Down and Dirty Guide to TV Typesby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 01 Nov 2007 11:21 AM Trying to decide between a plasma television and a flat screen television? Or wait, a plasma television does have a flat screen, doesn't it? Choosing among the various television types can be very confusing. That is why I created this down and dirty guide to the different television technology. You'll learn what it all means, as well as the pros and the cons. CRT The CRT is the traditional Cathode-ray tube television, the analog TV that we have all grown up with. There are some newer CRTs that are digital, and some even include high definition viewing (HDTV). The pro to this type of television is that it is the most affordable and reliable of the options. A CRT television will last for years with virtually no maintenance. The con is that it is big and bulky. It is also getting harder to find new CRT televisions these days. LCD The LCD television uses a liquid crystal display, just like flat screen computer monitors. An LCD television offers sharp, vivid color, and images won't "burn" into the screen if left on too long. There are two real downsides to an LCD television. The first is the expense of the unit, and the second is the fact that it doesn't capture motion very well, and objects or people moving can appear jagged, so it isn't a good choice if you watch a lot of sports. Plasma The plasma television features a flat, usually wide-screened display that is ideal for movies. It uses chemical compounds called phosphors to produce the image. The color on a plasma television is warm, lifelike and accurate. It is great at showing fast-paced motion. Plasma televisions are one of the most expensive options, and prolonged displays, such as a news ticker could "burn" into the screen. Rear Projection Rear Projection televisions include self-contained projectors that enlarge the images onto the screen. There are two types: LCD and DLP (Digital Light Processing). A real pro for this type of television is that it can give frugal shoppers the feel of a theater experience without the high cost of alternative technology. Picture quality is very good. One con of rear projection include the fact that it is bulky. On the LCD version, burned out pixels will create dots on the screen. In the DLP version, colors may visibly separate from the images. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. Related Articles Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantcomputers tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags LCD, plasma, Rear Projection, television, tv Discuss this article
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