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Buying A New TV?
It’s More Complex Than You Think
Al Loebel
September 12, 2016
RCA 630-TS, the first mass-produced television
set, which sold in 1946–1947
These Were Also Popular
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The Way We Used To Buy A TV
• Decided on Screen Size
The Way We Used To Buy A TV
• Decided on Screen Size
• Decided on your price point
The Way We Used To Buy A TV
• Decided on Screen Size
• Decided on your price point
• Bought it
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The Way We Used To Buy A TV
• Decided on Screen Size
• Decided on your price point
• Bought it
• Brought it home
The Way We Used To Buy A TV
• Decided on Screen Size
• Decided on your price point
• Bought it
• Brought it home
• Plugged it in
The Way We Used To Buy A TV
• Decided on Screen Size
• Decided on your price point
• Bought it
• Brought it home
• Plugged it in
• Made sure you had a decent antenna
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The Way We Used To Buy A TV
• Decided on Screen Size
• Decided on your price point
• Bought it
• Brought it home
• Plugged it in
• Made sure you had a decent antenna
• Watched one of the 4 available channels
Then later It became
• Decided on B&W or color
Then later It became
• Decided on B&W or color
• Decided on table top or console
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Then later It became
• Decided on B&W or color
• Decided on table top or console
• Decided on mono or stereo
Then later It became
• Decided on B&W or color
• Decided on table top or console
• Decided on mono or stereo
• Then screen size, price etc.
Then later It became
• Decided on B&W or color
• Decided on table top or console
• Decided on mono or stereo
• Then screen size, price etc.
• Decided on cable vs. antenna
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Then later It became
• Decided on B&W or color
• Decided on table top or console
• Decided on mono or stereo
• Then screen size, price etc.
• Decided on cable vs. antenna
• Maybe put a rotating antenna in your attic or
on the roof
Let’s Talk About Today’s Agenda
• Technologies
• Resolution
• Aspect Ratio / Screen Sizes
• Other Considerations
• To 3D or Not To 3D
• Signal Sources
• Smart TVs
• Sound
• Miscellany
Technologies
• Plasma
• LCD
• LED
• OLED
• Projection
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Plasma
• Advantages– No light falloff at any viewing angle
– Full black capability
– Deeper color palette than other technologies
• Disadvantages– Not energy efficient
– Initially more expensive
– Burn in during break in period
• No longer available from any manufacturer– It used to be Pioneer (Kuro) and Panasonic
LCD
• Most common technology today
• Advantages– Very bright, very sharp
– Relatively inexpensive
– Wide availability
• Disadvantages– Poor off angle viewing
– Can’t produce black – best is very dark gray
– Contrast issues (due to black/gray issue)
– Motion artifacts (look for at least 120Hz refresh rates, 240Hz is even better)
LED
• There is no such thing; It’s all marketing
• They’re all LCD TVs with LED backlighting
– Instead of CCFLs (cold-cathode fluorescent lights)
• There are 2 types of LED backlighting
– Full array (LEDs across the whole screen)
– Edge-lit (LEDs on all 4 edges)
• Allows for thinner TVs
• LED TVs have all of the advantages and disadvantages of other LCD TVs.
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OLED
• OLED means Organic Light Emitting Diode
• It’s the technology of the future
• All of the advantages of plasma, plus:– Light
– Energy efficient
– Can be very thin (screen may come rolled up in a tube)
• Disadvantages– Still expensive
• LG is the leader in OLED TVs
Projection
• Much like a movie theater experience
• Usually very large screen sizes
– 90 inches or more
• Used in home theaters
– Requires a dark room
– Projector usually mounted to ceiling
• Requires professional installation
• Needs occasional convergence tuneup
• Very expensive
Resolution
• SD (Standard Definition)
– 640 x 480 or 720 x 480)
• HD Ready (720i or p)
– 1280 x 720
• HD (HDTV – High Definition -1080i or p)
– 1920 x 1080
• UHD (UHDTV or 4K – Ultra High Definition)
– 3840 x 2160
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Resolution – I vs. P
• There are 2 ways to broadcast a TV signal
– I, for interlaced
– P, for progressive
• Most TVs today are capable of 1080p
• Some smaller sets and entry level sets are
capable only of 720p
• Most TV broadcasts are 1080i
• ABC, Fox, ESPN and sister channels are 720p
My Last Tube TV – 4 X 3 Aspect
More Than You Want To Know About
Aspect Ratios
• 4 X 3 (1.33:1)
– Since 1892
– Started by Thomas Edison
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More Than You Want To Know About
Aspect Ratios
• 4 X 3 (1.33:1)
– Since 1892
– Started by Thomas Edison
• 16 X 9 (1.77:1)
– New Standard for widescreen TVs
– Supposedly to mimic movie aspect ratios
– But….
More Than You Want To Know About
Aspect Ratios
• 4 X 3 (1.33:1)
– Since 1892
– Started by Thomas Edison
• 16 X 9 (1.77:1)
– New standard for widescreen TVs
– Supposedly to mimic movie aspect ratios
– But….
• 1.85:1, 2.39:1 – Most common movie aspect ratios
Why Is This Important?
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The first thing I learned about flat
panel wide screen sets
• The same size screen is smaller
The first thing I learned about flat
panel wide screen sets
• The same size screen is smaller
• What???
• How can that be?
• The US Government dictates how TV screen sizes must be measured
You’d Think That This Is How You Do It
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Government Dictate
• There was a time when manufacturers played
games with measurements
– The included the bezel
– They added height to width
– Any number of tricks to make the TV sound larger
• So the Government standard is to measure
diagonally, corner to corner, using only screen
space
4 X 3 vs. 16 X 9
4 X 3 vs. 16 X 9
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4 X 3 vs. 16 X 9
4 X 3 vs. 16 X 9
Wide screen is approximately 11% smaller for same screen size.
Screen Sizes
• Most common screen sizes for main TV
– 50-55 inches
– 60-65 inches
• Most common screen sizes for 2nd or bedroom
TV
– 32 inches or smaller
– 42 inches
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Screen Size – Practical Matters
• Most people watch TV from 8 to 10 feet
Screen Size – Practical Matters
• Most people watch TV from 8 to 10 feet
• The average person can’t tell the difference
between 720p and 1080p at this distance
Screen Size – Practical Matters
• Most people watch TV from 8 to 10 feet
• The average person can’t tell the difference
between 720p and 1080p at this distance
• So buying a 4k or UHDTV for these viewing
distances makes little sense
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Screen Size – Practical Matters
• Most people watch TV from 8 to 10 feet
• The average person can’t tell the difference
between 720p and 1080p at this distance
• So buying a 4k or UHDTV for these viewing
distances makes little sense
• But there are other considerations
Other Considerations
• Future Proofing Your Purchase
– Current innovations include
• HDR (High Dynamic Range – HDR 10)
• Dolbyvision (With HDR 10)
• Quantum Dot (Nano-technology)
Other Considerations
• Future Proofing Your Purchase
– Current innovations include
• HDR (High Dynamic Range – HDR 10)
• Dolbyvision (With HDR 10)
• Quantum Dot
• Latest technologies usually give you
– The best that a manufacturer has to offer
– But cost top $$$
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Other Considerations
• While the human eye can’t distinguish better
resolution at normal viewing distances, we
can appreciate
– HDR (High Dynamic Range)
• HDR expands the range of both color and contrast
significantly
– Better color gamut (Space)
• Colors equal to the system currently being used for
digital projection systems in theaters
To 3D or Not To 3D
• First of all, all 3D sets will show normal 2D material flawlessly
• There are 2 types of 3D
– Active (LG, Vizio)
– Passive (Sony, Panasonic, Samsung)
– Some Manufacturers offer both
• TV sets cost about the same, but active glasses much more expensive and must be from same manufacturer as TV
To 3D or Not To 3D
• 3D source material scarce
– A few DVDs
– Samsung, the world’s largest TV maker, just bowed
out of the 3D market
• For my money, that means 3D is dead
• Pay no attention to what that Salesperson says
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Signal Sources
• In the air (Antenna)
• Cable (Comcast - Xfinity)
• DSL (AT&T, Sonic)
• Satellite (Dish, HughesNet)
• Others
– Vista Broadband
– Valley Internet
In The Air
• Uses an antenna
• Probably not an option in Sonoma County
– Maybe with a tower
• Gets only network channels (ABC, NBC, CBS,
FOX, PBS and a few more non-cable channels)
Cable (Comcast - Xfinity)
• Expensive
• Customer service has been bad but getting better
• Very few service interruptions
• Good channel lineup
• May not be available in rural areas
• If also used for internet, has fastest speeds
• Offer various bundles to satisfy different tastes
and budgets
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DSL (AT&T or Sonic)
• Uses phone line
• Less expensive than cable
• May not be available in all areas
• Offer various bundles to satisfy different tastes
and budgets
• Sonic is local company
– For TV, partners with Dish
Satellite (Dish, HughesNet)
• Customer service known to be spotty
• Requires satellite dish
• Must have unencumbered vision into
southern sky
• Offer various bundles to satisfy different tastes
and budgets
Smart TVs
• Most mid to upper end TVs today are Smart TVs
• Smart TVs require a home network to operate
– They are digital network access computers
• Provide user interface that allows access to many internet streaming services, but brands differ depending on contracts
• Typical access is to Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and several others
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Sound
• Sound on today’s very thin TVs isn’t very good
– Speakers aren’t always well placed
– Speakers are very small
• Two typical solutions
– Standalone surround sound systems
– Soundbars
Miscellany
• Most channels offer 2 versions today
– Low definition
– High definition – higher cost
– Example: Comcast channel 3 vs. channel 703
• Curved screens vs. flat screens
– Experts say that curved screens do not enhance
the viewing experience. They may even make off
angle viewing worse. And they cost more. Avoid
them
Miscellany
• Cables– You are not watching high definition if you’re not
hooked up to your signal with HDMI.
– All HDMI cables are the same. Gold ends, heavier wire, better shielding – none of these mean anything. Buy the cheapest HDMI cable you can find. I buy mine on Amazon
• Check your receiver for what resolution is being output. You can have a 1080p TV but if your receiver is putting out a 720p signal, you’re getting 720p, not 1080p
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Miscellany
• As of August 2016 the best TV on the market
is the LG OLED65G6P Ultra HDTV
– It’s a 65” OLED set
– Price is $8,000
• In April Panasonic entered the OLED market
– Only available in Europe
– 65” set costs $11,000
– So there is hope for competition for LG
Miscellany
• If you buy Vizio, your TV may be watching you
– Smart Vizios include a “Smart Interactivity Tracking Technology”
• Analyzes what you watch
• Analyzes what you record
• Dates, times, channels
• Connects viewing patterns to your IP address
• Shared with Vizio partners “to permit these companies to make, for example, better informed decisions regarding content production, programming, and advertising.”
– You can opt out, but you have to know how
Miscellany
• Be careful when looking at sets in the store
– They’re all set to be brighter than you’d want them at home. Ask the salesperson to take them off of demonstration mode
• Some good choices today
– Panasonic TC-65CX400U or TC-55CX400U
• LCD technology – about $700
– LG 55UH6150
• LCD/LED technology – about $700
– Others by Vizio, Sony and many others
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Questions???
