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Since last year more and more LED backlight TVs hit the shelves, often more expensive than normal LCD TVs. While this new technology offers several advantages, there is still room for improvements.
LED television sets are a part of the LCD TV family from the technical viewpoint. The display of a LED television is a liquid crystal display similar other LCD TVs. The main difference between the two is the different backlighting techniques which change the picture quality characteristics to a huge extend.
While normal LCD television sets use so called cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) for the backlights, LED television sets use light-emitting diodes instead. The result of using LEDs is a bigger dynamic contrast, which means darker blacks and whiter whites. Especially black very often looks like a dark grey on normal LCD displays. Since LEDs are very slim this leads, im most cases, to a slimmer television as well. They are also saving alot of energy in comparison with CCFLs and often stay below the Energy Star seal requirements, which positively influences your utility bill as well. There is less pollution when disposing them, too.
LEDs have slight disadvantages as well, depending on the dimming method. While top of the line televisions tend to use the new precision dimming technology often referred to as local dimming, older models are edge-lit only. Still better than the CCFLs, but the illumination created this way isn't absolutely homogeneous.
After the gigantic success of the movie "Avatar" in cinemas around the world, many manufacturers of TVs presented the next generation of home entertainment at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, the 3D television.
Pros and Cons? 3D movies simply look stunning, it's real fun to watch them and far more intense than any "normal" movie. The technology works perfectly, the active shutter glasses don't cause aching eyes like the old red and blue ones often did. The only negative point is the price. You don't only have to buy a new TV, which isn't relly cheap, but a 3D ready Blu-Ray disc player and the glasses as well. The number of available 3D Blu-Rays is pretty small at the moment, but the number will be growing fast in 2010. It's a future proof technology, many big studios and manufacturers are jumping on the 3D train, so you can be sure your money is invested very well.
