Which TV is right for me?

Choices, choices and more choices. Let's face it; there are just a ridiculous number of televisions for sale out there. How can you possibly choose?

People often ask me what my favorite TV is, or similarly, what's my dream TV? This question is always followed by a long pause and a slow deep breath. It's not because I don't have an answer, matter of fact, I've got plenty, and there in lies the problem.

If Einstein has taught us anything, it's that everything is relative. My perfect TV may not be your perfect TV. The perfect television for your home may not even fit in mine and so on.

So how do we choose a new television?

Given that there really isn't an end all, be all, “greatest TV of all time” out there, we do the next best thing; learn and understand their major differences and how each will benefit you.

In fact, why don't we let them introduce themselves?

Hello! I'm an LCD TV
I'm a flat panel and I come in many, many different sizes and resolutions. You can find me in sizes ranging from 15” all the way up to about 57”. Sometimes you can find me as large as 65”, wow! You can put me on a table, or you can mount me on a wall! You can put me most anywhere because my screen is viewable from very wide angles.

Hi there! I'm a Plasma TV
I like the LCDs I'm a flat panel as well but I typically come in larger sizes than LCDs. Which also means I'm a bit heavier of the flat panel TVs. I have bright and vivid colors which are great for viewing movies but my screens have a slight tendency to show glare, so try to keep me away from a lot of windows.

Hello there! I'm a Rear Projection
...but most people refer to me as a DLP which stands for Digital Light Processing. DLP was invented by Texas Instruments and is just one way of making a rear projection. Others include CRT, LCD and LCoS.

I usually come in sizes from about 42” to 72”. As you can see, I'm a big television and I'm usually put on top of a table or stand, but sometimes I'm big enough to stand on the floor all by myself! I also offer the most screen for the dollar! If you like big, big screens but don't want to spend a whole lot of money, I'm the TV for you!

Howdy! I'm Front Projection!
There are two parts to me, a projector, and a screen. Projectors can be table or ceiling mounted. Screens can be ceiling mounted, wall mounted or even painted on the wall! The ceiling and wall mounted versions can be powered and lowered via remote control which is very cool! I can create HUGE screens for your home theater. If you love big screen movies but don't like going to the theater, check me out! I'm the best way to bring the enjoyment of cinema into your home!

Well there you have it! I'd like to thank all of the TVs for introducing themselves. As I mentioned before, each one of these choices have there specific benefits and no one has all the answers, but with a little help from a professional installer, like myself, you can be sure to make the right choice!

-Keith

Introduction

Welcome to the Inspired Electronics Blog! Being that this is the inaugural post of Inspired Electronics, I feel that an introduction is in order.

A little about myself... My name is Keith and I work as an installer for a Home Electronics sales and installation company appropriately dubbed, Inspired Electronics, Inc. (Thus the name of the blog.)

In my past professional life I spent seven years working for a large hardware store, beginning in high school and then to put myself through college. One of those years, the last of which, I played the role of a department manager.

I learned an incredible amount about home improvement in those seven years, adding to an upbringing at the hands of two handymen, my Father and Grandfather, I've become very comfortable around the home improvement scene.

However, growing tired of the big-store retail life, I decided to jump head first into a profession which I truly have a passion for; Home Electronics!

Enter Inspired Electronics, Inc. The owner, Rob Schultz and I are building our dream company so to speak. We love Home Electronics, and quite frankly I can't imagine a more entertaining way to make a living.

So, we have our business... So why the blog you ask?

Well, the thing about having a passion for what you do is that you want to share it with everyone. I love to teach others about what I do for a living, and I love to learn from others. The Inspired Electronics Blog is, I think, a great way to do just that.

This board is for everyone. If you find yourself searching through the Sunday ads to see whats new in the electronics world... if you read so deep into the press releases that you hear about products far before they're on the shelves... if you stare at your Home Theater and wonder what changes you'll make next... if you just plain old love shiny, blinking, loud and cool new stuff...

This blog is for you. Welcome.

-Keith