Tips on Finding the Best Plasma TV
An article in ArticleCrux.com shows tips on finding the best plasma TV. According to this article, customers should be considering a number of factors in choosing a Plasma TV. With the variations of Plasma TVs in the market, there are several factors that can be considered in making a choice on which Plasma TV to purchase. Enumerated are size, brand, style, price, and other features explained in this article.
Knowing the main features and elements that you want in a high definition plasma tv will shorten the field of availability that you have to look through. This way you know that you will select the one that you is right for you.
You just need to weigh on whether you would prioritize quality, or you would need to consider the price because of a tight budget.
Flat Panel TVs are Power Hogs…So What To Do?
Well, in a nutshell, minimize your power consumption! Of course we can’t just shut off the TV and stop watching anything. We don’t have to not enjoy our home theater systems. We just have to watch out for the little things that, when added up, saves a lot of power (and money).
For example, avoiding standby mode saves a lot by itself. When you leave your TV on standby mode while you’re sleeping or out of the house, it’s still devouring power from your sockets. Also, try to buy TVs with the Energy Star sticker — if a model has one, then you’re sure it consumes less power than other equivalent sets.
The article Power Saving Tips for Flat Panel TVs lists a slew of great tips, as well as breaking down the power consumption of different types of flat panel TV. Check it out.
Lifespan of Flat Panel TVs
I’m sure you’ve been asking this question for some time now. Which type of flat panel TV will last longer, which is the most durable of ‘em all?
Basically, when the match-up is narrowed down to the two giants (plasma and LCD), the latter will win. LCD flat panel TVs have a lifespan of 30,000 to 60,000 hours, while plasma TVs go for 20,000 to 30,000 hours. But when the battle’s expanded to other, less-popular players, DLP wins out, with an estimated lifespan of 80,000 to 100,000 hours.
Check out the article entitled The Lifespan of Plasma, LCD, and Other Flat Panel TVs, which explains the basics of TV lifespan, as well as some great life-extending tips for your flat panel sets.
Confused About HDTV? Here’s a Guide!
Presently, every American household seems to be talking about HDTV — if a family doesn’t own an HDTV model yet, you can expect them to have one soon!
But let’s face it. Setting up your HDTV and grasping the concepts behind those acronyms are not stroll-in-the-park tasks. Most HDTV owners need help, and we’ve found a helpful guide entitled Confused about HDTV? A Guide to Clear Things Up. As the guide says:
With the holiday season rush over and thousands of new HDTVs in the hands of proud owners, we’re betting many of them will have difficulties setting up their TV sets. The bottom line is, it’s not a simple task to hook up your HDTV. Its not just plug-and-play.
There are quite a lot of HDTV guides on the web today, but this one does quite a job of covering a good breadth of topics, from the basic concepts to the sources of HDTV, from A/V connections to calibration tips. And yes, it’s not technicalese and jargon, you’ll be able to understand it — we did.
Watch TV on your Computer
Some people choose to spend their whole day on their computer. I’m one. Play games? Watch DVD movies? I can do that in my PC. Watch TV? Yeah, you can do that as well. You just need a TV Tuner Card.
A TV Tuner Card is a computer component that allows you to watch television shows right in your computer. Imagine working double time to finish documents and reports. Without walking away from your computer, you could have at least a bit of rest by watching TV on your computer. A little time to relax to relieve you from stress. Commonly, it is plugged into a PCI slot on your motherboard. But there are also external TV Tuners that can be plugged through the USB.
Another use of this card is that it can record television programs. So with it, you could record your favorite shows and watch it all over again. You can’t do that with a normal television set!
When You Drop Your TV
This is probably the most unusual of posts, but stuff like this does happen sometimes. And this is especially so if you have kids. One day last week, Pia (three and a half) and Cate (turning two this January) were playing near the living room TV rack. All of a sudden we heard a loud thud, and the next thing I know I was looking in horror at how the TV had fallen face-front and landed on the floor on its top part.
What’s worse was that Cate was right in front. It seemed that either she pulled the TV towards her, or her sister pulled it from the side. It’s a good thing both kids were able to avoid the falling TV on time–otherwise, either could’ve been injured badly.
It was also a good thing that our TV set that time was an old 21-inch Samsung–not so heavy as to cause too much injury, and nothing to cry over in case it gets badly damaged. Fortunately, it’s still intact, with just a few scratches and a somewhat mis-aligned picture tube (though very slightly).
Lesson learned? Watch your kids and keep your equipment secured. Since then, we replaced our TV
rack with a sturdier one (which actually came with a 29-inch TV passed on to us by my parents). It would be a good idea to invest in such sturdy accessories, or even having flat-screen TV sets wall-mounted if you do have such equipment. Also, we try to calm down the kids when they’re going hyperactive in areas near possibly fragile electronics.
This just goes to show that accidents happen. If it were a 60-inch LCD set that had fallen off to the floor, I would’ve gone crazy. And that’s not just because of the potential damages and cost, but more especially the safety of my kids.
More LCD vs. Plasma
We previously wrote a guide comparing the two prevalent technologies in slimline displays: LCD and plasma. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. I happened to chance upon more arguments for either side on digitaladvisor. This time, it’s more of what your requirements are, and how you plan to use your flat screen TV.
Some points of note:
- LCD has a longer life span.
- Home theatre buffs would appreciate plasma’s higher contrast.
- Energy conservation buffs would prefer LCD’s more efficient use of electricity.
- D-I-Y buffs can mount LCD screens themselves, while plasma screens need to be mounted professionally (they’re heavier and more delicate).
- If you plan to watch in large groups, plasmas are better, because of the wider viewing angle.
Ergonomics for Video-Game Console Playing Kids
Lately you may notice that I’ve been advocating better ergonomics particularly with use of computer monitors. It’s probably because I’m in front of the computer for most of my waking hours that I’m beginning to feel the strain on my eyes, joints and back.
For people whose occupations involve using display equipment for extended periods of time, it helps to pay attention to good ergonomics and proper use of equipment. You never know when your health (or sanity) will start to deteriorate because of these factors.
However, other people may not recognize early on that they also need to abide by these concepts, too, even if they’re not working on computers or other such equipment. For instance, kids these days spend hours and hours in front of the television set playing games or watching videos, cable, and free TV.
With the prevalence of present-generation video game consoles as a home multimedia center, use of the TV will have a larger share of your everyday life. Long hours spent in front of the television and pressing buttons on a console game controller are sure to cause musculo-skeletal disorders, in particular with poorly-designed games, furniture, controllers and even television sets. Add to that the poor posture that extended periods of play or video-watching can encourage, and you’ve got yourself a good recipe for aching bodies and strained eyes.
Here are a few tips on how to avoid the stresses and pains that come about from improper television ergonomics. These tips are particularly well-suited for parents with school-aged kids fond of playing console games.
Hardware
Furniture. Use a chair that’s properly-sized for your child. The back, neck and head should be well-supported. The seat should be soft but firm, and your kid’s feet should be able to firmly touch the ground. There should be a few inches of space between the back of his knees and the chair’s edge. A good chair would have armrests that encourage sitting upright.
Controllers. It’s sometimes called Nintendonitis–the pains or numbness caused by extended use of console controllers. Most of the time, trauma is caused by the vibrate-feedback feeature in most of today’s consoles. That’s why the newer Xbox 360 and the upcoming PlayStation3 and Nintendo Wii have minimized and even taken out this feature altogether.
Television positioning. You should position the television at eye-level from where your child usually plays (and from where you watch also), to avoid neck and back-strain. Sometimes kids would play video games while sitting on the floor, pillows or bean-bags. This should be discouraged because it forces them to look upwards, thus straining their necks. Your child should also sit at least five to ten feet away from your TV set.
Lighting. As I earlier mentioned, adequate room lighting is important, so the eyes won’t have to strain from the bright television screens. Some television sets automatically adjust brightness according to the room lighting. For those that do not, set the television brightness to match the room’s lighting level. Brighter rooms should be matched with higher brightness levels. Dim rooms should be matched with lower TV brightness.
Management
Education. As a parent, it would be your responsibility to educate your kids on the dangers of excessive television and game console use. Tell them about the dangers to their health. It’s also important to remind your kids that video games are just that–and they shouldn’t extend into real life (with all the violence and fast-paced action in today’s games).
Time management. Teach your kids to manage their time properly. Of course, homework should come first before playing any games on TV. You could also set up a reward-system for playing games and watching TV. For instance, allow an hour of watching or playing games after homework time.
Remember that TV and videogame-playing time should also be limited.
Techniques to reduce TV and game-related stress
Stretching and eye relaxation. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. That means your kids should take a break every 20 minutes to look at an object 20 feet away for about 20 seconds:
- 20 minutes - Take a break every 20 minutes
- 20 feet - Look away from your monitor, and stare at something 20 feet away
- 20 seconds - Stare at it for at least 20 seconds
It’s also best to stretch the arms and back to release and built-up stress.
Holding the controller. Remind your kids to hold the controller only lightly. This reduces the risk of repetitive-strain injuries (RSI), although it may not prevent it altogether.
Playing games is just another part of childhood. In fact, many adults do play video games also, for relaxation, as a hobby, and sometimes even for a living! At any rate, this should be done with proper regard for one’s health and well-being.
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