What to look for when going HD
First and foremost it’s important to distinguish the difference between HD-ready and HD. Many cheaper panels have caught the naive HDTV buyer’s eye only to be proven HD-ready when taken home rather than Full HD.
HD-ready televisions display a high definition signal at either 720p (progressive scan), 1080i (interlaced) or 1080p using a component video or digital input. They also differ from Full HD televisions in the respect that they are oftern not equipped with a built-in HD-capable tuner, which in SA terms is not used in any case. HD-ready units can accept a high definition signal but the final display is dependent on the resolution of the television itself.
Full HD units, however, are equipped with the ability to constantly display high definition signals at a resolution of 1900×1080.
The moral of the story is that if you are in the market for Full HD then make sure that you don’t pick up an HD-ready set. Although the difference is minimal while channel surfing DSTV, when it comes down to Blu Ray, HD television and high definition gaming the picture quality between Full HD and HD-ready is considerably different. This is Full HD televisions are capable of reproducing 1080p and 1080i sans overscan and are able to reproduce accepted video formats without distortion.
Size is an important consideration when buying a Full HD screen. Generally Full HD sets tend to look better the bigger they get but it won’t make any difference if you’re staring at a 70-inch monster from two metres away. Make sure that you buy the right size for your space. Full HD LCD panels tend to be better value for money when looking at the sub-50-inch range. Samsung’s LA37A550 Full HD 37-inch set is currently available for R12 000 which makes it a more than affordable option for most. If you’re in the market for something a little bigger then plasma is the most affordable option, although affordable is a relative word when buying a Full HD at bigger than 50-inch. Panasonic offers its 65-inch Full HD plasma option at the R88 000 mark.
The contrast ratio of the set you choose is also important. This defines the spectrum between the whites and the blacks and in turn will make the colour reproduction on your set more or less vivid. All too often dealers will boast enormously impressive contrast ratios of 1:50 000, but the reality is that these are the dynamic contrast ratio ratings. The most vital rating is the native contrast ration. Any Full HD television with a native contrast ratio of 1:10 000 is generally of decent quality.
The response time of your chosen Full HD LCD is the time it takes for a pixel to go from active (black) to inactive (white) and back to active again. This is measured in milliseconds. The slower the response time the more likely for the screen to experience an element of ghosting, a situation where a previous image remains on the screen after a new image is displayed. Generally a response time placed anywhere between 6ms-12ms is acceptable.
Despite the fact that buyers should be wary to take these factors into consideration, Full HD TVs are slowly developing into a unified technology. Producers can no longer afford to develop inferior product and therefore you’re generally guaranteed of superior quality if you’re willing to shell out and go for the big names.
Loading ...