One can argue that televisions are the most important pieces of technology for most American families.  Often boasting a central location in the center of a living room or den, television programming comprises the most popular form of entertainment we have today.  Television has slowly but surely replaced going out to the cinema for most people who are willing to wait the extra few weeks to save a few bucks and watch the movie from the comfort of their own couch. But there are many more uses of televisions, and with new technology comes a variety of options that can make your television the informational hub of the household.  Before you head out to buy the most expensive television on the market, keep in mind that most modern televisions are equipped with the following capabilities; you need only learn how to use them.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help from the salesperson in the electronics store, or read up online as to just how many things people are doing with their televisions.  The more you ask, the more you’ll know, and the more your television can be used for exactly what you want.

Security Systems

More and more families are choosing to install security systems in their houses, condos, or apartments, and you’d be shocked at the options available with even standard packages now. If you install video monitoring in your household, you can often include a package that makes it possible for you to monitor activity in your household when you’re away, from a hand-held device or laptop computer, or even monitor activity in a different part of your house or yard on a television screen.  You can program your security system’s monitoring videos to stream directly into your television, giving you peace of mind no matter the time of day.

Internet Capabilities

Most TVs now are built with capability to be hooked up to the Internet, essentially meaning that your television now can become one huge computer screen.  This allows you to do all your Internet browsing from right on your television, and download games directly onto your television’s hard drive.  Connecting your television to the Internet will also give you hundreds of options for movies, and the ability to connect to iTunes, or other online stores where you can buy television shows or movies.

Final Notes

In summary, your television is not just a television.  Particularly with new technologies found in LCD, Plasma, and LED TVs, you’ll be surprised at the amount of things your television is now capable of.  If you’re not into television shows, that doesn’t mean you don’t need a television. Read your electronic books on your huge television screen, or download your favorite Internet game right onto your screen, making your house game-central for all your friends and neighbors.  Download movies, watch Youtube videos, and monitor your house for safe activity at all hours from your television screen, right in the comfort of your own home.  How’s that for lap of luxury?

Have your hipster friends been waxing eloquent about their new Apple TV as of late? Or perhaps it is your grandchildren wondering why you don’t have it that has you wondering if, maybe, you actually should have it? In any case, there is one thing you must understand before we delve any further into whether Apple TV is a big deal or not. And this is that Apple TV is not actually a TV. Got this? It is an important piece of information. Apple TV is a small box that, as they proudly write on the Apple official site, will fit in the palm of your hand. So, when your friend says that she has got Apple TV now, you needn’t look around her apartment for a sleek TV that looks something like the glorious iMac.

So, what is it then?
The small box that is Apple TV has been designed to work with your existing TV; the one that you watch while you eat popcorn. The idea is that you buy Apple TV – the tiny box – and plug it into your TV. Having done so, you will be able to watch your favorite Internet content on your TV; be it anything from the iTunes Store, or Netflix, or YouTube, or Hulu Plus.

But I can just hook up my PC to my TV. Right?
Yes, the technologically astute among us have been connecting our laptops to our TVs for some time now, and enjoying the latest viral YouTube videos on our big screen. It is not exactly a seamless process, though, is it? You do have to mess about with your laptop to find what you want to watch next and though it is definitely possible to do so, there are easier ways. Apple TV is an easier way. Famous for its intuitive interfaces, Apple TV lets you choose your programming much in the same way you would choose an app on your iPad or iPhone.

Access all from the iTunes Store
If you are not familiar with the plethora of content available from the Apple iTunes store, just know that there is a considerable amount of content there; music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and more. That this content is now readily available via our existing TVs seems a logical step forward.

A big deal?
Well, for those consumers who may want to get rid of cable and opt for a less passive, more user-directed way of viewing TV, Apple TV may be just the thing. The small, sleek box costs just 99 American dollars, which is more than reasonable. And with content on the Internet becoming more interesting and varied, a TV with a solid interface with the Internet may actually be all that many of us need. For heavy-users of the iTunes Store, Apple TV seems like a must-have item. If the content that you want can be had through iTunes, having the mechanism to get it directly on the large screen of your TV makes great sense.

Plasma TVs are relatively common in our society and are produced from a variety of different manufacturers. Not to mention, they come in a verity of designs and screen sizes. But there are a few things that you should take into consideration before making the decision to buy one. Below, we’ll show you all of the advantages associated with plasma TVs.

Deeper Black Levels

Due to the pixel setup in plasma TVs, the black pixels in these models are darker and richer than with other models. Overall, there is a much more noticeable contrast between colors and this is ideal if you are planning on capturing a lot of detail when you watch television. With deeper black levels, you’ll even be able to catch the minor details in darker scenes.

Wider Viewing Angle

A lot of HDTV screens begin to distort as you attempt to view them under a wider angle. This will often result in a negative viewing experience. The good about plasma TVs is that this is a problem that is non-existent. More specifically, you can watch television with a wider viewing angle than normal and not experiencing a distorted image.

Minimal Motion Blur

Regular television models tend to distort items on a screen when there is a lot of movement. This can be annoying and really take away from the pleasure associated with watching television. Since plasma TVs have a much quicker response time in regards to their pixels, they’ll be able to catch up to what is happening on the screen. Basically, this means less blur and a more detailed viewing experiencing with plasma televisions.

Ideal for a Variety of Viewing Formats

Probably one of the more prominent advantages to owning a plasma TV is that you can use it for all kinds of purposes. More specifically, you can use it for watching television as well as for watching HD movies and playing video games. Keep in mind that the response time for the plasma TV in regards to video gaming is bar none.

You’ll be able to enjoy your favorite games without experiencing the blur and poor color contrast of other types of TVs. On the same token, keep in mind that the color accuracy is much more prominent in plasma TVs than with other models. You’ll see more gradients and experience exceptional realism when playing video games and watching movies.

Flexibility

Another huge benefit to owning a plasma TV is that you can use it for all kinds of purposes. For example, you can use it as a regular television as well as a home video monitor. You can even use it as to connect external viewing devices. This amount of versatility and flexibility is something that you can’t find with other types of television units.

Conclusion

Finally, the life expectancy for plasma TVs is relatively long. You will be able to view as much as sixty thousand hours of television (about thirty years’ worth) before needing to purchase another unit. As you can see, there are many advantages and benefits to owning a plasma TV.

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/VIERA+Flat+Screen+TV/VIERA+Overview/285290/index.html

Plasma TVs offer many advantages over other television technologies, and this accounts for why they are the fastest selling ‘new’ TV technology on the market. Here are the main plus points and potential drawbacks that Plasma TVs provide over other types of televisions. Firstly the advantages:

• Colour. Plasma TVs display up to 16.77 million colours – more than the human eye can even register – to provide a highly accurate, lifelike picture.

• High Resolution. Plasma TVs are able to display at a particularly high resolution, and are capable of displaying HD (High Definition) TV signals. However not all Plasma TVs are true HD-capable. Many are considered EDTV, or Enhanced Definition TVs, as they are able to display a higher resolution than conventional TVs, but not a true HD signal in its native format.

• Design. A key advantage of the Plasma TV is its thin, flat-panel design, often only inches thick. Plasma TVs are also relatively light, generally weighing 50-80 pounds. Compared to rear-projection TVs, which can be up to 30 inches deep and weigh up to 400 pounds. The Plasma TVs space-saving design allows it to be moved easily as well as placed in areas that no other type of TV would fit. They also make great design statements.. although that’s a matter of style and taste. Do you want one wall-mounted where previously you had that reproduction Van Gough Sunflowers?

• Price: Although still more expensive compared to direct view or rear projection TVs, Plasma TV prices have fallen dramatically, even for the larger size screen.

• Built-in Line Doubler: Most Plasma TVs include a built in line doubler; a feature that basically doubles the resolution of conventional TV signals, greatly improving their image quality. This is perfect for those times when you are not watching a HDTV or DVD source.

• Widescreen Aspect Ratio: Plasma TVs offer a dramatic widescreen 16:9 ratio display, allowing you to view HDTV signals in their native size, as well as view DVDs in their proper aspect ratio.

• Uniform Screen Brightness: Compared to rear projection TVs, Plasma TVs offer perfectly uniform screen brightness. Rear projection TVs often have ‘dull spots’, where the picture is a bit fuzzy or not nearly as bright, resulting in a lower display quality.

• Wide Viewing Angle: Plasma TVs offer the best viewing angles, equal to that of the best direct view (CRT) sets. Plasma TVs are noticeably superior to rear projection and LCD TVs in this regards. So if you have a bunch of people round to watch the match or see your new dvd, they don’t all have to bunch around the centre of the room!Magnetic Field Immunity: Since Plasma TVs use different technology compared to conventional TVs, they do not suffer distortion when placed in proximity to a magnetic field. Speakers can be placed next to, below, or right on top of Plasma TVs with no adverse effects.

• Most Plasma TVs are great at showing off the graphics in Computer games and have a large viewing area.

• Another advantage is that the technology is relatively mature now, so that plasma is more reliable, and is being even further enhanced to create the next generation of plasma TV screens- in 3D!

Of course, not all technologies are perfect, and Plasma TVs do have some minor cons:

• Potential Burn-In: Because of the phosphor technology in Plasma TVs, it is possible for traces of an image to be ‘burned-in’ to the display. This is generally only a concern in commercial uses, where images are displayed for long-periods of time. Burn-in can generally be avoided by making sure that you do not keep a constant image on the screen for extended periods. Modern plasma screens have largely eliminated this problem.

• Shorter Life: Compared to other television technologies, Plasma TVs do generally have a shorter life span, and there is no option to repair a burnt out tube or backlight. Most Plasma TVs have a life span of 20,000-30,000 hours based on manufacturer’s estimates. However unless you have the plasma screen on non-stop night and day, for months on end, this isn’t going to be a problem. You will probably want to upgrade to a new screen anyway after a few years…A Plasma TV with a 20,000 hour life would allow you to watch 8 hours per day, for nearly 7 years of enjoyment. And often the manufacturers’ estimates are on the conservative side!

• Fragility: Plasma TVs are a very fragile technology, and the units are quite easy to damage. Extreme care must be used when moving them, as even laying the Plasma display on its side can have adverse effects, possibly damaging the unit irreparably. But the latest plasma screens are incredibly robust and would need to be subjected to a lot of ill-treatment to sustain damage.

An early computer plasma display from the 1980's

The Plasma TV screen is commonplace these days, and seems to be growing in size and reducing in price almost week by week. But did you know that the invention is nearly 50 years old?! In fact it was being mentioned in the very first series of Star trek- the Romulan WarBird spacecraft  had a “Plasma Torpedo” to rival the Federation Enterprise’s Photon Torpedo!

The very first prototype for a plasma display monitor was invented in July 1964 at the University of Illinois by professors Donald Bitzer and Gene Slottow, and then graduate student Robert Willson. But this was in the days before digital signals and was clearly not going anywhere at that time.

Once digital and other technologies were invented, plasma monitors and screens became possible. So what is the definition of a plasma display? A plasma display is an emissive flat panel display where light is created by phosphors excited by a plasma discharge between two flat panels of glass.

During the early sixties, the University of Illinois used regular televisons as computer monitors for their in-house computer network. Bitzer, Slottow, and Willson researched plasma displays as an alternative to the traditional cathode-ray tube-based televisions sets being used. A cathode-ray tube (CRT) display has to constantly refresh. This is acceptable for video and broadcasts but poor for displaying computer graphics. By July of 1964, the team had built the first plasma display panel with one single cell. Compare that with today’s plasma televisions use millions of cells!

After 1964, television broadcast companies considered developing plasma television as an alternative to televisions using cathode ray tubes. But there was an alternative that seemed at the time just as good, and was more easily attainable. It was called LCD or liquid crystal display. It  made possible flat screen television that effectively stifled the further commercial development of plasma display.

In 1992, Fujitsu introduced the world’s first 21-inch (53 cm) full-colour display. It was a hybrid, the plasma display created at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories, directed by an innovator named Larry Weber.

In 1994, Weber demonstrated colour plasma technology at an industry convention in San Jose. The Panasonic Corporation began a joint development project with a firm called Plasmaco to develop the technology further.

In 1997, Fujitsu introduced the first 42-inch (107 cm) plasma display; it had 852×480 resolution. Also in 1997, Philips introduced a 42-inch (107 cm) display, with 852×480 resolution. The price was a whopping US$14,999- but hey- it included in-home installation!

Later in 1997, Pioneer started selling their first plasma television to the public, and others followed. Screen sizes have increased since the introduction of plasma displays. At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic introduced their 152” 3D plasma screen.

In 2011, the shipments of plasma TVs reached nearly 20 million units globally. Plasma is clearly here to stay (and grow larger!!)