Dell W3207C HDTV Review

The Dell W3207C is a feature packed 32 inch LCD high definition that is well worth its price of $1200. It has received great scores and passed every test it has been put through thus far. The W3207C also features a beautiful design that will look good in every home.

Included in its design is both an NTSC and ATSC tuner for analog and digital signals. When all signals change to digital in the near future, you wonít have to worry about getting extra connectors to still view broadcasting channels.

When viewed under a steady test of different lighting situations, the Dell W3207C passed easily. Even the brightest fluorescent did not obstruct your view on screen. Regardless of the harsh lights, it was easy to see bright and beautiful colors in varying contrast.

The Dell W3207C features a color scheme of silver and black and this makes it stand out beautifully in a way that an all black HDTV would not be able to. The TV is lifted off the floor by a base that matches the two toned color and it the base moves and turns for easy viewing and free movement.

The remote is also two toned to match the TV and its design is more reminiscent of a portable media player than a basic remote control. It also has a central control pad that is similar to the touchpad of the iPod player. Instead of soft touch control, the pad moves using four different buttons. While the remote is nice to look at, it unfortunately will not allow you to use it as a universal remote for other electronics such as a DVD player.

Even with this small fault, the remote is structured and organized to prevent confusion and to allow ease of use. When you pull up the menu on the HDTV you will find that it is as easy to use as the remote controls.

Square controls on the right side of the TV are easy to reach if not to read. You can find it difficult to see what the label reads, but a quick glance at the instructions will soon clear up any confusion involving the controls.

The only real issue that makes itself present in the Dell W3207C, concerns the audio capabilities. As you listen to what is being played, you will notice that the sound is not as exciting as you hoped it would be. In fact it is down right flat but the use of the Surround XT can give the sound a small boost. The speakers are supposed to be the very same ones placed on their previous model but the sound in the Dell W3207C seems a lot more inferior. The sound was not as clear or crisp and adjusting the audio controls did not do much to improve the sound.

The only other difference between the speakers is that you are not able to detach them like you could with the previous models. The inability to place the speakers around your media room in key locations is also a bad feature in the W3207C.

For a good HDTV at a reasonable price, this is definitely a great option. The design is beautiful, the remote is easy to use and setup is a snap. Picture quality is exquisite and you will be able to enjoy anything you choose to watch on this flat screen TV.

Dish Network Rolls Out 1080p HDTV Format

By Bradan Kellen

Unless you happen to know a bit about HDTV, 1080p probably does not mean a whole heck of a lot to you. However, to those of us who consider ourselves HDTV geeks, it's a pretty big deal. 1080p is currently the highest-resolution HD format available today, which means it delivers top-of-the-line picture quality when compared to all other formats.

Most consumers are probably not interested in the technical details of why 1080p is better than 1080i, and that the "p" stands for progressive and the "i" stands for interlaced. Just know that progressive is the format that is going to give you the best HDTV picture currently available.

If you have not yet joined the ranks of HDTV owners, there may be no better time than now to do so. This is due to the fact that DISH Network is now the only national subscription broadcaster to offer 1080p programming. DISH Network's main competitor, DirecTV, says it is planning to offer 1080p programming later this year, but has not been more specific than that about a timetable.

There are usually a host of various DISH Network deals to take advantage of that offer free programming for a few months or free gifts when you subscribe.

To assist some readers who may be befuddled by all the technical jargon associated with issues like HDTV vs. SDTV, or standard definition television - the kind of TV that's been around for decades -- let me attempt an explanation that might make sense to you.

The difference between HDTV and SDTV (which we all knew and loved for many years!) might best be described by an exercise like this: A talented artist sets about to create two versions of the same beautiful portrait. To create the first version of the portrait, the artist is provided only with a box of crayons and a canvas. For the creation of the second version, the artist will use his or her usual collection of paints and brushes to apply skillfully to the canvas.

Which portrait do you think will look better? That's how I compare HDTV to standard definition TV, and although that analogy may be a bit extreme, for me, the difference was stunning when I viewed a program on my new HDTV for the first time about 18 months ago. And since my TV supports a maximum resolution of 1080i, I was not even seeing the best that HDTV has to offer, which is of course, 1080p.

Unfortunately for HDTV owners like myself, DISH network's new 1080p programming will not benefit me until I have a television capable of accepting a 1080p signal. I guess I'll have to start dropping coins into my piggy bank again very soon!

As a DISH Network customer who has a VIP622 DVR (Digital Video Recorder), my unit will probably be upgraded to 1080p capability any day now by way of a software download direct to the DVR, without any intervention on my part. The capabilities of the devices that provide our entertainment these days is simply amazing.

After drooling over HDTV sets in catalogs for years, and finally upgrading not all that long ago, I guess I will now have to start dreaming of a set that can handle 1080p, so I can use the full capabilities of my DISH Network service.

Perhaps we can put the old TV downstairs in the family room when I finally get to unpack that shiny, new 1080p-capable set some day.

Braden Kellen writes about consumer issues for HomesForNH.com, including a section dedicated to the best dish network deals for satellite TV programming.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

LCD Backlighting For HDTV

By Brian Bradshaw

LCD is winning the race to be the dominant display technology for HDTV. According to DisplaySearch, in 2007, the market for LCD (liquid crystal diode) TVs was estimated at $27.4 billion. LCD TV shipments rose a stronger than expected 52% year to year in the second quarter of 2008 to nearly 7.5 million units (79.8% of total HDTV sales).

The LCD screen on a LCD HDTV is a selective light filter. It does not in itself emit light, but selectively filters light passing through the display from the back. Most HDTVs include either a single sheet of luminescent plastic or sidelighting with fluorescent lamps to provide the backlight. Both techniques are difficult to control.

Many consumers focus on screen resolution when selecting a High Def (HDTV) system. Is this HDTV 720p, 1020i, or 1020p? However, when an expert group, the SMPTE (Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers), recently ranked the importance of screen resolution, it ranked fourth. The SMPTE ranked contrast ratio, color saturation, color temperature and grayscale ahead of screen resolution in importance. The Imaging Science Foundation reached a similar conclusion. Backlighting is the key component to improvement in contrast ratio and grayscale.

It is important that an LCD system allows for adjustment of the level of backlighting, and preferably, performs this function automatically. This will improve the contrast of the picture. Also, a reduced backlight level will also reduce power consumption and extend lamp life, as the power used and lamp lifetime is directly related to the backlight level. A lamp with a 50,000 hour lifetime at 6 milliamps may only have a 30,000 hour lifetime if the current is 7 milliamps, just 1 milliamp higher (Example: Sharp Electronics LCD Display).

Another important factor in the choice of backlighting is the consideration of "blur". Blur occurs when there is rapid motion in the programming, such as sports. When the picture changes quickly, the pixels can lag in response. Effective backlight engineering can reduce this significantly by strobing the backlighting, so that the individual pixels do not remain lit longer than needed. Examples of this technique include the Philips "Aptura" and the Samsung "LED Motion Plus".

Sidelighting

With sidelighting, the backlight is located in the back of the LCD panel, and to each side to create panel illumination. To make the light more uniform, a light diffuser is located between the lamps and the rear of the optical filter module. Most LCD systems that use sidelighting use cold cathode fluorescents (CCF) lamps. This technology provides a very bright white light. The lifetime of the lamps is usually between 10,000 to 20,000 hours (6-12 years at a rate of 5 hours of use per day).

The most important disadvantage is that the intensity of light cannot be varied locally, and sidelighting can look non-uniform. Some CCF lamps contain mercury. This is an ecological disadvantage.

The major drawbacks:

• The intensity of light cannot be varied locally. This results in a lower contrast picture.
• The light can be non-uniform.
• Some CCF lamps contain mercury.

Conventional Backlighting

Most backlighting is performed with a single sheet of electroluminescent plastic. These panels can age (though improvements in this area have reduced this problem). Electroluminescent Panel backlighting uses colored phosphors to generate light. Displays using this technique can be thin and lightweight, and provide even light distribution.

The major drawbacks:

• Limited life of 3,000 to 5,000 hours to half brightness (2-3 years at a rate of 5 hours of use per day).
• The intensity of light cannot be varied locally.

LED Backlighting

LED backlighting uses a matrix of white LEDs that can be controlled individually to offer very good control. In this configuration, a large number of LEDs are mounted uniformly behind the display. Brightness improvements in white LEDs have made them more practical for backlighting. NEC pioneered this technique with their monitor, the 2180WG. Other companies, such as Samsung, have recently introduced versions of this technology. This should push prices down (the Samsung model cost less than 1/3 the price of a comparable NEC monitor).

This system offers local dimming technology and can achieve 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. True actual black levels (the "Holy Grail" of LCD) are attainable by shutting off a pixel's light source. This can eliminate the grayish black picture typical of many LCD HDTVs. Groups of LEDs can be locally controlled to produce more light, increasing the brightness when necessary.

The problem with conventional white LEDs is that their spectrum is not ideal for photographic reproduction because they are basically blue LEDs with a yellow phosphor on top. Their color spectrum has two peaks, one at blue and another at yellow. White LEDs that are based on a group of red, green and blue LEDs are ideal for the RGB color filters of an LCD and can result in the most saturated colors. Sony's "Triluminos" LED backlight system is an example of this technique.

Sometimes, these HDTVs have a row of LEDs across the top and bottom of the display. This improves the brightness and color reproduction, and enables almost complete uniformity across the display.

At one time, a disadvantage of LED backlighting was the consumption of energy, especially with large displays. But advances in recent years have improved the efficiency to the point that energy efficiency is now an advantage. LED backlights offer a long operating lifetime of more than 50,000 hours (more than 25 years of use at a rate of 5 hours a day).

LED backlit systems may not show well in a typical retail environment. Typically, the screens are somewhat reflective in order to achieve the high contrast ratio, and subsequently, a brightly lit showroom may not flatter this technology. In a more typical less-lit environment, this problem should not be as noticeable.

Engineering Concerns

The electrical engineering is simpler with LED backlights. Cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCF) require high AC voltages (1,500 VAC) at startup, and operating voltages of 700 VAC or more. When the lamp is new it may take much less voltage to start, but with age the voltage requirements usually increase, complicating a designer's problem. An electroluminescent panel requires a voltage of about 100 VAC @ 400 Hertz.

A power inverter (to generate VAC) is needed for both CCF and electroluminescent panels to operate with a DC power supply. This is a significant expense, in cost, size, and weight of the system. The best inverter for this application permits the output voltage to automatically increase as the lamps age, extending the useful life of the lamps.

LCD systems with LED backlighting utilize low voltage DC, usually 12 or 24 VDC. This results in a smaller, simpler, and more reliable system. LED backlit systems must be well cooled or their performance can suffer. The LEDs generate less heat than CCF lamps, but the heat is very concentrated. Operating at high temperatures reduces the LED lifetime and shifts their light spectrum, while reducing output luminance.

OLED

A new technology that you will be hearing about in the future is Organic LED (OLED). This technology has a completely different backlight technology, it doesn't need one. Because of this, they draw much less power. And because there is no backlight, an OLED system has a larger viewing angle than an LED system. An OLED display is much thinner than an LCD display. The response time for OLED is faster than normal LCD screens. An average of 8 to 12 milliseconds in response time is normal for a LCD compared to 0.01 milliseconds in response time for an OLED.

Sony introduced an 11" HDTV at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. The new 11" Sony TV is called the "XEL-1". It's very thin (1/10") and currently sells for $2500. Samsung, Toshiba, Matsushita (Panasonic), and others are investing hundreds of millions of dollars, also trying to develop this extremely promising technology. Toshiba has plans to sell a 30" OLED display in 2009.

OLED displays have already been used for some time in digital cameras, cell phones and other devices with relatively small panels, because they are very energy efficient, which is very important in portable devices.

In theory, OLED displays can be more inexpensively manufactured than LCD or plasma displays, meaning that they should not be as expensive. Remember that the first large LCD and Plasma displays were much more expensive when they were first introduced.

Summary

LCD HDTVs and monitors with LED array backlighting are now the approach of choice because they exhibit better image quality while saving power. The ability to locally control light output is key to achieving high contrast ratios.

About the Author: Brian Bradshaw is a Certified Technical Specialist (InfoComm CTS). Areas of expertise include Video, Audio, Computation, HDTV, Satellite Systems, and Communications. He has a communications technology business in Plano, Texas (Dallas). More information can be found at his Website

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

720p Vs 1080i HDTV

By Kenny Hemphill

Is 720p vs 1080i worth being concerned about? Yes and no. If you're a consumer looking for a new TV, you can happily ignore the 720p vs 1080i debate because every TV which is described as HDTV or HDTV Ready is required to support both formats.

NOTE: You should be aware though that lots of TVs which support 1080i have fewer than 1080 lines and so scale the 1080 signal down. That's not a huge issue as even scaled down 1080i is far ahead of a regular NTSC signal. It is worth bearing in mind that more expensive HDTVs tend to have better scalers than cheaper ones, and this may be an issue.

However, for broadcasters it's a live issue. Should they broadcast 1080 lines of
interlaced video or 720 lines of progressive scan? They could just broadcast two
signals, one in each format, but that would use up a huge chunk of bandwidth and
be hugely expensive for very little gain.

To answer the question, it's important to understand the difference between 720p vs 1080i. A 720p signal is made up of 720 horizontal lines. Each frame is displayed in its entirety on-screen for 1/30th of a second. This is know as progressive scan (hence the 'p')The quality is like watching 30 photographic images a second on TV.

A 1080i signal comprises 1080 horizontal lines but all the lines are not displayed on-screen simultaneously. Instead, they are interlaced (hence the 'i'), ie every other lines is displayed for 1/60th of a second and then the alternate lines are displayed for 1/60th of a second. So, the frame rate is still 30 frames per second, but each frame is split into two fields, which your brain then puts together subconsciously.

Most of the time interlacing works fine, but for fast moving images, such as sports like baseball and hockey it can cause problems which manifest themselves as a 'stepping' effect on-screen. Progressive scan signals don't have this problem and so are better suited to sports.

ESPN puts it like this: 'Progressive scan technology produces better images for the fast moving orientation of sports television. Simply put, with 104 mph fastballs in baseball and 120 mph shots on goal in hockey, the line-by-line basis of progressive scan technology better captures the inherent fast action of sports. For ESPN, progressive scan technology makes perfect sense.'

Bottom line? For us, as consumers 720p vs 1080i is not a debate worth worrying about, so you can relaxand focus on all the other criteria on your list when you buy your next HDTV.


Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com