The Evolution of Television

Shopping for television sets nowadays can be a little daunting for the average Joe.  With the endless release of new models that feature the latest technologies and improvements, TV sets of today present a myriad of choices that could drive you into indecision.

In the old days, television sets were bulky and were powered by cathode ray tubes.  These CRT TVs lorded over for decades, evolving from black and white to colored sets and in increasingly bigger sizes.  This was the TV sets that most of us grew up with, and for some homes, these are still the TV sets being used to watch people’s favorite television shows or programs.

As TV technology became more and more advanced, these CRT sets were slowly phased out and replaced by LCD TVs and plasma TVs, both called flat panel screens.   Flat panel screen TVs gave rise to thinner TVs that contrast starkly with the space consuming CRT.

Although flat panel technology is relatively new, most TV sets coming out today use the LCD and plasma TV technologies.  And although they look the same to the untrained eye, LCDs and plasma are actually two very diverse, and competing, technologies.

LCD, or liquid crystal display, television sets use LCD panels. These LCD panels contain crystals that untwist when electricity runs through it.  The crystals move at an exact degree that allows it to block out certain color wavelengths, and thereby attaining the accurate color on the screen. Compared to CRT sets, LCD TVs are thinner and more lightweight.  LCD TVs first set the stage for the new thin TV models we have now, and are relatively and generally cheaper than plasma TVs.

LCD technology is not only limited to TVs.  Because there is a lower risk of having “burn in” or those ghostly images that plagued earlier plasma models, and fewer flicker, LCD displays are also used as computer monitors.

Plasma TVs, on the other hand, use gas panels.  Technically, plasma TV sets have tiny cells between two glass panels that contain the noble gases, which are turned into plasma when electricity runs through them, allowing it to produce the proper mix of green, red and blue phosphors, which in turn produce the deep and accurate colors you see onscreen.  Unlike LCD panels, gas panels in plasma TVs do not emit light, so plasma TVs are known for their deeper blacks.  Plasma TVs are also preferred when you want a larger viewing angle, which extends to about 160 degrees.

Both LCD and plasma TVs continue to improve in terms of color and picture quality; and both have been released in larger sizes over the years.  The improved quality paved the way for HDTVs, or high-definition television sets.  From resolutions of 480 horizontal lines, most HDTVs use either 720 pixels or 1080 pixels, thus the terms 1080p or 720p to designate high definition resolutions.

High definition is basically a digital broadcasting standard that uses wide screen proportions that allow for more detail and higher quality than what analog television provides.

A much more recent technology takes LCD and plasma technologies further.  With the advent of 3D content like 3D movies and TV programs in 3D, 3D TV has been announced for release left and right by different TV manufacturers.  3D TV, however, is an umbrella term for TV sets that use a variety of ways of presenting 3D images.  Some use stereoscopic capture, while others use a relatively simpler 2D plus depth presentation.  Others still have a multi-view capture.  The reason for the differences in 3D presentation is the lack of standards for 3D content.  Even with the emerging popularity of 3D, industries have not yet agreed on a single standard for 3D content, a problem that affects not only 3D TVs but the whole range of 3D devices coming out in the market.

We live in a world where we can experience entertainment that is as big and as real as life.  Choosing a TV nowadays is no longer just a matter of size and budget.  It pays to know the technology behind the TV you are planning to buy so that you could make a more informed decision for your own personal viewing habits and preferences.