Hardware Information

Buying a Plasma or LCD TV FAQs


This article focuses on frequently asked questions by buyers of plasma and LCD televisions.

Q: Does the "plasma" in plasma televisions need to be recharged or replaced over time?

A: No. The plasma gases are sealed in individual cells when they are manufactured. There is no way to recharge or replace the gases. However, plasma TVs, when used normally, will last you many, many years (up to 20 years) so you don't have to worry about the screen burning out for a long time.

Q: Are plasma and LCD TVs difficult to install?

A: While you may want to hire a professional electrician to help you with wiring if you are installing your plasma or LCD television on a wall, you can also easily place the television on a stand yourself and place it anywhere you like.

Q: Do plasma and LCD TVs give off radiation?

A: All electronic devices, including televisions, must comply with FDA guidelines (in the United States) and CSA guidelines (in Canada) on radiation emission before being permitted to be sold to the public. While there is radiation emission in the form of ultraviolet light, the amount is negligible and you are unlikely to be affected by it watching the television from normal distances.

Q: What are anamorphic widescreen DVD movies?

A: There are two common ways of recording wide format movies on a DVD: letterbox and anamorphic. Letterbox refers to a video played with horizontal black bars on the top and bottom of the picture. Anamorphic recordings are also commonly labeled "Enhanced for 16:9 TVs". Anamorphic recordings have over 30% more vertical resolution than letterbox format and elimates or significantly reduces the black bars found in letterbox pictures in order to fit to the screen size of 16:9 televisions.

Q: Do LCD's have a burn-in problem?

A: No. Unlike CRT and plasma TVs, liquid crystal displays do not use phosphor and thus have no problems with a still image becoming permanently stored on the screen. Instead, LCD TVs use a backlight on a colored, transluscent liquid crystal screen.

Q: Can I use a game console such as Sony Playstation 2, Nintendo Game Cube or Microsoft XBOX with my LCD TV?

A: Yes. If you intend to use a game console and/or watch standard TV broadcasts over cable, satellite or antenna, an LCD TV is a superior choice over plasma televisions. The repetitive image from games and unused black-filled borders will damage a plasma TV by burning a permanent image into the phosphor.

Q: Will leaving my LCD TV on cause the image to degrade?

A: No. Unlike plasma TV's, this LCD TV does not exhibit aging over time. The brightness of the image remains the same because LCD televisions use a florescent backlight.

Q: Can I mount my LCD TV straight into drywall or plaster?

A: No, drywall or plaster alone will not offer enough support. A structural beam or stud must be used as the anchor for the wall mount.

(c) 2005 Philip Liu - All Worldwide Rights Reserved

Philip Liu is a freelance author and publisher currently based in New York City. Philip publishes regularly on his websites dealing with cell phone reviews and news and plasma, LCD TV reviews and news.


MORE RESOURCES:

Transform With Microsoft's New SideWinder X6 Keyboard; Industry's ...
MarketWatch - 3 hours ago
To round out the SideWinder line, the Hardware team is also announcing the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream ...


Signature Hardware Introduces New Italian-Made Showers
Emediawire (press release), WA - 1 hour ago
Erlanger, KY (PRWEB) August 20, 2008 -- Signature Hardware is proud to introduce a new Italian-made line of plumbing fixtures to its ever-expanding product ...


A not-so-magic lamp guides me back to my neighborhood hardware store
Bridge, MN - 19 hours ago
We would take the lamp to Welna II Hardware in the morning. For years I’ve heard homeowners proclaim the importance of having a trusted, preferably small, ...


Andrews Awarded Aerojet Contract to Build Hardware for Sundancer
MarketWatch - 16 hours ago
SEATTLE, Aug 19, 2008 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Andrews Space, Inc. (Andrews) announced today that it has signed a contract with Aerojet of Sacramento, ...


Washington Post

NASA Closes Florida Spaceport for Tropical Storm Fay
Space.com - 12 hours ago
By Clara Moskowitz NASA closed its Florida spaceport early Monday to protect its space shuttle fleet and other vital hardware from severe weather associated ...
Video: 'Boomerang' Fay Strengthens Over Florida AssociatedPress
Tropical Storm Fay To Make Landfall In Florida Tuesday Morning KRIS-TV
Florida bracing for Hurricane Fay WKYC-TV
all 8,398 news articles


FalconStor Moves To Software-Only Model, Will Drop Hardware
CRN, NY - Aug 18, 2008
They don't want to deal with 10 different hardware vendors to support their environment." By letting customers use the software with their existing server ...
FalconStor(R) EZStart(TM) Program Provides Channel Partners a ... MarketWatch
all 10 news articles


Gorilla Nation Signs Tom's Hardware
socalTech.com, CA - 2 hours ago
Tom's Hardware is a major online news and product review site focused on hardware, computers, and electronics. TheTorqueReport, which is part of the Tom's ...


Nisbet Brower buys Smokey Inc. in Dayton area
Bizjournals.com, NC - 15 hours ago
Nisbet Brower was founded in Loveland in 1870 as Nisbet Lumber & Hardware, and was purchased by Rippe in 1976. Its recent acquisitions include Schmidt ...
Sharonville building products company buys Centerville business Bizjournals.com
all 15 news articles


Wear and tear lead to more hardware
Globe and Mail, Canada - Aug 19, 2008
Karen Cockburn had just won a medal in her third consecutive Olympics - one of a handful to do it - as one of the world's best and most endurable bouncers, ...


Ars Technica

Windows 7 details to be released
Tehran Times, Iran - 11 hours ago
Windows 7 developers will show off their work at both the Professional Developers Conference and the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference. ...
Microsoft Sends Up Trial Balloons for Windows 7 PC World
Microsoft To Unveil Windows 7 Features Next Month Tom's Guide
Microsoft may have 2000 developers working on Windows 7 Computerworld
ZDNet - NewsChannel 9 WSYR
all 18 news articles

Hardware - Google News

home | site map
© 2006