Recently, CNET started measuring input lag. This is the amount of time it takes for a TV or projector to produce an image. In the worse case, excessive input lag can cause lip sync issues. In most cases, it can lead to worse performance with certain games.
Since the article hit, there's been a surge of people ridiculing certain displays as "unacceptable" due to their input lag issues.
Hang on -- unacceptable? Just how important is input lag, anyway?… Read more
Recently we took a poll where we asked "What's stopping you from getting a plasma?" A majority of voters rebuked my premise, picking "I love my plasma." The other responses were fairly evenly split among the choices.
However, there was a surprisingly common reason given in the comments that baffled me, and it's so bizarre it's clearly worth debunking, or at least shining the light on the facts.
So how much do TVs weigh?… Read more
If you've done any research into TVs, Blu-ray players, or Blu-ray in general, you've likely seen the alphanumeric 1080p24 (or 1080p/24).
Understanding what it is, and keeping a lookout for products that can take advantage of it, can result in smoother, more natural-looking movie and TV show playback. I'm not talking about the artificially hypersmooth look of the Soap Opera Effect, but instead the correct cadence of motion at which the film or TV show was shot.
All the judder reducing -- and causing -- awesomeness after the jump.… Read more
Recently, there was quite a hoopla when it was reported that Panasonic would no longer be developing plasma as a TV technology. According to Panasonic, this isn't true.
However, it does bring up some interesting questions. Because there will be a time when plasma television development (and production) does come to an end. LCD too, for that matter. The timing of both is rather crucial, but specifically, a lack of a suitable replacement for plasma could have dire effects on picture quality across the board.
So what does the future hold for flat-panel TVs?… Read more
Despite countless reviews and articles proclaiming plasma TVs as having better picture quality, and costing less money, LCDs continue to dominate sales charts.
So the question is, why did you, or will you, choose LCD (or LED LCD) over plasma?… Read more
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
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
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
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
Do movies look weird on your new TV? Does everything have a hyper-real, ultra-smooth motion to it? Are you sure something is happening with the TV's image you don't like, but you can't figure out what?
Chances are, what you're seeing is called the "Soap Opera Effect," as descriptive a moniker as we get in tech, in that this feature makes everything on your TV look like a cheap soap opera.
Here's what it is, what it does, and how to turn it off.… Read more
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