HDTV Tech

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HDTV Buying TipsHDTV Tech
How TV Makers Spin the Specs
Michael Antonoff  |  Apr 04, 2013  | 
When the technical specifications of a new but humdrum TV fail to come up to snuff, the model almost certainly will be priced less than the one with better resolution, faster processing, more connections, and so on. Whether it’s manufacturer or retailer, nobody interested in making a buck will promote the TV as “nothing special”—even if that’s exactly what it is. Sellers will likely spin the spec as “great value.” But not always.
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HDTV Tech
HT Boot Camp: Sometimes, It's Good to Be Biased . . .
Ronald Williams  |  Dec 27, 2000  |  First Published: Dec 28, 2000  | 
. . . especially when it allows you to make the most of your viewing experience.
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HDTV SetupHDTV Tech
In-Your-Face Football
Peter Putman  |  May 12, 2003  |  First Published: May 13, 2003  | 
One man's quest for the ultimate Super Bowl party included HDTV in every room.

It started out innocently enough, back in January 2000. ABC had concluded a season of Monday Night Football broadcasts in their 720p HDTV format and was putting the icing on the cake with an HD telecast of Super Bowl XXXIV from Atlanta, Georgia. Since I had watched a few of the MNF games in HD, I decided to set up a front projector and an HD monitor and invite some friends and neighbors over to give 'em a taste of sports in high definition. The game turned out to be a big hit. Over 30 folks attended and marveled at the widescreen images from my Sony VPL-VW10HT projector and Princeton AF3.0HD monitor. Never mind that I had to jury-rig an antenna on my rear deck and run coaxial cable into my basement to feed a single Panasonic set-top tuner, then use a video-distribution amplifier to run two component video feeds into my living room and my basement theater. Everyone was amazed at the picture quality and gorged themselves on a feast of wings, subs, pizza, chips, dip, and assorted desserts.

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HDTV Buying TipsHDTV Tech
Just the Facts: Flat-Panel HDTV Shopping & Tech Tips
Rob Sabin  |  Oct 19, 2012  | 
Looking for that perfect big-screen TV? Before you hit the stores, here’s everything you need to know in a quick-read format. Visit our How To Shop page for tips on shopping for Speakers, A/V Receivers, Blu-ray Players and more.
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HDTV TechA/V Veteran
Key TV/Video Terms Explained
Thomas J. Norton  |  Sep 06, 2016  | 
We tend to forget that not all readers have been around the block when it comes to the language of video. Those that have know the tricks of the trade, and what all of the terminology means. True, even they’re sometimes mistaken, and we ourselves can get caught out from time to time with what’s being offered this year (or this week!) in the ever changing high definition (HD) and ultra high definition (UHD) world.

But manufacturers seldom offer much help in this, or even do their best to obfuscate. In their specs, descriptions, and promotional copy, one thing you won’t find clearly stated is what their products won’t do...

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HDTV TechGeoffrey Morrison Blog
Lamps: Really Expensive Light Bulbs
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Oct 28, 2005  |  First Published: Sep 28, 2005  | 
It's no secret that, if you have a new projection display (front or rear), you'll eventually need to replace its light source. Take one look at them, and you'll see that these aren't your ordinary 100-watt bulbs—that, and the fact that these light sources cost hundreds of dollars each.
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AV GlossaryHDTV Tech
LCD and DLP Explained: What Goes on Here?
Peter Putman  |  Mar 27, 2005  | 
Flat-screen imaging technologies like LCD and DLP are slowly toppling the cathode-ray tube (CRT) from its pedestal. How much do you really understand about these new ways of watching TV?
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AV GlossaryHDTV Tech
Local Dimming LED
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Feb 26, 2008  |  First Published: Jan 26, 2008  | 
The greatest thing to happen to LCD, ever.

The coolest demo I saw at CEDIA 2007 was a demo I saw at CEDIA 2006. The original demo was at the Planar suite. Dolby now owns the company that was working with Planar, BrightSide Technologies, and the technology shown in these demos has a name—Dolby Vision. The short version is this: Using LEDs, you can dim specific areas of the backlight to go along with what is happening with the video. In other words, you can dim certain areas of the screen, while keeping other areas bright. In the simplest form, picture a split screen with black on one side and white on the other. Local dimming would allow the LEDs on the black side to be off and the LEDs on the white side to be lit. The result is a fantastic, legitimate contrast ratio, along with possible energy savings and a host of other potential benefits. But first, we have to understand the problem before we can talk about this solution.

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AV GlossaryHDTV Tech
Motion Blur
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Aug 13, 2007  |  First Published: Jul 13, 2007  | 
The bad, the ugly, and the 120 hertz.

I have long been a complainer about motion blur with LCDs. It drives me crazy. I have gotten a lot of flack over the years for this, which I really couldn't care less about. (You don't see me making fun of your issues, do you?) I would just like to point this out: Why, if I weren't the only one who hated motion blur with LCDs, would nearly every LCD manufacturer come to market with 120-hertz LCD panels that claim to eliminate motion blur (a problem that they, surprisingly, haven't mentioned before)? Before I rub it in and say, "I told you so," let's look at what causes motion blur, why it may or may not be a big deal, and how a 120-Hz refresh rate can help solve the problem for LCDs.

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AV GlossaryHDTV Tech
MPEG-4 EVER
Mark Fleischmann  |  Oct 28, 2005  |  First Published: Sep 28, 2005  | 
How a new codec may change DTV as we know it.

MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) is a next-generation video codec (coder/decoder) that's about to change the face of digital television—slimming it down, enabling it to move into narrower channels, and probably changing how it looks. I can almost see your eyes glazing over: Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do.

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HDTV Tech
New Display Measurement: Input Lag
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jun 23, 2013  | 

Starting with the September issue (and now, online), we're adding a new measurement to our objective TV/projector tests. It's called "input lag" and while it's not as important as contrast ratio or color accuracy (which we already test for), it's an important metric for gamers, and anyone who notices issues with "lip sync."

So here's what it is, how we test for it, and what, if anything, you can do about it.

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HDTV Tech
OLED: The Organic Future
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jul 08, 2004  |  First Published: Sep 08, 2006  | 
This new technology could replace plasma and LCD as the must-have for flat-panel displays. Plasma and LCD are dead. Well, at least that's what Kodak, Dupont, Universal Display Corporation, and a few others would like you to start thinking. One of the new technologies coming down the HT highway is called Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), and it could be the future of flat-panel displays. Soon your TV may be able to trace its lineage back to the power light on your VCR.
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HDTV Tech
Outside the Box
Peter Putman  |  Apr 10, 2005  |  First Published: Apr 11, 2005  | 
Integrated digital cable-ready TV sets are here. How well do they work?
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HDTV Buying TipsHDTV Tech
Plasma vs. LCD
Shane Buettner  |  May 01, 2007  | 
They're both sexy slim, and can hang on the wall. But in spite of the similar physical profiles these two technologies are very different, and each has its strengths and weaknesses and they're not necessarily the ones the sales guy at the Big Box Store will tell you about.
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HDTV Tech
Power!
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jan 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2006  | 
How much do LCDs and plasmas really suck?

You know those little plastic plug thingies you put in electrical outlets so that kids don't stick their fingers and such into them? Turns out, they're there for a reason. My parents dutifully put these in all the outlets in our house, and, when I was just past the age where they figured I couldn't possibly be stupid enough to stick anything into an outlet, I found an innocent little piece of copper wire. At this point, you can see where this story is headed. Lacking any polyvinyl chloride polymer to impede my process, and always having an inquisitive mind, I inserted said wire into said outlet. The results were predictable. I believe vaporization was involved. Since then, I've had a healthy (ahem) respect for electricity.

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