Flat Panel TV

Guide Note

A flat panel TV is the latest generation of television technology, as the depth of the television is dramatically smaller than sets of the past. There are two main types of flat panel televisions, LCD TV and Plasma TV.

Plasma TV Fast Facts

1. Debut: 1964
2. Inventor: Donald Bitzer, H. Gene Slottow, Rober Willson
3. 1997: Pioneer color display, first mainstream model
4. Neon & Xenon gases used
5. Price range: $700-$4000

LCD TV Fast Facts

1. Thin Film Transistor (TFT) technology
2. Popular LCD TV: High Definition
3. 2004: Sharp makes a 65" LCD
4. 2005: Samsung goes up to 82"
5. 2006: LG.Philips hits 100"
6. 2007: 108" Sharp AQUOS debuts

There are several factors to consider when choosing a flat panel television including price, size, type and resolution. For larger televisions, plasma may be the cheaper and provide better quality, but are not as great when viewing from a distance. LCD is less expensive than the plasma for smaller models, and are lighter and use less electricity as well. For more information on choosing a flat panel TV, check out Mahalo's Guide to How to Pick a Flat Screen TV.

• Pioneer
• Sony
• Panasonic
• Samsung
• Sharp
• Philips