Televisions Glossary

All Flat-Panel TVs

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Composite video  Composite video is an analog video signal that is carried by a single cable (typically colored yellow).

Keep in mind that this is an analog connection and that a separate cable is needed to carry an audio signal. This is in contrast with an all-digital HDMI cable, which carries both video and audio signals.

Channel labeling  Allows you to display TV station call letters and channel numbers on the screen, so you always know what channel you're on.

Component video  In its most common use, component video refers to an analog video signal that has been split into three separate signals. This translates into red, blue and green connectors on each end of component video cable.

Keep in mind that this is an analog connection and that a separate cable is needed to carry an audio signal. This is in contrast with all-digital HDMI cable, which carries both video and audio signals.

DTV  (see digital television)

Display Type  Describes the design and technology of the TV. Design options include flat panel (thin, wall-mountable TVs), flat tube (traditional TVs with a flat picture tube) and rear projection (large, freestanding TVs). Technology options include LCD, plasma, DLP, LCOS and CRT (tube).

Back to Top

DVI Inputs  All-digital connections that carry high-resolution video signals from a source (such as a set-top box or a DVD player) to an HDTV or HD monitor. Some DVI connections support HDCP to allow the transmission of copy-protected high-definition content.

DLP  DLP® projection technology from Texas Instruments brings exciting possibilities to the world of HDTVs. DLP (short for Digital Light Processing) combines extraordinary performance and unprecedented reliability in big-screen displays that are surprisingly affordable.

The all-digital DLP chip, packed with millions of microscopic mirrors, delivers a precise, lifelike picture with vibrant colors and an extremely high contrast ratio — crisper whites, deeper blacks and images that pop. HDTVs powered by this technology are ideal for sports, action-packed scenes and gaming, because of the chip's ultrafast response time.

The unique design of the DLP engine also makes it relatively impervious to heat, humidity and vibration, so its clarity and color accuracy remain consistent and reliable over years of use. Unlike some competing technologies, DLP doesn't suffer from screen burn-in. This means no worries of video game images and network logos becoming permanently imprinted as ghost images on the screen.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Refers to TVs qualified under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR certification program. ENERGY STAR qualified TVs use about 30% less energy than comparable standard models, without sacrificing the features and performace you expect — saving you money on your utility bills while helping to protect the environment.

Furniture Size Furniture Diagram

Tell us about your existing furniture, and we'll recommend a TV size to fit your space.

HDTV (high-definition television)  A fully integrated television that will receive all ATSC terrestrial digital transmissions and decode all ATSC Table 3 video formats. It must display active vertical scanning lines of 720 progressive (720p), 1080 interlaced (1080i), or higher in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. It must also receive and decode or pass-through for decoding Dolby Digital audio.

Back to Top

HDMI Inputs  HDMI carries both digital video and audio (at resolutions up to 1080p) in a single cable. It provides the highest-quality connection between your TV or projector and Blu-ray players, personal computers, video game consules and more. The more inputs your TV or projector has, the more devices you can connect directly.

Hertz (Hz)  For TVs, the number of Hz (hertz) measures the screen refresh rate, which is how many times per second a TV screen image is completely reconstructed. A TV with a 60Hz refresh rate means that the picture will be completely rebuilt 60 times in one second. Why is this important? Generally, the more the screen is refreshed, the smoother the images will appear to the human eye.

At the lower 60Hz level, something called motion blur can occur with rapid on-screen movement. The result is a somewhat blurry image when, for example, football players are running down the field. As you start to move into 120Hz, 240Hz and 600Hz territory, motion blur is significantly reduced.

Instant Content  For smart HDTVs, Blu-ray players and other products featuring these instant content services, you can can connect to the Internet in order to stream movies, listen to music and view a wide variety of other content over your HDTV and home theater speakers.

Access movie services such as CinemaNow and Netflix, music services like Pandora and Napster, and other favorites like YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. You can also read news, weather, stock info and more. Be aware that the services offered by each smart product varies greatly, and subscriptions are required for some services.

Learn more about smart products and content.

LCD TV  Television that employs a liquid crystal display screen rather than a cathode ray tube; used primarily in portable video equipment, small, personal TVs and front projectors; but being developed for larger, direct-view displays. An LCD projector uses a lamp to shine light through liquid crystal panels, then through mirrors and lenses to the screen. (See LCD)

Media Card Slot  Slot designed to accept 1 or more types of media card (aka, memory card), such as Secure Digital or CompactFlash. A device with a media card slot can access and/or store photos, audio, video and/or other files on a compatible media card.

Back to Top

Plasma  A popular display technology, employed by many state-of-the-art flat-panel TVs, that produces colored light at the screen surface rather than projecting a separate light source through or off of other elements to conjure a picture. A plasma "screen" is actually a dense network of individual cells, three for each pixel of the display (coated with red, green and blue phosphors, respectively). Each cell is impregnated with a rare-gas mixture and connected to an individual electrode. When the electrode for a given cell is charged with an electrical voltage, the gas is converted to a plasma state and emits a burst of ultraviolet light; this in turn causes the phosphors to react and produce bright visible light at the pixel level. By varying the voltage and intensity of the electrical charge, the proper combination of red, green and blue light is produced in each pixel to combine into a bright, colorful composite image.

PC Inputs  Inputs that allow you to connect the TV to your PC for use as a computer monitor.

Pixel  Short for "picture element," a pixel is a small "dot" on a TV screen. HDTV screens contain hundreds of thousands of pixels in fixed columns and rows. When you are watching a TV show, each pixel displays a particular color. When this collection of color is viewed from a distance, it forms a recognizable image. The number of pixels on a screen basically determines the display resolution of an HDTV.

RF Antenna Input  Jack for connecting an antenna to receive over-the-air television broadcasts.

Sound Leveler  Keeps the volume constant regardless of source signal changes (e.g., when a TV program transitions to a louder commercial).

Back to Top

Screen Size  Size of the screen, in inches, measured diagonally from corner to corner.

S-Video Inputs  Connections that deliver separate color and black-and-white video signals through a single cable. S-video connections provide better picture quality than RF and composite video connections but not as good as component video, DVI and HDMI connections.

Screen Refresh Rate  This refers to how many times per second a TV screen image is completely reconstructed. A TV with a 60Hz refresh rate means that the picture will be completely rebuilt 60 times in one second. Why is this important? Generally, the more the screen is refreshed, the smoother the images will appear.

Vertical Resolution  Maximum number of horizontal lines (or pixels) that can be displayed from the top of the TV screen to the bottom. The greater the number of lines, the better the picture.

VESA Mount Standards  A series of industry-wide interface standards, created by the Video Electronics Standards Association and designed to promote uniformity and intercompatibility among video displays and mounting hardware. The standards define approved hole patterns and hardware specifications, ensuring that VESA-compliant "universal" mounting brackets will accommodate TVs across multiple brands.

Back to Top

Viewing Distance  Are you replacing a standard tube TV? If so, you can fit a larger flat-panel HDTV into that same space. For example:

27" tube TV = 32" class HDTV
32"–36" tube TV = 40" class HDTV

Viewing distance is important to consider because you can sit a lot closer to an HDTV than to a standard tube TV.

Watts/Channel  Power per speaker. The higher the power, the louder the sound.

#
1080i  (1080 interlaced) One of the two formats designated as high-definition television in the ATSC DTV standard, with 1080 vertical pixels (dotted picture elements) by 1920 horizontal pixels. The "I" stands for "interlacing," as opposed to "progressive scanning," which is used in the other accepted DTV standard, known as 720p. Contrary to myth, 1080i is not superior to 720p. Although 1080i has more scanning lines than 720p, it suffers the disadvantages of interlaced scanning. (See ATSC, 720p, interlacing, progressive scanning)

5.1-channel surround  Surround sound system with 3 front and 2 rear speakers. The ".1" is the subwoofer. (See Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, dts.)

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z