| Big HDTV for the big game?
An estimated 2.5 million Americans plan to buy a new HDTV set to watch this Sunday's Super Bowl, according to the National Retail Federation. But which one should you get? TODAY Tech Editor Paul Hochman helps you make the right play by analyzing three different HDTVs representing the three major technologies: plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display) and DLP (digital light processor). All three of the sets highlighted below show the same image but have different attributes that make them attractive. First things first Before you pick your new TV, you need to look at the room it's going in. What room features are important? .
Samsung to improve heat dissipation in LCD TVs with DDI package
Samsung Electronics has developed what it claims to be the industry's first thermally-enhanced chip-on-film (TECOF) package for the display driver IC (DDI) used in large-screen, high-resolution LCD TVs. The new DDI package reportedly improves thermal heat dissipation by 20 per cent over a conventional COF package, allowing the DDI to last longer and operate with greater reliability.
The company noted that demand for LCD TVs is surging with increased accessibility to digital broadcasting. A typical DDI requires at least 15 volts of power to drive larger, higher-resolution LCD TV panels that operate on broader frequency spectrums to reproduce high-speed video images. As a result, the DDI generates greater heat, which can create reliability problems, the company explained.
Samsung is understood to have developed a new material for the thin metal tape component that has the optimal properties for maximising heat dissipation.
Pioneer Produce a 60-inch Plasma
As the first company to launch a plasma TV back in 1997, Pioneer has launched another screen, but this time the PDP-607XD is a whole 60-inches. Plasma giants Pioneer are on their 7th generation of plasma screens with the PDP-607XD, so we cant understand why we have to have a separate external box to make this TV HD-ready. Pioneer explained that if consumers want to get HD broadcasts they will need a separate HD receiver. Can somebody remind me what year we are in? With so much competition from other plasma HDTV models on the market it seems ludicrous to leave the job of HD provisions to a box sat by the side of the TV. We all know that other companies have managed to offer HDTV without any external additions, so its left us a little baffled. Oh yes, nearly forgot to mention, this plasma will can only support 1080p format, providing lower quality picture performance than plasmas supporting the paramount 1080i.
Dealzmodo: Westinghouse 37-inch 1080p LCD, $1099
The ever-so-familiar Newegg has this 37-inch 1080p LCD HDTV from Westinghouse for $1,299 with $200 worth of instant savings bringing the final price down to $1,099. With the Super Bowl coming up, and more importantly, the Austrailian Open women's finals featuring Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, you will need the best TV to see the beauty of Sharapova Brian Urlacher. Other specs include a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 8ms response time and HDMI support. Good to see the 1080p TVs finally get into a $1,000 price range, even if they are somewhat of an off-brand, like Westinghouse. Our own Brian Lam took this TV for a test-run a while back and wasn't very impressed. Says the colors are overblown, and it is somewhat ugly, despite being 1080p—so take that into consideration before buying.
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