appropriate LCD mounts - otherwise impossible with bulkier CRT and rear projection TVs. You can literally hang your LCD HDTV set on the wall like a picture, or even go for a ceiling mount in a bedroom installation.  At the same time, you can still opt for a standard table-stand or a stylish column floor-stand.

It is also this slim footprint that renders a flat panel TV, the television display of choice when it comes to wanting a large screen size without sacrificing floor space. Use a wall-type LCD mount and your 50-inch high definition LCD television will simply take zero floor space!

This 'wall mountable' characteristic makes LCD TVs true space-savers - an aspect so important for those with small living areas. It is also this same characteristic that renders flat panel HDTVs an easy option to integrate within any room decor.

Of course, an LCD TV is not just a picture. Hence, all these mounting options are accompanied by several constraints that one has to be aware of when placing and mounting an LCD television.

It is true that the many different LCD mounts available on the market, make mounting of an LCD TV a relatively easy process especially for the end user with average DIY skills. Yet mounting a flat panel TV is not as easy as it seems.

Furthermore, there is the need of some planning to go into the process to:

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Identify an optimum location for your flat-panel TV.

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Determine how best to run and hide cables from the various sources to your television.

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Select the right LCD mount for your needs.

Note: Though this discussion focuses on LCD televisions and LCD mounts, yet the steps detailed in this guide equally apply when mounting a plasma television, with a few exceptions: Plasma TVs are substantially heavier and generate more heat. For more information on mounting a plasma TV, please check our Plasma Television Installation Guide.

As expressed earlier on in our introduction, the use of LCD mounts renders mounting of a flat-panel TV, a relatively easy job that can be done by most end users. Furthermore, the many different variants of LCD mounts do provide an easy-to-use mounting solution under most circumstances.

Yet, mounting of a flat-panel TV would still call for a minimum of DIY skills; in particular, you need to know how to operate a drill and use a spirit level to level off the TV panel. Fixing the mount perfectly level is critical - it will be hard to fix a poorly done job later, so re-check your measurements.

Mind you, you do not need to be neither a carpenter, nor a qualified electrician - though a few basics within these areas will surely help you get the job done. Still, you need to be able to work with precision for a professional looking job.

You would also need a good pair of helping hands. True that LCD TVs can be substantially lighter than their plasma counterpart by as much as 30% to 40% (depending on model and screen size), and therefore, they are easier to handle, but they are still heavy gear. A typical 46-inch LCD HDTV may easily weigh over 70 pounds. In other words, this is at least a two-person job.

Finally, you need to know how to follow through the installation instructions that come with your flat panel television, and eventual, the instructions that come also with the LCD mount of your choice. This is essential since you will have to plan your work accordingly - in every detail before drilling any holes.

Placement: Before deciding on your LCD mounting options, you first need to consider where in the room you are going to place your LCD flat-panel TV.

While this in itself is purely subjective, yet there are a few considerations that come into play. Considerations that relates to the fact that what you will be hanging on the wall - or in that case, even on a pedestal stand - is not some movie poster, but a TV screen.

For best results, avoid setting up your LCD HDTV facing large windows, doors, etc., where sunlight may fall directly across the screen.  While LCD TV screens tend to be easier on the eye when used in brightly lit rooms due to their inherent anti-glare technology, yet any bright source of light shining onto the screen surface will surely ruin your viewing experience.

As expressed in our plasma installation guide, the best way to decide before installing your LCD mount is to make a note of how sunlight travels across the room you plan to use. Try to place your seating along the wall where light hits and your flat-panel screen on the opposite wall.

The next consideration is available wall space, or floor area in case of a pedestal-type LCD mount. Try to find enough clearance. Typically, you need a minimum of twice the screen width. This is required to fit in your left and right channel speakers and/or possibly, some other decoration to augment the aesthetics without shifting the attention from what should be the real center of attraction - that flat panel LCD HDTV.

A final consideration related to screen placement - irrespective of the type of LCD mount you will be making use - is the available viewing distance between your LCD HDTV and your seating area.  For a high-definition LCD TV, this should theoretically be between 2 to 3 times the screen width. Check our TV viewing distance guide for more information on this subject. If you do not have the available space for your screen size, either go for a smaller screen, or try to go for a diagonal TV/seating arrangement.

Note: While the above should help you identify a suitable spot for your LCD TV, at the same, keep in mind that the ultimate placement of your TV is one that best suits your needs and room decor. In other words, go for a placement that you feel comfortable with. 

Still uncertain about the chosen spot - why not give it a test-run?

Hang a poster of similar size to your TV, on the space where you plan to mount your television. If finding the right size poster turns out impossible, you may always cut a piece of cardboard to the required size and fix a few magazine posters! Leave it in place for a couple of days and see if you like the location.

Mounting: Once you decide on the spot where you plan to hang your LCD TV, it is time to decide on whether you will be making use of an LCD TV floor stand or a wall-type LCD mount. If you opt to hang your LCD HDTV on a wall, then you also need to determine the optimum height at which you will affix your LCD mount.

There are a number of considerations that come into play when setting the screen height. The idea is to come at a level that proves comfortable on your neck. The guideline is that the maximum vertical angle of view i.e. the maximum vertical angle measured at the seated eye height from the front-row center-seat to the topmost part of the screen, should not exceed 35 degrees (more on this in our TV viewing distance article).

Nevertheless, this represents the maximum vertical setting. Ideally, the center of the screen should be at eye level when seated. This is the position that will result in a minimum of eye and neck movement during TV viewing.

Many may consider that aesthetically, this yields a too low placement for a wall-mounted display. The alternative is to place the LCD mount such that the bottom part of the screen is no higher than the eye level when seated, while the top of the display is no higher than the eye level when standing.  Anything between these limits should always lead to a comfortable viewing experience.

Sanus Univeral pedestal-type plasma/LCD TV mountA flat panel TV looks at its best when all connecting cables are completely hidden. This is not much of an issue with floor-standing LCD mounts such as the Sanus PFFP2B Universal plasma/LCD TV floor stand or the OmniMount G3-FP-DARK flat panel floor stand for up[ to 60-inch HDTVs.

These pedestal LCD mounts will enable you to hide interconnecting AV and power cables inside the central supporting column.

This is not the case when hanging an LCD HDTV on a wall. The solution here is either to run your connecting cables through the wall, or hide cables by camouflaging them behind suitable trunking.

Camouflaging is the easiest and least expensive approach for the DIY to hide that ugly looking bunch of interconnecting wires between your flat panel TV and the rest of the equipment. It is also the least invasive in that it does not require you to drill any sizable holes, as is the case when burying cables in walls. These holes may turn to be expensive to patch latter should you want to move your audio video installation elsewhere.

An interesting inexpensive wiring solution for the DIY comes from 'Superb Home Theater'.

It consists of low profile wall-mounted wiring channels. The channels come with a  rounded edge design that blends perfectly well into the wall between the display and the equipment rack. These wiring channels would almost disappear once painted with your room color paint.

Superb Home Theater Wiring Solution

More information on the Superb Home Theater wiring solution and other similar surface mounted cable management systems is available on our site at The 'Superb Home Theater' and other Wiring Channel Systems.

Running cables through a wall is surely more expensive than the camouflage approach, but aesthetically it yields a better result. Running cables through drywall is relatively easy. It requires cutting two holes - one behind your TV, and the other where you want them to come out; once these holes are completed, just fish the cables through the wall.

Running the cabling through a brick wall can be a little bit trickier - you may need to hire an electrician though you can do it yourself if you are handy with that kind of construction project.

'Future-Proofing' your installation: While running cables through walls has a visual advantage, yet it has a disadvantage when it comes to adding cables later. The only way to tackle this issue is to future-proof your installation. Look at the inputs available on your TV and possibly identify the inputs you will be using in the future. For example, include a second or third HDMI cable especially if your set has two or more HDMI inputs even if for the time being, you will only be using one.

This may appear as an unnecessary expense, but it is easier to put in an extra cable while the respective holes are still open than to fish extra cables later. Furthermore, with the rapid advancement in AV technology, there is a big chance that it would not take long before you put that extra cable into use.

Keep in mind that while the use of good quality AV cables is essential, yet this is even more so when it comes to running cables through walls. Therefore, buy quality cables that will prevent interference from power wires and other wiring in the walls. Once you get this mounted, you do not want to find out that you have a problem.

More information on AV cables is available at our Home Theater Cable Guide.

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The biggest concern here when installing a wall-type LCD mount is buried electricity wiring in the wall. Be careful not to drill or screw into any wiring. The best way to work safely is to get an inexpensive electricity cable locator - usually available from hardware stores.

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It is true that LCD TV sets are slim, but they are rather heavy. A 46-inch LCD HDTV may easily weigh over 80lbs. This means that not all walls are suitable to take a wall-type LCD mount. If in doubt, either call professional assistance or use a pedestal stand.

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If you are installing your LCD mount on a drywall, be sure to screw your mount into wooden studs.

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spring toggle anchor boltAlternatively, if your drywall makes use of metal frames, use the appropriate spring loaded fixtures for the job; ordinary self-taping screws are not safe enough to hold your TV.

Whatever the case, always ensure that you penetrate the stud.

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If for some reason, you cannot locate the studs, get an inexpensive $20 stud finder - available from any hardware store.

Zircon all-in-one metal and wood stud finder and electric wiring locatorFor slightly more, you can get an all-in-one metal and wood stud finder and electricity cable locator. A great all-in-one product is the Zircon StudSensor i65. It sells for under $30 and includes auto depth sensing, auto re-calibration, and even an integrated erasable marker to make it easy to mark the spot for anchoring without removing the tool from the wall. For those who has never used a stud finder, this particular model also comes with DVD how-to guide.

For more information on the Zircon i65, click either on the image above or the link here: Zircon StudSensor i65

Next: LCD TV Installation Guide (2) - Choosing the right LCD Mount


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Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 Full HD 1080P Ultra Slim TV




I think it's fair to say that led to the TV is here to stay and it's pretty obvious to see why when you check out Samsung LED TV UN46B8000.It undoubtedly a leader in the field.





Incredibly slim and elegant, designed as a perfect harmony between the perfect crystal. Lead Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 screen, minor details perfectly captured in great detail in every frame and every one. And the final blur is completely eradicated because each pixel gives amazing full, deep rich color.





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 is one of the cleanest finest television I've seen, although the same can be said Samsung's LED TV Series 8 intact.





I found the image designed to attract and therefore life is like looking through glass windows perfectly clean! For the main execution of the image, you need the 3 C: contrast, color and light. X5y5z have them all - in abundance.





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 - amazing clarity and image quality





Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 mega contrast ratio of the features of Samsung surprising that brings together all the gray. It also uses a Wide Color Enhancer Pro deliver drugs to ensure that each and every pixel (pixel itself, not just "viewing area") is a surprisingly brilliant quality and keen to give the overall image. This allows the TV to display a wider color of nature and provide greater depth, especially in the dark so that the contrast range is very bright.





This TV also uses 100Hz Motion Plus technology that completely eliminates the edge-blur. This means that the image remains smooth and crisp - no matter who is frantically action. You haven'tlived movie until you see tennis, football or acting on the Samsung LED TV Series 8.





In a nutshell ... Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 is great TV. Good image quality with common sense, but to get the absolute best of the input jack HD TV 1080p only comes alive!





And ... is only 29 mm - amazing! It also has the same aspect of the good and the road is used as part of the furniture looks beautiful as well.





As if the TV does not enougfh good, too good for the environment. Why? Well, as it uses LED technology uses much less energy than its predecessor, LCD and plasma. So not only save money on operating costs, help the environment.





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 - A disadvantage is easily cured!





A disadvantage of all was the TV is the sound quality of it. The same goes for UN46B8000 TV Samsung LED is not bright. However, if you buy a TV like this, you probably already have or are in process of getting a surround sound system is needed. Whenever I have mine and plug switches do now and what really gives the real viewing experience!





Connect the source of true 1080p HD and see the amazing TV comes to life. Either Blu Ray or HD box really maximize picture quality and I guarantee you will want to return to regular LCD or plasma TV - either because of them!





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 undoubtedly one of the best TV in the market, especially when comparing the performance compared to see the price.





In early 2011 Samsung HDTV manufacturers from South Korea, unveiled some new series of HDTV LCD, LED and plasma. Along these lines that led D8000 can be considered high end. Available in stores and online from the beginning and was marching on the road becomes a new besteseller. Time to get closer to see if it can live up to the expectations of fans around the world of television.





Compared to older models from 2010 C8000 completely redesigned and all TV shows is just an amazing 0.2-inch thin, comes with a new brushed metal look. This makes the D8000 an excellent addition to any room or home theater. The remote also is redesigned and now looks like a smartphone. It has a touch screen and more or less be the control center instead of a common remote control. Look good and feel great!





After seeing that I can assure UN55D8000 is probably the best TV has been seen. Pristine image quality, motion blur very soft and the color is completely natural. Always higher led model suffers from two problems: a refresh rate is too low and inconsistent backlight. Image thanks to technology improvement a new control technique called "micro-regulation" problems really gone forever. A year ago, no one can beat the picture quality of plasma displays, but now the LED actually leave with all the advantages of LED technology.





X7y7z Before ordering online you must be careful with special discounts or price reductions, even if it is really new there were some major retailers such as Amazon offer below list price. In general, it is certainly the cheapest lead to high-definition television at all, but certainly one of the best if not the money can buy. Even better, the 3D glasses now includes either physically or in vouchers. They are lighter, better-looking than last year, more comfortable to use too.


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Sep 22, A Wiring Solution for HDTVs: A simple neat alternative to in-wall wiring

Camouflaging on-wall cabling - The Superb Home Theater solutionSurely, everyone would agree that a wall-mounted flat panel LCD TV or plasma television would look at its best when all connecting power and audio/video cables are completely hidden.

However, most often, there isn't any pre in-wall ducting through which to pass A/V cables and power cords between the TV and the interconnecting gear.

And if there is any empty conduit buried in walls, this is probably the ¾-inch (20mm) diameter type used by electricians in domestic installations. This is too small to carry the larger diameter audio and video cables.

One should keep in mind that any wiring solution for audio and video cables should take into account that these cables have limited pull strength with respect to electrical wiring, and come with pre-installed connectors. In other words, you need a relatively large diameter conduit to pass audio and video cables when concealing cables in walls.

Aesthetically, running cables through a wall yields the best results. Yet from a practical perspective, this requires substantial DIY skills, and a lot of effort especially when retrofitting a room. Furthermore, should you decide to hire a professional installer, the whole job can turn out to be pretty expensive - costing several hundred dollars - and often complicated to manage.

In addition, once cables are installed in walls and access holes closed, it would not be easy to replace any faulty cables, nor pass extra cables later.

Equally important, burying cables in walls as a wiring solution is invasive in nature. It requires expensive patching should the day come when you decide to move that flat panel TV elsewhere.

Moving to a surface mounted wiring solution would do away with all these difficulties and installation expense. Up to now, most inexpensive wiring solutions intended for the DIY installer consisted of nothing more than PVC trunking. It is true that these are available in various shapes and colors, but these wiring solutions with their cheap plastic feel, do not complement the stylish look of modern flat screen televisions.

But… don't despair! Luckily, things are starting to change thanks to the availability of a few 'stylish' wiring solutions on the market targeting the DIY home installer.

One such solution we have come across is a wiring solution kit from 'Superb Home Theater'. It is well thought-out, easy to install, relatively inexpensive, and once installed, has the custom look of an in-wall installation without the permanence and expense associated with buried wiring. 

A close-up of the Superb Cable Channel systemIn principle, the Superb Home Theater wiring solution consists of low profile (1" x 5") wall-mounted cabling channels, designed to hide audio video cables and connecting power cords in a flat panel TV installation.

Mind you, they are also suitable for use in any other application when you want to conceal short runs of on-wall cabling between appliances.

Thus, instead of drilling sizable holes in drywall, or chasing channels for conduit in brick wall, you just camouflage interconnecting cables between the TV and the remaining equipment on the front side of the wall.

The Superb Home Theater channels are available in various standard lengths - ranging from a 19-inch section (model WS12) to conceal up to 12 inches of on-wall cabling, up to 46-inch (model WS30) for cable runs of up to 30 inches. They are also available in custom lengths up to 96 inches. Price starts at $39 for the WS12, while custom lengths cost $25 per linear foot excl. shipping and handling.

These channels come with a rounded edge design on the front that blends perfectly well into the wall between the display and the equipment rack.

The backside is hollow and includes two separate vertical channels, each ½-inch in depth by 1?-inch width. These are large enough to hold any interconnecting cables you might ever need for your flat screen TV.

Cables are kept in place using specially designed plastic wire retainer flaps that hold the wiring in place during installation.

These channels are made from ultra light (UL) Medium Density Fiberboard and come in both smooth or plaster-textured finish, and prime coated ready for paint.

Wire retainer flaps on the backside of the channel hold the cables in place.Each wiring solution kit comes complete with wall fasteners, a foam brush to paint the channeling once the installation is complete, a well presented installation guide, and 1-year limited warranty.

Installation is simple and straightforward. As long as you can use a screwdriver, a hammer, and a spirit level, you can do the job. You would also need a small electric or battery-operated drill when dealing with a brick wall installation.

Caulking is optional

Applying caulk is optional but it leads to a more seamless look.

The complete installation should not take more than 45 minutes - even if you are not a seasoned DIY type.

These wiring channels would almost disappear once painted with your room color paint.

And if you want a more seamless look, you can apply caulk around the edges before painting.

The result is a pleasing custom look that matches perfectly well with any flat panel TV and room decor.

The final look! More information

on the Superb Home Theater Wiring Solution is available on the

Superb Home Theater website at:

http://www.superbhometheater.com

While the Superb Home Theater wiring solution represents a great option to hide and manage those unsightly AV cables between your TV with the rest of the equipment, yet since the release of the Superb Home Theater solution just over two years ago, a number of other manufactures have come up with similar wiring systems aimed at making it easy for the DIY to conceal those surface AV cables while still achieving a professional looking and aesthetically pleasing result.

A case in point is the range of surface mounted Omnimount CMK Cable  management covers.

Available at amazon, this line covers a whole set of mounting options ranging from 1-inch to 4-inch channel widths. The Omnimount system comes in the form of  a kit that includes three interlocking straight portions for a total length of 48-inches, one 90° cable cover, 2 end caps, screws, and attachment hardware.

Multiple kits can be interlocked together to provided added length. In addition, like the Superb Home Theater wiring solution, the Omnimount CMK Cable Management system can be painted to better match the rest of your room decor.

The end result - Monster Cable CleanView installationMonster Cable CleanView Cable Management System: A similar cable management solution is also available from Best Buy. In particular, the Monster Cable CleanView On-Wall wiring solution offers similar features to the Superb Home Theater Wiring Solution detailed in this article.

However, unlike the Superb Home Theater wiring solution, the Monster Cable CleanView solution can be simply fixed on to your wall with double-sided tape; you may also use drywall screws if you prefer and these are included with each kit. In addition, it can be cut with an ordinary scissors, and like the other two wiring solutions, it can also be painted to match your room color.

One full kit includes a total of four sections by 16-inches in length that can take between two to three AV cables. Included with the kit, there are also two end covers and one right-angle fitting, and 16 cable clips that ensure cables remain in their place once fixed in the cable channel.

Monster Cable CleanView on-wall cable management system...back to LCD TV Mounts (1) - A Basic Installation Guide

If you are in the market for a surface mounted wiring solution or cable management system, we advise to visit the amazon storefront; the vast choice of products and the various buying options available from the different retailers are among the best online. 

You can search the amazon storefront a surface wiring solution without leaving our site by using the amazon search box below; your search results will appear here under.


View the original article here

Monday, August 15, 2011

Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 Full HD 1080P Ultra Slim TV




I think it's fair to say that led to the TV is here to stay and it's pretty obvious to see why when you check out Samsung LED TV UN46B8000.It undoubtedly a leader in the field.





Incredibly slim and elegant, designed as a perfect harmony between the perfect crystal. Lead Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 screen, minor details perfectly captured in great detail in every frame and every one. And the final blur is completely eradicated because each pixel gives amazing full, deep rich color.





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 is one of the cleanest finest television I've seen, although the same can be said Samsung's LED TV Series 8 intact.





I found the image designed to attract and therefore life is like looking through glass windows perfectly clean! For the main execution of the image, you need the 3 C: contrast, color and light. X5y5z have them all - in abundance.





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 - amazing clarity and image quality





Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 mega contrast ratio of the features of Samsung surprising that brings together all the gray. It also uses a Wide Color Enhancer Pro deliver drugs to ensure that each and every pixel (pixel itself, not just "viewing area") is a surprisingly brilliant quality and keen to give the overall image. This allows the TV to display a wider color of nature and provide greater depth, especially in the dark so that the contrast range is very bright.





This TV also uses 100Hz Motion Plus technology that completely eliminates the edge-blur. This means that the image remains smooth and crisp - no matter who is frantically action. You haven'tlived movie until you see tennis, football or acting on the Samsung LED TV Series 8.





In a nutshell ... Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 is great TV. Good image quality with common sense, but to get the absolute best of the input jack HD TV 1080p only comes alive!





And ... is only 29 mm - amazing! It also has the same aspect of the good and the road is used as part of the furniture looks beautiful as well.





As if the TV does not enougfh good, too good for the environment. Why? Well, as it uses LED technology uses much less energy than its predecessor, LCD and plasma. So not only save money on operating costs, help the environment.





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 - A disadvantage is easily cured!





A disadvantage of all was the TV is the sound quality of it. The same goes for UN46B8000 TV Samsung LED is not bright. However, if you buy a TV like this, you probably already have or are in process of getting a surround sound system is needed. Whenever I have mine and plug switches do now and what really gives the real viewing experience!





Connect the source of true 1080p HD and see the amazing TV comes to life. Either Blu Ray or HD box really maximize picture quality and I guarantee you will want to return to regular LCD or plasma TV - either because of them!





The Samsung LED TV UN46B8000 undoubtedly one of the best TV in the market, especially when comparing the performance compared to see the price.





In early 2011 Samsung HDTV manufacturers from South Korea, unveiled some new series of HDTV LCD, LED and plasma. Along these lines that led D8000 can be considered high end. Available in stores and online from the beginning and was marching on the road becomes a new besteseller. Time to get closer to see if it can live up to the expectations of fans around the world of television.





Compared to older models from 2010 C8000 completely redesigned and all TV shows is just an amazing 0.2-inch thin, comes with a new brushed metal look. This makes the D8000 an excellent addition to any room or home theater. The remote also is redesigned and now looks like a smartphone. It has a touch screen and more or less be the control center instead of a common remote control. Look good and feel great!





After seeing that I can assure UN55D8000 is probably the best TV has been seen. Pristine image quality, motion blur very soft and the color is completely natural. Always higher led model suffers from two problems: a refresh rate is too low and inconsistent backlight. Image thanks to technology improvement a new control technique called "micro-regulation" problems really gone forever. A year ago, no one can beat the picture quality of plasma displays, but now the LED actually leave with all the advantages of LED technology.





X7y7z Before ordering online you must be careful with special discounts or price reductions, even if it is really new there were some major retailers such as Amazon offer below list price. In general, it is certainly the cheapest lead to high-definition television at all, but certainly one of the best if not the money can buy. Even better, the 3D glasses now includes either physically or in vouchers. They are lighter, better-looking than last year, more comfortable to use too.


Sep 21, The Complete LCD TV Guide: System Guidelines and LCD HDTV Reviews

  Up to not long ago, you had no choice for a direct-view display - all TV sets were of the same kind, using that old but reliable cathode-ray tube technology, simply referred to as CRT. That is no longer true. LCD display technology that has become so popular with laptop screens, is being used to a great effect in small to medium screen size televisions.

In particular, at sub-40-inch screen sizes, LCD is at present the only mass-market flat-panel display technology. And at sub-26-inch sizes, LCD TV sales have by far superseded that of CRT TVs. 

Larger screen sizes up to 65-inch are also readily available; case in point are the 60" UN60C6300 and the 65" UN65C6500 Samsung LED TVs.

But at this screen category, plasma HDTVs still carry a price advantage. Price difference however is highly dependent on model and brand, while within the same brand, the price difference between sets of similar specs is just marginal.

Speaking of big screen flat-panel TVs, this is the year when massive 60-inch LCDs are selling at truly affordable prices - with a price that is very much in line with that of plasma TVs. We have already referred to the latest Samsung LED HDTVs; the 60-inch is selling for under $2,500. But even the 60-inch KDL-60EX700 Sony LED TV is selling online for practically the same price as the Samsung. Even more affordable is the Samsung 60-inch LN60C630 LCD HDTV reviewed here. The C630 delivers practical the same feature set of the LED version and solid picture performance at a cheaper prices that the LED TV equivalent.

You see, despite being referred to by many as the 'old school' technology, CCFL-LCD technology still delivers plenty of value with respect to edge-lit LED TVs. Mind you, edge-lit LED TV backlight technology offers superior energy efficiency and thinness in design that no CCFL-based LCD TV can ever attain.

However, with the latest affordable prices for medium to large flat panel TVs, it is the 46-inch to 55-inch TV set that is turning out to be the real favorite big-screen TV size in home entertainment. It is a screen size that does provide a more immersive movie experience over smaller 40-inch sets - thanks to the added screen estate. And the difference in invested capital over a smaller 40 inch set with a similar feature set is often minimal. In contrast, prices would shoot upwards as one cross the 60-inch screen boundary. The 65-inch Samsung referred to earlier on in this LCD TV discussion is selling at around $4,000, representing almost 50% increase in price over the 60-inch version for just 17% increase in screen estate.

During these last few years, LCD TVs have been coming out bigger and cheaper. Yet there is a lot more to the latest developments in LCD display technology than just a more affordable big screen TV. In particular, we have seen a leap in overall picture performance of LCD HDTVs, with sets capable of improved screen uniformity, better off-angle viewing, deeper blacks, more accurate colors, higher refresh rates, improved LCD response times, and high contrast ratios.

This is apart from cleaner video processing, enhanced features - in particular the latest 'hot' spec of the day - Internet driven TV content with Yahoo widgets found on most premium HDTVs, a one-inch thin profile on LED TVs, and equally important, significantly lower power consumption.

One surely cannot leave out here the latest LED LCD TVs using cutting-edge LED backlight technology. Rather, we have to say that most of the investment by LCD TV makers during this last year has been channeled towards improved LED backlight technology - partly explaining why we did not see any major picture quality improvements over previous years when it comes to CCFL LCD TVs.

Admittedly, LED TVs does not necessarily imply improved overall picture performance with respect to conventional CCFL LCDs, especially when it comes to off-angle viewing and screen brightness uniformity; edge-lit LED LCDs tend to suffer a bit more than standard CCFL-based LCD TVs in these areas of picture quality. At the same time, one cannot but remark that some of the latest LED TVs can do a remarkable job in overall picture quality. A case in point is the UNC8000 series by Samsung - which uses an improved version of edge-LED lighting.

But equally impressive is the performance of the Samsung 55-inch UN55B8500 released in late 2009 - considered by many as the kind of LCDs, and the latest LG 55LE8500 LED TV - one of the top LED LCD TVs for 2010. Both HDTVs use the more expensive LED backlight with full array local dimming technology; local dimming LED technology can do much better job as further explained in our LCD display technology guide here. Mind you, full array local dimming sets suffer from mild blooming issues though blooming with the sets referred to here is very much controlled and hardly noticeable with most content material. In fact professional reviews for these HDTVs show that the very mild blooming present is definitely not a picture quality issue. In other words, while these are not the perfect TVs, they are pretty dam close to delivering what should be the perfect TV picture.

The only real problem with full array local diming is their expensive price. For 2010, Samsung has managed to come with a sort of alternative LED backlight technology - precision dimming with edge-LED lighting - as used on the UNC8000 series referred to above. This is not superior to full-array local dimming performance when it comes to black levels, yet it is possibly the best compromise between the added expense of full-array and improved picture performance over standard edge-lit LED backlights.  

However, even standard edge-lit LED TVs have their own advantageous - like improved contrast ratios, ultra-slim inch thin profile even at massive 60-inch screen sizes, and improved power consumption that is some 40% less than that of conventional LCD TVs. For example, sets such as the 52-inch EX700 edge-lit Sony LED TV are capable of exceptional power efficiency that no other CCFL LCD or plasma TV can ever achieve.

But as we have stated, nothing is perfect.  Their major picture quality issue is lack of brightness uniformity across the full screen area. This lack of screen uniformity is common with most LED TVs. Things have improved significantly with the latest 2010 LED TVs, but at the more expensive price one has to pay for a LED LCD TV, we expect better...

And we add, this is their real problem - LED TV sets are still relatively expensive though the latest price drop we have seen for edge-lit LED TVs makes LED TVs more within reach of the average household budget.

However, at the bigger home theater screen size HDTVs, expect to spend anything between $300 and almost $1,000 more than corresponding conventional LCD television. The Samsung 55-inch LN55C630 is selling online at under $1,700 against the $2,000 of the UN55C6300 LED TV equivalent; not much of a difference for a 55-inch HDTV but still significantly more expensive.

It is only natural when discussion LCD TVs (LED TVs are still LCD TVs), to compare these with their Plasma counterpart.

While one cannot say that both display technologies are equal, yet there is no doubt that when it comes to picture performance, the best LCD TVs are just a hairline away from the best plasma counterparts; in particular, this is so with the latest LED LCD TVs using a full array backlight with local dimming technology. This means that high refresh rates, high contrast levels, and accurate colors are no longer the dominion of plasma televisions. And when it comes to black level performance, today's LED LCD TVs with local dimming, support the same deep blacks as the best plasmas when you view the picture dead center; the problem is that with off-angle viewing, black levels and color saturation of LED LCD TVs - tend to deteriorate at a faster rate than conventional LCDs and even more so, than corresponding plasma TVs.

But then both plasma and LCD display technologies have their share of advantageous and disadvantageous; there is no winner here. And while up to three to four years ago, the price factor was a major issue, this is no longer the case; the price difference between these two different display technologies have practically vanished even at the larger screen sizes. Rather, HDTV pricing is becoming more feature dependent than display technology dependent.

What's more, there are many similarities between plasma TVs and LCD televisions. Like plasma televisions, LCD HDTVs are just a few inches thick - with the latest plasma and LCD HDTV species being just over an inch thin. Large LCDs can literally be hung on the wall, while smaller sets, up to around 32-inch, can easily fold under a wall cabinet. Their unobtrusive nature integrates well with the rest any room decor.

Choosing one technology over the other is therefore more a matter of personal preference and matching the respective display technology characteristics with your specific needs.

For a detailed discussion on the pros and cons of plasmas and LCDs, please check our Plasma vs. LCD Guide.

Though LCD Television sets have become more affordable than ever - and though the price difference between LCD and plasma HDTVs have practically disappeared - yet like their plasma counterpart, LCD HDTVs still represent an expensive investment. In addition, the vast choice of LCD televisions available for the consumer is such that selecting an LCD television can turn out to be challenging and even frustrating.

We therefore hope that you will find the information presented in the LCD HDTV guides covered under this section of some assistance; these guides should lead you to a more informed buy. We also hope that products featured under our LCD HDTV Reviews section will help make your choice a bit easier.

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LCD Response Time and Image Lag:

Is faster always better? Is it possible to compare LCD TV response times between different manufactures when the different ways of reporting seems simply designed by some to disguise the hard facts?

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Image Sticking in LCD Televisions: 

Image sticking is surely one of the least known phenomena associated with the use of TFT LCD panels, yet image retention is not just an issue with plasma televisions. Discover what causes image retention in LCD TVs. What can you do to avoid it?

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Blue bulletBuying a new HDTV - Buy now or wait till later?

Following the CES, many end up engulfed in the dilemma of whether they should opt for a premium line LCD TV from the previous year at a heavily discounted price, or simply wait for the new models to start filling stores shelves and get the latest... at a significantly higher price tag.

We discuss this hotly debated issue to help you make a better choice.

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A Guide to LCD Television Installation:

Thanks to the use of LCD mounts, installing an LCD TV should be a fairly straightforward task, but... Help is on the way. This installation guide looks at various installation issues from placement to running cables and safety considerations.

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LCD Television Mounts:

The different types of LCD TV mounts give rise to mounting options undreamed off with CRT and RPTVs. In this second part of our LCD television installation guide, we discuss the various LCD mounts - identifying their pros, cons and use.

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Choosing Your LCD Television Set - A Product Guide

As always, it is not easy to choose especially when considering that more manufactures are competing to come up with feature-packed LCD HDTV sets that are larger, better and cheaper than ever.

To assist you in this selection process, we are presenting a number of product reviews featuring some of the best-selling LCD televisions on the market; products covered so far include:

Samsung LCD TV Reviews for 2010:

Part 1: Samsung Entry-level 720p and 1080p Series

Part 2: Series 6 Samsung LCD HDTVs

LG LED TV Lineup for 2010 - Product Evaluation:

Part 1: Introduction to the new LG LED TV lineup

Part 2: Key Features for 2010 LG LED TVs

Part 3: LG LE5300, LE5400, LE5500, and LX6500 LED TVs

Part 4: LG Infinia line: LE7300, LE8500, and LX9500 series

Samsung LED HDTV Lineup for 2010 - Product Evaluation:

Intro:   Introducing the new range of Samsung LED TVs

Part 1: Key features for 2010 Samsung LED LCD HDTVs

Part 2: Samsung Series 4, Series 5, and Series 6 LED TVs

Part 3: Samsung Series 7 and Series 8 High-end LED HDTVs

Part 4: Samsung C9000 Flagship series in detail

Sony LED HDTV Lineup for 2010 - Full Product Guide:

Part 1:    An introduction to Sony latest LED TVs

Part 2:    Sony 3D LED TV Series

Part 3/1: Sony 2D Premium LED TVs: NX800 and NX700

Part 3/2: Sony 2D mid-range/entry-level LED TVs: EX700 and EX600

Sony Bravia KDL-XBR9 high-end 240Hz 1080p HDTVs

Sony Bravia KDL-V5100 entry-level 120Hz 1080p HDTVs

LG LCD TVs: Covering LH50, LH55, and LG LED TV Series LH90

Samsung LCD TVs:

Samsung Series-7 LCD HDTVs

Samsung Series 6 LCDs

Samsung B8500 LED LCD TV Review

Part 1: Samsung B8500 - Main Features

Part 2: Samsung B8500 - Performance Analysis

2009 Samsung LED LCD TV Line - Product Evaluation

Part 1: Samsung B6000, B7000, and B8000 - Main Features

Part 2: Performance Issues and discussion

LED TVs vs. LCD TVs:

Samsung Series 7 LCDs vs. Samsung edge-lit LED TVs

LED LCD TV Review: Samsung A950 vs. Sony XBR8

Part 1: Samsung A950 LED LCD HDTV Series

Part 2: Sony XBR8 LED Triluminos LCD HDTVs

Part 3: Which is Better - Samsung or Sony?

Samsung 2008 LCD HDTV Product Guide: Series 9, 8, 7, and 6

Samsung 2008 LCD HDTV Product Guide: Series 5, 4, and 3

Sony Bravia KDL-S4100 Series of LCD 1080p entry-level HDTVs

Sony KDL-46XBR4 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV

Samsung LN-T4665F 1080p LCD Television

Samsung LN-T53/54H 720p LCD HDTV Series

More LCD TV reviews will follow soon.

If you are in the market for an LCD HDTV, we advise to visit the amazon storefront; the vast choice of products and the various buying options available from the different retailers are among the best online. 

However, prior to any decision, we recommend to do some research of your own. Look at what other customers had to say about their LCD following their purchase. This will give you extensive insight about the product of interest; a good starting point is the customer feedback posted on the amazon site. 

You can search the amazon storefront for LCD HDTVs without leaving our site by using the amazon search box below; your search results will appear here under.

Featured LCD Television Reviews for 2010

The latest LED and LCD TV reviews featured on PHTG

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Samsung LCD HDTVs: Entry-level 720p and 1080p Series
In the first part of this review article, we introduce you to the latest line of Samsung LCD TVs. We then look at Samsung entry-level 720p and 1080p LCD TVs on offer for 2010.

In the second part, we review Samsung Series 6. This covers 12 LCD TV models and offers more than just an appealing mix of features and style at a most tempting price. But how do they perform?

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LG LED TV Lineup for 2010 - Full Product Evaluation
LG is presenting seven different LED TV series. Relatively affordable, LG LED TVs offer a lot for the price. But what about picture quality - is it worthy of a leader in the field? In this LG TV review, we analyze each of these series to discover more.

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Samsung 2010 LED HDTV Lineup - Product Evaluation
With more than 30 LED TVs spread over six series - from entry-level Series 4 to C9000 flagship HDTVs, Samsung new LED TV lineup seems all set to be an even bigger hit.

This Samsung LED TV review evaluates each of these series for features and performance, to see what's on offer for 2010.

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Sony LED HDTV Lineup for 2010 - Full Product Guide:
Sony is proposing an extensive line of 2D and 3D LED TVs, with a total of 22 different models. But what is exactly on offer and how do these perform with respect to LED TVs from other brands?

LED / LCD TV reviews & product guides featured under this section for 2009 HDTVs 

Samsung B8500 LED TV Series Detailed Product Evaluation

Samsung Series 6 LCD HDTVs:  Full product guide covering B610, B630, B640, and B650 LCD HDTVs

Sony Bravia KDL-V5100 120Hz 1080p HDTVs - full product review 

Sony Bravia KDL-XBR9 240Hz 1080p HDTVs with internet-enabled content and DLNA support - full product review 

LG LCD HDTV Reviews covering LG LH50, LH55, and LG LED TV series LH90 

Samsung LED HDTVs vs. LCD Televisions: Which is Better?
We discuss this LED vs. LCD TV issue.

Samsung 2009 LCD HDTVs:  The B750 Series:
Series 7 Samsung LCDs have all it takes to become the best selling HDTVs for 2009. More in this LCD TV review.

2009 Samsung LED TVs - the Complete Lineup: Product Evaluation

LED LCD TVs - Sony vs. Samsung:

Part 1: Samsung A950 Series

Part 2: Sony XBR8 series

Part 3: Which is better?

Best HDTVs Roundup: Picking up the best plasma and LCD TVs for 2009

Recommended Technical Guides 

3D TV in the Home
We experienced 3D in the movie theater; now 3D is coming to your home thanks to the latest 3D HDTVs. Discover all you need to know about the 3D technology in home entertainment.

The HDMI Cable Guide
To many, HDMI is still an unfamiliar term. This easy-to follow home theater guide explains all you need to know about HDMI.

TV Viewing Distance
Are you in the market for a big screen TV? Care should be taken as you may easily fall into the trap of buying a too large TV.

Understanding HDTV formats
Discover the strengths and weaknesses of the different HD formats - 720p, 1080i, and 1080p - in this HDTV Guide.

Recommended Home Theater Reading

Sound & Vision

Provides good reviews on the latest home theater gear.

Practical
Home Theater
Well-written home theater guide - a useful reference to anyone interested in home theater.

Check out the latest special offers on LCD HDTV sets at amazon

Latest LCD TVs

Samsung 2010 1080p 3D LED TV - Detailed product evaluation available here

Samsung Series 6 LCD TV review available here

Detailed 2010 Sony LED LCD TV review is available here.

Detailed product guide available here.

Suggested TV Wall Mounts & AV Cabinets

Wall Mounts and Media Cabinets for your LCD HDTV

For more information on LCD TV mounts, please refer to our guide LCD Television Mounts; there, we discuss, the various flat-panel TV mounts - identifying their pros, cons and use.


View the original article here