LCD TV

LCD TVs have quickly developed into the most common form of television set, thanks to rapid advances in technology which has led to huge discounts in the prices of an LCD TV and has made them affordable to most consumers, with all major retailers such as Dixons, Currys, Comet and Pixmania offering huge sale reductions on LCD TVs from top brands such as Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Samsung and LG.

Liquid crystal display TVs (LCD TV), along with Plasma TVs, is the by-word for ultra-sleek digital TVs. The LCD monitor replaces the bulky, original CRT TVs, taking up much less floor space by removing the space behind the screen and instead providing a slim line product which can be much more easily positioned within the home. LCD screens first began to appear as computer monitors but as the technology improved, the ultra slim and wide screen format of LCD TVs and Plasma TVs have quickly become common place in living rooms and bedrooms alike.

What is an LCD TV?

The term LCD TV stands for liquid crystal display TV. LCD TV’s can be thought of as bigger versions of the technology used in laptops or notebooks. Located at the back part of the screen is a fluorescent white light that gives a bright and smooth illumination to the LCD screen. However, the clear and sharp picture that the LCD TV can provide is a result of the thousands of tiny LCD pixels above the fluorescent back light. Each pixel is made of red, green and blue LCD chambers that work like shutters – it lets through light that enables each pixel to emit color that is visible to the human eye.

LCD TV Buying Tips

Whenever we buy an electrical product, it’s generally considered common sense to purchase the latest product release under the theory that it must be better than previous models. However, purchasing an LCD TV can be complex and often there is a trade-off between different features, depending on your specific needs as a consumer. Here are three important things to look for when purchasing your new LCD TV.

Contrast Ratio

If you would like a TV with sharp images, better check out its’ contrast ration. Contrast determines the sharpness of the images appearing on the display because it measures the difference between white tones and black tones produced by an image. The higher the ratio, the sharper the image that can be produced by LCD TVs. Typically, LCD TVs have a contrast of 400:1 but industry sources say that it can reach up to 800:1.

LCD TV Constrast Ratios Explained

Brightness

You should also consider the brightness of the LCD TV, which is expressed in Cd/m². You should make sure that it is at least 400 Cd/m². Although the manufacturer of indeed the specific model will have an impact in determining the brightness ratio, in general, the higher the brightness ratio, the better picture quality you will get from your LCD TV.

Viewing angle

Depending on the layout of your living room, you may want to consider the viewing angle, which determines how your LCD TV can be viewed. If you are just looking straight on at the TV then this should not be an issue, but if you require the ability to watch it from a different angle, this becomes an important factor as the picture quality can diminish from a wider angle. Traditionally, most LCD TVs have a viewing angle of around 140 degrees although newer models have expanded this to 170 degrees.