Televisions started off as big boxes that only changed by getting bigger. Apart from that, the technology stayed pretty much the same for their first 45 years or so; just a big cathode ray vacuum tube in a box.
In 1999, Philips unveiled Australia’s first plasma screen – a 106-centimetre flat panel that cost $29,999 in a market where expensive televisions were priced at $750 – and everything changed. And it’s all about to get a bit more complicated still. You’ve heard of high definition (HD) tellies, even full HD. Well now there’s ultra-HD. With a way higher pixel count, these screens have four times the resolution of full HD. Their definition is stunning. But so is the price.
Sony is first to market (it calls the technology 4K) with a monster 213-centimetre screen priced at $24,999. It’s big because with screens smaller than 100 centimetres or so you’re unlikely to notice much of an improvement over full high-definition, but if you want a really big screen with the sharpest picture, this is the one for you . . . unless you go for LG’s similarly sized ultra-HD television with an announced price of $15,999. But that hasn’t hit the market yet.
Here’s the thing: you’ll get true ultra-HD performance only when you feed the screen with ultra-HD software through an ultra-HD disc player or receiver, and the amount of ultra-HD software available right now is on par with the number of dentists specialising in treating hens. Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a bit more buyer friendly, but only a bit. The great attraction of the technology is that it’s so compact. LED televisions may be super slim but OLED televisions will have the same depth as a sheet of glass.
OLED televisions are due to hit the market and while they’ll be expensive, they will cost less than the ultra-HD ones. Think around $10,000 for a 140-centimetre model.
If all of this TV tech seems a bit daunting, well at least it’s easier than choosing between mobile phones.
