For vast numbers of Canadians, staying in is the new going out. The home theatre market is booming, and setting up your own home theatre is more affordable than you might think. For as little as $1,050, you can buy yourself a basic widescreen TV and a home theatre in a box, which includes a DVD player. Epic flicks and sporting events take on a new grandeur when seen on the big screen. Craving popcorn yet? Read on and discover how to choose the best TV for your needs, what to look for in sound systems, how to lay out your home theatre room – and more!
TELLY TYPES
There are four main types of large-screen TVs on the market today. Here's the scoop on each.
Direct view
The conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) TV is now available in both curved and newer, pricier flat-panel screen models.
Screen size: Up to 40 inches
Pros: Sharp picture quality, deep contrast, viewing at almost any angle
Cons: Bulkiness and maximum 40-inch screen size can be limiting
Rear of front projection
Projection models use a small display device to form images and project them onto a screen. In a rear projection TV, the projector and viewing screen are within the same unit; front projection models replicate the cinema experience by separating the projector and screen, which may be on opposite ends of the room.
Screen size: 37 to 83 inches
Pro: Brilliant colour
Cons: Rear projection units are bulky – usually more than 250 pounds and up to three feet deep; both types must be viewed at eye level
Liquid crystal display (LCD)
Increasing in popularity, LCD TVs are flat panelled and can be stylishly wall mounted.
Screen size: 13 to 45 inches
Pros: Thin profile – only three inches deep; lightweight; more energy-efficient than other TVs; long-lasting and sharp image clarity
Con: Cost can be prohibitive
Plasma
Plasma TVs earn wows with the largest flat-panel screens on the market and their superthin, wall-mountable construction.
Screen size: 30 to 61 inches
Pros: Rich colour; stylish-looking; more viewing angles than rear-projection or LCD units
Cons: Plasma TVs run hotter and use more energy than other TVs; possible fading over time or blurred text and screen burn-in from scoreboards, tickers or video games set on freeze-play; prices can still be prohibitive
4 Comments
Where to begin with this catastrophe of an article? First - CRT Tv's are pretty much obsolete with the exception of low budget department stores still selling them. Second - What is a "Front of Rear Projection? Rear projection TV's are gone by the wayside as well, can you still by them? Front projection can be larger that 80 inches, it depends on the throw distance and size of your screen. 92" widescreen is common. Third - A sub cannot go "anywhere" ideally in a 5 or 7.1 you want it in the front of the room beside the TV or slightly behind you on one side depending on your room. Sub woofers count on air movement to create the sound, if it's placed behind furniture or in a corner somewhere you will not get the true effect the sub creates. Oh and the distance of seating is not true, seating is about comfort. Face it how many people have 11ft to accomodate a TV larger than 35", especially in a multi-purpose room? Not many. I digress, next.
I'm with pocket on this one. As someone who does this SPECIFICALLY for a living I didn't see a whole lot facts here. Everything has it's place and the HTIB is a simple waste of money. Go here: http://www.cedia.net/homeowners/articles.php if you want to get it done right. btw, nice picture of the TV with the cords hanging out of the bottom, sigh.
I have to agree with PocketLint, the article contains much misleading or incorrect information. I'll add a few more comments to the concerns already expressed: Direct View CRT sets are not available as flat panels. Flat screens yes, but not flat panels. Flat panels refer to shallow displays (typically less than 6 inches deep), which are pretty much limited to LCD and Plasma displays at present. Rear Projection sets have recently fallen out of favour because of the successful strong marketing push for more expensive but "cool" flat panel displays. Although rear projection sets may be hard to find, don't count them out yet. For 60 inch and larger displays rear projection sets still offer a significant price advantage over similar flat panels, esp. for high resolution 1080p models. See e.g. Samsung's 61 inch DLP model which is 15 inches (not 3 ft) deep and about half the weight (around 80 Lb not 250 Lb), half the power consumption and less than half the price (~ $1500-2000) of a similar size flat panel. The recommended "ideal" seating distances from the screen are way too large in my experience. While there is no limit on how far away from the screen you can sit (personal taste), to see all of the detail in a HD picture on an HDTV you can sit as close as 1.5 x the screen size for a 1080p display or 2.5 x the screen size for a 1080p display. I sit approx 7ft away from my 50 inch 1080p set to optimize HD viewing. Hope this helps.
Correction: I meant to say "2.5 x the screen size for a 720p display".