More fun in the box: Xbox 360

This is an exciting time for PC and video gaming with a new generation of consoles in the process of being released. As in the last generation the three players are Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo and of the three, Microsoft is first out of the blocks with the Xbox 360 released in late 2005.

Compared with its predecessor, the Xbox 360 contains a far more powerful processor making it the most powerful console currently available. In most markets the 360 is released in two versions: the core system and the more expensive premium system which comes with extras like a 20 GB hard drive, a wireless controller and an Ethernet cable.

Normally the early games released in a console’s lifespan are relatively mediocre but there are several fine games already available for the Xbox 360. Perhaps the most impressive is Elder Scrolls 4: a role playing game set in a lushly created fantasy universe, which showcases the 360’s graphical prowess. Also available are the World War 2 shooter: Call of Duty 2 and the Japanese fighting game: Dead or Alive 4. And of course the Xbox 360 plays Xbox games, so you can play classics like the Halo series.

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TV Buying Guide-5: Front Projection Televisions

Front projection TVs, which like movie projectors project images onto a screen or wall, are the closest that you can get to a theater experience in your home.

Traditionally projectors have been based on bulky and expensive CRT technology. However the product has been transformed by the arrival of inexpensive and extremely light DLP and LCD projectors.

Front projectors have several advantages over regular televisions. They have fewer parts than TVs and the average quality of those parts is usually higher. They can produce massive, near cinema-quality pictures and, because there is no glass involved in the screen, don’t suffer from glare or reflection.

The units themselves just weigh a few kg and can easily be placed in your cabinet after use.They do have a couple of disadvantages: they are best viewed in darkened rooms and the light bulbs have a typical life of a few thousand hours.

Hence projectors are perhaps not ideal as your primary TV. However they are rapidly getting cheaper and models like the BenQ PB7110 DLP projector are much cheaper per square inch than other technologies making them ideal as a second viewing device for special events like movie screenings and sports events.

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Television | CRT | Plasma | LCD | DLP

TV Buying Guide-4: DLP Televisions

DLP (digital light processing) is among the newest and most exciting technologies in television. Developed by Texas Instruments, the technology consists of hundreds of thousands of tiny mirrors each of which represents one pixel of the image.

These mirrors can be repositioned very rapidly to vary the amount of light that is reflected out of the lens. DLP models like the Samsung 50 inch R-5067W produce great images with excellent contrast and colour depth and smooth pictures with no burn-in problems.

Compared to other technologies the thousands of DLP mirrors ensure that there is no light lost in the transition from lamp to mirror. They are lighter and smaller than CRT models though not quite as small as plasmas or LCDs.

DLP does have a couple of disadvantages: some models have a problem with fan noise and given that they consist of thousands of moving mirrors there is a small risk of mechanical failure. However DLP models are less expensive than plasma or LCD counterparts of similar size.

Considering that they offer images of comparable quality while being only a little bit bigger in size, they arguably offer the best value for money in high-end TV.

Next post: Front-projection TV

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TV Buying Guide-3: Plasma Televisions

The name plasma comes from the gas inside the set which lights up when an electric charge is applied. Plasma TVs are light and thin enough to be hung on your wall. Models like the Samsung HPR5052 produce great pictures with excellent brightness and colour range.

Compared to LCDs they have a wide viewing angle of almost 180 degrees and produce more natural-looking pictures with better contrast. Plasmas are also capable of very large sizes making them perfect for home theatre. The best units have a long life of about 60,000 hours which is more than enough for the average user.

Though plasma models are perhaps the most expensive among high-end TV’s, their prices have been falling rapidly in recent years. Historically plasma has suffered from the problem of burn-in which means that that a static image like a channel logo gets etched onto the screen permanently if it’s on-screen for too long.

However this problem has been significantly reduced in recent models and can be reduced even more by taking a couple of precautions: keep your contrast levels moderate (say less than 50%) and avoid showing static images continuously for hours.

Next Post: DLP

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Television | CRT | Plasma | LCD

TV Buying Guide-2: LCD Televisions

LCD (liquid crystal display) is best known as the technology behind high-quality PC monitors but in the last few years they have also established themselves in the consumer television market.

The basic technology consists of three LCD panels of blue, green and red colours through which light is passed to produce the picture. Like Plasma TVs they are extremely thin; as little as a couple of inches and therefore look great as part of your living-room. Another advantage is that LCD’s don’t have any problem with burn-in (when a static image gets permanently burnt on to the screen).

LCDs don’t produce blacks as well as plasma or CRT but they are very bright and easy to view in even brightly lit rooms. They have long lives of up to 60,000 hours. While they don’t reach the same size as plasma models they are continuously getting bigger and the largest available models of around 82 inches are more than enough for most home theatre needs.

LCD monitors are also getting cheaper every year and models like the 50 inch Sony KDFE50A10 are significantly cheaper than similarly sized plasmas and close to the price of DLPs.

Next post: Plasma

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Television | CRT | Plasma

TV Buying Guide-Part 1: CRT Televisions

Welcome to my guide to buying consumer electronics. To begin with, I will look at a gadget that takes pride of place in our drawing rooms: the humble television. Over the next few posts, I intend to give you a short introduction to the different kinds of televisions available in the market: CRT, LCD, Plasma, DLP and Front Projection TVs

The cathode ray tube has been the basic television technology for the last 80 years and gets its name from the cathode rays emitted by a heated cathode inside a vacuum tube at the rear end of the unit.

Though it is used mostly in plain-vanilla TV’s, high-end CRT models deliver surprisingly good quality; even better in some ways than fancier, more expensive technologies like LCD and Plasma. CRT models are especially good at black levels (the quality of black and other very dark colours in the picture).

They look good from any angle which means that several people sitting in different places can enjoy the picture. They have excellent brightness and can be enjoyed in a well-lit room.

They do have some disadvantages: primarily their large size and weight which means that models can weight around 85 kg and require two men to lift. They are also limited in screen-size and you don’t get the enormous screens that are possible with plasma. Still, even high-end CRT models are lower-priced than comparable LCDs and plasmas and given their excellent picture quality, they are a great buy if you have the space for them.

Next post: LCD

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Television | CRT | Plasma