Plasma v LCD - which should you buy?

IT'S relatively easy to pick which screen format, either plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display), is best for you.
Yes, there are only two; those super-slim LED (light emitting diode) screens are simply LCD screens with different, more compact back-lighting. Their big advantage over regular LCD screens is aesthetic; being about as slim as a framed picture, they look terrific.

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IPTV brings video available on the internet to your living room.

To pick the format that's right for you, take a long look at where your new telly will be located. How bright is the room? And when do you mostly watch television? If the room is flooded with sunshine and you watch a lot of telly during the day, LCD is your best bet. As ambient light becomes stronger, so LCDs look brighter. That's why they seem so bright in the big stores; the lighting is probably 10 times brighter than in your living room.
If you do most of your viewing after sundown, a plasma will probably suit you better. These achieve their best brightness under normal or low lighting or, indeed, no lighting at all. They also handle fast-moving images exceptionally well. Best of all, they're cheaper than LCDs.
There are exceptions. If you host the annual grand-final party or are otherwise committed to the odd big program during daylight, you'll probably be best with an LCD because the compromise you'll be making with night-time viewing is not a major one.
And if you're after a screen that's less than 106 centimetres, get an LCD. There's a simple reason for this: plasmas don't come in sizes smaller than this.
When you're shopping you'll find a couple of significant acronyms that have snuck up on us lately. They're changing the face of television forever.
IPTV stands for internet protocol television and defines a television that connects to the internet, usually through a home wireless network, although they can plug straight into an internet connection. IPTV allows you to tap into the internet and give high-definition, full-screen reproduction to, say, YouTube. Or you can watch the catch-up channels, like the ABC's iView, not on a computer screen but on the telly as was originally intended.
That's only the start. You can listen to internet radio, look up the weather, check share prices, play games, connect to Twitter and Facebook and make full-screen video phone calls through Skype. On Panasonics, you can even set up a Skype video answering machine for when you're not home and your caller can leave a video message.
You can download and watch movies on demand, too.
Clever stuff. And you'll probably assume it is found only on expensive televisions. That may be the case with some brands but others have it on every television they make.
Most brands now offer some sort of internet protocol on at least some of their televisions and on some Blu-ray disc players, too, and the services that can be accessed vary from brand to brand. So, when buying a new telly these days, you don't only check picture and sound quality, you also look at the range of services provided.
The other acronym you need to know about is DLNA and for many it will be even more exciting than IPTV. It stands for digital living network alliance and sets a standard protocol for sending entertainment throughout the house.
As long as you have a home wireless network, DLNA-certified equipment streams programming wirelessly. For example, you'll no longer have to connect your video camera to the television to show the movie you've just shot. The disc player in the living room can be used to watch a movie in the bedroom.
Your stereo can play music stored on your computer's hard drive and your television will display the photos on your phone. There are even DLNA printers.
More than 250 brands have joined the alliance and include Canon, Dell, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Hisense, Hitachi, Intel, JVC, Kenwood, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Onkyo, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Sony-Ericksson, Toshiba and Yamaha.
3D
MAYBE you're wondering about the merits of 3D. While it has not been the success the industry had hoped for, it is likely you'll wind up with a 3D television at some point.
When Panasonic announced its new television line-up recently, 3D took a back seat to internet connectivity and DLNA. It is not surprising. Overseas research suggests that people with 3D televisions use the feature only rarely.
It's not just a lack of content, it's the glasses users have to wear.
But while 3D technology still needs work, there can be little doubt that it is here to stay. While it has mostly been available only with premium screens, the hardware required to enable it isn't terribly expensive.
And that's why you'll probably end up with a 3D-capable telly. It's likely to become such a common feature that in a few years, all but the cheapest televisions will be 3D-capable; it will just be a matter of buying the add-ons, plugging them in and putting on the funny glasses.
And perhaps if you sit up straight and eat all your greens, Avatar will be released in 3D one day.


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