Word: screens
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Since Gateway unleashed its $3,000 plasma television last year, flat-panel TVs have moved from high-end curiosity to hot item, taking the hype-drenched world of consumer electronics by surprise. The flat-screen sets are brightening the picture in surprising places in this hard-to-tune economy. Design buffs love their sleek, minimalist profile; videophiles love the stunning picture quality; and investors are finally finding a bright spot in the beleaguered tech sector. In 2003, sales of plasma flat-screen televisions, despite an average price tag more than 10 times that of a conventional TV, tripled...
Gateway's low-end plasma set, introduced in November 2002, put big-screen and flat TVs within reach for more middle-class families. Its $3,000 model is the leader in its category. "In mid-2002, we saw that the television market was becoming way more digital than analog," says Matt Milne, Gateway senior vice president for consumer products. By going to some of the same suppliers it uses for its PCs, the company slashed prices, and the rest of the industry scrambled to follow. The move could not save the ailing PC company's retail stores--188 will...
...Asia, U.S. companies like Gateway and Dell are developing strong brands that will allow them to go after other product categories dominated by Japanese makers. American tech companies are working behind the scenes: Corning makes glass for the displays, and Texas Instruments has created a low-price, flat-screen alternative to the biggest plasma-TV sets with its DLP (digital light processing) rear-projection technology. "Just when you think innovation is dead, this shows you that it's very much alive," says Kevin Landis, chief investment officer for Firsthand Funds, an investment firm based in San Jose, Calif...
...some standouts in each category--conventional TVs, plasma, LCD and rear-projection--there was no clear winner. Each technology has its inherent drawbacks. The best picture-tube and rear-projection televisions, for example, can weigh more than 200 lbs. Plasma sets (named for the pixels of gas in the screen that are turned into plasma by an electrical charge) can sometimes experience "burn-in," when an image, such as a station identifier, leaves an imprint on the screen. The images on LCD (liquid-crystal display) and plasma screens, while usually bright and clear, may not have the best color contrast...
...future, the biggest question mark is high-definition programming. Not every flat-screen television comes equipped to handle the new HDTV format, which many consumers will want this summer when cable TV goes high def. And there are HD-ready conventional televisions that produce picture quality rivaling that of even the best plasma screens, at a much lower price. On the flip side, an HDTV set can sometimes make regular programming look worse. Catapano's advice: Start with the size you want, and match it to the technology that fits it best. Then it's up to your budget...