Tuning In To Some Truths About TVs

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Tuning In To Some Truths About TVs (NAPSA)—How serious are Americans about TV? The average consumer takes up to 13 months to makea television selection according to a recent study from Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. That’s longer than people usually spend LCD and even the standard tube TV tested. Better black levels mean more detail in dark scenes creating an almost three-dimensional picture for the viewer. Pioneer’s television experts suggest that when shoppingfor a new TV, you should ask the salesperson to turn the TV off for a few minutes shoppingfor a car. Some experts agree that consumers spend so much time searching for the perfect television because the amount of misinformation is immobilizing. For example, some people say a plasma TV will only last for a few years, but most major manufacturers report estimated life spans based on controlled laboratory testing of 60,000 hours to half brightness, which is about 20 years of watching the tube eight hours a day. It is time to clear the air. Many of the facts below are based on the results of a Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. sponsored White Paper by IDC, a leading provider of global IT research and advice, titled “Mythbusting—Just the Facts on Plasma TV Performance.” The study was released in conjunction with the launch of four new Pioneer PureVision plasmatelevisions. MYTH: All flat screen TVs are plasmas. FACT: There are two types of flat screen TVs: plasma and LCD. The IDC white paper noted that while LCD televisions are now available in larger sizes appropriate for a home theater, plasma televisions provide accurate brightness and colors for movie level viewing. Another important note is that not all flat screen TVs are high definition. Consumers looking for high definition need to be sure they are buying HDTV. MYTH: Thebrighter the TV, so you can see the empty screen. If it looks black when theset is off, A study found that new types of plasma TVs canlast 20 years. the better the picture quality. FACT: While “absolute brightness” is lower for plasmas than LCD, the study found that brightness and color consistency from side-to-side was equally important for picture quality. Compared to LCD, plasma remains more consistent across the entire width of the display without worry of “dead spots” or “hot spots” which are areas where the brightness can differ noticeably—makingthe picture look distorted. MYTH: All televisions can pro- duce accuratecolors. FACT: According to IDC’s White Paper, today’s plasma TVs exhibit more accurate colors that more closely adhere to the standards set by the Motion Picture and Television Association. These billions of colors provide the viewer with a more realistic and lifelike image while watching a movie, sports or television shows. MYTH:The higher the contrast ratio, the better the picture quality. FACT: Generally this is true, however contrast ratios are mea- sured in so many different ways, it is hard to compare ratings from different manufacturers. A more important level to consider is the black level. When measuring black levels, plasma outperformed the you'll probably get good black levels whenit’s on. Be skepticalif the set looks gray or greenish black. MYTH: In order to get a good picture, you have to sit right in front of the TV. FACT: Some types of TVs do have a “sweet spot” where the viewer gets the best picture, but IDC found that plasma TVs offered the widest viewing angle. “Regardless of where you are in the room, the image quality on plasmawill look very similar. Also, even if you’re seated in a fixed position, you won’t be able to see any difference in quality when, for example, a person walks across the screen or a football flies from one end of the screen to the other,” the groupreported. MYTH: Plasma screens are subject to permanent image reten- tion (also known as “burn in”). FACT: IDC ran a 48-hour “torture test” by putting a static image (like a DVD menuscreen) on each television to try and “burn” images onto the screens. Following the 48 hours, they ran a continuous video for another 24 hours. At the end of the full 72-hour testing period, there was noreport of “burn in” on any of the televisions. That doesn’t meanit’s a good idea to leave a DVD menuonanytelevision for a weekend, and this does not guarantee that an individual user will not experience image retention.

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