April, 2007 | HD TV PROFESSOR

Month: April 2007

HDTV Mounts Ready for DIY?

April 30, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Last week, I wrote about the move to provide flat panel mounts for the do-it-yourself market. This could increase the "attach rate" for flat panel HDTVs to home walls, and perhaps provide more affordable solutions in this accessory market that up until now has enjoyed relatively high profit margins. But you can count on this segment shift to encounter some growing pains along the way. Case in point: earlier this...

FCC Requires Warning Labels

April 27, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

On Wednesday, the FCC approved new rules that require retailers to include warning stickers on any television sold with an analog tuner but not a digital tuner. All new models are required to have digital tuners at this point, so this sticker requirement would apply to the existing inventory of products. If these units are not connected to a cable, satellite, or digital tuner box, they will not be able...

More OLED HDTV News

April 26, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Reader Question: 1080i Signal on a 720p HDTV

April 25, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Q: I've noticed that some HDTVs are listed as 720p, but their specs says that they supports 1080i. Why wouldn't those TVs be listed as 1080i? With these types of TVs, would a 1080p signal come through as 1080i or 720? If an upscaling dvd player is used on those TVs, would it upscale to a 1080i or 720p image? J Neubauer A: This is an excellent question, and I...

HDTV on the Wall

April 24, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Ask the average person why they want to get a flat panel -- LCD or plasma -- even if it costs more than a rear projection model of the same screen size, and you're likely to get the answer "...because I can hang it on the wall." The fact is that most people don't hang their flat panels on the wall. The mounts can be expensive, and it's not a...

Court Rules Almost HDTV Is Okay

April 23, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

According to a report in the Newark Star-Ledger, a federal court in New Jersey has decided to dismiss a case in which a California man, Jason Ford, claimed he was defrauded by Panasonic for selling him a plasma television as an HDTV even though it did not have enough pixels to qualify. The Panasonic model -- like many plasma panels -- has a resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels. This...

Truth Patrol: Are DVDs HD?

April 19, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Everyone knows that people are confused about HDTV. And lots of people are trying to help consumers understand this technology and the various choices; that's why the HDTV Almanac exists in the first place. These efforts are commendable. But sadly, many responsible individuals and companies spread confusion and misinformation rather than eliminate it. Under the Truth Patrol's spotlight this time is Crutchfield. The company's latest catalog has a "Televisions Shopping...

Reader Question: Plasma vs. LCD Energy Use

April 19, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

Q: Is there a difference in energy consumption between plasma and LCD? And does size make a difference; how much more energy do you use as sets get larger? John Kin A: As I've said, I expect that consumers will start paying more attention to environmental issues for all sorts of products, including HDTV, so this is a very timely question. First, LCDs tend to draw less power than plasma....

Sharp Goes Green with LCD HDTV

April 18, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

For the month of April, anyone purchasing a Sharp LCD HDTV with a screen size of 37" or larger can have their old television set recycled for free. The purchase has to be made on Sharp's online retail site and the new screen has to be at least as large as the one being recycled. The new set comes with free home delivery, and the service will take away the...

Sony Goes Wide on Projectors

April 17, 2007 | Author: Muneeb Mannan

If you want the biggest HD image for the lowest price, the clear choice is a front projector. Until recently, however, there was not much middle ground in your choices. The standard business projectors with their XGA and SVGA resolution are perfectly capable of displaying a wide standard definition image -- often called Enhanced Definition -- and you can take your pick for $500 to $800 or so. For the...