What makes flat TV so special?

Gatot Tio, Contributor, Jakarta

Did you attend the recent Consumer Electronics Exhibition at the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center. Well, most of the participants were displaying flat TV models, a sure sign of the growing popularity of this new TV technology.

What makes the flat TV so special. As we know, there are three kinds of TV models: direct-view TV, projection TV and flat panel. The direct-view TV is a standard TV with a dark and heavy glass using a conventional picture tube, available in different screen sizes of between 14 inches and 42 inches. It offers a wide range features, but due to its large size it requires a lot of space. And viewing this TV for long periods may irritate your eyes.

A projection TV uses a special picture tube with separate guns for each color, and comes with an acrylic screen that is "flicker free". These types of TVs come in two different types: rear- projection and front-projection. In the Indonesian market, the rear-projection TVs are more popular.

Projection TVs come in screen sizes ranging between 41 inches and 56 inches or more. The advantage of this type of TV is that it can produce cinema-like picture and sound. Its high performance sound system can easily be adapted for a home theater. It also has a flat vision with a clear picture even at the edges.

So what about flat panel TVs? First, don't confuse the terms flat screen TV and flat panel TV. Yes, they are both recent innovations in the TV industry, but they have different features. The flat panel is the new hang-on-the-wall format. This type of TV comes in two separate pieces, a display screen and a box with the works inside.

Not every flat panel product is digital, and that means you'll need to purchase an accessory box when High Definition TV (HDTV) becomes available. The main advantage of flat panel TVs over flat screen TVs is that they do not take up any floor or shelf space. The picture tubes of these TVs are totally flat and do not occupy much space. These TV are light, slim and wide (they have screens of up to 42 inches). You can just hang these TVs on the wall.

Unfortunately, the prices are very expensive. More expensive than for flat TVs. Look at the Sanyo PDP-32H1A, which is sold by Datascript in Indonesia. It costs about Rp 45 million (US$5,300).

A flat TV is a direct view TV which uses a flat tube. This flattened picture tube is referred to as FST, which stands for flat, square tube (a picture tube that is visually flat, not curved). These TVs are called SuperFlat or True Flat. It is a completely flat screen with zero picture distortion, bright contrast and excellent color value. They are different from curved screens that reflect sources of light in the room and dilute the picture on the screen. Their screens have either a dark tint or a dark glass picture tube that offers greater contrast between black and white.

A flat TV screen is able to minimize glare and at the same time maximizes contrast for a more accurate picture. Squares are square and circular objects appear to be circular on the flat screen. In a curved screen such objects suffer distortion. Additionally, the image detail is not only in the center of the screen, but all the way to the outer edges. A flat screen television can be viewed at a 180-degree angle without distortion.

Almost all flat TV models also offer some unique features, such as shadow mask and comb filter. The shadow mask is a premium feature that gives the picture more brightness. Less expensive TVs use glass comb filters, whereas high-end sets use digital comb filters. These comb filters improve picture quality and resolution while reducing objectionable colors and patterns.

The flat TV is more impressive than a curved screen but is not cheap. Current models create pictures using liquid, gas and a vacuum, which requires an expensive manufacturing process. So don't be surprised if you find these TVs to be more expensive than conventional ones (non-flat or semi-flat).

Sony, for example, is among the first companies to make flat screen television available to consumers. The CRT technology used in the Sony Wega line is the first to come close to absolute flatness. Look at one of the Sony models, like the KP-ER53M61. Its 53-inch stereo color set with a flat screen carries a price tag of about Rp 32 million.