There are four main components to the Projection HDTV concept - the projector, screen, control panel, and the sound system. Each of these components can be purchased in one easy to install unit or individually. The main part of the set up is the projector. This is where all the system information is entered. There are two methods used to form the screen images. The most common is the LCD panel and the alternative is the reflective where a light is based off of a reflective chip.

5 years ago we gathered around and marveled at the little specs moving at our commands, doing not much - except moving off course, we called these things games. Today the hardware in computers and other devices has changed significantly; we went from having a “spacious” 1mb hard drive to 250 GB of space. The graphics have also taken a giant leap for our computers, no longer are we confined to little dots but our 256mb graphic cards allow us to explore a virtual world in 3d. The sound has also changed from 4bit to 32 and pretty soon 64bit; we went from beeps to actually words. Finally the speed of our beloved computers has also increased from mere kilobytes to gigabytes of rams.

Before we consider the various plasma television sets available, let us acquaint ourselves with the technology that sets apart these television sets, from the conventional CRT sets. A plasma screen is made up of two sheets of glass. Plasma particles made up of xenon and neon gases fill thousands of tiny chambers between these sheets. These gases are electrically ionized to create plasma. A series of red, blue and green phosphors lie coated near the colour panels behind each chamber. When electricity hits the plasma chambers, a ultra-violet light is emitted. This in turn, hits one of the coloured phosphors. This is responsible for the visible image on the screen. Plasma gases are inert and sealed within tiny cells which, are in turn, sandwiched between glass plates. There is no need to refill or recharge plasma.

There are several to choose from. The main three HDTV types are LCD, plasma, and the new LED, all thin enough to hang on your wall.

HDTV LCD televisions provide a wider and sharper image that rivals DVD’s. HDTV televisions offers about twice as many “lines” of resolution and better quality, digitally encrypted sound to enhance the viewing experience.

Digital HDTV’s can provide sharper, clearer pictures and sound with very little interference or other imperfections. Of perhaps greater importance, digital television sets will potentially be able to send, store, and manipulate images as well as receive them, thereby merging the functions of the television set and the computer.