TV Buying Guide

part 2

Projection televisions are the next up. There are two types of projections on the market: Rear projection and front projection. Rear refers to those regular looking televisions with backs to them (they keep getting thinner and thinner with time). Front projections are the small boxes behind you which produce large images. The front projectors are used in movie theaters and commonly used in big presentations. The most important thing to know about these sets is that they have a maintenance cost. This is because they use a bulb inside of them. The life span of a regular blub on a rear projection is roughly 6,000 hours or 2-3 years. The life span of a blub in a front projection is roughly 2,500 hours or 1 year depending on use. The cost of the bulb replacements go from $300 to $400. I usually recommend people looking into projections to get the extended warranty because they usually cover a bulb switch. You probably will spend that $250 in changing a bulb and are covered for other things if anything does happen. One other thing to remember about front projectors is that they are designed for extremely dark conditions. Front projectors usually different lumens ratings, the higher the better it will look in brighter environment.

A downside to large projections is the viewing angle. This has been improved quite a bit over time but do realize that with projection TVs that if you have an “L” shaped couch the viewing angle can be a problem. Also if the set is too low or high up it could be a problem. For best viewing pleasure you want to be sitting directly in front of the set. One good thing about projection is you get a huge screen for a low price. They range from 37inches up to 73inches. There are many advances in rear projection technology such as LED lamps and Laser projection. LED projections are already at most retail stores. Samsung is the first to release these LED projections commercially at retail stores. The life of these is roughly 30,000 hours. The costs of the new Samsung LED are around a $200 price difference from regular projections. Also Mitsubishi is a major player on putting out the new laser projections. No one knows when these will be released and how the cost scheme will be.

Flat panels are next. These are the new thin televisions, people have come to love. There are two types of flat panels: LCD and Plasma. LCD will be first up. Walking into any retail store you will now find a large selection of televisions but for the most part the large majority of them will be LCDs. They will range from 19inches all the way up to 52inches. These television sets will remind you a lot of a flat screen monitor you might have. These things are the most popular things that have hit the television market because they are so thin and light. This makes them incredibly easy to move around.

Part 3

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