Dec 22 2010, 10:32 AM, updated 15y ago
A good article to share with fellow Forumers...
TV specs to ignore
By David Katzmaier, CNET.com
Dec 21, 2010
Today's HDTV spec sheets are littered with confusing information, and much of it is worthless. Here we present the major offenders and recommend you simply ignore these specs when making your purchase decision. Manufacturers include most of this information in an attempt to convey improved picture quality by citing ever-higher numbers; however, in reality those numbers provide little indication of how good the image looks in the real world.
Refresh rate (50Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, 400Hz, 600Hz)
These numbers, which are supposed to refer to the number of times the still image is refreshed on the screen (50Hz = 50 times per second), have proliferated in the last few years. That's because LCD TVs have a reputation for being blurrier in fast-motion scenes compared with plasma TVs. However, in reality, most people can't perceive that fuzziness in most material; in terms of motion blur, it's nearly impossible to see the difference between a 50Hz and a 600Hz TV. Many LCD TV manufacturers incorporate dejudder or smoothing processing in conjunction with refresh rate, but smoothing and antiblur are two separate, albeit related, visual effects. 240Hz: What you need to know has the full explanation.
Resolution (720p, 1080p)
Nearly every TV today is a 1080p model, but in the smaller LCD screen sizes and entry-level plasma series you can still find 720p models. There's nothing wrong with 720p resolution. In fact, the difference between 720p and 1080p resolutions is nearly impossible to discern, even when watching content on very large screen sizes. Check out HDTV resolution explained for more details.
Contrast ratio (up to 10 million:1, "Infinite")
Contrast ratio refers to the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black a TV can display, which is an important indicator of overall picture quality. Unfortunately, there's no standardized way to measure it, so most TV makers essentially make it up. Sometimes differences in contrast ratio among a single manufacturer's own product line can be a true indicator of black-level performance--the crucial capability of a TV to produce a shade of "black" as close as possible to the absence of light--but just as often they can be concocted to justify higher price points. That's why we call contrast ratio the Dr. Evil of HDTV specs.
Viewing angle
Ideally you want the TV's image to stay as bright and as colorful when seen from the side, or from above and below, as from straight on. With LCD that almost never happens, despite viewing-angle claims that approach 180 degrees. The rule of thumb here is that LCD and LED viewing angles are always worse than the angles on plasma TVs, and though different LCDs can have different characteristics, this spec isn't a trustworthy indicator. That said, LCDs typically have adequate viewing angles for most viewers, especially in bright rooms.
Wide color gamut
Color standards for content production are strict, and matching those standards, to most accurately reproduce the source material, is the main color-related responsibility of the TV. Wide color gamuts and other color-related extras can produce "redder" reds or punchier yellows, for example, but those colors won't be accurate. On the other hand, many TVs can also deliver relatively accurate color in certain picture settings, regardless of their color specifications or claims.
Energy Star
There's rarely a number associated with Energy Star specifications, but we're including it here to prove a point: Nearly every TV available for sale today qualifies for Energy Star, making the certification useless for comparative purposes.
Source:
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/tvs/0...62205280,00.htm
TV specs to ignore, Tips for Christmas Shopping
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