Introduction When most people think of Dell, they picture the dorky blond guy, Stephen, pitching $399 computers on TV with his catchphrase, “Dude, you’re getting a Dell!” Since the media phenomenon, Stephen has been busted for possession of pot and Dell has moved their marketing focus from selling PCs to expanding their product base to include a complete line of flat panel LCD and Plasma TVs. Their entry-level model is the 19-inch W1900 that retails for $599 at Dell.com. This TV has a stylish black finish and measures 23.8 inches wide, 12.2 inches tall, a mere 3.75 inches deep and weighs 22 pounds with the integrated speakers and stand attached. The included stand is for mounting the monitor on a desk. However, if you wish to wall-mount the TV, several types of Chief brand mounts can be purchased directly from Dell’s website. Most universal LCD mounts for 13- to 19-inch TVs should work ...

Introduction NEC is a premium Japanese audio/video manufacturer with a long history of producing some of the finest display devices made. They are famous among industry inner circles for being sticklers for detail and their products are known for quality and advanced design for both professional and consumer usage. The clean lines of this new $8,995 50-inch NEC plasma give it an elegant look in a dedicated theater or indeed almost any living environment. It is a mere 3.8 inches deep and the bezel is as thin as a minimal picture frame. It comes in a beautiful matte silver finish that can actually be removed for painting. This allows the room designer options not available with other units. The PX-50XR4A offers every desirable input and is fluent in both digital and analog. Colors are deep and image quality is first rate. The gray scale is well delineated and accurately displayed. Most importantly, it is impressive when ...

Introduction There was a time in many of our youths that the concept of a television hanging on the wall like a picture was about as distant as civilian space travel. Although space tourism is still a few years away (though now in sight, thanks to recent advances by Richard Branson’s enterprises), flat televisions are here today and are living up to their long-awaited expectations. Initially, these flat televisions were immensely expensive and were surrounded by concerns about reliability and longevity. Today, they’re in every AV retail store and are becoming affordable to the average consumer. There is still much debate over which technology is best (LCD vs. plasma), but both come with the ability to hang on your wall, thus freeing up ultra-valuable floor space and adding endless options for integrating AV into your living spaces. The Panasonic TC-32LX20 is a HD-compatible, 32-inch LCD-based flatscreen display that boasts skinny five-and one-half-inch thickness and retails for $3,499, ...

Introduction As Americans, it is our God-given right to “bigger and better” everything. This is exactly what Samsung is counting on with their newest $17,999 plasma, the PPM63H3. At 63 inches, this “professional” plasma monitor is and certainly looks larger than the more standard 50-inch sets. With the waif-like thinness of a flat screen TV, it is now possible to get what is turning out to be a pretty damn large picture in your living room. Cost-wise, a 63-inch plasma is priced at around the same levels that 50-inch plasmas were a few years back, just below $20,000. Samsung as a company has made some significant strides in recent years in competing with other more well-known Japanese electronics manufacturers (most notably Sony) by offering innovative technology in competitively priced audio/video products. The PPM63H3 is no exception. It features an exclusive technology called DNIe, which reportedly reduces noise and increases detail. The set has a contrast-enhancing feature ...

Introduction Purchasing a television in this day and time is a challenge that leaves most consumers in a quandary. A decade ago, you simply entered an electronics retailer and gazed down an aisle of televisions that looked very much the same as one another, with the exception of size and price. You were confronted with few decisions and your risks were minimal. Today, you need to do your research and the risks can be high with technology that’s moving even faster than the changing seasons. There are several television display categories to choose from. There are television projectors for those looking for dramatically large images, commanding price tags from $4,000 to $60,000. There are basic CRT sets that range from a 20-inch 4:3 that can be had for a mere $100 to state-of-the-art HD-ready sets that range in sizes up to ...