Glossary of terms for Televisions

Aspect Ratio

Aspect Ratio refers to the dimensions of the display of a television. The two standard measurements are 4:3 and 16:9. 4:3 produces a traditional square display. 16:9 produces a rectangular, widescreen display. One ratio is not necessarily better than the other. It all depends on the preferences of the consumer.


Resolution

Display resolution measures picture quality in pixels. More pixels means higher-quality and sharper image.


Technology

Display Type is the type of display technology the television uses to display images. Can be: CRT, LCD, Plasma, DLP, OLED.

CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) is an electronic display device in which a beam of electrons can be focused on a phosphorescent viewing screen and rapidly varied in position and intensity to produce an image.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a digital display that uses liquid crystals cells, that change reflectivity in an applied electric field, to display images.

Plasma displays use a complex gas-based system in which each pixel on the screen is illuminated by a tiny bit of plasma or charged gas, somewhat like a tiny neon light.

DLP (Digital Light Processing) is a new technology and its advantage is that you can easily project to a large surface area without too much loss of quality.

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) can provide brighter displays on electronic devices and use less power than conventional LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) used today; it also can be viewed in bright lighting conditions at greater angles.


Screen Size

Screen Size is the size of your TV screen, measured diagonally in inches.


Contrast Ratio

Contrast Ratio is the difference between the whitest white and the darkest black colors the display can show. The greater the contrast, the better the screen and the subtlety of colors it can display.


Response Time

Response Time is the amount of time a pixel in an LCD monitor takes to go from a fully active (black) to fully inactive (white) and back to fully active (black) again. It is measured in milliseconds (ms). Lower numbers mean faster transitions and therefore fewer visible image artifacts.


Display Format

It is important that your television not only support but is also able to display the formats you wish to view. A supported format can be understood by your television, but not necessarily displayed in its optimum form. 1080i, 1080p and 720p are standards for HDTV (High-Definition Television), while 480p and 480i are standard definition formats.


Viewing Angle

The Viewing Angle is the maximum side angle from which the viewer can see the screen clearly.


Connectivity

Input Connectors allows a device ability to connect with other devices.

A/V inputs and S-Video input transmit standard analog signals, although an S-Video connection will give a better picture on larger screens.

Component Video inputs look the same as A/V inputs, except they use 3 sockets for video instead of 1.

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) and DVI (Digital Visual Interface) connectors trasmit any level of video signal digitally, for the best picture quality. The HDMI interface also carries audio signals, making it very convenient.


Built-in Tuner

Built-in Tuner allows direct reception of analog or digital signals without the use other devices.