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The Right TV Features Can Enhance Home Viewing for Sports Fans
(ARA) - If you choose to watch your favourite team from home rather than battle
the crowds at your local sports arena, having the right television features can
help put you in the middle of all the action. Here are a few tips to consider
this season when shopping for your next television.
HDTV Monitors High definition television broadcasts enhance the picture quality
of your TV, giving you a sharper and clearer viewing experience. While 2006 is
the scheduled date for all TV stations to broadcast completely in digital, the
benefits of an HDTV monitor can be experienced now, so go ahead and be an early
adopter. Your friends will thank you in the future, not to mention this weekend
when you're watching your favourite sports related DVD movie.
Widescreen With the HDTV standard progressing at such a quick pace, the majority
of broadcasts will soon be in widescreen format. For sports enthusiasts,
widescreen televisions allow you to see a larger field of play - a huge benefit
to the sports fan, who has always wished for better view of the entire field of
play. Imagine being able to follow the action of both the runner breaking for
home and the outfielder throwing to home at the same time.
According to Des Power, general manager of television, Philips Consumer
Electronics, North America, with prices more affordable than ever, digital
widescreen TVs are leading a larger audience to the widescreen entertainment
experience. "Digital widescreen televisions allow consumers to see what they've
been missing, whether watching a football game or a favourite DVD," says Power.
Virtual Dolby (TM) Surround Sound There's nothing quite like the roar of the
crowd when your favourite team goes long on fourth and twenty and finds the end
zone. If you really want to feel like you're at the game, Virtual Dolby (TM)
Surround Sound is a feature you can't go without. With the enhancement of
surround sound, watching football at home becomes a true spectator sport.
Picture-in-Picture Has anyone ever told you that you can't be in two places at
once? Perhaps they didn't have the Picture-in-Picture feature on their
television. Picture-in-Picture allows you to watch two games at once. With PIP,
you no longer have to choose between the baseball playoffs and your alma mater's
football game.
Surf/Multi-Alternate Channels Most remote controls today have the "last or
recall" button feature that allows you to go back and forth between two
channels. Surf is a feature that has improved upon this idea. Surf makes it
possible to set up a ring of channels so users can skip back and forth between
multiple channels. This is great for those times when you can't decide whether
to watch football, baseball or NASCAR.
Progressive Scan Versus Interlaced Some televisions give consumers the choice
between two different scanning techniques - progressive scan or interlaced.
Progressive scan doubles the number of visible picture lines per field by
displaying all picture frames at once, which eliminates line flicker. This mode
is ideal for sporting events that feature slower movement and more artistic
elements, such as Soccer, Ice Dancing or Gymnastics. The interlaced mode
provides more visible lines on screen, which reduces annoying motion artifacts
-- perfect for faster moving sporting events such as Football, Hockey, or
Basketball. Those televisions that offer a choice between the two scanning modes
are more flexible in that the viewer always has a choice between the modes.
Remote Control This accessory may seem like a no-brainer since these days every
TV comes with a remote control. But be sure that you can perform all the
necessary functions from your remote control and that it's easy to use. A quick
'ease-of-use' test before you buy may save you time and headaches during the
season. Or you might consider a universal remote control like the Pronto, which
allows you to customize settings so you can switch between your favourite sports
channels with the touch of a button.
Auto Adjustment Auto adjustment is a feature that handles the technical settings
for you. As you change channels to your favourite college football games, a
television with auto adjustment measures the incoming signal and automatically
adjusts one or more settings to the optimal picture and sound quality. The best
televisions today analyse the incoming signal up to 60 times per second and
adjust all picture settings, even correcting for changes in room lighting! This
leaves you only to worry about which game to watch.
Size The size of the television you buy depends on a number of factors with the
most important being -- the size of your space and budget. With TV technologies
continuously improving picture quality, you can put a large HDTV Monitor in any
room and get a better viewing experience than with a regular analog TV. This
means that you can go as big as your space allows without sacrificing screen
clarity. With the prices of these TVs constantly dropping, there is a television
size to fit any room on any budget.
Design and Style This may not seem like such a big deal to some, but design can
either make or break the decision to purchase a new television. Design is also
important because of a new phenomenon called S.A.F. - the Spouse Approval
Factor. It doesn't matter how good the game looks on your new set if it becomes
an eye sore when turned off. Luckily, there are now many options when it comes
to colour, style, size, and design.
"Philips has conducted extensive global research to ensure our technologies and
designs incorporate consumer preferences," says Power. "Now consumers have a
variety of television designs and technologies to choose from that are designed
to fit a variety of rooms. From 15" LCD TVs to 34" digital widescreens to 60"
widescreen rear-projection televisions, consumers can easily incorporate
televisions into the décor of their homes to create their own personalized
entertainment experience."
Remember, your television is not only a ticket to the big game, but a piece of
furniture as well. Be sure that everyone in the house likes the look and the
season will be a smooth one. So don't get upset the next time you can't get
tickets to the big game. Instead, with a little knowledge and effort, you can
have the best seat in the house -- your house.
Courtesy of ARA Content |
