Acronyms are a dime a dozen when it comes to technology. Some are now so common place that we don’t even ask what they stand for anymore – they have just become a standard, automatic term for something that is common and abundant. But have you ever wondered how they make LCD TVs? Here’s a small taste of what you might be looking for with an easy-to-understand explanation.

Now for the technical bit. In case your ever wondered, the LCD part of an LCD TV stands for liquid crystal diode, a phrase that many people have probably never given a second thought to even though these liquid crystal diodes are prevalent in today’s technology. Liquid crystal displays are used in quite a number of appliances and electronic devices that are used on a daily basis. Consumers look at them and use them without thinking about the technology it takes to create them.

However, when choosing a new TV set, consumers should begin to explore their options and take a closer look at LCD technology. This is particularly true since many people are opting to purchase televisions with an even wider display capacity. The price tag is much larger on the larger TVs no matter which type a consumer is purchasing. Therefore, it’s important to understand as much as you can about your LCD TV before making the purchase.

An easy way to consider what liquid crystal diode technology is would be to take a look at all of the items that you use throughout your day that includes a digital display of numbers or letters. Typically this display appears in bright red digits. LCD technology is used in digital clocks that are designed for home use as well as in automobile dashboards. You can also see this type of LCD display on some types of bathroom scales, microwaves, stereos, CD players, ipods, DVD players, calculators, and more.

LCD technology typically makes use of a twisted nematic liquid crystal (TN liquid crystal)when used in display applications such as those mentioned above as well as LCD projectors, LCD monitors, and LCD TVs. This crystalline structure has a natural feature that allows it to react to electrical currents. This reaction is what allows the display to appear the way that it does. In essence, the electrical current causes the twisted part of the liquid crystal to untwist resulting in the visual display that is seen with the human eye.

Of course, a lot more goes into the creation of an LCD TV. The TN liquid crystals are placed in between two panes of polarized glass that are perpendicularly aligned. Light is sent through the TN liquid crystals via an internal florescent bulb. The intensity of the light is manipulated and the result is a display that passes through to the outer glass pane. The light causes the TN liquid crystals to untwist in varying degrees resulting in light, dark, and in between shading displays.

In reality there are not that many company companies in the world that have the resources and economies of scale required for building LCD displays at the ready so you may be surprised at the branding within your branded box.

As American consumers, we love our branding but we have a tendency to love our deals more. As such, a player has emerged in the ongoing price battle in the HDTV market from a company known only as Olevia. So what’s going on behind the stage and who’s really making these Olevia HDTVs?

Olevia HDTVs are actually owned by a company known as Syntax-Brillian Corporation. They came to market fairly recently and, to be fair, aren’t a TV manufacturer per say. They contract out the assembly and parts for their TV’s, allowing them to pull from technology that already exists and not having to come up with their own methods of development. In the end, Olevia’s step into the HDTV circle with their LCD TV’s has brought a price war among other national brands and driven prices down. They are considered to be one of the companies that are responsible for bringing LCD HDTV’s into the reach of many more American families to be exact.

The two main players in Olevia HDTVs are Syntax and LG. Syntax builds the boards that are responsible for processing and displaying your HD pictures while LG builds and supplies the screens. Many of us are familiar with the LG brand but even Syntax is considered a no name manufacturer. But in the world of budget HD, this brand definitely deserves serious consideration. They’ve managed to win some awards and editor’s picks as well so there is something to be said about the quality that they can bring to the table and the old “bang for the buck” scenario we always have weighing into high dollar purchases like HDTV sets.

All but one model of Olevia’s offerings are LCD monitors. That being said, LCD is one of the most popular choices around today and they continue to find companies to sub-contract with that can provide quality HD sets for less than their competition. Even recently, Olevia has worked hard to remove things like slow response times and poor viewing angles that have become standards in less expensive LCD models. The only non-LCD TV they make is a 65″ LCoS which stands for Liquid Crystal on Silicon, similar to the DLP TVs we see dominate the markets of 59″ and above. In the end, if you are looking for a good TV at a better price and don’t want to pay the premiums often associated with bigger brands, consider Olevia HDTVs. Yes, they may not come with the premium displays and contrast ratios but they will deliver when it comes to budget.

LED TV – Don’t Be Fooled, Understand The Technology First.

Thinking of buying an LED TV, well….Stop! Before you spend in excess of $1500, you need to cut through the jargon and hype to truly understand the technology that you’re actually spending your hard earned money on.

TV manufacturers and the media are very good at convincing us that the latest products incorporate the most cutting edge technology and are a must have. Lets get real here, to the average consumer most of this jargon is just down right confusing.

A new range of LED TVs that have hit the market with a big buzz. Samsung have crept through the backdoor and have released the 7000 series range boasting LED technology.

Thats great…but what is this LED technology thats being boasted.

Current LED TVs – The Truth

The term ‘LED’ stands for Light Emitting Diode and as you may well know LEDs are used in many of our devices at present, however in terms of the current line of LED TVs, the actual LEDs are used for the backlight of the TV ONLY and not the tv display themselves. If you consider that current TV technology uses CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorecent Lamps), there ia no doubt that an LED backlight is a more efficient form of backlight.

However, the important point here is that the LED television’s display is actually LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), it is the backlight only that is made up of LEDs. So there are two major technologies at use here; LCD for the display and LED for the backlight. In essence a more advanced form of LCD TV.

When you compare this technology to a true LED display TV. Displays such as OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) will self illuminate, utilizing an internal thin layer of LED for its display only.

The fact that the ‘LED tv’ term has been used to describe a type of LCD TV is a cunning move on Samsungs part, but genius in terms of marketing, since it capitalises on the current buzz in the TV market of true LED display TVs such as Sony’s XEL-1 OLED TV.

LCD TVs with LED Backlights – The Improvements

Now that we’ve established that this is LCD TV with an LED backlight, lets look at how this new range of tv improves on current TV technology such as plasma and standard LCD in 3 key areas:

1. Picture Quality

Quite simply, the picture quality has been improved over standard LCD and Plasma, because the range of colours have increased. The utilization of Light Emitting Diodes as a light source instead of traditional lamps provides a higher contrast ratio because the LED produces blacker blacks and whiter whites, this is the key to achieving quality images on screen.

2.  Environment

LED Technology consumes less power than current backlight tv technology, making a saving on your energy bills.

3. Slimmer Models

Since no provision for a conventional light source is required, LED TVs can be made ultra thin, this makes for a thin, sleek, more attractive model.

Decisions, Decisions

If you are in the market for a TV now and want a picture quality in advance of current standard LCD and Plasma ranges on the market, then you cannot go far wrong with an LED TV.

However, if you are in no hurray to purchase a television at this present time and require a tv with technology that will keep it at the forefront of cutting edge, in terms of LED technology, OLED tv is the real deal. Laser TV is another option to explore.

Both are emerging technologies and require patience as they find their place in the market with the correct size screens for your home. These TVs may also require you to dig a little deeper into your bank balance.

The moral of the story is to understand the technology behind theproduct in great detail before you part with your money, the choice is yours……

Just moved house? Can’t get a good mains TV signal in your home? Is your wall adapter broken? Are you a student moving into halls of residence? These are all small predicaments one can face in every day life. If you’re a TV lover, they can be pretty big problems. However theres a solution to the problem- an Indoor TV Aerial.

Indoor TV Aerials are excellent products to own because they can be used in a variety of different places and produce great signal qualities for stand alone electronics. All they require are a power source and a TV to work with!

Gone are the days of very expensive aerials that produce poor signals and are frequently distorted and interrupted. Nowadays you can pick up high quality digital signals, and run freeview with total ease. You can even pick up HD quality signal and experience the power of high definition on your HD TV.

Who needs to use an Indoor TV Aerial?

There are many different individuals who could benefit from using an indoor tv aerial. Gernally they fall into the following groups:

-Students
-Flat/Apartment Dwellers
-Caravan/Mobile Home Owners
-Frequent Movers
-Individuals with old TVs

The fact you can position an indoor TV aerial anywhere in the room means you’ll be able to pick up an excellent signal. You don’t have to worry about getting a cable guy in to sort out a wall socket connection for your TV; just plug the indoor aerial into the mains power and then into the back of your TV and your away.

Buying an Indoor TV Aerial

There are a variety of different types of aerial on the market- some excellent, some not so good. They generally fall into these categories:

-Antenna Aerials

These are the standard type of TV aerial, and produce very good signals. By extending the antenna fully and positioning the middle pivot towards an open area, you’ll be able to watch TV without any signal interference. If someone in your neighbourhood has a satellite dish on the side of their house, point this aerial at it and you’ll have a mains quality signal! Models with an amplifier are the best to buy.

-Pivot Aerials

A very good type of aerial to buy because it does not require fiddling and setting up like an antenna aerial. Simply connect it to the mains and your tv and point the pivot out the window. They generally pick up good quality signals, but can sometimes be interfered with when weather is poor. Once again, models with an amplifier produce the best signal qualities.

-1 Point Aerials

These aerials, while producing a reasonable signal, are generally more for aesthetics. You can place them in a room and they will not look that much out of place, compared with an antenna aerial. Despite this, even models with amplifiers will struggle to perform, as there are no parts to point into strong signal areas such as with the other models. Although cheaper than other models, you’ll feel the frustration when trying to watch an enjoyable programme and don’t like being interrupted.

Buying an Indoor TV Aerial

Indoor TV Aerials can be found in most electronics shops on the high street. However you will generally pay more in such a store than you would online. Some of the best deals can be found online.

Be sure to research an aerial before you buy one. Different models and makes of aerials wil pick up signals in different qualities. If you are planning to watch Freeview on your TV, it is wise to check your coverage before you purchase an aerial.

The best tip to remember when buying an Indoor TV Aerial is to ask if you are unsure!

If you enjoy watching your TV, but are unable to pick up a mains TV signal, consider buying an Indoor TV Aerial today. You’ll pick up a great signal and will be able to watch TV anywhere. So sit back, relax, and turn on your favourite programme!

For more infomation on Indoor TV Aerials, click here

Samsung is and probably always will be a leader in consumer technology.  They’ve been around for many, many moons and continue to bring us the cutting edge everything when it comes to outfitting our homes with the latest, most technologically advanced gadgetry we’ve never imagined yet have also decided we can’t possibly live without.  Due to their extreme magnitude, there are Samsung HDTVs in pretty much every form of set on the market.

The newest technologies in Samsung HDTVs are their LED sets.  These high definition televisions are considered to be some of the most advanced available today.  One of the major features that Samsung specifically brings to market is something called InfoLink and Medi@2.0.  These services bring a level of connectivity many people haven’t even considered to their TV setups.  You can receive internet content via major mediums like Yahoo! and Flickr as well as other online TV widgets.  These are considered eco-friendly and have incredibly contrast ratios and picture clarity.  They also offer things like DLNA networking to serve more as a network than simply a TV setup.

LCD and plasma are also in the Samsung HDTVs lineup.  From the bare bones series of things like the 3 series all the way up to the 9 series offering 1,000,000:1 contrast resolutions and DLNA networking capability, there’s surely a match for both your budget and your desire in one of these two.  LCD HDTV’s are becoming the most popular forms of televisions on the market but plasma still has many followers.  Some manufacturers are starting to step away from plasma, though, as it has a tendency to be more expensive and the technology behind LCD is approaching that of which is available in plasma form.

Finally, the last main player in Samsung HDTVs lineup is the DLP offerings.  DLP has slowly grown to become a home theater offering for those seeking a massive TV while not wanting to pay tens of thousands for the LCD, LED, or plasma equivalent.  DLP is a flat screen TV that still offers full HD 1080P resolutions but at a much more reasonable cost.  Samsung offers a 61”, 67”, and 72” in various lines in this flat screen segment of their market.  Even their lowest end series, the 5 series, boasts great industry leading benefits like a larger color wheel, Texas Instruments DLP chips and smooth light engines.  All in all, Samsung is a trusted brand and with its enormous HD lineup, there’s something for everyone.

LED TV – Don’t Be Fooled, Understand The Technology First.

Thinking of buying an LED TV, well….Stop! Before you spend in excess of $1500, you need to cut through the jargon and hype to truly understand the technology that you’re actually spending your hard earned money on.

TV manufacturers and the media are very good at convincing us that the latest products incorporate the most cutting edge technology and are a must have. Lets get real here, to the average consumer most of this jargon is just down right confusing.

A new range of LED TVs that have hit the market with a big buzz. Samsung have crept through the backdoor and have released the 7000 series range boasting LED technology.

Thats great…but what is this LED technology thats being boasted.

Current LED TVs – The Truth

The term ‘LED’ stands for Light Emitting Diode and as you may well know LEDs are used in many of our devices at present, however in terms of the current line of LED TVs, the actual LEDs are used for the backlight of the TV ONLY and not the tv display themselves. If you consider that current TV technology uses CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorecent Lamps), there ia no doubt that an LED backlight is a more efficient form of backlight.

However, the important point here is that the LED television’s display is actually LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), it is the backlight only that is made up of LEDs. So there are two major technologies at use here; LCD for the display and LED for the backlight. In essence a more advanced form of LCD TV.

When you compare this technology to a true LED display TV. Displays such as OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) will self illuminate, utilizing an internal thin layer of LED for its display only.

The fact that the ‘LED tv’ term has been used to describe a type of LCD TV is a cunning move on Samsungs part, but genius in terms of marketing, since it capitalises on the current buzz in the TV market of true LED display TVs such as Sony’s XEL-1 OLED TV.

LCD TVs with LED Backlights – The Improvements

Now that we’ve established that this is LCD TV with an LED backlight, lets look at how this new range of tv improves on current TV technology such as plasma and standard LCD in 3 key areas:

1. Picture Quality

Quite simply, the picture quality has been improved over standard LCD and Plasma, because the range of colours have increased. The utilization of Light Emitting Diodes as a light source instead of traditional lamps provides a higher contrast ratio because the LED produces blacker blacks and whiter whites, this is the key to achieving quality images on screen.

2.  Environment

LED Technology consumes less power than current backlight tv technology, making a saving on your energy bills.

3. Slimmer Models

Since no provision for a conventional light source is required, LED TVs can be made ultra thin, this makes for a thin, sleek, more attractive model.

Decisions, Decisions

If you are in the market for a TV now and want a picture quality in advance of current standard LCD and Plasma ranges on the market, then you cannot go far wrong with an LED TV.

However, if you are in no hurray to purchase a television at this present time and require a tv with technology that will keep it at the forefront of cutting edge, in terms of LED technology, OLED tv is the real deal. Laser TV is another option to explore.

Both are emerging technologies and require patience as they find their place in the market with the correct size screens for your home. These TVs may also require you to dig a little deeper into your bank balance.

The moral of the story is to understand the technology behind theproduct in great detail before you part with your money, the choice is yours……

What is a LED TV

A led TV is an LCD TV that uses LEDs to illuminate the display. There are two ways to do this: either by placing LEDs across the entire back of the display, or by placing LEDs just around the perimeter, which is called an “edge lit” display. Both techniques use less power than plasma TVs and LCD TVs lit with fluorescent tubes.

History of LED TV

LED technology was first used as status and indicator lamps. Over the past six years though, it has been developed to meet general lighting application demands. Samsung is among the first to incorporate light-emitting diodes (LED) into television technology, it is called the LED TV which is now taking the technological world by storm. Samsung uses a term LED TV (light emitting diode television) for describing LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs which utilizes LED Backlighting. LED TV is a controversial term effectively used for the advertisements between Samsung and its competitors. But the complaint of the competitors is, LED TV produces a display of 100% LEDs and which is not compromised in this. LEDs in their current form are much too large to be individual pixels on a conventional television. In order to capture some of the hype around O-LED TVs, Samsung has chosen to brand their LED-lit range of LCD TVs but still except for the Sony XEL-1 they are not commercially available. LED-backlit LCD TVs do differ from conventional LCD TVs in some important areas: 1. LED televisions can produce bright image and deep blacks (doesn’t work for Edge-LED). 2. They can be extremely slim with Edge-LED lighting. 3. LED TV offers lower power consumption. 4. Especially when RGB-LED backlighting is used, LED TV also offers a wider colour gamut.

LED in Television Application

LED technology captures the natural colours of real life with the production of darker blacks, crisp whites, and strong contrast between dark and vivid colours. Samsung also enhanced its LED-powered products with Auto Motion Plus frame interpolation, which effectively reduces image judder and motion blur.

 So you’ve taken the plunge.  You’ve remortgaged your home, persuaded yourself you need one, and convinced your wife/husband/girlfriend/flatmate that you can’t live another second without the Hi-Def beauty found in the latest range of LED TVs.  To help you navigate through the complicated world of contrast ratios and refresh rates, we’ve put together this quick guide to help you choose the LED TV which is right for you.

Unless you’ve been living on the moon for the past few months, chances are you’ve seen Samsung’s marketing campaign proclaiming brighter colours and deeper blacks.  They want you to be concerned with the three Cs – contrast, colour and clarity.  Whilst these are important when choosing a TV – no doubt the Samsung LED TVs have them all – we reckon you should be more interested in the three Ps – price, presentation and personality.

Unless you’re an early adopter (nothing to do with Madonna), it’s probably neither wise nor possible to pay through the nose for a brand new TV.  You’ve got food to buy and possibly children to support.  In the time of a recession, splashing out on lavish luxuries is akin to sending out an open invitation to all your local bailiffs.  However from what we’ve seen, since early 2009 prices have been steadily falling. 

At the time of writing, you can pick up a 32” LED TV for just £720 – so it needn’t cost the earth if you know where and when to buy.  Prices are likely to fall further in the run-up to Christmas, so it may be worth controlling your urges for a little while.  Money can be saved on costly delivery (up to £45 at some stores) by choosing a retailer that allows you to buy or reserve online and pick-up in your local store.  And don’t be fooled by bundle offers, which tempt you in with the promise of a free Blu-Ray player or HDMI cable – in many cases the prices of these TVs are ramped up above the norm, so it’d work out cheaper to go elsewhere and buy the items cheaper from separate retailers.

Tell most of the population that your TV has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, and they’ll look at you with a blank face.  Is that good, bad, or simply indifferent?  Whilst you can get wound up in all the figures and statistics, the only way to really experience the picture quality is to see one for real.  Before buying blindly online, it’d probably be worth popping into your local audio-visual store to have a demonstration.  After all, you’re going to have to live with this investment for at least a good couple of years (unless you’re the proud owner of a money tree).  Take the time to do your research, so you can be confident you’re getting the most for your money.

Not only is on-screen presentation important, but also the design of the TV itself, if you’re aesthetically minded.  Unless you’re sitting at home all day watching Jeremy Kyle, a lot of the time the TV will be turned off, so it needs to look good turned off as well as when it’s on.  Larger TVs can become a main focal point in the room you put it in, so it’s worth paying a little more for a stylish TV to match your impeccable interior design.  And try not to put on the blinkers and aim for the largest TV money can buy – there’s no point having a 55” LED TV if you live in a caravan, and the only place you can attach it is to the outside.  A quick search on Google will bring up a table which shows the optimum TV size for your chosen room.  If you think these extra features will benefit and enrich your life, go for it and choose one of the higher end models.

The personality of your TV needs to match your own personality.  If you’re a bit of a geek who gets excited by huge contrast ratios and ridiculously fast refresh rates, it’s worth shelling out for a top-end LED TV to show off to your (limited number of) friends.  Alternatively if you’re an MP, we recommend you get an LED TV from the lower end of the spectrum, to help stem some of your constituency’s hatred when it appears on your expenses bill at the end of the year.

Good luck with your buying choice, we’re sure that you’ll make the right decision for you, and that it’ll be a worthwhile investment.  Now all you need to do is wait for the TV channels to produce something decent to watch on it.