LCD’s New Looks

LCDs, when launched were available in limited designs but since then it’s undergone some major improvements. For instance, take a look at any of the top 1080p LCD TVs or top 46 inch LCD TVs, we can see that not only do they come in cool designs but also have super cool features. Let’s check out the strides made by LCDs in terms of technology, design and features.

The greatest development had been in the use of different forms of Liquid Crystal Display technology like Super Twisted Nematics (STN), Dual Scan Twisted Nematics (DSTN), Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (FLC) and Surface Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (SSFLC) etc. Another important development is in the back light technology which greatly improved video performance, reduced power usage and extended life span. Color field sequential technology is also becoming popular as it reduces the price of the LCD display panel considerably by getting rid of the expensive color filters. Optically compensated bend or rather OCB LCD panels is the area where a lot of research has been going on. It has got several benefits; not only does it facilitate a wider angle of view but also makes the response time of LCDs much quicker. The OCB also makes LCDs perform better in high altitudes.

LCDs have changed a lot in looks as well. Now they have become a lot slimmer and come with larger screens. As far as features are concerned, there have been fabulous changes. For instance, televisions with several play options, LCDs with PIP technology that facilitates viewing two channels at the same time, LCD TVs with built-in sensors that adjusts TV to the room light conditions etc. Other features in the pipeline are LCDs with internet connectivity, built-in Blu-Ray DVD players and so on.

Any of these might be a reason for the sudden shift in preference from Plasma TV to LCD.

Blu-ray, Going Higher and Higher

Once one decides on purchasing a TV, an LCD TV, a Plasma TV or one of the top HDTVs under $500; the next in line would most probably be DVD Players. And with CDs and DVDs making way for Blu-Rays, the race for the top DVD Players has heated up. The Blu-Ray disc or just BD is an optical disc now widely used because of its great advantages; it can store more data compared to the standard CDs and DVDs and can record, rewrite and playback high-definition video.

This innovative idea is the brain child of a group known as the Blu-Ray Disc Association, which includes almost all the top manufacturers of consumer electronics, personal computers and recording media such as Apple, Dell, HP, LG, Panasonic, Sharp, Samsung, Sony, Pioneer, Walt Disney Pictures, Thomson and so on. Though today DVDs still rule the roost, Blu-Rays are not lagging behind. The famous movie studios have released movies on BDs along with the DVDs. Most of the top manufacturers have come up with DVD players that play Blu-Ray discs.

Blu-Ray discs will take some more time to gain popularity as it all depends upon how fast the BD format becomes widespread. But that shouldn’t daunt you in checking out the latest Blu-Ray DVD players and seeing the difference between BD and DVD.

Are LCDs the Most Shopped Around Gadget?

Almost all top-notch electronics manufacturers are into making new and different models of LCD TVs and they will continue to do so. Like always, branded products are the in thing and a LCD TV is the hottest among them as it is fast disappearing from the showrooms. All major manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Sony and Sharp have come up with different models.

The top 46 inch LCD TVs that include brands like Sceptre, Samsung, Hyundai and Sony are clear favorites among the consumers. Most manufacturers intend to invest on LCD TVs in the near future.

LCDs have superb picture quality and they consume lesser power. Another notable quality is that the issue of burn-in is relatively low or rather nil in LCDs making it a clear winner of the race. As far as affordability and life span is concerned, it is more or less the same as that of its competitors. Moreover it weighs less and is brighter compared to its greatest competitor, the Plasma TV. These are some of the significant features that make it one of the top shopped around gadgets.

Have Plasmas Really Lost their Charm?

A visit to a TV showroom is enough to let one know how far behind one is, if one is still thinking about a Plasma TV. Now is an age of LCD TVs. Most people looking for a TV, want to check out one among the Top 1080p LCD TVs. What’s so special about LCD TVs?

Plasmas which were hogging the limelight till recently have been replaced by LCD TVs. Plasma TVs which ruled the roost is now losing its preference among the consumers. When Plasma first made their appearance, there was such a craze that people joined the bandwagon without actually knowing the product inside out. It is surprising that how swiftly it’s lost its charm.

Both Plasma TVs and LCD TVs score points in terms of durability, affordability, performance, elegance and so on. And the only issue that keeps Plasmas behind is the burn-in issues. But this issue has been dealt with in the new models that are flooding the market now.

GPS With New Features Can Help You Avoid Traffic Jams

Avoiding traffic jams is top on every commuters list this year. Real time traffic information often requires an extra device to receive the data sent on FM, cellular, or satellite signals. You'll also often have to pay a monthly, annual, or lifetime fee. MSN Direct, bundled with some units like the Garmin nuvi 680 is available for 120 cities and not only gives you traffic info but adds gas prices, weather, and movie times. Some GPS devices like the Navigon 7100 include free lifetime traffic.

Text-to-speech (TTS) lets the GPS device give you audible street names, directions, and points of interest (POI) information. This feature is sometimes called spoken street names and is pretty standard in most high-end devices. The Navigon 2100 is a new low price GPS device that offers TTS.

Some Reasons to Wait for Good Blu-ray Player

The format war is over and Blu-ray prevailed over HD DVD. All HD programming currently comes over the air or cable at 720p or 1080i. If you have a “full HD” HDTV and don’t have it hooked up to a high definition TV you have probably have never seen it at its highest resolution of 1080p. The big question is, should you buy a Blu-ray player now or wait? Here are some reasons to wait:

Profile 2.0: The current Blu-ray standard is Profile 1.1 also called “Bonus View.” Profile 1.1 includes features like picture-in-picture commentaries. Profile 2.0 or "BD-Live," will add online connectivity features including the ability to get trailers and other content over the internet. You’ll also be able to download firmware upgrades. This standard should be good for a while. The only problem is you can't buy a standalone player right now with Profile 2.0.

Price: Blu-ray players currently cost around $500. Prices may drop by hundreds of dollars by next holiday season. Even though the competition is out of the picture a reason to cut prices could be the fact that the Blu-ray folks may want to establish a big customer base before downloaded movie transfers become the new distribution media.

New Models: New models from Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and Samsung should hit the market as early as this summer, if not sooner. Sony just announced two new players that will incorporate Profile 2.0. The BDP-S350 will be available this summer for around $400 but will need a firmware upgrade for 2.0. The BDP-S550 will cost around $500 and will be available next fall with 2.0 included. The Panasonic DMP-BD50 will include Profile 2.0 and is expected to cost around $500. It will also offer “Deep Color” compatibility which works with HDMI 1.3 to deliver richer colors. This could be the one to buy.

Upconverting DVD Players: You can currently buy a standard definition DVD player that upconverts to 1080p for under $100. The image is no match for Blu-ray 1080p video but it could get you buy until prices drop and new models emerge.

Blu-ray DVDs Don’t Have Latest Features Yet: Because the standards weren't implemented in the players the studios have been slow to add interactive features. It will take a while before Blu-ray DVDs include the features supported by profiles 1.1 and 2.0 but once they do there should be some very cool features like, “Backstage Pass,” that provides all kinds of info about things like costumes, sets, or even what the actors had for lunch, or “Peek Behind the Animation,” that lets you watch the actors create the voices.

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