LCD's viewing angle ?
Barney1 -- Sat, 11/25/2006 - 13:13
I'm just starting to check out flat panel displays (want a 42"). Plasma is out due to my son will be using it for his games.
LCD's have come along way since I last spent some time checking out HD displays.
I've noticed that alot of the LCD flat panels boast a 178 degree viewing angle....now I am impressed with the viewing angle (vs my Toshiba CRT HD RPTV) but 178 degrees ? What is the real viewing angle ?
Another question as well...backlights on LCD's....(I'm still learning about this...be easy on me) is this adjustable on all LCD's or are there just a few manufactures that have backlighting adj ? Since I can wait awhile longer (going to be looking real hard next Spring/Summer), any word on changes with this type of light source, life spans ? Thanks
Barney
Barney1 wrote: What is the real viewing angle ?
Whatever they quote is the real viewing angle. LCD chip technology has progressed a lot lately. The best way to check a sets viewing angle is to go to the store and check out each set to see for yourself. BTW, wise decision not going with the plasma :wink:
The viewing angle quoted by most manufacturers is the angle at which the contrast ratio is 10% of the on-axis contrast...hardly a reasonable measurement. I've found very few LCDs with a reasonable viewing angle of more than 30-40 degrees from either side of on-axis.
The backlight is adjustable on most LCDs in my experience. I think this is a very important control, so I would look for it when shopping. In most cases, I would turn the backlight down to minimum or near minimum for the best possible black level. Even with this control turned down, most LCDs put out plenty of light at the top end. One recent exception to this is the new Sharp D64U series; I reviewed the 52-inch model in Issue 82, and the minimum backlight setting was too dim at the top end.
I agree that plasma is not the way to go if it's going to be used for a lot of video games.
Scott Wilkinson
Video Editor
The Perfect Vision
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