There are several factors to consider before deciding what kind of TV will best
suit your needs. It’s important to know what you want from a TV. If you want to build a home theater for instance a widescreen stereo TV would be preferable to a smaller mono set.
Direct view or Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TV is the big bulky TV’s that were once the only type
available. These TVs make use of cathode-ray tubes to form and display images. This type of TV enables visuals to be
viewed from any angle, since the screen has a convex shape. These TVs are relatively inexpensive.
1.2 - Projection TV
Projection TVs are widely used to simulate a movie theatre effect. These are expensive and its large size demands
availability of good space. The large screen size varies from a minimum of 46 inches to a maximum of 120 inches.
There are two variants available - front and rear projection TVs.
Front Projection:
These kinds have the screen and the projector separate. The projector can be mounted on a wall cabinet or hung from
a ceiling. Some of these can be mounted onto a wall cabinet while others can be hung from the ceiling. The size of the
screen can be varied by changing the distance between the screen and the projector. More importantly, the size of the
room you wish to place your TV should be taken into consideration when you plan to purchase a TV of this type.
Rear Projection:
Rear-projection TVs (RPTVs) are ultimate. RPTVs basically are a box with a projector and a screen combined. The
image is cast by the projector on the rear of the screen. CRT rear-projection TVs utilize three cathode ray tubes to
shoot red, green, and blue onto a projection screen. They are huge in size. These TVs were mainly a part of home
theatre systems.
1.3 - Flat Panel TV
Flat panel TVs are very much in vogue today and come in two variants; Plasma and LCD. These are slim and have large screens
compared to the bulky CRT TVs. These are relatively expensive. Plasma TVs are digital TVs that offer higher resolutions than
CRT TVs. They have large screen sizes are slim, and need an external TV tuner to display broadcast signals. LCD TVs
too require an external tuner; these are slimmer than plasma TVs.
1.4 - High Definition TV (HDTV)
HDTV is a type of digital television. It indicates whether the TV can receive a high-definition television signals.
HDTV could be of the following types; HDTV-ready, HDTV-compatible, or integrated HDTV television. HDTV provides better
picture and sound quality and is relatively expensive. HDTV-ready implies that the television is capable of receiving
high-definition television signal. This is normally done with the help of a receiver/tuner. It is also called HDTV
compatible. Integrated HDTV is a High-definition television with built-in HDTV (sometimes called digital or ATSC) tuners.
This refers to the angle of viewing that would least distort the image. This reflects on a situation in which you are
not in the direct line of sight of the television set. The extent of distortion is dependent on the technology used to
present images on the screen. For instance; a plasma TV uses tiny lighted cells to produce the picture, therefore its
picture clarity gets distorted when it is viewed at an angle. A CRT TV however uses cathode ray to display images and
hence allows for an undistorted view from a wider range of angles.
2.2 - Black Level
An image color is depicted on TV screens by mixture of the primary colors; red, green, and blue. Black indicates the
absence of color and serves to provide details to an image. Black level represents the ability of the TV to produce
the color black. In this area, CRT TVs are far superior to plasma and LCD TVs.
2.3 - Resolution
The tiny colored dots on the screen of the TV are called pixels. The number of pixels/square inch stands for the
resolution. The more pixels there are on the screen, the higher the resolution. In addition, presence of comb filters
enables depiction of finely tuned images.
2.4 - Remote Control
Most TVs come with remotes which maybe; partial function or full function types. Partial function types are equipped
with only simple features such as; channel up/down, volume up/down, auto search, auto tuning, sound mute, etc. Full
function remotes, in addition to providing essential functions provide advanced functions such as; picture quality
control, component control etc. Remotes shouldn’t be too bulky, heavy and the buttons should have a good feel
and should be well spaced out making it easy to press. Some models come with universal remotes that enable one to use
the remote for multiple gadgets – not just the TV.
2.5 - Glare
TV screens tend to pick up the light from the background and reflect it back to the viewer. This is what creates glare.
TVs with curved screens are more susceptible to such glare. The flatter the screen the less the glare that is created.
2.6 - Durability
The technology of the TV determines its life span. For example CRT and LCD TVs have longer life spans than plasma and projection TVs.
2.7 - TV Screen / Size
TVs are measured by their screen size. The screen size starts from a range of 5 inches and extends to as much as 64
inches. It is important to take into consideration the size of the room in which you wish to place your TV. If you
wish to place it in your children’s room or the kitchen, a 14 inch model should suffice. If the room is big and
spacious, you could consider a bigger screen size TV. Please remember that in case you intend to place your TV in a
cabinet or in a closed shelf, there must be a gap of at least ½ inch on all sides for proper ventilation.
Input/Output jacks on the TV are important from the point of view of connecting VCR or other components to the TV.
3.2 - Channel Selections
Select a TV model which can view channels across the spectrum, i.e. UHF, VHF, S-Band, Hyper-Band, etc, which will enable viewing of channels broadcast through land, satellite and cable transmission.
3.3 - Auto Sound Leveler
This eliminates the sudden changes in volume while surfing channels.
3.4 - Auto Channel Memory
TV models with this feature memorize TV searches and channels automatically, permitting rearrangement of programs.
3.5 - Favorites
This option/feature allows you to program your TV in such a way that it remembers your favorite channels allowing for
easier access. In addition to such features, some TV models come with memory sticks that enable you to have alarms,
timers, and other such features.
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