Best LCD TV’s
Looking for the Best 26″ LCD HDTV?
Welcome to 26″ LCD TV’s, your source for the lastest info on HDTV, LCD TV’s and 26″ LCD TV’s in particular.
How LCD TVs work
The ‘LCD’ in LCD TV stands for ‘liquid crystal display’. Despite the name the crystals mentioned aren’t ‘liquid’. What they are is flexible. Liquid crystals are microscopic molecular crystals that have a twisted structure. When electricity is applied to these crystals they start to straighten out, in varying degrees depending on the amount of electricity that is applied.
When these crystals are laid out in between two sheets of glass, that are constructed to allow electricity to pass between them, the crystals arranged in specific patterns can be made to untwist at will. When they untwist they start to allow light to pass by them, when they are fully straightened out, they don’t block any light at all.
The display in your digital watch is the simplest form of liquid crystal display. The display of an LCD TV is far more sophisticated. The sheet of glass composing the display is embedded with thousands of microscopic transistors (tiny electronic switches) each controlling an individual pixel. The screen of an LCD TV is composed of lines of pixels in a standardized pattern. 1,280 pixels in 720 lines is typical for an LCD display. Each pixel is composed of 3 sub-pixels of red, green and blue. Each pixel is controlled individually, the whole adding up to an image on your TV screen.
The images are refreshed at either 30 or 60 times per second, depending on the resolution type of the particular TV.
An LCD display doesn’t produce any light of its own, but requires a ‘backlight’ behind it. Normally these are fluorescent lights, though the newest developments in LCD TV’s are to use light-emitting diodes (tiny electronic lightbulbs) as the light source that can be individually controlled themselves to improve the contrast ratio of the display. That is the difference between the darkest black and the lightest white a display can show. LED TV’s overcome one of the drawbacks to LCD TV’s, which is the ability to show very deep shades of black.
Top rated 26″ LCD HDTV’s
Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-L26X1 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
* 26″ LCD 720p HDTV
* Included universal iPod dock provides a convenient way to enjoy music, videos and photos on your VIERA HDTV
* VIERA Image Viewer lets you share your digital photos with friends and family directly from SD cards
* VIERA Link lets you control your compatible Panasonic DVD recorder, Blu-ray Disc player, home theater sound system and HD camcorder, all with a single remote and helpful on-screen menus
* Three HDMI inputs and PC input
Sony Bravia L-Series KDL-26L5000 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
* Enjoy a 26-inch flatscreen with vibrant 720p resolution from any HD source, including movies, sports, and HD television programming
* Advanced Contrast Enhancer with Dynamic Backlight Control Dynamic Backlight Control creates a dynamic contrast ratio of 13,000:1
* Three HDMI inputs (up to 1080/60p input capable) , two Component YPbPr (1080/60i capable), and one PC input (HD-15 pin)
* Expand your HDTV’s capabilities with BRAVIA Link modules, such as BRAVIA DVD Link, BRAVIA Wireless Link, and BRAVIA Input Link (sold separately)
* BRAVIA Sync gives you one-touch access and control of all your compatible home theatre devices, as well as select Sony Handycam camcorders
Samsung LN26B460 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
* 26-inch high definition TV with 720p resolution
* Three HDMI, one component, and one composite video input
* Improved picture with 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 8ms response time and Wide Color Enhancer 2 technology
* Two 5W bottom speakers and SRS TruSurround HD for a rich surround-sound experience from two speakers
* One-year parts and labor warranty
LG 26LH20 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
* LCD HDTV features with swivel stand and energy Star rated
* 720p HD resolution 1366 x 768p with 2 x HDMI v 1.3 digital inputs
* Invisible speaker system with Dolby Digital 5.1 & Clear voice for richer more balanced sound & a polished look
* ISFccc capable of professional calibration for picture performance
* 30,000:1 Dynamic contrast ratio
VIZIO VL260M 26-Inch Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV
* full 1080p resolution
* 50,000:1 contrast ratio
* Two built-in speakers provide the ultimate home theatre sound experience
Toshiba 26AV502U 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
* 720p HD LCD Panel
* DynaLight Backlight
* TheaterWide Picture Modes
* Discrete IR Codes
* Vesa Compatible
Haier HL26R 26-Inch Widescreen LCD HDTV
* 26-inch flat panel LCD HDTV with 1366×768 resolution
* 2 HDMI inputs; 2 component inputs
* PC input; DSM (HD Engine); ATSC/NTXD tuner
* Swivel stand adjusts up to 30-degrees
* Universal remote control
Samsung LN26A450 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
* 720p HD Resolution
* Wide Color Enhancer
* 3 HDMI Inputs
* 8 ms response time
I am looking to purchase as new LCD TV and was hoping you could explain the difference between 720 and 1080p resolutions and why I should pick one over the other. Thanks!
Both of these are “High Definition” in that they have a 16:9 aspect ratio (the width of the screen- 16 parts vs. the height- 9 parts), and both can come in two types- “interlaced” and “progressive”, a 720p is virtually the same as a 1080i, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference to look at them.
A 1080p technically is better, will cost a heck of a lot more, but you still may not be able to notice an appreciable difference in quality of image.
I would be inclined to buy the 720p, and put my money into a decent home theater system.
Check out this site for a better explanation about “progressive” scan and “interlaced” scan: http://buylcdtv1.com.
I think the 1080p is a better picture, both of my LCD’s are 1080p.