Envision L32W761

What You Should Know about the L32W761

Good Screen Size For the Bedroom

Typically, HDTVs with a diagonal screen size between 32 and 36 inches, such as this model has, are LCD televisions with a resolution of either 1366 by 768 or 1920 by 1080 (1080p). For most people, the optimum viewing distance for an HDTV screen of this size is about 5 to 6 feet. That makes such a screen a good fit for the bedroom, the den, or a small living area.

Popular Resolution For Moderately Priced TVs

All modern HDTVs are fixed-pixel displays. The number of pixels a display has determines its maximum resolution and thus the fineness of detail it can reproduce. Resolution is normally expressed as pixel width versus pixel height. This television's resolution is 1366 by 768, meaning it has 1366 pixel columns by 768 pixel rows. This resolution is popular for moderately priced plasma and LCD televisions. A key characteristic of all fixed-pixel displays is that incoming signals not at the set's native resolution must be scaled to match that resolution. The quality of this mathematical upconversion or downconversion can significantly affect the picture, especially for ordinary standard-definition TV signals. Inferior scaling may soften the picture, exaggerate noise, or cause some edges to appear slightly jagged.

LCD Display Technology

LCD televisions, like this one, are relatively thin, lightweight panels with a light source at the rear and a lattice of tiny cells filled with liquid crystals in the middle. They perform better than plasmas in brightly lit rooms and don't suffer image burn-in. But because the liquid crystal is never completely opaque, reproducing black or near-black color is harder for LCDs. Picture quality can deteriorate when viewing from far off to the side; and because liquid crystals respond relatively slowly to changes in applied voltage, fast-moving objects on the screen may appear to blur slightly. But LCD technology continues to improve, and these problems are less of an issue today (look for models that tout a 120-Hz refresh rate and a wide viewing angle). LCDs tend to be cheaper than comparable-size plasmas and are available in smaller screen sizes (37 inches and below).

Supports Modern HD Inputs

HDTV sets now routinely have at least one HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) input, and usually two, three, or four. An HDMI connection carries digital video and, in many cases, audio from HD cable and satellite receivers, Blu-ray Disc players, and some DVD players and game consoles to the TV over a single cable. Because of their convenience and quality, HDMI connections, when they are available, are generally preferable to other types. Normally an HDTV set will also have two, or possibly three, component-video inputs as well. You can also expect your TV to have component video as well as one or two standard three-wire A/V inputs (composite video plus stereo audio), and one or two RF inputs for direct antenna or cable-TV input.