Decisions, decisions
Electronics stores are filled with expensive high definition, flat-panel TVs. But the wide array of choice is often bewildering for consumers, who aren’t sure whether to buy LCD or plasma displays and which specifications offer the best picture.
Consumers who buy large, flat-panel, high definition TVs (HDTVs), especially those that use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, are often disappointed with the quality of the picture they receive from the SABC and DStv. Broadcasts are poor quality and if all you do with your TV is, well, watch TV, then it’s simply not worth shelling out the R15000 plus price that most flat panels still fetch.
The problem is that there are no HD broadcasts in SA. Local satellite and terrestrial television channels are broadcast in standard definition — 576 lines of vertical resolution using a 4:3 aspect ratio.
These channels are also compressed to save bandwidth and this leads to a loss in picture quality. Large HD displays have to upscale the compressed pictures, which leads to pixellation. Most are also designed to display pictures broadcast in the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, which means 4:3 broadcasts are stretched horizontally to fill the screen.
But this doesn’t mean that HDTVs are a waste of money. The latest gaming consoles from
The PS3 also ships with a next-generation Blu-ray player, which plays back HD movies at up to 1080p. Microsoft backs a rival format to Blu-ray known as HD-DVD but doesn’t include a player in the Xbox 360 capable of reading the discs. Instead, consumers wanting to watch HD-DVD movies have to purchase a separate player at a cost of about US200, a risky proposition given that Blu-ray has taken an early lead in the format war.
Perhaps the biggest dilemma consumers face when purchasing a flat-panel display is deciding whether to choose plasma or LCD. Plasma is said to offer a “warmer” picture and to be better at displaying standard definition TV broadcasts. LCD, on the other hand, serves up a sharper picture and is clearly the better option for console gaming.
Until recently, LCD was also limited by size. LCD panels larger than 40 inches were too expensive to be competitive with plasma. But in recent years the price of large-screen LCDs has plummeted. LCD panels have several other advantages over plasma: they are lighter and they use significantly less electricity. It’s not yet clear whether LCD will kill plasma but for now the cards are stacked in LCD’s favour.
Gerdus van Eeden, chief technology officer at MultiChoice, which owns DStv, has this advice for consumers who don’t have the time to study the technology before buying an HDTV: look for displays that are marked with the “HD Ready” logo, he says.
HD Ready is a European initiative that sets down a minimum set of standards for HD displays. For a TV to use the HD Ready label it has to offer a minimum resolution of 720 lines in 16:9 widescreen and must accept input via the latest digital cables. It must also support HDCP, an antipiracy scheme.
HDTVs that don’t support HDCP will not be able to play the latest Hollywood blockbusters on Blu-ray or HD-DVD at full resolution. Rather, the picture will be downscaled to DVD quality, defeating the point of spending a small fortune on an HD panel.
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