Is a 100hz or 200hz plasma TV worth it? This next step in flat-panel TVs made its debut last August at IFA, and made a real impression on the crowd in which hard-core videophiles were well represented.
They were impressed.
The question is, would you be impressed, and is it worth the money? Absolutely.
The next step in the progress of plasma and LCD TVs is definitely in 100hz and 200hz televisions, pushing the outermost limits of what this technology can do.
What's the big deal? Well, you may not have noticed, but most LCD and plasma TVs are actually improving whatever is coming through your dish or cable system, extrapolating extra frames from the images coming through before they hit your screen and filling in the gaps with more images.
This is accomplished through complex algorithms in the TVs processor.
The effect makes the images sharper and smoother, with less distortion and blur when images move quickly.
These blurs and distortions have been readily noticed by customers who want the most from their investment, and the market has responded.
Not so long ago, it was only the most knit-picky videophiles that cared at all about things like blur or distortion, but what else can you expect when the average screen size more than triples in American households? These little flaws become real and significant to consumers when presented on a screen of that size.
So, the industry has apparently come to the rescue with 100hz and 200hz plasma and LCD TVs that should satisfy even the most particular customers.
Filling the space between images with even more intermittent images, the 100hz LCD and plasma televisions actually improve the source material before you even see it.
If you're a sports fan, especially of baseball or foot ball, you're likely to notice the effect, as the ball can be difficult to follow while moving at high speed across the screen on previous 50hz models.
But it's not just sports fans that see the benefit.
Everything is made to look more detailed and sharp.
The idea is to maximize the thousands of pixels that fill the screen, ensuring that images in motion also get the high-def treatment, not just static images.
At the same IFA, Sony did everyone better by introducing a 200hz flat-panel television, ostensibly adding twice as many intermittent images and even putting the frames through an extra sharpening process before putting them on the screen for extra performance.
While many dismissed this as over-the-top one-upmanship, the effect was noticeable and real.
Bear in mind that in comparison tests, attendees saw the images up close, and manufacturers used test samples that showed off the effect especially well.
Before you buy, watch for yourself and compare.
You may find that upping the ante on the hz in your new flat-panel television may not matter to you for the price.
Whatever your preferences, watching the screen yourself is always the best idea before putting down money, no matter how good the deal seems to be.
They were impressed.
The question is, would you be impressed, and is it worth the money? Absolutely.
The next step in the progress of plasma and LCD TVs is definitely in 100hz and 200hz televisions, pushing the outermost limits of what this technology can do.
What's the big deal? Well, you may not have noticed, but most LCD and plasma TVs are actually improving whatever is coming through your dish or cable system, extrapolating extra frames from the images coming through before they hit your screen and filling in the gaps with more images.
This is accomplished through complex algorithms in the TVs processor.
The effect makes the images sharper and smoother, with less distortion and blur when images move quickly.
These blurs and distortions have been readily noticed by customers who want the most from their investment, and the market has responded.
Not so long ago, it was only the most knit-picky videophiles that cared at all about things like blur or distortion, but what else can you expect when the average screen size more than triples in American households? These little flaws become real and significant to consumers when presented on a screen of that size.
So, the industry has apparently come to the rescue with 100hz and 200hz plasma and LCD TVs that should satisfy even the most particular customers.
Filling the space between images with even more intermittent images, the 100hz LCD and plasma televisions actually improve the source material before you even see it.
If you're a sports fan, especially of baseball or foot ball, you're likely to notice the effect, as the ball can be difficult to follow while moving at high speed across the screen on previous 50hz models.
But it's not just sports fans that see the benefit.
Everything is made to look more detailed and sharp.
The idea is to maximize the thousands of pixels that fill the screen, ensuring that images in motion also get the high-def treatment, not just static images.
At the same IFA, Sony did everyone better by introducing a 200hz flat-panel television, ostensibly adding twice as many intermittent images and even putting the frames through an extra sharpening process before putting them on the screen for extra performance.
While many dismissed this as over-the-top one-upmanship, the effect was noticeable and real.
Bear in mind that in comparison tests, attendees saw the images up close, and manufacturers used test samples that showed off the effect especially well.
Before you buy, watch for yourself and compare.
You may find that upping the ante on the hz in your new flat-panel television may not matter to you for the price.
Whatever your preferences, watching the screen yourself is always the best idea before putting down money, no matter how good the deal seems to be.