Televisions

TP Vision breaks new ground in TV design

TP Vision (a joint venture between Philips and TP Technology) has just announced its latest DesignLine TVs. In terms of aesthetics, the Philips PDL8908 is truly in a class of its own with a unibody glass chassis that stretches all the way to the floor.

This design eliminates the need for a separate stand, while the progressively translucent glass surface is another special touch. Adding to the series' overall good looks is an alluring halo that mirrors the onscreen colors and is created by the onboard Ambilight function. … Read more

Fry an egg with a solar-powered backyard death ray

The idea of focusing the sun's rays into a concentrated beam of heat using a magnifying glass is so well known that all you have to do is say "ants under a magnifying glass" to conjure the image of a torturing bully.

Backyard tinkerer Grant Thompson isn't a bully, but he does have a giant magnifying glass. More specifically, he has a Fresnel lens -- that is, a giant lens made of corrugated concentric circles adapted from an old rear-projection TV. … Read more

What is the blockiness in my TV's picture?

A common complaint I get via e-mail or in comments on other articles involves a picture that breaks up into what look like little blocks.

Often, people incorrectly refer to these as "pixels," or blame their TV settings.

In fact, this artifact is in the source, and unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it.… Read more

Get a 39-inch TCL HDTV for $249.99

There's the TV you put in your living room, the one you splurge on to get a mammoth screen, built-in apps, a top-rated picture, and the like.

Then there's the TV you buy for the basement, the game room, the den, the kids. The one that can get dinged up a little bit and who cares?

This is that TV. While supplies last, TigerDirect has the TCL LE39FHDF3300 39-inch LED HDTV for $249.99, plus around $13 for shipping. The good news: it's new, not refurbished. The "bad" news: you'll have to sit tight … Read more

LED LCD backlights explained

All so-called LED TVs are really just LCD TVs that use LEDs for their backlight. This backlight creates the light that allows the LCD to create an image. However, there are multiple ways these LED backlights can be arranged, and that arrangement can have a dramatic effect on picture quality.

So here's your guide to all the different versions, with some funky illustrations, too.… Read more

Ultra HD 4K and beyond: Rec. 2020 glimpses the future of TVs

The International Telecommunications Union is the regulatory body that establishes the parameters by which all TVs and their related paraphernalia (cameras, etc.) work. Without them, every TV show would look different on every TV.

To help with the adoption of Ultra HD, otherwise known as "4K," they've put out the sexy sounding Recommendation ITU-R BT.2020. What does it mean for you?… Read more

Get a Westinghouse 24-inch HDTV for $139.99

Looking for a TV for the den or bedroom? For many folks, a 24-inch LCD would seem to be the ideal size.

Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Westinghouse EW24T8FW 24-inch LCD HDTV for $139.99 shipped (plus sales tax). It's pretty rare to find a 24-inch monitor at that price, so this is definitely worth a look.

The reasonably slim EW24T8FW measures just 1.9 inches deep. It features a 23.6-inch, 60Hz LCD with a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels (aka 1080p) -- unnecessary at that size, but nice if you'… Read more

Plasma TV altitude: How high can they go?

David Katzmaier and I have gotten e-mails asking a seemingly odd question: how high can plasma TVs go? These e-mails, from videophiles living in high-altitude places such as Denver and Santa Fe, are concerned plasmas either won't work for them, or will have a loud buzzing.

Turns out, they're sort of right.… Read more

What are Quantum Dots, and how could they help your next TV?

At CES in January, Sony announced several LCD TVs with "Triluminos," a new backlighting method that they promise offered "rich, authentic color, and excellent red and green reproduction." Digging deeper, it turns out Triluminos includes an optical component produced by QD Vision, Inc. called "Color IQ" which uses quantum dots to help create light.

OK, so what are quantum dots?… Read more

Get a Proscan 55-inch LED HDTV for $499.99

About 10 months ago, I paid $899 for a no-brand 55-inch TV. It was a roll of the dice, as I had only a handful of user reviews to rely on, but that was the best deal I could find at the time.

Through midnight tomorrow, and while supplies last, TigerDirect has the Proscan PLED5529A 55-inch LED HDTV for $499.99, plus around $50 for shipping. That's after applying coupon code EPE83551 at checkout.

(Note: The sellout risk here is huge. I apologize in advance if you're not able to grab this.)

That's the lowest price I'… Read more