Is A LCD TV Right For Me?

In everyone's pursuit to try to keep up with the Jones', it has created the rush for flat panel televisions. One of the most popular of these types of televisions is the LCD television. Using state of the art equipment, LCD televisions deliver a crisper, clearer picture than a normal tube television set, and they also incorporate HD technology with many of the LCD sets being HD ready and the higher end containing HD tuners. After careful considerations, a LCD television, LCD flat panel, or LCD HD TV can be a sound investment.

An LCD television works on the same technology that is found in digital watches and digital clocks. LCD stands for liquid crystal display. Whether it is an LCD television or LCD monitor for a computer, the technology is the same. The very flexible crystals are put between two panels that have been polarized. A light source, usually a fluorescent bulb shines through with the crystals, which blocks the light or allows a certain amount of light to pass through. An electric current passes through the crystals, making the crystals bend light in certain ways, and there are color filtrations that the light also passes through. For the LCD projection TVs, the light is project from a device through an LCD chip onto the screen rather than with a bulb behind the screen. Thus, they produce the picture that the viewer sees on the screen.

Using this type of technology gives the LCD television some unique advantages. Ever leave the computer monitor on too long? If so, then you know that image burns can create a lasting and annoying spot on the screen. Since the LCD TV uses the filter technology, LCD owners never have to worry about image burns. The TVs are also easier to watch since they do not have the flicker that traditional TV sets have, and the TVs are easy to see in any type of lighting due to their brightness and wide viewing angles. Furthermore, the LCD TV can function as a computer monitor as well.

One concern with the purchase of LCD televisions continues to be the lasting quality of the picture. On average, an LCD set will last about 60,000 hours; however, the life of the set itself is unlimited if the fluorescent bulb can be replaced. As the bulb ages, the color picture that the television produces will become unbalanced, leaving the owner to rebalance the color and, eventually, replacing the bulb or the set. A few of the name brand sets allow for the bulb to be replaced, allowing an increase in the life of the television set.

Up until recently the cost of an LCD set has been a source of concern for consumers, but now the sets are becoming increasingly more affordable, with many of the smaller one costing slightly more than traditional sets of a similar size. With this affordability upgrading to a LCD TV has become easier. Name brands such as Panasonic 30" LCD wide screen TV or a Magnavox 32" LCD wide screen TV will cost about $1200-$1500 with price increasing as the screen becomes larger. Whereas, a smaller television such as a Philips 26" LCD wide screen TV can found for around $800. HD capability also increases the cost. Standard screens cost a few hundred dollars less, and some off brand TVs are cheaper. Discount retailers also offer these TVs at competitive prices.

When choosing an LCD TV, consider the size and space of the area where the television will be placed. These TVs are typically already wide screen, and they are light. With a thickness of only a few inches, they leave room for other items as well as have the ability to be mounted to a wall.