Flat Panel TV: The Basics
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Flat panel televisions are everywhere. You can find them on classy commercial advertisements on TV, classy restaurants, classy hotels, and classy fashion pictures. Notice the common denominator? Yes, the word ‘classy’. Because that’s what flat panel TVs are about – class. Let’s add to that ‘trendy’ and ‘professional’ – you can find them gracing video gaming conferences, high technology exhibits, and even talk and news shows.
In the flat panel television business, people want the screens to be as huge as possible – primarily because everyone wants to bring home the movie theater experience. What’s more, flat panels blend in great with today’s modernist residences and fit in well with cramped living accommodations (such as condominium units). And hey, who doesn’t want to impress his/her friends and family with a sleek and striking flat panel TV? Big and bulky CRTs are out, while widescreen, high-definition flat panel displays are in.
According to Wikipedia, the term flat panel displays “encompass a growing number of technologies enabling video displays that are lighter and much thinner than traditional television and video displays using cathode ray tubes”.
That’s the technical definition. If you want a simpler one, try hanging your TV set from a wall or ceiling. If it’s light enough to hang, then it’s a flat panel display. But if you want numbers to define a flat panel TV for you, then the TV should be less than 10 cm (4 inches) thick. Usually, flat panel displays are 3-4 inches thick.
Currently, the two most popular types of flat panel televisions are liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma TVs. (Read their respective articles to learn more about them.) There also other, less known types of flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) displays and organic light-emitting diode (OLEDs) displays.
Flat panel TVs, whatever the type, looks good, and that’s a given. However, they come at high prices.
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