Breaking it Down 02 - How to buy a Bigscreen!
As Promised, here is my
Breakdown regarding Bigscreen TV's.
As a seasoned "nerd" I get a lot of questions about technology. Lately they seem to be focused around bigscreen TV's. There is some confusion about how to properly buy a bigscreen, so I'm going to try to demistify the process for you!
Big Screens, Big Questions!- Why do I want HDTV anyway? What IS HDTV?
- How Big should I buy?
- LCD vs. Plasma: Which is right for me?
Why do I want HDTV anyway?
I'm sure you've all heard of HDTV by now. The acronym stands for High Definition Television, and it is exactly that. Televisions have historically had very little innovation since the invention of colour tubes in 1940. Since then, the real advances in television have been on the supply side - Shifting from Antenna broadcasts, to Satellite, then to traditional cable systems, and new mini-dish satellites, and finally using the internet to distribute television programs.
Sure, companies such as Panasonic and Sony pushed small advances in their Picture Tube televisions (better filters for more colour display, and to cut down on "noise" generated in the transmission stage), but nothing MAJOR has changed in almost 70 years.
Televisions display information at a certain "resolution," much like a digital camera. The more "megapixels" your camera can capture, the higher the detail in the final product. The same is also true of Televisions. They display a certain number of "lines" of resolution. Traditional, old fashioned colour TV broadcasts (on antenna, satellite, or cable systems) consist of a display of 525 horizontal lines, therefore every second, your television draws 525 lines horizontally 30 times, to make up a moving picture. In the 50's, this sounded and looked EXTREMELY impressive. It was so advanced, in fact, that it lasted about 50 years, until the technology to make bigger screens exposed how poor the quality actually is at 525 lines. This is partially why all those "old" projection bigscreen TV's look fairly poor.
Then came High Definition TV. Pushed by the desire for a bigger screen, a format was invented that carries 1080 lines of resolution to your television. The HDTV format also introduces the ability to broadcast SOUND in the Dolby Digital 5.1 format (I will talk about sound in another blog entry!). This format (in its highest form - 1080p) also doubles the "frame rate" of your picture - instead of 30 images per second, it is up to 60 on HDTV - allowing for better display of sports and action packed materials, and equally important, less fatigue on the eyes. The result is a viewing experience that will literally blow you away, like the first time you heard Money for Nothin' on a compact disc, or the first time you talked on the phone in a shopping mall, or in your car. Amazing!
How Big should I buy?This is the second most popular question people ask. Most of my male friends want to get the BIGGEST set they can possibly afford. While I can identify with that position, size should be determined by the room the television will be placed in.
The general rule of thumb is as follows:
Your sitting position should be 2 - 3 times the size of your screen for maximum enjoyment.
Therefore, if your couch / chair is 10 feet from where your television will sit, you would be looking for a television of approximately 54"
8 ft. = approx 38 - 40"
12 ft. = approx 58"
15 ft. = 72"
You can sit closer (say 2x screen size) to your set if you will be watching mostly high definition content (as you will not notice the imperfections in the picture), but if you are going to be watching a lot of standard definition (many channels and programs are still only available in old-fashioned broadcast formats), you will want to sit a bit further back (3 times screen size). I've used a compromise to factor the optimum viewing distances above.
LCD vs. Plasma: Which is right for me?
This is easily the most popular question asked of me. On the surface, these two display types seem to look nearly identical - but there are several key differences that will influence your purchase.
Whats the difference?
Plasma screens use a layer of tiny gas plasma cells charged by electricity to create a picture. LCD (liquid crystal display) screens are liquid crystal sandwhiched between glass plates. The picture is created by varying electrical charges on the liquid, combined with a backlight for illumination. None of this really matters though, what matters is HOW IT LOOKS!!!
For general home theatre uses, Plasma has a distinct edge. Because LCD pictures are created partially by a BACKLIGHT (a light source shining through the sandwiched liquid crystal plates), there is always some light seepage around each pixel (individual element of colour - millions of these make up a single picture). Because of this, blacks and dark colours do not appear as dark as they could. This affects dark scenes in television shows and movies, as well as the shading of all colours on your screen, no matter what the content.
Plasma also tends to have a better wide viewing angle than its LCD counterpart. Because the LCD television uses layers of glass to create its image, you can experience a "parallax" effect if viewing it at wider angles.
Older LCD televisions had a problem with a blurring image during fast moving scenes, or sports broadcasts. This has been fixed up in most LCD models being sold today. A buying tip is to check the pixel response time on LCD televisions - the lower the number (measured in ms - milliseconds), the better the performance during fast scenes.
LCD screens are able to produce higher resolutions than similar sized Plasma televisions - That means that you can view a high definition broadcast on a smaller set if you buy an LCD television. LCD's also use up to 30% less power than similar sized plasma screens.
The lifespan of an LCD television MAY be longer than a plasma as well. LCD's are guaranteed to function for 60,000 hours, while some plasma displays only claim 30,000 - 50,000 hours. Still, either choice will most likely outlast the technology, as 60,000 hours would last you 20.5 years watching TV for 8 hours every single day.
ConclusionBuying a bigscreen should be a fun experience. By all means, shop around! Ask salespeople questions! You might find similar pricing from store to store, as most retailers of high end electronics don't make much margin on big-ticket items like Bigscreens and appliances. When it comes time to buy, make sure you get your products from a trusted retailer, with a good warranty or return program, in case something goes wrong, or you are not satisfied with your choice. If you're looking to buy a bigscreen in the Woodstock, Ontario area, send me an email, and I can let you know who MY favourite retailers are, and why!
Email me with any questions, comments, or feedback on this, or any other topic!
(sources, www.wikipedia.org)
Labels: Bigscreen, LCD, Moving, Ontario, Plasma, Real Estate, Theatre, Woodstock, Woodstock ON Real Estate, Woodstock Ontario, Woodstock Ontario Real Estate
"Breaking it Down" - 01 - Introduction
Hello Everyone!
I am starting a new feature on www.bensage.com in which I will review and explain different technological devices as "plainly" as I can. This feature will be known as "
Breaking it Down."
The idea for this Blog theme arose out of an experience I recently had with a client. This client had just bought a lovely older home and really wanted to invest some money into a proper home theatre system for her new place! Like many people, this client was uneducated about current technical advances in the area of flat panel televisions, and wary of retail salespeople (can't blame her for that!!). So I volunteered to help her shop around and find the right combination of picture and sound for her new home. (Stay tuned for my
Breakdown of Flat panel technology!)
As an aside, I am more than happy to research whatever needs to be explained, so if you are considering an upcoming technological purchase (digital camera, computer, media player, DVD or Blu Ray, or WHATEVER) shoot me an email and I'll gladly research it and include it in my blog!
As those who know me personally would tell you, I am somewhat of a "nerd", so I generally keep on top of technological advances, but in order to serve my client properly, I did some research at home in the week prior to our "shopping trip." After all, technology moves so fast, you HAVE to be prepared when entering a retail showroom, credit card in hand! (They can smell a sucker a mile away!).
In upcoming blog entries, I will discuss many different technology types - hopefully
breaking them down into easy-to-understand terms! As always, suggestions or comments are not only welcome, but appreciated!
B
Labels: Advice, Breakdown, Easy, Ontario, Real Estate, Simple, Technology, Woodstock
Real Estate Forms - Explained!
Here are simple, easy to understand explanations of the pre-printed OREA (Ontario Real Estate Association) Forms. Many people (agents and clients) simply do not understand what the pre-printed portions of these forms are actually saying. Courtesy of the
toronto real estate board, here are the simple explanations!
Agreement of Purchase and SaleBuyer Representation AgreementListing Agreement Authority to Offer for SaleSeller Customer Service AgreementBuyer Custoner Service Agreement
Confirmation of Co-operation and RepresentationLabels: Advice, Agreement, Explained, Explanation, Forms, Ontario, Real Estate, Woodstock, Woodstock ON Real Estate
Ontario Land Transfer Tax Rebates!
Ontario Land Transfer Tax Rebate Program - Proposed Expansion to include Resale Homes
In December 2007 the provincial government proposed to amend the Land Transfer Tax Act to include a maximum rebate of $2,000 to first-time buyers of resale homes. There are still several steps within the legislative process before this comes into effect but it will be retroactive to include agreements of purchase and sale entered into after December 13, 2007. It is recommended that anyone purchasing should review the following criteria (supplied by the provincial government web site www.rev.gov.on.ca ) and get their application at the top of the pile! E-mail me for more information about the existing Land Transfer Tax, what the amount will be on your dream home, and for more information on the proposed rebate.
Resale Homes
Until the proposed amendments become law, the following applies to first-time homebuyers of resale homes applying for a refund:
- Land transfer tax must be paid at registration
The following documentation must be submitted to the Ministry of Revenue at the address at the end of this notice:
- Refund applications on resale homes cannot currently be made electronically.
- A properly completed Ontario Land Transfer Tax Refund Affidavit for First-Time Purchasers of Eligible Homes (Resale) form
- A copy of the registered instrument on which land transfer tax was paid (in the case of electronic registration, please include a copy of the docket summary which relates to the transaction);
- A copy of the agreement of purchase and sale (only those agreements of purchase and sale entered into after December 13, 2007 may qualify) along with a copy of the statement of adjustments.
- Refund applications on resale homes cannot currently be made electronically.
- Refund to be Paid once Proposals become Law
- Although eligible first-time buyers of resale homes may apply for the refund once the transaction has closed and the tax has been paid, the ministry would retain the refund requests for processing and would issue refunds if the proposed amendments become law.
Eligibility Requirements
The following eligibility requirements are proposed to apply for resale homes, and continue to apply for newly constructed homes:
- The purchaser must be at least 18 years of age.
- Application for the refund must be made within 18 months after the date of the conveyance or disposition.
- The purchaser must occupy the home as his or her principal residence within 9 months of the date of closing.
- The purchaser cannot have owned a home or had any ownership interest in a home, anywhere in the world.
- A spouse of the purchaser cannot have owned a home or had any ownership interest in a home, anywhere in the world while he or she was the purchaser’s spouse.
What is a Resale Home?
A resale home is referred to as an eligible home in the proposed legislation. It is proposed that eligible home be defined as follows:
- a detached house
- a semi-detached house, including a dwelling house that is joined to another dwelling house at the footing or foundation by a wall above or below grade or both above and below grade;
- a townhouse;
- a share or shares of the capital stock of a co-operative corporation if the share or shares are acquired for the purpose of acquiring the right to in-habit a housing unit owned by the corporation;
- a mobile home that complies with the Canadian Standards Association Standard CAN/CSA-Z240 Mobile Homes and is suitable for year round permanent residential occupation;
- a condominium unit;
- a residential dwelling that is a duplex, triplex or fourplex;
- a partial ownership interest as a tenant in common of real property if the ownership interest was acquired for the purpose of acquiring the right to inhabit a housing unit forming part of the real property;
a manufactured home that is manufactured in whole or in part at an offsite location, that is intended for basement installation, that is suitable for year round permanent residential occupation and that complies with,
the Building Code made under the Building Code Act, 1992;
if the manufactured home is constructed in sections that are not wider than 4.3 metres, Canadian Standards Association Standard Z240.2.1 Structural Requirements for Mobile Homes and Canadian Standards Association Standard Z240.8.1 Windows for Use in Mobile Homes, or
if the manufactured home is constructed in sections that are 4.3 metres or wider, Canadian Standards Association Standard A277 Procedure for Certification of Factory Built Houses; or;
- any other residential property as may be prescribed.
Labels: Homeowner, Land Transfer Tax, Real Estate Advice, Woodstock, Woodstock ON Real Estate, Woodstock Ontario Real Estate
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