Daniel C Jacobson's Blog

The battle between plasma and LCD televisions was won some time ago by LCD of course; providing a comparable picture, at a lower cost, with lower energy consumption and with greater longevity. Job done you would have though then. But things are never that simple, and now we have the LED television to consider.

Cynics out there, (of which I am a fully paid up member of the club), will snort at such an announcement and claim it is nothing more than a money making exercise. And whilst this holds some water; the technology in an LED television is a step in the right direction, so should not be dismissed too readily.

Essentially, LED television, (light emitting diode), technology is no different to that already seen with their LCD televisions. It is simply another way of lighting the screen itself. Simply put, an LED television creates an image using back lighting, (or side lighting), from the diodes within the unit, as opposed to relying on liquid crystal displays to produce the same effect.

Sending light to the screen in this way allows for far greater control over the picture quality, definition and brightness. Each diode can be controlled independently, allowing for smoother flow through the image projected onto the screen. Deeper colors and blacks are the result, delivering a far truer picture that feels as if you are looking at something through the human eye.

This is all fantastic of course, but what are the downsides to LED television technology? Increased power? Short Lifespan? Surprisingly, the opposite of each of these is true. The technology use less energy and, just as importantly uses this energy well with minimal wastage, which in itself drives up how long the TV itself will last for. Indeed, estimates suggest they could go on indefinitely if looked after well.

The depth of the TVs is also thinner than what is presently available. Amazing as this may sound, it is quite true. The depth of LCD and plasmas are presently given in inches, an LED television will be measured in millimetres; with somewhere around 9 or 10 being the standard, though screens of just 6mm are available now.

There is of course a catch when looking to buy yourself a shiny new LED television. And that is of course the initial price. Even the smaller sized screens command prices in the five, six and seven hundred dollar region. For this price, you could buy a forty six inch regular LCD TV in some areas. You will not be able to buy an LED television equivalent of this size for much less than two thousand five hundred dollars.

The price of course is easier to swallow, when you look at the bigger picture, (no pun intended), and consider the up to forty percent saving to be made on energy costs. Though this will not sit well with some of course.

The good news for LED television detractors then is that the prices will inevitably fall; and the benefits will still be there, (and probably improved upon even more). However, it is also likely that new technologies will just about be ready to launch by this point, as the wheels of progress continue to turn.

Wayne Torres writes about full hd tv online and samsung led tv