Televisions with LCD screens have firmly taken their place in our homes. It is unlikely that anyone would come up with the idea of buying a CRT or lamp technique, except for rare book lovers and collectors. Moreover, the cost of the latter is already calculated not by an indicator of practicality, but rather by museum value.
Today's market offers a huge number of types, types and specific models of LCD TVs. And getting lost in all this diversity is very simple, especially for the ordinary consumer. When choosing this technique, you need to consider many factors. Here and the life of the LCD TV, and the diagonal, and the matrix, and the backlight, and much more. So the purchase must be approached meaningfully and seriously. But first things first.
From our article you will find out which LCD TVs can be found on sale, what to look for when choosing a technique of such a plan and how not to miscalculate with a purchase. We take into account the advice of experts in this area and consumer reviews. So let's get started.
What is a liquid crystal screen?
Before we tell you what LCD TVs are, for a start we will understand the technology itself. If we omit all the technological aspects that are of interest to engineers, we can say that the LCD panel is a sandwich.
The main structural elements of such a television are two electronic boards. Between them passes a kind of liquid, where small granules - crystals are located. The latter just serve as pixels - points on the screen from which the whole picture is formed.
But the crystals themselves do not glow, therefore this part of the work rests on the shoulders of the LEDs located at the ends or behind the panel. It is also worth noting that they emit only one white light, which is colored by means of RGB filters. Before each crystal there is at least one such, but there is.
This technology is called LED. The previous generation LCD TVs were powered by LCD backlighting, where the main ones were fluorescent small lamps and one large with a cold cathode. Such technology did not allow achieving uniform dimming of the screen, and the use of LEDs solved this problem.
So all modern digital LCD TVs come with LED backlight. You can also find LCD models on sale, and they have their own advantages, but experts in this field still recommend stopping at a more modern technology. So at this point (LED / LCD) you need to pay special attention when choosing a TV technology.
Next, we will understand how LCD TVs with LED backlighting differ from each other.
Varieties of LED
The location of the LEDs on the panel is also a determining factor for a number of screen characteristics. Currently, there are two main varieties of this technology - Direct Ice and Edge Ice. Let's consider them in more detail.
Direct LED
This type of backlight is also called direct. Here we have a uniform arrangement of crystals throughout the panel. Between the screen itself and the light source, there is a special diffuser for the flow.
This technology assumes the presence of space between each element. They should not be located tightly, otherwise a complete picture will not work. The thickness of models with Direct Ice technology is noticeably greater than that of Edge Ice, but at the same time, the image quality is clearly better. This is confirmed not only by experts, but also by numerous reviews of LCD TVs with Direct LED.
Edge LED
This type of backlight is called endlight. In this case, all the LEDs are located on the side faces of the screen. One of the main features of this design is a significant savings in interior space. Thanks to this, the thickness of Edge Ice TVs is much thinner than Direct Ice.
But this technology also has its obvious disadvantages. The biggest trouble is the presence of "flashes" or uneven lighting. If the side slats are at least slightly deformed, then problems can not be avoided. For this reason, experts strongly advise against purchasing Edge Ice models with an inclined or suspended installation.
In this case, the thin body is particularly prone to deformation. Most premium models are not threatened by the abundance of metal elements, but with devices from the mid-price and budget segments, you need to be more careful and attentive.
Matrix
The matrix is the main element of the TV responsible for picture quality. In stores you can find a lot of its varieties, but among the others there are only four types. Other output image parameters, as well as the ability to fine-tune the LCD TV, depend on the type of matrix. Let's consider each type in more detail.
IPS
One of the main advantages of IPS-matrices is the widest viewing angle today, that is, 178 degrees. If the user is within this angle, the image will be clear and not blurry.
The black color of IPS-matrices differs in depth and looks almost perfect. Perhaps the only significant flaw of this type is the response time. IPS in this case loses a little to other matrices. The problem was partially solved by the modification of S-IPS, but at the same time, the service life of the LCD TV was slightly less.
This technology is the most common and affordable. There are a lot of reviews about it, for the most part they are written in a positive manner. There are simply no serious flaws in IPS-matrices.
Pls
This is a proprietary development of Samsung, which is a close analogue of the IPS-matrix. Operational qualities remained almost the same, with the only difference being that the brand managed to significantly reduce production costs, as well as the cost of the TVs themselves.
VA
This type of matrix has many modifications. The first generation of VA had one significant drawback: when the viewing angle changed, the colors on the screen started to “dance”, although the clarity with detail remained the same.
The problem was solved with the help of a modern modification of S-PVA. The latter was adopted and is actively used by Sony brands in its Bravia and LG with Samsung. Here, dynamic scenes are already displayed as needed and the response time is significantly reduced. The only thing inferior to VA IPS is in the development of halftones. This is especially noticeable if you connect both types of LCD TVs in a dark room.
Feedback on VA technology is mostly positive. The matrices of the latest generation performed on it are largely good, but the only fly in the ointment is viewing angles. Like it or not, IPS has more. Another plus VA, which cannot be discounted, is its low cost.
UV2A
This is a proprietary development of the Sharp brand. The pixel control in this case is based on ultraviolet light. UV2A matrices have the highest level of contrast and brightness. Also, the owners in their reviews note that UV2A technology is much more economical than the analogs described above, and at the same time it allows, albeit only slightly, but to increase the life of the LCD TV.
Resolution
The clarity of the image depends on the resolution of the matrix. The more points a screen can display, the more detailed the picture will be. For a long time, the SD format with a scan of 640 by 480 pixels has long been a thing of the past. He was replaced by new generations that can be seen on store shelves.
Actual layout of modern TVs:
- HD - 1366 by 768 pixels.
- Full HD - 1920 by 1080.
- UHD / 4K - 3840 by 2160.
This option is fully disclosed when watching digital television and individual video content. But you should not expect any significant changes during the broadcast of the analogue broadcast, because it is already going in a predetermined layout.
The most common resolution to date is Full HD. Most manufacturers of both televisions and content are guided by this format. Yes, there are more films in 4K distribution every day, but they are still too few for the mass consumer.
Diagonal
Some mistakenly believe that this parameter is the main one when choosing a TV, but in fact, not everything is so simple. The diagonal of the LCD TV must be selected taking into account the dimensions of the room where it will stand. For example, in a small bedroom it will be very difficult to enjoy all the advantages of a massive LED panel, because the user simply will not be able to cover the entire image with one glance - he will have to turn his head from side to side so as not to miss an important moment on the screen.
Judging by the reviews of the owners, for a modest-sized room like a kitchen or the same bedroom, a diagonal of 19 to 26 inches is the best option. If the rooms are large, then you can look at the 32 ”devices. In general, a diagonal of 32-49 inches is a universal option for living rooms and other rather large rooms.
If we are talking about organizing a home theater, then it is worth considering models from 50 to 64 ”. Devices with a larger diagonal can be found in commercial institutions, because such dimensions imply decent dimensions of the room.
Sound
When choosing an LCD model, many overlook such an important parameter as sound. Even if the model produces an amazing picture, all the positive emotions will go down the drain due to mediocre sound.
Here it is worth noting immediately that, due to the design features of LCD TVs, they basically can not take on board professional acoustics. So in most cases you have to take care of an independent system. Nevertheless, many manufacturers are trying to maintain, if not professional, then at least just a high level of acoustics.
For example, Sony company equips its models with technically advanced Long DuctSpeakers speakers, which have a spiral shape. They do not take up much space, but despite their modest size, they produce quite adequate sound - clean and powerful. Of course, one does not have to count on exceptional low frequencies with such “kids,” but it’s quite comfortable to watch films, videos and other content that excludes the direction of heavy metal.
Some manufacturers include some innovative software in the TV firmware that allows them to process and produce good sound even on mediocre speakers. Among others, such systems as ClearAudio, Bass Reflex, Clear Phase, etc.
Interfaces
When buying an LCD TV, it is clearly not out of place to pay attention to the quantity and quality of the interfaces. The list of connected peripherals directly depends on them. Experts strongly recommend checking for a USB interface and HDMI output.
The first is necessary for working with external drives, as well as viewing third-party content, and the second is a universal port for most modern peripheral equipment. The latter include media devices, game consoles and all kinds of players. All of them are necessarily equipped with an HDMI interface.
Life time
You should immediately warn about some legal aspects of this parameter. If the instructions do not indicate the life of the LCD TV, then by default it is 10 years. This is written in black and white in the Law on Consumer Protection for Durable Goods.
The fact is that manufacturers deliberately underestimate the operational life of such equipment, so as not to simply service it. This approach is justified by the inappropriateness of repair. The cost of the latter is almost equal to the new device.
On average, LCD TVs with LED panels last about 30,000 hours (continuous operation). If you take into account the reviews of the owners of such equipment, then the device lasts about five years. If the model is a premium level, then for 7 years or more.
Plasma technology in this case significantly outperforms the LCD, where the panels last for 100,000 hours. But here there are pitfalls. The fact is that plasma TVs are 3, or even 4 times gluttonous in terms of electricity than LCDs. In addition, the screen resolution of the "plasma" is lower, which means clarity with detail at a low level. So this is a double-edged sword - you have to sacrifice something.