This year, two of the hottest trends in HDTV and home theater are undoubtedly "3D TV" and "LED TV." And coming in right behind those in popularity would be Blu-ray Disc which is undergoing its own 3D revolution with the new Blu-ray 3D Disc format. And how can we forget IPTV? The onslaught of online content such as movie and music streaming services is coming on fast and furious and many TV vendors are giving you the option to connect to these services right from your TV or Blu-ray player. What's a poor HDTV buyer to do? Big Picture Big Sound is here to help with our new HDTV Buyers Guides, updated with all of the current and announced models for 2010.
Our LED TV Buyers Guide explains the technology in both forms (edge-lit LED TV and full matrix backlit LED TV), even getting into detail about more advanced picture options such as local dimming. We also discuss the various content streaming and web widget options available from the various vendors as well as screen refresh rates which now range from 60 Hz all the way up to 480 Hz. And while there are still some entry-level 720p models available, full HD 1080p resolution is becoming more common, and more affordable so you'll be able to see every last detail of those Blu-ray movies, high definition games and HD broadcasts.
Our 3D TV Buyers Guide covers those HDTV models which support the new 3D TV formats available on Blu-ray 3D Disc and in upcoming 3D TV broadcasts. Covering models that use LED, LCD, plasma and even DLP technology, you're sure to find a 3D-enabled HDTV in your size and price range. We also cover the different 3D technologies available and which ones are being used in current 3D-enabled HDTVs.
In our Blu-ray Buyers Guide, you'll find a comprehensive listing of all of the current and recently announced Blu-ray players from the major vendors, including 3D-ready models. As with HDTVs, Blu-ray players are also starting to get more and more online streaming and networking features, allowing you to stream movies from services like Netflix, Vudu and Amazon and music from services like Pandora and Slacker, all without upgrading your TV or dragging a laptop computer into your living room or home theater.
In our Plasma TV Buyers Guide, you'll see all the current and announced models from LG, Samsung and Panasonic, three large vendors who continue to support both LCD and plasma technology. While you won't find a plasma TV under 42 inches, the larger screen plasma TVs offer excellent performance in a living room or home theater environment and usually at a price far lower than top of the line LED and LCD TVs. Both Samsung and Panasonic have announced or released plasma models in 2010 that will support the latest and greatest 3D technologies such as Blu-ray 3D at full 1080p resolution to each eye.
Last but not least, our LCD TV Buyers Guide hones in on the traditional CCFL-backlit LCD TVs from companies such as Panasonic, LG, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, JVC and Westinghouse. Sure they may not be as flashy and skinny as their LED TV cousins, and they may not have the black levels of a great plasma, but LCD technology has come a long way lately, and it's possible to bring home a fully-featured flat panel LCD TV today for a fraction of what it would have cost just 2 to 3 years ago.
There are a vast number of choices available to the HDTV buying public and we want to help you determine what features and performance options are most important to you as you narrow down your short list for a big beautiful new HDTV. We hope the above Buyers Guides will help to educate you on the choices available, and the advantages and disadvantages unique to each technology.
